Yet again, Bujold blends adventure and mystery space opera with compelling, real, personal human problems. Miles makes a huge mistake which may cost him his military career, and his (former?) boss, Illyan, is the victim of sabotage? assassination attempt? which turns his artificially augmented memory against him. This in itself is enough to fuel the plot of a story, but the true action happens as Miles learns what do do with himself besides gallivant around saving the galaxy, and furthermore, (view spoiler)[ old people get laid, much to the chagrin of the young; Illyan learns how to be retired, and deal with the failings of a human memory, and Miles' beautiful second-in-command and sometime lover hesitates little over choosing admiralship of her mercenary fleet over life as a future countess. (hide spoiler)] When Bujold stops writing, I will mourn.