This book (well, technically, books – this is an omnibus edition of Conflict of Honors, Agent of Change, and Carpe Diem) had been lurking at the top of my recommendations list at Amazon for months before I finally decided to give it a shot (mostly because I’d received an Amazon gift certificate for filling out some survey or something online so I could buy it for half price). It was compared to the Vorkosigan series by Lois McMaster Bujold, which I adore, so I was curious whether it would live up to the hype. And I’m happy to say that it does. The universe is interesting, and the characters are compelling. One thing I like a lot is that Lee and Miller don’t explicitly explain the universe. They’ve clearly planned it out and its details, but instead of telling us what’s going on, they show us through the interaction of the characters and offhand remarks. It’s a lesson many authors need to learn. I’m definitely going to buy the rest of the books in the series when I get the chance.