A CIVIL CAMPAIGN

This is a modern comedy of manners, with Lord Miles Vorkorsigan’s somewhat inartful and not so subtle advances on the widow Ekaterin (who has sworn off marriage as a result of an abusive husband), the attempts of his clone brother, Mark, to begin a business producing “bug butter,” and a few scandals here and there, all against the backdrop of plans for the emperor’s wedding. Gardner rolls with the humor, holding the silliness in check but allowing it to move to the foreground now and again. With a well-placed tongue in cheek, he serves up a narration that has an underlying sense of seriousness and a clear eye on a plot that is entertaining and fun. J.E.M. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/ MAR 08]