WINTERFAIR GIFTS

Acclaimed science-fiction writer Lois McMaster Bujold offers this tidbit of a story, which fits between her two longer works A CIVIL CAMPAIGN and DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY. It’s certainly a quick snippet of story meant for hard-core fans; nevertheless, Grover Gardner narrates as if he has all the time in the world, and the story is all the better for it. Gardner's characters are layered and real despite the highly imagined world in which they live. His narration is at once straightforward and well crafted. Gardner's voice seems plucked right from 1950s sci-fi serials, a quality that adds to the atmosphere and makes this a fun listen. L.B. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2008]