I really like the idea of religious fundamentalist homosexuals -- that part is interesting and could actually use a little more development. I'm disappointed in the homophobia of the Galactics -- Ethan should be encountering prejudice because Athosians are backward, not because they're homosexual. It doesn't seem to me that a society with open hermaphrodites (even if the hermaphrodites are rare) should have serious hangups about homosexuality and definitely *definitely* should not be throwing around the word "queer" like an epithet. I'd believe in pockets of homophobia in Galactic society, but Bujold hasn't defined those lines well, and so these moments ring false and detract from an otherwise good story. This book also suffers from following Cetaganda in the omnibus edition. Ethan of Athos is an early novel in which she hasn't quite hit her storytelling stride, while her powers have matured by Cetaganda. My delight at seeing how much Bujold's abilities have improved is at war with my disappointment at reading the superior novel first.
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