3.5*
2021 reread in omnibus "Miles, Mystery and Mayhem"
This short novella (or long short story) takes Miles in his Admiral Naismith incarnation to Jackson's Whole for the first significant time, meeting Taura along the way. Readers of the series really should read this one before "Mirror Dance".

This novella is also part of the collection "Borders of Infinity" which I listened to via Audible's Plus catalog... ( )

Yeah Miles! And Tora. ( )

Labyrinth is a short work that introduces the readers to the world of Jackson's Whole, whose entire economy is based on less-than-wholesome trading, whether that be arms, drugs, or especially bio-engineered beings. Miles is sent in to retrieve a scientist who wants to defect, but said scientist won't go without work that he "stored" within the body of a beast he created as a super-soldier. When Miles' extraction plan inevitably goes awry, he finds himself locked in a dingy basement with said beast, Theseus-style. However, he finds that this beast is actually a genetically-modified teenaged girl who's been misused and tortured. Working together, with neither quite sure they can trust the other, they make their escape. This is a good introduction to some characters and settings that would become important later in the series, but on its own it was good but not great. ( )

A rollicking read and an excellent demonstration of humanity. ( )

Five stars for making me laugh with some of the strangest stuff ever! ( )