Cetaganda (1996)

This entry in the Vorkosigan Saga struck me as a little lighter than the others. It was very enjoyable, full of sparkling dialogue and the oversized personality of Miles. They mystery at the heart of the story was a bit contrived, I thought, and this one's not going to be my favorite. ( )

Cetaganda opens with Miles and Ivan going on a diplomatic mission to Cetaganda. You know, the one that keeps trying to invade Barrayar. (Fortunately, they don’t know that Miles was the one who foiled that last attempt.) The Dowager Empress of Cetaganda has just died and they are going to witness her funeral.

It wasn’t my favorite of the series so far, mostly because I missed the supporting cast. It was a little more plot and a little less character driven, which I definitely missed. It did give a bit more depth and substance to Cetaganda, beyond the simple “Let’s go invade Barrayar!” types which they’ve been so far. I just cared far less about the Cetagandan society, which meant that my emotional investment was pretty much solely on Miles and Ivan’s behalf.

However, that’s not a terrible thing, and Bujold’s writing keeps me happy anyway.

(ALSO! The cover for this was hilariously awful. I don’t even know what to say about it. It’s one of those covers where the artist technically got everything right, and yet it’s just so wrong.) [Nov. 2010] ( )

I thought it was interesting--the Cetagandan society reminded me of Heian Japan (not an accident, I'm sure).
Still, the main mystery of the book wasn't especially thrilling. ( )

3.8 stars

Miles and Ivan travel as diplomatic representatives of Emperor Gregor to the home world of the Cetagandan Empire for the funeral of the Empress. A ten-day trip to observe and enjoy social customs (and parties) quickly turns sour when Miles become embroiled in a mystery and suicide/murder that threatens to frame him, and by implication Barrayar, for a treasonous usurpation plot.

Miles, being Miles, convinces himself, and Ivan, that only he can save Barrayar's honor and salvage the Cetagandan society from destruction or evolving into a more aggressive and expanding threat to Barrayar. Miles manages to unravel the tangled web of political intrigue, gender and caste mores and sidestep his own ImpSec watchdogs.

Of the five Vorkosigan Saga novels I've read, Cetaganda is probably my second favorite, right after Barrayar The mystery muddled me, the bioscience intrigued me and the Cetaganda society bemused me. I didn't roll my eyes or suspend my belief at Miles antics or the situations he found himself in. I can't say the same for Ivan, but then he's a healthy young male besieged by breathtakingly beautiful women and succumbs to the obvious.

Cetaganda also stands alone very well. I can comfortably recommend this to anyone who loves a good mystery in a space opera setting. ( )

I'm not sure why I put off reading the Miles Vorkosigan books for so long. Space opera at its finest. ( )