What happens to humans after more than eight centuries of genetic engineering? How might a society evolve when all births are in vitro and all genetic matings are pre-approved? Throw in an Empress's funeral attended by intergalactic diplomats, a murder mystery, and a brilliant but physically damaged (quite literally) protagonist, and you have Miles Vorkosigan on the planet Cetaganda. I could say more at length but you want to read this one without spoilers!

This is one of my favorite books in the Miles Vorkosigan Adverntures series, but I am rereading the whole series now and frequently my "favorite" is the one I happen to be reading at the moment! ( )

Dead Empress divestiture.

Miles gets sent to the boring duty of going to an Imperial funeral. Some people would also be happy if he didn't come back, of course, given he has been sent to Cetaganda. Miles of course manages to get involved with a mystery into the bargain, helping out one of the local military, and eve gets a medal for his trouble. A medal from this bunch doesn't really endear him to the locals much, either.

http://notfreesf.blogspot.com/2007/08... ( )

Miles tries his hand at another bit of detective work again in this one. He's on a diplomatic mission to Cetaganda with his 'a bit thick but handsome' cousin. He's not even off the shuttle before he's knee deep in intrigue and murder, dodging potentially fatal traps as he goes. Spending time in Miles head is always enjoyable and fun. I also enjoyed trying to imagine how beautiful the Cetagandan Haut women were. Probably similar to trying to imagine what Galadriel looked like - an enjoyable exercise but ultimately a futile one. ( )

Great Audio Book, minor quibbles....: I must preface this review by stating that this is my FIRST Miles Vorkosigan audio book, but that I really enjoyed it. The Plot: Miles, a member of an elite security force is sent to a planet where he must act as ambassador. He is chaperoned/accompanied by his amorous cousin Ivan. During the process, Miles makes friends, enemies, and manages to solve a mystery which could damage relations between Cetaganda and his homeworld.This is a light-hearted comedy, thoroughly enjoyable, and, I found Miles and his cousin Ivan to be quite amusing. Miles himself is a refreshing character who is strengthened by his disabilities and not overcome by them. I particularly enjoyed the scenes in the garden where Miles and Ivan are viewing the Kitten tree, and the intelligent plants. Just too bizarre. Ivan's exploits with the Ghem women was also VERY funny.What I didn't like? Storywise: I was very surprised that Miles didn't take advantage of the Haut ladies superior genetic knowledge to have some of his own physical abilities looked into. Any society which can bio-engineer its own people to the degree the Haut lords and ladies did, certainly could help Miles's strengthen his bones and straighten his spine. On to the quality of the tape: While I enjoyed the voice of the male reader, who had quite a range, the female reader read every character in exactly the same voice, which sounded sort of like that of an elderly granny. It was definitely NOT a voice I expected to hear for sexy bombshell Haut women. Also, because the tone of her voice did NOT change, sometimes I was left wondering WHO was speaking half the time. I found this distracting. What was the purpose of having a female reader at all if there was no variance? Also, the tape did not have a: "Insert tape 2" message or "this is the end of side 1" Message at the end of each section to let the listeners know that they were at the end of each section. This was particularly bad at the END of the book where the story just ends, with no music, no end credits NOTHING, I had to fast forward to make sure that I had listened to it all. Poor design.Overall, I loved this NOVEL and would LOVE to listen to the rest of the series. I recommend this to sci-fi fans, looking for something fun to sink their teeth into.

I love Ivan. I love when Miles and Ivan have to work together. Throw in a planet full of Cetagandans and yet another plot against Barrayar and you have a winner.

I feel so sorry for Ivan. If Miles weren't in the picture, Ivan wouldn't have anything to live up to and would be perfectly happy in his life. But despite Miles' physical appearance, Miles intelligence and drive to overcome his appearance (and Barrayar's prejudice) means that Ivan's only defense is to appear dumber than he appears, which means that in this instance Miles is free to work behind the scene and foil every attempt to frame Barrayar and the Count. Miles never wavers in his determination, even when it saving Barrayar means he must save the Centagandan Empire, too. And, of course, Ivan has no choice but to fall in behind Miles and help him save the day. ( )