From Publishers Weekly
The power to engineer a civilization's genetic destiny fosters new variations on old struggles for political power in this entertaining space-operatic entry in Bujold's long-running Vorkosigan saga. Miles Vorkosigan, hero of Mirror Dance (winner of the 1995 Hugo Award for Best Novel), is on a diplomatic mission to represent his home planet at the funeral of the dowager empress of the Cetaganda empire when an encounter with an assailant leaves him with a piece of computer software. This proves to be a bogus duplicate of a key to the Cetagandan genome, which each new empress manipulates to produce offspring. With the help of a member of Cetaganda's matriarchal ruling haut, Miles and his cousin Ivan dodge inventive assassination attempts to determine which of the empire's eight governors has tried to pin this "theft" on them in the hope of usurping control of the genome. With her usual skill, Bujold addresses timeless issues of human identity through the personal dramas of her characters, most notably Miles, a deformed mutant whose insecurities afford him insight but sometimes obstruct his investigations. Set in a vividly realized world where Machiavellian intrigues are played out behind a facade of aristocratic discretion, this novel, like its predecessors, blends high adventure with wry commentary on the seemingly unbridgeable gulf between human ideals and political realities.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
From Library Journal
Hugo and Nebula Award winner Bujold's superb novel is brought to life in this stellar recording. Lt. Miles Vorkosigan, the book's 22-year-old protagonist, is smart, bold, ambitious, sensitive, and physically disabled. As the story opens, Miles and his cousin Ivan are sent to Eta Ceta to represent their home world of Barrayar at the state funeral of the Cetagandan Emperor's mother. Upon arrival, the two men are inexplicably attacked by a servant of the late Empress, who drops an electronic device before fleeing. When the same servant turns up dead the next day, Miles determines to uncover the truth about both the device and the servant's demise. A beautiful geneticist, a suspicious Cetagandan security officer, and a helpful but secretive fellow Barrayaran embroil Miles further in political intrigue. Veteran readers Michael Hanson and Carol Cowan demonstrate a remarkable ability to alter tone, pacing, and mood to capture perfectly the different emotions and personalities of the various characters. Narrator Hanson's deep, pleasant voice is particularly compelling as he effortlessly shifts back and forth among Miles, Ivan, and other males in several pivotal scenes. Readers who normally eschew sf will delight in Bujold's intriguing plots, appealing characters, and wry humor. This splendid recording of this action-packed, character-oriented novel is a joy to listen to and will be appreciated by library patrons everywhere.
-Leah Sparks, Bowie P.L., MD Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
