When the Cetagandan empress dies, Miles Vorkosigan and his cousin Ivan are sent to Cetaganda for her funeral as diplomatic representatives of Barrayar. Upon arrival, the two men are inexplicably attacked by a servant of the late empress. When the same servant turns up dead the next day, Miles and Ivan find themselves in the middle of a mystery. Miles tries to play detective in a strange, complicated, and deceptively alien culture, while lascivious Ivan manages to get himself involved with several noble females at the same time, a diplomatic no-no of the first order. As the plot thickens, it becomes clear that it's up to Miles to save the empire. With her usual skill, Bujold addresses timeless issues of human identity through the personal dramas of her characters.
- ISBN10 0671877445
- ISBN13 9780671877446
- Publish Date 1 October 1996 (first published 1 January 1996)
- Publish Status Active
- Out of Print 26 October 2011
- Publish Country US
- Imprint Baen Books
- Format Paperback
- Pages 352
- Language English