254:
Fletchir Giaja. They quickly become entangled in an internal
Cetagandan plot when they arrive at a nearly deserted docking bay, much to their puzzlement. A ba (a sexless servant of the Cetagandan rulers) unexpectedly rushes into their spaceship. A struggle ensues, in which the ba drops a weapon and
255:
some sort of artifact before fleeing. Miles takes it upon himself to investigate — without informing his superiors — and eventually discovers that the artifact is a fake copy of the priceless Great Key, which has been stolen. The ba is later found dead.
281:
general. Much to his chagrin, he is publicly awarded the Order of Merit, one of the very highest
Cetagandan honors, by the Emperor himself. He also picks up clues to a Cetagandan genetic experiment, which becomes the object of much skullduggery in
27:
997:
262:
Rian
Degtiar, the "Handmaiden of the Star Crèche", who is charged with the duties of empress until the new one is chosen. The Star Crèche is the heart of the genetic engineering project that is the
317:
noted that she didn't consider "the
Cetagandan political set-up to be very plausible, very interesting"; Walton also observed that, although the previous three Vorkosigan novels all won the
269:
Miles solves the complex mystery and stops a plot to fragment the
Cetagandan Empire into eight dangerously expansionist-minded parts, a plot which itself is hijacked by one of the
987:
992:
972:
977:
462:
349:
967:
419:
203:
Previous novels referred to the
Cetagandan Empire because of its occupation of Barrayar decades before the events of the first novel,
134:
657:
489:
439:
649:
569:
227:
179:
962:
247:
633:
545:
215:
683:
318:
982:
697:
258:
Realizing that an unknown enemy is trying to frame him and
Barrayar, Miles forms an unusual alliance with the
250:
to represent
Barrayar at the state funeral of the dowager Empress Lisbet, mother of the current emperor, the
911:
807:
718:
903:
609:
158:
817:
498:
482:
174:
40:
895:
370:
885:
833:
129:
825:
747:
625:
919:
796:
711:
704:
690:
676:
537:
511:
475:
205:
188:
86:
76:
927:
553:
284:
221:
956:
593:
577:
561:
145:
58:
456:
184:
96:
26:
345:
314:
307:
praised the novel as having "a good and delicious mystery at its core". At
329:
found it to be "certainly an enjoyable book, though not (Bujold's) best."
641:
585:
467:
309:
304:
398:
617:
420:"Luck is something you make for yourself: Lois McMaster Bujold’s
177:, first published in four parts from October to December 1995 in
772:
509:
471:
998:
Works originally published in Analog
Science Fiction and Fact
299:
was nominated for the Locus Award in 1997, the same year as
346:"Analog Science Fiction and Fact, Mid-December 1995"
883:
805:
790:
783:
740:
733:
668:
529:
522:
273:governors for personal gain, abetted by a renegade
266:class's efforts to evolve beyond the merely human.
153:
140:
128:
120:
112:
102:
92:
82:
72:
64:
54:
46:
36:
246:Miles and Ivan are sent to the home world of the
483:
8:
19:
239:have different long-range goals than their
787:
780:
769:
737:
526:
519:
506:
490:
476:
468:
25:
18:
337:
191:, and was included in the 2001 omnibus
988:Speculative crime and thriller fiction
993:Novels first published in serial form
463:Internet Speculative Fiction Database
350:Internet Speculative Fiction Database
187:in January 1996. It is a part of the
7:
303:, the following book in the series.
371:"1997 Award Winners & Nominees"
867:"The Assassins of Thasalon" (2021)
16:1996 novel by Lois McMaster Bujold
14:
864:"The Physicians of Vilnoc" (2020)
658:Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen
235:ruling class of the Empire. The
183:, and published in book form by
973:American science fiction novels
858:"The Prisoner of Limnos" (2017)
180:Analog Science Fiction and Fact
978:Novels by Lois McMaster Bujold
876:"Penric and the Bandit" (2024)
861:"The Orphans of Raspay" (2019)
843:"Penric and the Shaman" (2016)
209:. Cetagandan soldiers of the
173:is a science fiction novel by
1:
414:Walton, Jo (April 10, 2009),
231:. This novel introduces the
650:Captain Vorpatril's Alliance
968:1996 science fiction novels
849:"Masquerade in Lodi" (2020)
444:, accessed November 2, 2012
426:, accessed November 2, 2012
405:, accessed November 2, 2012
1014:
855:"Mira's Last Dance" (2017)
31:Cover of the first edition
852:"Penric's Mission" (2016)
779:
768:
684:The Mountains of Mourning
518:
505:
319:Hugo Award for Best Novel
213:military class appear in
193:Miles, Mystery and Mayhem
24:
870:"Knot of Shadows" (2021)
546:The Warrior's Apprentice
325:was not even nominated.
216:The Warrior's Apprentice
873:"Demon Daughter" (2024)
840:"Penric's Demon" (2015)
677:The Borders of Infinity
403:: Lois McMaster Bujold"
393:Gerlach, Nicki (2011),
47:Audio read by
808:World of the Five Gods
719:The Flowers of Vashnoi
846:"Penric's Fox" (2018)
705:Dreamweaver's Dilemma
461:title listing at the
963:1996 American novels
818:The Curse of Chalion
499:Lois McMaster Bujold
175:Lois McMaster Bujold
41:Lois McMaster Bujold
634:Diplomatic Immunity
21:
375:Worlds Without End
950:
949:
946:
945:
942:
941:
938:
937:
886:The Sharing Knife
834:The Hallowed Hunt
764:
763:
760:
759:
756:
755:
741:Vorkosigan family
729:
728:
277:lady and his top
248:Cetagandan Empire
166:
165:
113:Publication place
55:Cover artist
1005:
826:Paladin of Souls
788:
781:
770:
748:Miles Vorkosigan
738:
712:Winterfair Gifts
626:A Civil Campaign
570:Brothers in Arms
527:
520:
507:
492:
485:
478:
469:
445:
433:
427:
412:
406:
391:
385:
384:
382:
381:
367:
361:
360:
358:
357:
342:
228:Brothers in Arms
154:Followed by
141:Preceded by
104:Publication date
29:
22:
1013:
1012:
1008:
1007:
1006:
1004:
1003:
1002:
983:Vorkosigan Saga
953:
952:
951:
934:
879:
801:
797:The Spirit Ring
775:
752:
725:
664:
538:Shards of Honor
514:
512:Vorkosigan Saga
501:
496:
453:
448:
438:, Jan 9, 1996,
434:
430:
413:
409:
392:
388:
379:
377:
369:
368:
364:
355:
353:
344:
343:
339:
335:
294:
206:Shards of Honor
201:
189:Vorkosigan Saga
105:
87:Science fiction
77:Vorkosigan Saga
32:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1011:
1009:
1001:
1000:
995:
990:
985:
980:
975:
970:
965:
955:
954:
948:
947:
944:
943:
940:
939:
936:
935:
933:
932:
928:Knife Children
924:
916:
908:
900:
891:
889:
881:
880:
878:
877:
874:
871:
868:
865:
862:
859:
856:
853:
850:
847:
844:
841:
838:
830:
822:
813:
811:
803:
802:
794:
792:
785:
777:
776:
773:
766:
765:
762:
761:
758:
757:
754:
753:
751:
750:
744:
742:
735:
731:
730:
727:
726:
724:
723:
715:
708:
701:
694:
687:
680:
672:
670:
666:
665:
663:
662:
654:
646:
638:
630:
622:
614:
606:
598:
590:
582:
574:
566:
558:
554:Ethan of Athos
550:
542:
533:
531:
524:
516:
515:
510:
503:
502:
497:
495:
494:
487:
480:
472:
466:
465:
452:
451:External links
449:
447:
446:
428:
407:
386:
362:
336:
334:
331:
293:
290:
285:Ethan of Athos
222:Ethan of Athos
200:
197:
164:
163:
155:
151:
150:
142:
138:
137:
132:
126:
125:
122:
118:
117:
114:
110:
109:
106:
103:
100:
99:
94:
90:
89:
84:
80:
79:
74:
70:
69:
66:
62:
61:
56:
52:
51:
50:Grover Gardner
48:
44:
43:
38:
34:
33:
30:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1010:
999:
996:
994:
991:
989:
986:
984:
981:
979:
976:
974:
971:
969:
966:
964:
961:
960:
958:
930:
929:
925:
922:
921:
917:
914:
913:
909:
906:
905:
901:
898:
897:
893:
892:
890:
888:
887:
882:
875:
872:
869:
866:
863:
860:
857:
854:
851:
848:
845:
842:
839:
836:
835:
831:
828:
827:
823:
820:
819:
815:
814:
812:
810:
809:
804:
799:
798:
793:
789:
786:
782:
778:
771:
767:
749:
746:
745:
743:
739:
736:
732:
721:
720:
716:
713:
709:
706:
702:
699:
695:
692:
688:
685:
681:
678:
674:
673:
671:
667:
660:
659:
655:
652:
651:
647:
644:
643:
639:
636:
635:
631:
628:
627:
623:
620:
619:
615:
612:
611:
607:
604:
603:
599:
596:
595:
591:
588:
587:
583:
580:
579:
575:
572:
571:
567:
564:
563:
559:
556:
555:
551:
548:
547:
543:
540:
539:
535:
534:
532:
528:
525:
521:
517:
513:
508:
504:
500:
493:
488:
486:
481:
479:
474:
473:
470:
464:
460:
459:
455:
454:
450:
443:
442:
437:
432:
429:
425:
423:
417:
411:
408:
404:
402:
396:
390:
387:
376:
372:
366:
363:
351:
347:
341:
338:
332:
330:
328:
324:
320:
316:
312:
311:
306:
302:
298:
291:
289:
287:
286:
280:
276:
272:
267:
265:
261:
256:
253:
249:
244:
242:
238:
234:
230:
229:
224:
223:
218:
217:
212:
208:
207:
198:
196:
194:
190:
186:
182:
181:
176:
172:
171:
162:
160:
156:
152:
149:
147:
143:
139:
136:
135:0-671-87701-1
133:
131:
127:
123:
119:
116:United States
115:
111:
107:
101:
98:
95:
91:
88:
85:
81:
78:
75:
71:
67:
63:
60:
57:
53:
49:
45:
42:
39:
35:
28:
23:
926:
918:
910:
902:
894:
884:
832:
824:
816:
806:
795:
717:
656:
648:
640:
632:
624:
616:
608:
601:
600:
594:Mirror Dance
592:
584:
578:The Vor Game
576:
568:
562:Falling Free
560:
552:
544:
536:
457:
440:
435:
431:
421:
415:
410:
400:
394:
389:
378:. Retrieved
374:
365:
354:. Retrieved
340:
326:
322:
308:
300:
296:
295:
283:
278:
274:
270:
268:
263:
259:
257:
251:
245:
243:underlings.
240:
236:
232:
226:
220:
214:
210:
204:
202:
199:Plot summary
192:
178:
169:
168:
167:
157:
146:Mirror Dance
144:
59:Gary Ruddell
896:Beguilement
395:The SF Site
957:Categories
791:Standalone
734:Characters
698:Weatherman
380:2011-02-06
356:2011-05-02
333:References
185:Baen Books
97:Baen Books
20:Cetaganda
691:Labyrinth
602:Cetaganda
458:Cetaganda
441:Cetaganda
422:Cetaganda
401:Cetaganda
323:Cetaganda
315:Jo Walton
297:Cetaganda
292:Reception
170:Cetaganda
93:Publisher
714:" (2004)
707:" (1995)
700:" (1990)
693:" (1989)
686:" (1989)
679:" (1987)
669:Novellas
642:Cryoburn
586:Barrayar
65:Language
920:Horizon
912:Passage
774:Fantasy
436:SFF.net
416:Tor.com
352:(ISFDB)
327:SFF.net
310:Tor.com
305:SF Site
68:English
931:(2019)
923:(2009)
915:(2008)
907:(2007)
904:Legacy
899:(2006)
837:(2005)
829:(2003)
821:(2001)
800:(1992)
722:(2018)
661:(2016)
653:(2012)
645:(2010)
637:(2002)
629:(1999)
621:(1998)
618:Komarr
613:(1996)
610:Memory
605:(1995)
597:(1994)
589:(1991)
581:(1990)
573:(1989)
565:(1988)
557:(1986)
549:(1986)
541:(1986)
530:Novels
301:Memory
161:
159:Memory
148:
73:Series
37:Author
784:Works
523:Works
121:Pages
83:Genre
279:ghem
275:haut
271:haut
264:haut
260:haut
252:haut
241:ghem
237:haut
233:haut
225:and
211:ghem
130:ISBN
108:1996
124:302
959::
418:,
397:,
373:.
348:.
321:,
313:,
288:.
219:,
195:.
710:"
703:"
696:"
689:"
682:"
675:"
491:e
484:t
477:v
424:"
399:"
383:.
359:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
