Book review: Cetaganda by Lois McMaster Bujold

Cover of Cetaganda by Lois McMaster Bujold

This is the ninth volume in the 16-volume Vorkosigan saga.

From Amazon:

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.
Amazon.com

Bujold is excellent at introducing and portraying characters without being flowery. One or two well-chosen adjectives and actions, and have a quick sense of the persons look, demeanor, and personality.

As a space opera, with the political and cultural entry associated with it, but it also a wonderful murder-mystery story. The mystery portion ramps up in the last half of the book with typical mystery characteristics: numerous suspects, dead-end leads, surprise twists, and an unexpected but believable resolution.

Long before it became en vogue to discuss issues of gender like we do today, Bujold was exploring a race where the gender roles are not only more complex than in human history, but the Cetagandans are also experimenting with genetics to increase certain characteristics in women, men, and for lack of a better term, units, although they are really genderless because all secondary characteristics have been removed. Bujold explores the subject as a matter-of-fact way, as part of the story, with no preaching at the reader any modern narrative. It’s simply part of that universe, and we get to view it through Miles’ more traditional culture, where he sees many of the difficulties caused by it, but also sees the way it might function in the Cetagandan culture.

Even though this is a space opera, with all of the technology and big picture stuff that goes along with that, the character development and portrayal is excellent. It’s really about the people, they are complex, they are realistic. The protagonist is brilliant in many ways, and yet flawed both physically and with the psychological difficulties that come along with it. The storytelling makes me want to keep reading because I want to find out how Miles is going to navigate this latest adventure.Long before it became en vogue to discuss issues of gender like we do today, Bujold was exploring a race where the gender roles are not only more complex than in human history, but the Cetagandans are also experimenting with genetics to increase certain characteristics in women, men, and for lack of a better term, units, although they are really genderless because all secondary characteristics have been removed. Bujold explores the subject as a matter-of-fact way, as part of the story, with no preaching at the reader any modern narrative. It’s simply part of that universe, and we get to view it through Miles’ more traditional culture, where he sees many of the difficulties caused by it, but also sees the way it might function in the Cetagandan culture.

Like the other books in the series, this one is well-done, and adds the element of a murder-mystery. If you enjoy any of the others in the series, this is one of the best I have read (so far);