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Description edit
When the Cetagandan Empress dies, Miles Vorkosigan and his cousin Ivan Vorpatril are sent to Cetaganda for her funeral as diplomatic representatives of Barrayar. But when the lifelong attendant of the Empress is found murdered, Miles and Ivan find themselves in the thick of things.
Miles... read more
Summary edit
In Cetaganda, Miles and Ivan are sent to the homeworld of the Cetagandan Empire to represent Barrayar at the Imperial funeral of the dowager Empress, mother of the current Emperor. They soon become entangled in an internal Cetagandan plot which leads to murder.
Miles forms an unusual... read more (warning: may contain spoilers)
Characters/People edit
- Miles Naismith Vorkosigan: A Lieutenant; son of Aral and Cordelia; Lord Vorkosigan.
- Ivan Vorpatril: A Lieutenant; son of Alys Vorpatril and Padma Vorpatril (deceased); Lord Vorpatril. Miles' cousin.
- Lisbet Degtiar: The late Dowager Empress of the Cetagandan Empire.
- Lord Vorob'yev: Barrayaran ambassador to the Cetagandan Empire.
- Lord Vorreedi: Protocol Officer at the Barrayaran Embassy on Eta Ceta IV; really an ImpSec Colonel & Chief of ImpSec on Eta Ceta IV.
- Bernaux: Marilacan Ambassador to the Cetagandan Empire.
- Lady Gelle: A Cetagandan ghem-lady.
- Lord Yenaro: A Cetagandan ghem-lord; a scent-artist.
- Mia Maz: Assistant Chief of Protocol for the Vervani Embassy on Eta Ceta IV.
- Rian Degtiar: A Cetagandan haut-lady; Servant of the Celestial Lady and Handmaiden of the Star Creche.
- Ba Lura: The Celestial Lady's most senior servitor.
- Lady Arvin & Lady Benello: Two Cetagandan haut-ladies; friends of Lord Yenaro.
- Dag Benin: A Ghem-Colonel in Cetagandan Imperial Security.
- Este Rond: Cetagandan haut-lord; Satrap Governor of Rho Ceta, Barrayar's nearest Cetagandan neighbor.
- Slyke Giaja: Cetagandan haut-lord; Satrap Governor of Xi Ceta.
- Ilsum Kety: Cetagandan haut-lord; Satrap Governor of Sigma Ceta, and the youngest Satrap Governor.
- Fletchir Giaja: Emperor of the Cetagandan Empire.
- Chilian: A Cetagandan Ghem-General working for Satrap Governor Ilsum Kety.
- Millisor: A Ghem-Colonel working for the Star Creche.
- Lady d'Har: Haut wife of Ghem-Admiral Har.
- Lord Har: Ghem-Admiral; commander of half the Cetagandan Fleet.
- Vio d'Chilian: Haut wife of Ghem-General Chilian.
- Pel Navar: A Cetagandan haut-lady; Consort of Eta Ceta.
- Nadina: A Cetagandan haut-lady; Consort of Sigma Ceta.
- Naru: A Ghem-General third in command of Cetagandan Imperial Security.
Quotes edit
-
“Thirty-two stab wounds in the back, worst case of suicide they ever saw. . .”
Ivan Vorpatril -
“I'm just having an attack of limericks.”
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan -
“--"So use your initiative!"--"I don't have initiative. I follow orders, thank you. It's much safer."--"Fine. I order you to use your initiative!"”
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan & Ivan Vorpatril -
“Real facts. As opposed to what other kind of facts?”
Ivan Vorpatril (to Miles Naismith Vorkosigan) -
“--". . . I may be completely off-base, and panicking prematurely."--"I don't think so. I think you're panicking post-maturely. In fact, if you were panicking any later it would be practically posthumously."”
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan & Ivan Vorpatril -
“Idiocy by committee, the finest kind. . .”
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan -
“Yeah, your favorite kind <of backup> -- unconscious on the floor where I couldn't inject any kind of sense into the proceedings. You took off to get yourself killed, or worse, and everybody would have blamed me. The last thing Aunt Cordelia said to me before we left was 'And try to keep him out of trouble, Ivan.'”
Ivan Vorpatril
Setting & Locations edit
- Eta Ceta IV: Homeworld of the Cetagandan Empire.
- Barrayaran Embassy
- Marilacan Embassy
- The Celestial Garden: The Cetagandan Imperial Residence; off-worlders call it Xanadu.
- Moon Garden Hall: Site of the 149th Annual Bioesthetics Exhibition.
First Sentence edit
"Now is it, 'Diplomacy is the art of war pursued by other men,'" asked Ivan, "or was it the other way around?
Glossary edit
- Ba: A neutered Cetagandan servant class to the Emperor. Many are hairless.
- The Celestial Lady: The polite term for the Cetagandan Empress.
- The Star Creche: The Cetagandan-haut gene bank.
Errata edit
Cetaganda was initially serialized in four issues of Analog magazine, between October and December of 1995.
Series & Lists edit
This is book 6 of 20 in The Vorkosigan Saga. (standard series)
Preceded by The Vor Game, and followed by Ethan of Athos.
This book is in F-sari. (publisher series)
This is book 10 of 15 in The Vorkosigan Saga (Publication Order). (standard series)
Preceded by Mirror Dance, and followed by Memory.
Authors & Contributors edit
- Lois McMaster Bujold (Author)
Other Contributors:
- Piret Marvet (Translator)
First Edition edit
Original Language: English
Publisher: Baen
Country: U.S.A.
Publication Date: 1995
ISBN: 0671877011
Page Count: 302
Publisher: Baen
Country: U.S.A.
Publication Date: 1995
ISBN: 0671877011
Page Count: 302
Awards edit
- Locus Science Fiction Award (Finalist, 1997)
Classification edit
- Library of Congress: 95033243
- Dewey: 813.54
Notes for Parents edit
Reading Level: Young AdultsThere are no major adult themes in this novel (meaning no sex and little violence, though there is a murder investigation); however, the vocabulary is moderately challenging.
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