List $29.95

Written by Lois McMaster Bujold - Audio book performed by Grover Gardner - Unabridged Fiction - 1 MP3 COMPACT DISC

Publisher, Blackstone Audio (May 2006)

ALERT! YOUR CD PLAYER MUST BE MP3 COMPATIBLE! MP3 audiobooks on compact disc can be played on newer CD players that support MP3 technology and accept a 4.75" diameter disc, and on any personal computer that has Microsoft's Media Player or similar software.

“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.” —Publishers Weekly

“[Even] readers who normally eschew science fiction will delight in Bujold's intriguing plots, appealing characters, and wry humor.” —Library Journal

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.

About the Author: LOIS MCMASTER BUJOLD burst upon the science-fiction world in 1986 with Shards of Honor, the first of the Vorkosigan Saga novels. She has won the Hugo Award four times and the Nebula Award twice. The mother of two, she lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.