Another wild whirl with Miles Vorkosigan at its centre. He does surf the chaos with remarkable skill. As a reader, one sympathizes with Armsman Roic, who must try to protect the Lord Auditor. Miles has been sent to figure out what, if anything, is untoward about the cryogenic preservation business on Kibou-daini as it looks to expand to Barrayaran territory. A bit of an exploration of whether it is worthwhile or even moral to try to cheat death through this method, being frozen until there is a cure for whatever ailed you. And there is indeed something rotten in the state of Denmark (or Kibou-daini, as the case may be).
Miles, who seems to collect strays wherever he goes, soon acquires a young man whose mother seems likely to have the dirt that the investigation needs. Unfortunately the cryocorp goons seem to have reached her first and she is in cryogenic storage, quite literally on ice. In his usual inimitable fashion, Miles devises a plan to extract and revive her.
Rogue cryogenic facilities, a menagerie of animals, two children, a stunned planetary consul, an arson attempt, kidnapping, plus a business deal involving Lord Mark, this book has all that. It's the usual Vorkosigan experience. The epilogue, however, broke my heart. 💔
Book number 514 of my Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Project
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