The novel “Cryoburn” by Lois McMaster Bujold was published for the first time in 2010. It’s part of the Vorkosigan saga.

The people of the planet Kibou-daini are obsessed with death and to try to defeat they go into hibernation after their death in the hope that one day someone can find a way to bring them back to life. One day, one of the planet’s corporations that provide cryogenic services decides to expand offering them on the planet Komarr. Because Barrayar’s Empress is native of Komarr, the issue quickly reaches the ear of Emperor Gregor, who decides to send on Kibou-daini his trusted Lord Auditor Miles Vorkosigan to investigate.

While at a cryogenics conference on Kibou-daini, Miles is involved an abduction attempt with other people. He escapes the attempt but is confused because of a drug that he was injected and finds himlself underground, where a group of homeless people live. There he meets a young boy named Jin, who helps him understand the unique social and political situation of the planet.

After some years, Lois McMaster Bujold published a new novel in the Vorkosigan saga after writing only some short fiction for quite some time as she was busy with other works. It’s been a few years for the characters as well since the previous novel so Miles Vorkosigan is 39 years old.

The Vorkosigan saga used to be known primarily as space opera and military science fiction but in the latest novels family issues have become predominant. Miles Vorkosigan, abandoned his military career – both his official one and his unofficial one as Admiral Naismith – was appointed Imperial Auditor and must solve the problems that are submitted by Barrayar Emperor.

The latest stories in the the saga are partly sci-fi detective stories with some intrigue so there’s less action than in the previous ones. Instead, elements connected to Miles Vorkosigan’s peculiar family are still included. In “Cryoburn”, Mark, Miles’ clone-brother, appears again but also Miles’ wife and children, though only in the messages they send him from Barrayar.

“Cryoburn” is in fact set on the planet Kibou-daini, where Miles Vorkosigan is sent to investigate the corporations that offer cryogenic services. Emperor Gregor knows that Miles will get results because he’s very smart but his methods are indeed unconventional.

“Cryoburn” starts intensely, with Miles confused after he was drugged during a kidnapping attempt. Thus by chance he meets Jin, a young boy who becomes a co-protagonist of the novel gradually involving his family in the story. Although it’s narrated in third person, the novel follows the point of view of various characters, mainly Miles, Jin and Roic, the Armsman who assists Miles and is among the people kidnapped at the beginning of the story.

It’s through these characters that we gradually discover how the society of the planet Kibou-daini works with its obsession with death and the use of hibernation in the hope to defeat it. It’s a gamble because noone has developed a technology to resurrect the dead. This has led to a very special and complex development of the society and Miles has to discover its mysteries and its dark side.

“Cryoburn” is one of the most autonomous novels in the saga but it has some connections with “Mirror Dance” due to the return of some characters from that novel, though the contrast in style of the two stories clearly shows how much time has passed. Instead, the end is tightly related to the saga and you must have read it all to react like Miles. In general, you need to know the previous stories to appreciate the latest developments of the characters who have already appeared.

In a saga with an exceptional level, “Cryoburn” may almost seem like a minor story having been “just” a finalist at the Hugo Award as the best novel of the year. Not all Miles Vorkosigan fans will be satisfied because their standard is very high with extraordinary stories that often had a really high pace. To me it’s still a good novel enjoyable for the fans of the saga but also for casual readers so I recommend buying it.