The protagonist, Miles Vorkosigan, is a pint-sized (4 feet 9 inches tall) brilliant military genius who has just won his Lieutenant's bars after years of struggle past his physical problems (the result of a toxic attack on his mother while he was in utero) to get through Barrayar's military academy. He finds himself posted not to a starship but to the arctic outpost "Camp Permafrost", where he experiences near homicidal hazing, a sociopathic commanding officer, and "wah-wah" winds that can go from zero to 160 kilometers per hour in a flash. Exciting!
I found the Miles character so entertaining and compelling that I've now just about finished the entire series, which has Miles going through life as a covert agent, Imperial Auditor, faux Admiral of a mercenary fleet, and more.
The universe Miles lives in is also interesting. There is faster-than-light travel via wormhole, but wormholes are a natural feature that sometimes disappear without warning ... cutting off Barrayar, Miles' home world, off from the rest of the galaxy for a long Time of Isolation. Then a wormhole
route was found, but controlled by a usurious and perfidious world Komarr, who charges excessive rates for transit through the wormhole ... and lets the Cetagandans in through that wormhole to attack Barrayar ...
The other substance in play is "Fast Penta" a truth-evoking drug (for most) that acts quickly and irresistibly, letting the authorities tell the sheep from the goats without torturing either ...
I've just finished two books toward the end of the series:
These were very highly rated by Audible listeners (4.6) and I understand why! These two introduce Miles' clone and ... the woman it looks like he will wind up marrying! (Under fast penta she says "What would it be like to go to bed with somebody I actually liked?")
Indeed! If you haven't tried Miles, try one at random, or start at the beginning. You won't be disappointed.
