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Foreigner #11
Deceiver
"One of the best long-running SF series in existence" (Publishers Weekly) continues with the second novel in a brand-new Foreigner sequence.
The civil war among the alien Atevi has ended. Tabini-aiji, powerful ruler of the Western Association, along with Cajeiri, his son and heir, has returned to the Bujavid, his seat of power. But factions that remain loyal to the opposition are still present, and the danger these rebels pose is far from over.
The civil war among the alien Atevi has ended. Tabini-aiji, powerful ruler of the Western Association, along with Cajeiri, his son and heir, has returned to the Bujavid, his seat of power. But factions that remain loyal to the opposition are still present, and the danger these rebels pose is far from over.
355 pages, Hardcover
First published May 4, 2010
80 people are currently reading
888 people want to read
About the author
C.J. Cherryh
292 books3,559 followersCurrently resident in Spokane, Washington, C.J. Cherryh has won four Hugos and is one of the best-selling and most critically acclaimed authors in the science fiction and fantasy field. She is the author of more than forty novels. Her hobbies include travel, photography, reef culture, Mariners baseball, and, a late passion, figure skating: she intends to compete in the adult USFSA track. She began with the modest ambition to learn to skate backwards and now is working on jumps. She sketches, occasionally, cooks fairly well, and hates house work; she loves the outdoors, animals wild and tame, is a hobbyist geologist, adores dinosaurs, and has academic specialties in Roman constitutional law and bronze age Greek ethnography. She has written science fiction since she was ten, spent ten years of her life teaching Latin and Ancient History on the high school level, before retiring to full time writing, and now does not have enough hours in the day to pursue all her interests. Her studies include planetary geology, weather systems, and natural and man-made catastrophes, civilizations, and cosmology…in fact, there's very little that doesn't interest her. A loom is gathering dust and needs rethreading, a wooden ship model awaits construction, and the cats demand their own time much more urgently. She works constantly, researches mostly on the internet, and has books stacked up and waiting to be written.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
July 6, 2017
It's always a real treat to pick up these books even when I know it's gong to have some parts that are going to inevitably annoy me. Such as Barb. But despite that, I think I'm really getting into--- or perhaps diving ever deeper--- into the alien political misadventure. :)
It's almost as if I'm meant to cry in relief every single time Bren daydreams or doodles or has to convalesce after getting shot because all his other hours are just filled the sneaky suspicion that he's just landed his and his allies' staff in yet another outbreak of war. Those backward Atevi just don't appreciate the human influence! (or working indoor toilets)!
For shame!
Even so, I love the pace and the constant simmer of excitement. I'd grown to expect Tabini's son and his delightful PoV to get into yet another kerfuffle, but would you believe it? Not This Time! :) Of course, Tobi and Barb and a mess of other Atevi youngsters are more than enough to get people shot or kidnapped or turn the South into another outbreak of civil war, but who's counting? Well, actually, I am. I love this series. Its great characters, its DEEP worldbuilding, its amazing political and instinctual setup, everything always rises to the occasion!
The next book will conclude this mini-trilogy following Bren's rise to political power in the Atevi. I can only hope that these benighted aliens get their crap together and prep for an alien invasion! Sheesh!
It's almost as if I'm meant to cry in relief every single time Bren daydreams or doodles or has to convalesce after getting shot because all his other hours are just filled the sneaky suspicion that he's just landed his and his allies' staff in yet another outbreak of war. Those backward Atevi just don't appreciate the human influence! (or working indoor toilets)!
For shame!
Even so, I love the pace and the constant simmer of excitement. I'd grown to expect Tabini's son and his delightful PoV to get into yet another kerfuffle, but would you believe it? Not This Time! :) Of course, Tobi and Barb and a mess of other Atevi youngsters are more than enough to get people shot or kidnapped or turn the South into another outbreak of civil war, but who's counting? Well, actually, I am. I love this series. Its great characters, its DEEP worldbuilding, its amazing political and instinctual setup, everything always rises to the occasion!
The next book will conclude this mini-trilogy following Bren's rise to political power in the Atevi. I can only hope that these benighted aliens get their crap together and prep for an alien invasion! Sheesh!
April 21, 2024
I’m getting to that point where I know the characters so well that their peril is starting to stress me out.
April 21, 2024
Book number 519 of my Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Project
Eleven books in, and I am still enjoying this series very much. I do realize that there is always a dangerous chase combined with gunfire, but each time it fits with the other events of the book. Cherry writes very good pursuit scenes.
Bren has come into his own—a Lord in his own right, with a reputation as a dispassionate negotiator. He is reunited with Lord Geigi, who has returned from the space station to restore order in his district. The two men find themselves very much in accord with each other and the aiji-dowager. Will these three and their respective staff members be able to deal with the Marid clan? If they can do it without involving Tabini, he can deny knowledge of it and still reap the benefits.
As in the last couple of books, the heir-apparent, Cajeiri, gets his own POV chapters. He may only be almost nine years old, but he is mature beyond that. Sometimes he resents the necessity but he steps up when he can. He has trials imposed on him, namely two Assassin's Guild members selected by his father. They seem to have an attitude problem which he tries valiantly to remedy with limited results. For once, he is only tangentially involved in the biggest kerfuffle this time out. He is too smart for his own good, letting his occasional boredom lead him astray!
Cherryh leaves matters on a hopeful cliffhanger and I will definitely be reading the next volume before too much time has passed.
Eleven books in, and I am still enjoying this series very much. I do realize that there is always a dangerous chase combined with gunfire, but each time it fits with the other events of the book. Cherry writes very good pursuit scenes.
Bren has come into his own—a Lord in his own right, with a reputation as a dispassionate negotiator. He is reunited with Lord Geigi, who has returned from the space station to restore order in his district. The two men find themselves very much in accord with each other and the aiji-dowager. Will these three and their respective staff members be able to deal with the Marid clan? If they can do it without involving Tabini, he can deny knowledge of it and still reap the benefits.
As in the last couple of books, the heir-apparent, Cajeiri, gets his own POV chapters. He may only be almost nine years old, but he is mature beyond that. Sometimes he resents the necessity but he steps up when he can. He has trials imposed on him, namely two Assassin's Guild members selected by his father. They seem to have an attitude problem which he tries valiantly to remedy with limited results. For once, he is only tangentially involved in the biggest kerfuffle this time out. He is too smart for his own good, letting his occasional boredom lead him astray!
Cherryh leaves matters on a hopeful cliffhanger and I will definitely be reading the next volume before too much time has passed.
October 12, 2023
Deceiver picks up the narrative immediately after the events of Conspirator, plunging us in the murky waters of political intrigue. The retaking of power by Tabiti is by all means not a finalised action and enemy factions still abound, just under the surface. Every action, or even non-action, has to be analysed and re-analysed, and of course, the smallest item could in fact be something about to metaphorically (and literally) blow up in your face.
There is a LOT of 'thinking' going on here, but it makes sense, and if you've reached book 11, I'm sure you are not going to stop here :O) Cherryh truly has us hooked! Some action scenes do pepper the story, with Toby getting hurt, Barb kidnapped, and fighting to acquire/defend strategic positions.
The narration is once more divided between Bren and Cajeiri, and I've come to really enjoy this, witnessing how the young atevi is growing in his role and character, and learning rather a lot, especially considering he is only 8! His relationship with his great grandmother, Ilisidi, is brilliant. And on the other side of this triangle (felicitous 3), we have of course Bren, forever trying to sort everything out. This proves rather perilous this time, with Tabini, who I don't trust, literally playing poker with his life!
However! I want to know what is going on with the space station, and the Kyo, and the humans on Mospheira - while all this is going on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please!!!!!
N.B. on the audiobooks - these are excellently read by Daniel Thomas May, and I recommend them wholeheartedly.
There is a LOT of 'thinking' going on here, but it makes sense, and if you've reached book 11, I'm sure you are not going to stop here :O) Cherryh truly has us hooked! Some action scenes do pepper the story, with Toby getting hurt, Barb kidnapped, and fighting to acquire/defend strategic positions.
The narration is once more divided between Bren and Cajeiri, and I've come to really enjoy this, witnessing how the young atevi is growing in his role and character, and learning rather a lot, especially considering he is only 8! His relationship with his great grandmother, Ilisidi, is brilliant. And on the other side of this triangle (felicitous 3), we have of course Bren, forever trying to sort everything out. This proves rather perilous this time, with Tabini, who I don't trust, literally playing poker with his life!
However! I want to know what is going on with the space station, and the Kyo, and the humans on Mospheira - while all this is going on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please!!!!!
N.B. on the audiobooks - these are excellently read by Daniel Thomas May, and I recommend them wholeheartedly.
October 19, 2021
3.5 stars
April 20, 2016
Bren and Tabini :3 We rarely see the Human ambassador and the Aiji of the Western Association together, but I've always been fascinated by their mutual respect for each other.
Did I mention how much I love my new Photoshop brushes? They look so chalk-y, it's almost like I'm drawing on real paper!
My Preciousssss Brushessss!
...
Ops, wrong website.
Ahem! DECEIVER! The review (of the book... not the brushes).
Well, what can I say, we're still stuck dealing with rebels, assassins and back-stabbing Atevi politicians. Not that I'm complaining, C.J.Cherryh is amazing at politics and intrigues, but... WHAT's happening with the humans on the space station? How are they adapting to this new world? How are humans and Atevi working together? Where are the aliens? When are we going to hear from them? As much as I'm enjoying the Atevi culture and Bren exploring the different associations, I'm too anxious to see how the Main plot develops, and dealing with different rebel groups for the past 5 books has been rather exhausting.
Ok, I know I sound rather negative, but after reading book 6, my brain just went WILD with theories and predictions and general excitement for where the series is heading, only to be replaced by stressful anticipation.
Nevertheless, despite my whining like a spoiled brat (which I am), I had a HUGE amount of fun with Conspirator and Deceiver! Seeing Bren, his brother, his Ex-girlfriend, Ilisidi, Cajeiri and all kinds of Atevi nobility and their bodyguards, ALL of them, stuck under the same roof, was quite heart-warming and hilarious! Bren is still an asshole to all human women (honestly, this guy has some SERIOUS issues!), but I forgive him...barely. Cause he's so adorable, even when I want to punch him.
More stuff that I liked
- Cajeiri's POV and his adventure (the new bodyguards were an awesome addition!)
- Bren dealing with everyday life -accounting, buying new stuff for his household (his bodyguards' excitement at the new red bulletproof bus), feeling really happy with his Atevi staff and always complimenting them at their skills (he's so cute!), enjoying tea and cakes, drawing pictures of a dream house where he can have more space for more guests (adding a garden for his servants to enjoy), etc.
- Tabini's ever looming shadow and unpredictable moves.
- Ilisidi. Enough said.
- The bodyguards/assassins in action!
- Even Barb is starting to develop a character (apart from us always seeing her through Bren's eyes as the bitchy ex-girlfriend, who wants to ruin his life).
-PLOT TWISTS!
More stuff I don't like
- Where are the aliensssss?
Audiobook
Did I mention how much I love the audiobooks? How do narrators manage to sound like 50 different people and to add so much emotion or humor to the dialogue?
My only problem with audiobooks in general is that, when you listen to them, you don't have anywhere to look at so you end up with that distance look in your eyes... Or....
...accidentally stare at people without even realizing it when something intense occurs in a book....This happens to me way too often while commuting to work in the public transport.
Conclusion
This book is torturing me with its slow pace and I'm still loving it...
October 30, 2023
It was ok. We are still dealing with the repercussions of the uprising against Tabini-aiji. Bren returns to his home at the coast, where he is reunited with Toby and Barb. Cajeiri runs off to be with Bren and Ilisidi follows. Rebels have infiltrated the neighbourhood and they all end up in another violent conflict.
A bit of a middle book, with a touch too much filler. Yes, there is the shooting and the kidnapping—very exciting!—, but the rest is a bit same-old-same-old. When will the aliens arrive?
One of the perks of this book are the relationships, not only between humans and Atevi, but also between those conservative, planetary Atevi and Cajeiri & the modern Atevi who have been in space.
Not quite as good as Conspirator.
3.5/5 — 🚌🚌🚌½
A bit of a middle book, with a touch too much filler. Yes, there is the shooting and the kidnapping—very exciting!—, but the rest is a bit same-old-same-old. When will the aliens arrive?
One of the perks of this book are the relationships, not only between humans and Atevi, but also between those conservative, planetary Atevi and Cajeiri & the modern Atevi who have been in space.
Not quite as good as Conspirator.
3.5/5 — 🚌🚌🚌½
November 4, 2024
C.J. Cherryh's masterful sci-fi series continues with this 11th book. Obviously, this is not the place to start this series.
Bren has returned to the Atevi planet to find himself embroiled in a conspiracy. A renegade Atevi Lord is attempting to pull off a coup in a region that was under Tabani's control. The fallout from this will call into question Bren's place in society, as well as the complex politics of Atevi life.
This series stahnds out for the political and societal conflicts it deals with. It's very different than the action-adventure fare that is usually associated with sci-fi. This is a deeper, more complex story. It shines when we are able to compare human thought with the Atevi and how this affects the conflicts.
The joy of the series, besides the complex politics, is in the development of the main characters as they progress through the story.
Bren has returned to the Atevi planet to find himself embroiled in a conspiracy. A renegade Atevi Lord is attempting to pull off a coup in a region that was under Tabani's control. The fallout from this will call into question Bren's place in society, as well as the complex politics of Atevi life.
This series stahnds out for the political and societal conflicts it deals with. It's very different than the action-adventure fare that is usually associated with sci-fi. This is a deeper, more complex story. It shines when we are able to compare human thought with the Atevi and how this affects the conflicts.
The joy of the series, besides the complex politics, is in the development of the main characters as they progress through the story.
September 22, 2011
Review from Badelynge
Writing a review for the 11th book of a beloved series, nearly two decades in the reading is probably not the most useful thing I could be doing with my time. If you've got to book 10 I doubt you are going to need much prodding from me to pick this one up. But I love this series too much not to want to just tuck the book away and move on without getting a few words about it out of my system. The politics is thick in this one. There's always quite a bit but this one seemed to have more than usual. I'm not much of a political animal so I'm glad Bren, our trusty paidhi, is on hand to keep track of the situation. Like the previous book, instead of the single Bren point of view we also get to see the world from the perspective of the precocious Atevi lordling Cajeiri. He's having a spot of bother with his new bodyguards who are showing no signs of forming manchi with him, that unquantifiable (at least on human terms) Atevi instinct that causes members of their race to form attachments. To their cost humans have confused manchi with the Human understanding of love or friendship, neither of which have any Atevi equivalent. Inter-species linguistic confusions caused the Atevi-Human war not long after the Humans first arrived. Peaceful co-existence was deemed too unstable and prone to further misunderstanding and the human survivors were ceded an island kingdom and a permanent separation from Atevi interaction. With one exception. Bren Cameron. He is the paidhi. A diplomat charged with interpreting all Human-Atevi contact. Things have moved on quite a lot since those early days and Bren is now paidhi-aiji. He's basically gone native, and become so valued by the Atevi high-muck-a-muck's he's been granted his own lordship, land and the loyalty of his own Atevi aishid (currently four Atevi bodyguards). Great characters, thorough world building, Cherryh's brilliant style of prose and restricted point of views make for fascinating and beguiling sci-fi. If you haven't tried a Foreigner book yet, do yourself a favour and go hunt out book one.
Writing a review for the 11th book of a beloved series, nearly two decades in the reading is probably not the most useful thing I could be doing with my time. If you've got to book 10 I doubt you are going to need much prodding from me to pick this one up. But I love this series too much not to want to just tuck the book away and move on without getting a few words about it out of my system. The politics is thick in this one. There's always quite a bit but this one seemed to have more than usual. I'm not much of a political animal so I'm glad Bren, our trusty paidhi, is on hand to keep track of the situation. Like the previous book, instead of the single Bren point of view we also get to see the world from the perspective of the precocious Atevi lordling Cajeiri. He's having a spot of bother with his new bodyguards who are showing no signs of forming manchi with him, that unquantifiable (at least on human terms) Atevi instinct that causes members of their race to form attachments. To their cost humans have confused manchi with the Human understanding of love or friendship, neither of which have any Atevi equivalent. Inter-species linguistic confusions caused the Atevi-Human war not long after the Humans first arrived. Peaceful co-existence was deemed too unstable and prone to further misunderstanding and the human survivors were ceded an island kingdom and a permanent separation from Atevi interaction. With one exception. Bren Cameron. He is the paidhi. A diplomat charged with interpreting all Human-Atevi contact. Things have moved on quite a lot since those early days and Bren is now paidhi-aiji. He's basically gone native, and become so valued by the Atevi high-muck-a-muck's he's been granted his own lordship, land and the loyalty of his own Atevi aishid (currently four Atevi bodyguards). Great characters, thorough world building, Cherryh's brilliant style of prose and restricted point of views make for fascinating and beguiling sci-fi. If you haven't tried a Foreigner book yet, do yourself a favour and go hunt out book one.
January 10, 2019
3+
This one really seemed like a middle book, which is to say it felt like filler. Sure, stuff happens, but nothing gets significantly advanced and the books ends in a non-ending kind of place. Not a cliff hanger, just unfinished business.
And if I'm honest, Bren can sometimes be a bit of an asshole. Granted it's an oblivious asshole, but how worried for your brother can you be if you stuff him in the basement because everyone else is more important than he is, then leave to go travel and forget to tell him? Asshole. Oh sure, he's likeable and not always so oblivious, but I can see how folks would wonder if he even wants to be human given the way he treats ALL Atevi 100 times better than he treats any humans. He's not nasty or spiteful, just inconsiderate of them. It's as if he over functions for the Atevi so he under functions with the humans to balance it out.
And you thought the dysfunction was just Barb. HA!
This one really seemed like a middle book, which is to say it felt like filler. Sure, stuff happens, but nothing gets significantly advanced and the books ends in a non-ending kind of place. Not a cliff hanger, just unfinished business.
And if I'm honest, Bren can sometimes be a bit of an asshole. Granted it's an oblivious asshole, but how worried for your brother can you be if you stuff him in the basement because everyone else is more important than he is, then leave to go travel and forget to tell him? Asshole. Oh sure, he's likeable and not always so oblivious, but I can see how folks would wonder if he even wants to be human given the way he treats ALL Atevi 100 times better than he treats any humans. He's not nasty or spiteful, just inconsiderate of them. It's as if he over functions for the Atevi so he under functions with the humans to balance it out.
And you thought the dysfunction was just Barb. HA!
March 19, 2023
More engaging than the first volume in this sub-trilogy, but also more frustrating, as it doesn't have much in the way of an independent ending. Onward to the next volume, I guess.
October 28, 2016
I'm really glad that I have the next installment of this series in hand because this one abruptly ended with everything still up in the air. Usually the books in this series resolve the current conflict or at least come to a natural break. This one did not.
At the current point, Bren and Illisidi are acting without the explicit approval of Tabini, but all signs indicate he will be pleased if they are able to resolve the situation and likely take the credit. Ceajiri continues to mature. It is hard to believe he is only 8 years old. Toby and Barb are still around and providing some of the tension and action. The Atevi guild who protect Bren and Illisidi are involved as usual. Lord Geigi has to come back from the space station to help resolve the situation in which his nephew is involved, although it is bigger and more troublesome than initially expected.
When the action ends, Bren is in the middle of sticky negotiations. Illisidi and Caejiri are at Bren's estate and likely to be attacked at any moment. As usual a lot of politics Atevi-style, which is fascinating.
At the current point, Bren and Illisidi are acting without the explicit approval of Tabini, but all signs indicate he will be pleased if they are able to resolve the situation and likely take the credit. Ceajiri continues to mature. It is hard to believe he is only 8 years old. Toby and Barb are still around and providing some of the tension and action. The Atevi guild who protect Bren and Illisidi are involved as usual. Lord Geigi has to come back from the space station to help resolve the situation in which his nephew is involved, although it is bigger and more troublesome than initially expected.
When the action ends, Bren is in the middle of sticky negotiations. Illisidi and Caejiri are at Bren's estate and likely to be attacked at any moment. As usual a lot of politics Atevi-style, which is fascinating.
September 23, 2012
The only thing wrong with this book is that I have to wait 'til April for the next one. >-< (that's a grumpy face). I like how she's changing points of view. It began a book or so ago and at first, I wasn't sure how I felt about it -- gasp! change in my comfortable atevi world? -- but now am liking it quite a lot. There were some truly hilarious scenes with Ilisidi and Cajieri, and of course the trademark tension of a potentially deadly political disaster resulting in bloodshed. And one scene where Tano puts his hand out to block Barb from hugging Bren with her typical brainlessness and she is knocked backward to the the floor, hitting her head and effectively shutting her up by rendering her unconscious. Something that should've been done to Barb several books back as I'm sure other readers of the series will agree.
Reread in audio 9/22/12
Reread in audio 9/22/12
July 4, 2010
Ahhh, a new CJ Cherryh book; I'm always looking forward to her latest release. In this case Deceiver is Ms. Cherryh's 11th in the Foreigner series. After 11 books in a series one might expect the tempo to become stale, however Ms. Cherryh has kept the series alive nicely.
Deceiver has the feeling and tempo that is reminiscent of an Akira Kurosawa film; the interactions are deep and intricate, the story is moving with action that comes alive in the telling. Ms Cherryh shows the character interactions by having secondary and tertiary character providing insight into the story. In this case, Cajeiri is back to being a secondary character (a senior secondary character since we're still seeing part of the story from his perspective) with good input from Ilisidi and the return of Lord Geigi to "interact" with his nephew Baiji. As always, Bren's staff (Banichi, Jago, Algini, and Tano) is present; and as always they're level of interaction is fairly predictable with Banichi and Jago providing the most insight for the story and Algini and Tano being closer to tertiary characters.
As with any good Kurosawa movie the plot is simple but complicated with its details; Ilisidi and Bren need to stabilize the region before the Marid take it over. This take over was opened up in Conspirator: (Foreigner #10) when we learned Baiji was being maneuvered by the Marid to enable them to take over the region. Now in Deceiver we learn how complex the Marid really is with their internal and external workings. While their external workings were highlighted by their maneuvering of Baiji, their internal workings are brought to the forefront with Barb.
This has been a long running series that I've enjoyed for a number of years. Ms. Cherryh brings to light cultural differences so nicely. The Atevi remind me of the Meiji Dynasty with the Atevi people being very Japanese in their approach to things. In the case of Deceiver the alignment was greater because the storytelling had excellent twist that reminded me of a Kurosawa movie or Shakespearian play (for those familiar with Kurosawa's works, Kurosawa took many of Shakespeare's works and put them into a Japanese perspective. If you're interested I'll recommend Ran, Throne of Blood - Criterion Collection, or Seven Samurai (Criterion Collection Spine #2) to those interested in seeing what I'm talking about). Because of the great storytelling here and especially being as deep as it is into the series I'm calling this one a 5 star book. Btw, I highly suggest that you read the earlier books before reading this one. If you're thinking about taking a shortcut and reading this one on its own, don't worry about things you don't understand, enjoy the story for the story.
Deceiver has the feeling and tempo that is reminiscent of an Akira Kurosawa film; the interactions are deep and intricate, the story is moving with action that comes alive in the telling. Ms Cherryh shows the character interactions by having secondary and tertiary character providing insight into the story. In this case, Cajeiri is back to being a secondary character (a senior secondary character since we're still seeing part of the story from his perspective) with good input from Ilisidi and the return of Lord Geigi to "interact" with his nephew Baiji. As always, Bren's staff (Banichi, Jago, Algini, and Tano) is present; and as always they're level of interaction is fairly predictable with Banichi and Jago providing the most insight for the story and Algini and Tano being closer to tertiary characters.
As with any good Kurosawa movie the plot is simple but complicated with its details; Ilisidi and Bren need to stabilize the region before the Marid take it over. This take over was opened up in Conspirator: (Foreigner #10) when we learned Baiji was being maneuvered by the Marid to enable them to take over the region. Now in Deceiver we learn how complex the Marid really is with their internal and external workings. While their external workings were highlighted by their maneuvering of Baiji, their internal workings are brought to the forefront with Barb.
This has been a long running series that I've enjoyed for a number of years. Ms. Cherryh brings to light cultural differences so nicely. The Atevi remind me of the Meiji Dynasty with the Atevi people being very Japanese in their approach to things. In the case of Deceiver the alignment was greater because the storytelling had excellent twist that reminded me of a Kurosawa movie or Shakespearian play (for those familiar with Kurosawa's works, Kurosawa took many of Shakespeare's works and put them into a Japanese perspective. If you're interested I'll recommend Ran, Throne of Blood - Criterion Collection, or Seven Samurai (Criterion Collection Spine #2) to those interested in seeing what I'm talking about). Because of the great storytelling here and especially being as deep as it is into the series I'm calling this one a 5 star book. Btw, I highly suggest that you read the earlier books before reading this one. If you're thinking about taking a shortcut and reading this one on its own, don't worry about things you don't understand, enjoy the story for the story.
January 11, 2020
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Quote:
Review:
Boy am totally, head-over-heels in love with this series. But... it is a bit difficult to even know what to say after 11 books. If you want to start with Deceiver: don't. If you've already made it this far: you know what to expect by now, there are no changes. Only awesomeness. Action. Politics. Danger. Tea. Great company, awesome friends and a whole lot of responsibilities. What more can you ask for? Whatever it is, you probably got it with this.
Deceiver takes up immediately after the events Conspirator and just... doesn't ever stop. It is action sequence after action sequence, with the requisite sitting around talking and meeting over gallons of tea in between. I just couldn't stop reading. I didn't want to stop. I needed to know absolutely everything. Hell, I still want to know more even now.
Matters at Najida have gotten very heated. And Bren, being the Lord of Najida, and Cajeiri are right in the middle of it. And now Ilisidi is here to help. This is all part of a massive plot against Bren, Tabini, and the aishidi'tat as a whole, both the past kerfuffle we just wrapped up and the new one that was started which was a continuation on the previous. And wrapped up in this is Geigi, who is home from his time on the space station because his nephew fucked up bad. Geigi is fun to have around, I missed him.
The past two books have almost felt like they were just one book that got split up when it got big enough (a trend that will continue from this point forward). The biggest change between this book and the previous was how much I have started to like Cajeiri. Only eight years old, he is a child by any standards. He thinks and acts and exists like a child, so it has always been a bit perplexing why Cherryh made him a perspective character. Yet I have warmed up to him so much. I liked him before, but this book was the time for Cajeiri to shine. I'm so, so, so proud of this little shithead.
Sidenote: Oh my god look at that cover! It's the best one yet! 😍😍😍
Quote:
Would his father do a thing like that?
It was what mani said, 'Watch out for a man whose enemies keep disappearing.'
Well, that was his father, damned sure. Most everyone knew his father that way.
Review:
Boy am totally, head-over-heels in love with this series. But... it is a bit difficult to even know what to say after 11 books. If you want to start with Deceiver: don't. If you've already made it this far: you know what to expect by now, there are no changes. Only awesomeness. Action. Politics. Danger. Tea. Great company, awesome friends and a whole lot of responsibilities. What more can you ask for? Whatever it is, you probably got it with this.
Deceiver takes up immediately after the events Conspirator and just... doesn't ever stop. It is action sequence after action sequence, with the requisite sitting around talking and meeting over gallons of tea in between. I just couldn't stop reading. I didn't want to stop. I needed to know absolutely everything. Hell, I still want to know more even now.
Matters at Najida have gotten very heated. And Bren, being the Lord of Najida, and Cajeiri are right in the middle of it. And now Ilisidi is here to help. This is all part of a massive plot against Bren, Tabini, and the aishidi'tat as a whole, both the past kerfuffle we just wrapped up and the new one that was started which was a continuation on the previous. And wrapped up in this is Geigi, who is home from his time on the space station because his nephew fucked up bad. Geigi is fun to have around, I missed him.
The past two books have almost felt like they were just one book that got split up when it got big enough (a trend that will continue from this point forward). The biggest change between this book and the previous was how much I have started to like Cajeiri. Only eight years old, he is a child by any standards. He thinks and acts and exists like a child, so it has always been a bit perplexing why Cherryh made him a perspective character. Yet I have warmed up to him so much. I liked him before, but this book was the time for Cajeiri to shine. I'm so, so, so proud of this little shithead.
Sidenote: Oh my god look at that cover! It's the best one yet! 😍😍😍
July 12, 2010
The best entry in this series since the space voyage many years ago now. More action than in recent volumes: where the previous novel was about 95% internal monologue and conversation, here it's about 80%.
Outstanding chess-game politics, of course, everything the series has delivered all along. A very welcome addition: young Caijieri has grown from scamp and boy-hostage into a *very* impressive thinker. The scenes narrated from his maturing POV are a true delight.
The only downside? The book stops in mid-action, not even delivering a cliff-hanger, just an abrupt end to the page count, almost in the middle of a scene. It'll be a frustrating wait till next year, but well worth it.
Worth noting also that the cover art, as it has been recently, is spectacular.
Outstanding chess-game politics, of course, everything the series has delivered all along. A very welcome addition: young Caijieri has grown from scamp and boy-hostage into a *very* impressive thinker. The scenes narrated from his maturing POV are a true delight.
The only downside? The book stops in mid-action, not even delivering a cliff-hanger, just an abrupt end to the page count, almost in the middle of a scene. It'll be a frustrating wait till next year, but well worth it.
Worth noting also that the cover art, as it has been recently, is spectacular.
August 10, 2022
Confession: I finished this book and immediately picked up the next one. I'm not sure what else to say here.
I had the thought, somewhat early in my reading of this series, that I wanted to see Bren basically on his own. No Ilisidi. No Geigi. No Tabini to pull him out of the fire.
My wish is granted.
His allegiance should be to Tabini, wholly, unequivocally. An ateva would have trouble feeling any other thing. A human--a human was hardwired for ambivalent loyalties. It made a human particularly good at the job he did for Tabini. But it made relationships a little chancier, and led, sometimes, to dangerous misunderstandings.
I had the thought, somewhat early in my reading of this series, that I wanted to see Bren basically on his own. No Ilisidi. No Geigi. No Tabini to pull him out of the fire.
My wish is granted.
May 8, 2010
This book was very boring and made me drop the series once and for all; things just happen at a very glacial pace and I just lost any residual interest in the same happenings (well this time Barb and Toby have more central roles, but still...); when the series is done once and for all, I may go back to check the intervening novels, but not until then
March 3, 2012
As seems so typical of the works of this author, this story is tedious and laden with emotion. The principals seem weak and powerless, victims of events and the will of the ruthless. This is the eleventh of the twelve novels in the "Foreigner" series, so it ends rather abruptly, to be completed in the next book of the series.
May 2, 2010
Well, if you haven't read the first ten you should probably start with those. Brlliant. As always, Cherryh makes me believe that I understand alien patterns of thought and hardwired alien emotions that are different from human.
February 19, 2017
True, you really have to read the series from the beginning. But I have become hooked on them. Quite an undertaking.
May 21, 2010
Love this series, it continues to delight.
November 24, 2011
CJ Cherryh is the premier writer of what I think of as statecraft science-fiction. This is the stuff that occurs before the bullets start to fly that determines when they fly, how many of them fly and who they are aimed at. It’s what goes on before Seal Team Six is dispatched, though we do get to see some of the running and gunning, particularly when things go wrong or as John F Kennedy used to say, “Some dumb s.o.b doesn’t get the word.”
Deceiver is the 11th book of the Foreigner series that details the fate of a human colony after their ship becomes lost after a hyperspace jump. This isn’t the homogenous crew of the Enterprise but a divided crew that further divides when colonists seek to escape the grim life of the lost ship and the space station it created, literally parachuting to the world below. While the world is hospitable to human life, the local species the Atevi are less so. Not surprising, considering that humans literally tear the roof off their fairly stable high-medieval world.
Imagine the human colonists as Commodore Perry but with no backup, only the firepower at hand and divisions in their own forces and you have the situation. Conflict breaks out, more from misunderstanding than malice. The difference between how the species bond, humans with love and friendship, Atevi from man’chi, which seems a combination of “imprinting” and the desire to be associate upward to a powerful leader in a form of herd instinct.
Fast forward through the centuries to the present day, Bren Cameron is the Paidhi, the chief diplomat and advisor to the Tabini, the essential shogun of the fractious aishidi'tat that governs much of the planet. Humans hold their own continent island of Mosphiera and the Atevi hold the rest of the world. This apartheid has been arranged to preserve the Atevi culture, or at least slow down the rate of change to something they can handle and prevent further conflict which the outnumbered humans could lose.
The Atevi are humanoid aliens, far larger (I have seen reference material advising between 8 and 10 feet) and stronger than humans, with black skin and golden eyes. The cover art by the superb Michael Whelan conveys them very well, which is a relief as certain other covers made them look like large, angry Rastafarians. My personal preference is for the cover of Invader, which shows a more beautiful Jago and well illustrates the size discrepancy between her and Bren Cameron. Bren on the Deceiver cover is also well done, grimly determined and sharply dressed.
But it is in the alien mind that CJ works her differences. Atevi have no word for, "friend" or one for love as a human understands it. They are fascinated by numerology, sometimes to the point of superstition and live wrapped in layers of decorum and devious diplomacy suitable for the imperial court of ancient Japan, which in many ways their society resembles.
Over the series of books, Bren Cameron, like many a colonial official, becomes more and more drawn in to the world of the Atevi, frankly going native. He eventually ceases to work for the human government taking up Atevi titles, but always working for peace and better relations between the parties, backing the human-oriented Tabini, over traditionalists or those eager to get their hands on human technology for their own ends.
Bren is engaging personality, intelligent, loyal to his friends, even when some of them do not understand the word. In fact his loyalty downward to his guards is in their view a mild form of insanity, as their loyalties run primarily upwards in manichi. But Bren’s most likeable characteristic is that while in no means a warrior, he is often first in the charge and last in the retreat. Even if the charge is in the form of a diplomatic discussion, he is always personally on the line.
Bren is the focus, originally because he controls the flow of technology, but later through his relationships with the powers of the world: Tabini, his grandmother Ilisidi (a combination of Lucretia Borgia and Eleanor of Aquitaine) a host of other nobles and Tabini’s son Cajeiri, the most accessible of the Atevi characters, a precocious preteen.
Bren is kept alive in these struggles by his bodyguards from the Assassin’s Guild: Banichi and his daughter Jago, an infuriatingly impenetrable character who becomes Bren’s lover.
This cast of characters rolls through civil war, insurrection, assassination, the reappearance of the starship, the debut of the aetvie into space, the debut of new aliens, a coup and more plots than Game of Thrones on crack.
Holding onto your chair yet? Good, all of this happened before Deceiver opens. Therein lies one issue for the reader. Do not start reading this series with this book. Past a point in a series, especially if you are CJ Cherryh, you simply stop making each book its own complete tale because otherwise your prologue would essentially be a college course. That’s less of a joke with CJ then you might think. Don’t read these books when you are tired, or as a Twinkie. This is steak and taters with a Syrah to wash it down. Be sharp and pay attention.
A reader looking for action may find CJ’s work a little off-putting. There is a decorous pace to these books, especially Deceiver. Things like the colors of the new bus for the estate assume an importance that some readers might find trying, but like the English “plays of manners” things are done just so in the Atevi world. Displays of wit and political acumen dominate. Shots are fired when you miss a point and are revealed as stupid, or out of the loop.
This world has less wars, or what humans would recognize as wars, than does our world. Battles are usually fought between differing sections of the Assassin’s Guild. Everyone has them and they stay loyal (usually) to the party they are attached to. So war on this world is more a struggle of elite security forces than what we are used to.
Still, I find the actual military struggles vague as to detail and confusing. Even when actual battle breaks out and, as happens a number of times, Bren and his companions are caught in it, it’s sometimes hard to figure out what is happening. I understand that these are not Dickson’s Dorsai, nor "Hammers Slammers" yet sometimes it would be nice to get some level of detail. Two cruisers of TF 58 pummeled a costal defense battleship, the 1st of the 72nd’s tank destroyers cleared enemy armor off the road block, for example, but such is not to be. The combats are scuffles of cracked shots from unseen enemies with little information on the forces, arms and tactics. This is a book on grand strategy.
So while we get the details of how households work, and why it was important that someone didn’t indicate in their periodic reports that members of a certain clan were seen in a certain household, action is sparse.
Young Cajeiri is a very useful device for explaining the Atevi to us. He has been raised on the voyaging starship for a considerable period, to preserve him from the convulsions of the coup against his father. The child is learning to be an Atevi under the tutelage of his traditional-minded grandmother Ilsidii. But the humans and the ships and gadgets fascinated him and he quickly establishes foothold in worlds, human and Atevi. Like most young people he wonders why they world is the way it is, allowing the author to explain without making it feel like an info dump.
Another area I would have liked to have seen developed is the relationship between Bren and Jago his eight foot and better bodyguard. It’s a little like having one of the warrior elf-queens fall for a hobbit I suppose. She admires him for his intelligence and courage and develops a manichi for him, which is to say the functional equivalent of love; for all that they often do not understand each other. Once, in a prior book, she slaps him because he tried to lead enemy forces away from his household staff. For a human, this is personal merit in self-sacrifice, the mutuality of led and leader (to be a king in Narnia is to be first in the charge, last in the retreat) to an aetevi, this is insanity. Atevi run toward their leader when in danger and they do not expose their leader for anything, no more than samurai would.
There are not enough scenes between these two for me and I wanted to see more of WHY they are together. It’s not mere sexual attraction, especially on her part. Something deeper operates, but I never feel that I get more than a glimpse of it, nor do I understand its depths or limitations. Tabini gifted Jago and her father’s services to Bren. What happens to her if Bren turns on Tabini or Tabini on him? At what point does species loyalty come up for her, or does it at all? I would understand the subtext of a human relationship (think of the scene in Wall Street when Darryl Hannah bails on Marty Sheen. He is no longer a player; she is the woman of a player, so she is no longer his, regardless of what came before.) However between Bren and Jago the subtext is indecipherable.
Deceiver culminates in sudden move by Bren and his small team of guards to move into the home of the Deceiver, Pairuti, a rather muted villain who has been manipulating events and destabilizing the local and nation governments with his machinations. There is a brief blaze of action that determines the outcome. But was the Deceiver the puppet-master, or just another puppet? Stay tuned for Betrayer…
If Deceiver has a fault it’s that like most middle books, it’s the road and not the destination and it very much feels that way. Interesting though the journey is and however amicable the company, you do sort of feel that it ends with less fanfare than one would hope. Pairuti seems a pallid villain for all that he almost ends Cameron’s career in the final pages. This is in part because as we only have Cameron and Cajeiri’s viewpoints, we see very little of what is going on, having to think our way through what we hear. Often the principals do not meet, or even communicate. Compare that with the earlier Downbelow Station with its multiple viewpoints set close to the prime movers of the drama and one can occasionally wish we had access to a few more heads.
In sum, if you like CJ Cherryh’s dense, political, plays of manners, you will jump at the change in Deceiver to spend more time with these Bren, Jago and Ilsidii, even if you sometimes don’t feel that you know some of them any better than when you first met them. It’s is a milieu story where the layers of relationships are the milieu and who owns what old house or even apartment tells you who will fight where for what. Admire the machinations and the manipulations. Try to see the next move as if you were Hercule Poirot in an alien world. Expect to work and to think.
These are not the easiest reads, but I think you will find a satisfaction at the end, similar to that found in reading Clavell’s Shogun, when you realize that the prime mover in the whole book was Mariko. You spent the whole time watching and you didn’t realize it till near the end that everyone was dancing to her tune. Same thing here, watch for the puppeteer.
Deceiver is the 11th book of the Foreigner series that details the fate of a human colony after their ship becomes lost after a hyperspace jump. This isn’t the homogenous crew of the Enterprise but a divided crew that further divides when colonists seek to escape the grim life of the lost ship and the space station it created, literally parachuting to the world below. While the world is hospitable to human life, the local species the Atevi are less so. Not surprising, considering that humans literally tear the roof off their fairly stable high-medieval world.
Imagine the human colonists as Commodore Perry but with no backup, only the firepower at hand and divisions in their own forces and you have the situation. Conflict breaks out, more from misunderstanding than malice. The difference between how the species bond, humans with love and friendship, Atevi from man’chi, which seems a combination of “imprinting” and the desire to be associate upward to a powerful leader in a form of herd instinct.
Fast forward through the centuries to the present day, Bren Cameron is the Paidhi, the chief diplomat and advisor to the Tabini, the essential shogun of the fractious aishidi'tat that governs much of the planet. Humans hold their own continent island of Mosphiera and the Atevi hold the rest of the world. This apartheid has been arranged to preserve the Atevi culture, or at least slow down the rate of change to something they can handle and prevent further conflict which the outnumbered humans could lose.
The Atevi are humanoid aliens, far larger (I have seen reference material advising between 8 and 10 feet) and stronger than humans, with black skin and golden eyes. The cover art by the superb Michael Whelan conveys them very well, which is a relief as certain other covers made them look like large, angry Rastafarians. My personal preference is for the cover of Invader, which shows a more beautiful Jago and well illustrates the size discrepancy between her and Bren Cameron. Bren on the Deceiver cover is also well done, grimly determined and sharply dressed.
But it is in the alien mind that CJ works her differences. Atevi have no word for, "friend" or one for love as a human understands it. They are fascinated by numerology, sometimes to the point of superstition and live wrapped in layers of decorum and devious diplomacy suitable for the imperial court of ancient Japan, which in many ways their society resembles.
Over the series of books, Bren Cameron, like many a colonial official, becomes more and more drawn in to the world of the Atevi, frankly going native. He eventually ceases to work for the human government taking up Atevi titles, but always working for peace and better relations between the parties, backing the human-oriented Tabini, over traditionalists or those eager to get their hands on human technology for their own ends.
Bren is engaging personality, intelligent, loyal to his friends, even when some of them do not understand the word. In fact his loyalty downward to his guards is in their view a mild form of insanity, as their loyalties run primarily upwards in manichi. But Bren’s most likeable characteristic is that while in no means a warrior, he is often first in the charge and last in the retreat. Even if the charge is in the form of a diplomatic discussion, he is always personally on the line.
Bren is the focus, originally because he controls the flow of technology, but later through his relationships with the powers of the world: Tabini, his grandmother Ilisidi (a combination of Lucretia Borgia and Eleanor of Aquitaine) a host of other nobles and Tabini’s son Cajeiri, the most accessible of the Atevi characters, a precocious preteen.
Bren is kept alive in these struggles by his bodyguards from the Assassin’s Guild: Banichi and his daughter Jago, an infuriatingly impenetrable character who becomes Bren’s lover.
This cast of characters rolls through civil war, insurrection, assassination, the reappearance of the starship, the debut of the aetvie into space, the debut of new aliens, a coup and more plots than Game of Thrones on crack.
Holding onto your chair yet? Good, all of this happened before Deceiver opens. Therein lies one issue for the reader. Do not start reading this series with this book. Past a point in a series, especially if you are CJ Cherryh, you simply stop making each book its own complete tale because otherwise your prologue would essentially be a college course. That’s less of a joke with CJ then you might think. Don’t read these books when you are tired, or as a Twinkie. This is steak and taters with a Syrah to wash it down. Be sharp and pay attention.
A reader looking for action may find CJ’s work a little off-putting. There is a decorous pace to these books, especially Deceiver. Things like the colors of the new bus for the estate assume an importance that some readers might find trying, but like the English “plays of manners” things are done just so in the Atevi world. Displays of wit and political acumen dominate. Shots are fired when you miss a point and are revealed as stupid, or out of the loop.
This world has less wars, or what humans would recognize as wars, than does our world. Battles are usually fought between differing sections of the Assassin’s Guild. Everyone has them and they stay loyal (usually) to the party they are attached to. So war on this world is more a struggle of elite security forces than what we are used to.
Still, I find the actual military struggles vague as to detail and confusing. Even when actual battle breaks out and, as happens a number of times, Bren and his companions are caught in it, it’s sometimes hard to figure out what is happening. I understand that these are not Dickson’s Dorsai, nor "Hammers Slammers" yet sometimes it would be nice to get some level of detail. Two cruisers of TF 58 pummeled a costal defense battleship, the 1st of the 72nd’s tank destroyers cleared enemy armor off the road block, for example, but such is not to be. The combats are scuffles of cracked shots from unseen enemies with little information on the forces, arms and tactics. This is a book on grand strategy.
So while we get the details of how households work, and why it was important that someone didn’t indicate in their periodic reports that members of a certain clan were seen in a certain household, action is sparse.
Young Cajeiri is a very useful device for explaining the Atevi to us. He has been raised on the voyaging starship for a considerable period, to preserve him from the convulsions of the coup against his father. The child is learning to be an Atevi under the tutelage of his traditional-minded grandmother Ilsidii. But the humans and the ships and gadgets fascinated him and he quickly establishes foothold in worlds, human and Atevi. Like most young people he wonders why they world is the way it is, allowing the author to explain without making it feel like an info dump.
Another area I would have liked to have seen developed is the relationship between Bren and Jago his eight foot and better bodyguard. It’s a little like having one of the warrior elf-queens fall for a hobbit I suppose. She admires him for his intelligence and courage and develops a manichi for him, which is to say the functional equivalent of love; for all that they often do not understand each other. Once, in a prior book, she slaps him because he tried to lead enemy forces away from his household staff. For a human, this is personal merit in self-sacrifice, the mutuality of led and leader (to be a king in Narnia is to be first in the charge, last in the retreat) to an aetevi, this is insanity. Atevi run toward their leader when in danger and they do not expose their leader for anything, no more than samurai would.
There are not enough scenes between these two for me and I wanted to see more of WHY they are together. It’s not mere sexual attraction, especially on her part. Something deeper operates, but I never feel that I get more than a glimpse of it, nor do I understand its depths or limitations. Tabini gifted Jago and her father’s services to Bren. What happens to her if Bren turns on Tabini or Tabini on him? At what point does species loyalty come up for her, or does it at all? I would understand the subtext of a human relationship (think of the scene in Wall Street when Darryl Hannah bails on Marty Sheen. He is no longer a player; she is the woman of a player, so she is no longer his, regardless of what came before.) However between Bren and Jago the subtext is indecipherable.
Deceiver culminates in sudden move by Bren and his small team of guards to move into the home of the Deceiver, Pairuti, a rather muted villain who has been manipulating events and destabilizing the local and nation governments with his machinations. There is a brief blaze of action that determines the outcome. But was the Deceiver the puppet-master, or just another puppet? Stay tuned for Betrayer…
If Deceiver has a fault it’s that like most middle books, it’s the road and not the destination and it very much feels that way. Interesting though the journey is and however amicable the company, you do sort of feel that it ends with less fanfare than one would hope. Pairuti seems a pallid villain for all that he almost ends Cameron’s career in the final pages. This is in part because as we only have Cameron and Cajeiri’s viewpoints, we see very little of what is going on, having to think our way through what we hear. Often the principals do not meet, or even communicate. Compare that with the earlier Downbelow Station with its multiple viewpoints set close to the prime movers of the drama and one can occasionally wish we had access to a few more heads.
In sum, if you like CJ Cherryh’s dense, political, plays of manners, you will jump at the change in Deceiver to spend more time with these Bren, Jago and Ilsidii, even if you sometimes don’t feel that you know some of them any better than when you first met them. It’s is a milieu story where the layers of relationships are the milieu and who owns what old house or even apartment tells you who will fight where for what. Admire the machinations and the manipulations. Try to see the next move as if you were Hercule Poirot in an alien world. Expect to work and to think.
These are not the easiest reads, but I think you will find a satisfaction at the end, similar to that found in reading Clavell’s Shogun, when you realize that the prime mover in the whole book was Mariko. You spent the whole time watching and you didn’t realize it till near the end that everyone was dancing to her tune. Same thing here, watch for the puppeteer.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 17, 2022
The Foreigner pattern runs true here - Bren Cameron, the paidhi-aiji who translates between the mutually alien human and atevi cultures, is resting from a strenuous time, when another crisis erupts which requires him to solve multiple difficulties while doing without sleep. It's a good thing that Cherryh is such a good writer, with such an excellent ability to make aliens who aren't just human beings in makeup, because the pattern could turn me away from the series otherwise. I realize that writers all follow the adage that there's no story without conflict, but surely there's a better way to produce a story than to become as formulaic as Louis L'Amour, who not only had plots that were similar to each other, but who recycled incidents and scenes so often that after you've read enough of his books, you can read the first few words and know that - for instance - the hero's now going to shove the boulder down the hill.
But having leveled that criticism, I have to say that even with this formulaic plot structure, these are still very good books - and this one is very good. When you read a Foreigner book, you're in that universe. Najida, Bren's country estate, is more real when I'm reading than is Albuquerque right outside my door. Banichi and Jago, while I'm in the book, are more real than the people who live upstairs. And the atevi really are alien, showing that Cherryh has taken to heart Robert Silverberg's reminder that the thing about aliens is that they're alien. It may be difficult for any human being (except, perhaps, a psychopath, who by definition is almost without emotion) to grasp an entire race which can't like another person as we do, who can't love as we do, and which has utterly alien emotions such as man'chi. But Cherryh's done it, as well as anyone ever could, and she makes you believe that the atevi are like that. After you've read enough of these books, it would surprise you if Bren felt man'chi, or if Jago felt love.
And after a while the typos in this series become part of the charm. Normally I pitch an internal fit when I see typographical errors - they should be almost totally nonexistent these days, with spell checkers on top of editing - but almost from the beginning, when Cherryh couldn't decide whether the riding animal was a mecheita or a mechieta (the finally settled on the former), spelling idiosyncrasies have been part of the series. She started out with a region on the mainland called the Tasigin Marid, but later it became - as in this book - the Taisigin Marid. Whole words change - early on Bren missed skiing on Mount Allan Thomas on Mospheira, and then without any warning or explanation he began remembering the slopes of Mount Adams. It's fun wondering where the next inconsistency will be, and I suspect that Cherryh has done things deliberately along this line, just having some fun with her readers. I for one hope that's the case, since so much of her pre-Foreigner fiction was so deadly serious, sometimes so psychological and sociological that I - who read for fun, not to get a disguised textbook - can't read it. Here she's not that way, and it's fun - and I hope that Cherryh is doing it for fun. It is fun, after all.
But having leveled that criticism, I have to say that even with this formulaic plot structure, these are still very good books - and this one is very good. When you read a Foreigner book, you're in that universe. Najida, Bren's country estate, is more real when I'm reading than is Albuquerque right outside my door. Banichi and Jago, while I'm in the book, are more real than the people who live upstairs. And the atevi really are alien, showing that Cherryh has taken to heart Robert Silverberg's reminder that the thing about aliens is that they're alien. It may be difficult for any human being (except, perhaps, a psychopath, who by definition is almost without emotion) to grasp an entire race which can't like another person as we do, who can't love as we do, and which has utterly alien emotions such as man'chi. But Cherryh's done it, as well as anyone ever could, and she makes you believe that the atevi are like that. After you've read enough of these books, it would surprise you if Bren felt man'chi, or if Jago felt love.
And after a while the typos in this series become part of the charm. Normally I pitch an internal fit when I see typographical errors - they should be almost totally nonexistent these days, with spell checkers on top of editing - but almost from the beginning, when Cherryh couldn't decide whether the riding animal was a mecheita or a mechieta (the finally settled on the former), spelling idiosyncrasies have been part of the series. She started out with a region on the mainland called the Tasigin Marid, but later it became - as in this book - the Taisigin Marid. Whole words change - early on Bren missed skiing on Mount Allan Thomas on Mospheira, and then without any warning or explanation he began remembering the slopes of Mount Adams. It's fun wondering where the next inconsistency will be, and I suspect that Cherryh has done things deliberately along this line, just having some fun with her readers. I for one hope that's the case, since so much of her pre-Foreigner fiction was so deadly serious, sometimes so psychological and sociological that I - who read for fun, not to get a disguised textbook - can't read it. Here she's not that way, and it's fun - and I hope that Cherryh is doing it for fun. It is fun, after all.
May 6, 2021
This is book eleven in a long-running science fiction series that began with Foreigner (1994) and currently numbers twenty-one books. I've greatly enjoyed the first eleven books and will begin with general remarks that apply to them collectively, before progressing to comments on book eleven in particular.
The series, at least thus far, centers on Bren Cameron, a human translator and mediator living among aliens. Bren's thoughts are shown in a depth that I found fascinating and highly immersive. This careful meticulous detail reminds me of reading L. E. Modesitt, Jr., though Cherryh's themes are not Modesitt's. I note that some readers find the level of detail an annoyance and the pace slow. I do not.
Spoilers ahead. I am fascinated by the atevi. I love Bren. I would happily read another fifty books like this, but I'll settle for the remaining ten in the series.
4.5 out of 5 fortunate stars.
About my reviews: I try to review every book I read, including those that I don't end up enjoying. The reviews are not scholarly, but just indicate my reaction as a reader, reading being my addiction. I am miserly with 5-star reviews; 4 stars means I liked a book very much; 3 stars means I liked it; 2 stars means I didn't like it (though often the 2-star books are very popular with other readers and/or are by authors whose other work I've loved).
The series, at least thus far, centers on Bren Cameron, a human translator and mediator living among aliens. Bren's thoughts are shown in a depth that I found fascinating and highly immersive. This careful meticulous detail reminds me of reading L. E. Modesitt, Jr., though Cherryh's themes are not Modesitt's. I note that some readers find the level of detail an annoyance and the pace slow. I do not.
Spoilers ahead. I am fascinated by the atevi. I love Bren. I would happily read another fifty books like this, but I'll settle for the remaining ten in the series.
4.5 out of 5 fortunate stars.
About my reviews: I try to review every book I read, including those that I don't end up enjoying. The reviews are not scholarly, but just indicate my reaction as a reader, reading being my addiction. I am miserly with 5-star reviews; 4 stars means I liked a book very much; 3 stars means I liked it; 2 stars means I didn't like it (though often the 2-star books are very popular with other readers and/or are by authors whose other work I've loved).
November 17, 2020
Given the length of this series -- and the fact I'm devouring the books like tasty snacks -- unless something drastic happens, I'll just keep posting the same review.
First note: Start with Foreigner ... if you don't, you'll miss so much of what makes the series special.
Second note: Human Bren Cameron is a linguist and diplomat who bridges the gap between humans stranded far from Earth and the aliens they encounter. He does bring a lot of angst to the table, but so far, the emotional turmoil hasn't detracted from the books.
Third note: There are a lot of political machinations going on, and a lot of Cameron trying to tease out motivations. There's physical action too, but the bigger picture is more interesting.
That's it -- I'm still reading, and on to the next volume.
First note: Start with Foreigner ... if you don't, you'll miss so much of what makes the series special.
Second note: Human Bren Cameron is a linguist and diplomat who bridges the gap between humans stranded far from Earth and the aliens they encounter. He does bring a lot of angst to the table, but so far, the emotional turmoil hasn't detracted from the books.
Third note: There are a lot of political machinations going on, and a lot of Cameron trying to tease out motivations. There's physical action too, but the bigger picture is more interesting.
That's it -- I'm still reading, and on to the next volume.
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September 29, 2021A highly readable middle chapter, though pretty par for the course in this series. I kind of miss being in space, and I miss some of the human characters, but I'm liking the greater focus on Toby and Barb. And the introduction of Cajeiri as a point of view character continues to be a great way to shake up the series.
Still, there's some aspects of the world that I wish Cherryh would get to addressing. Like, WHY is the current power structure so worth defending? And I really wish the main characters would start to make more mistakes, they're a little too perfect sometimes.
Still, there's some aspects of the world that I wish Cherryh would get to addressing. Like, WHY is the current power structure so worth defending? And I really wish the main characters would start to make more mistakes, they're a little too perfect sometimes.
June 1, 2017
This sequence is the most densely political yet in the series. While the previous book was a bit overwhelming, I had a better grasp in this one. The complex webs of ties that's been building through the series are dazzlingly evident here.
I also really appreciate Cajieri's PoV, as the contrast between an adult diplomat steeped in alien culture with a young alien boy settling into his own culture gives a lot of depth.
UGH THIS SERIES IS JUST SO GOOD.
I also really appreciate Cajieri's PoV, as the contrast between an adult diplomat steeped in alien culture with a young alien boy settling into his own culture gives a lot of depth.
UGH THIS SERIES IS JUST SO GOOD.
December 4, 2019
Probably the most open-ended of the Foreigner novels up to this point, with no real resolution at the end and clearly meant to be concluded in the third volume. After all the distant intrigue in Conspirator it's nice to be able to see Bren actually interact with some of the people involved. I also really liked the way Cajeiri is developing. His scenes with Geigi in particular were really touching.
November 2, 2021
3.5 stars.
So this one ends on a cliffhanger and for that reason, I've given it a slightly lower rating. On top of that, I'm starting to find all the political intrigues a bit too tiresome and with too many factions and families involved. The Dowager and young heir are hunkered down at Bren's estate trying not to be assassinated whilst Bren is sent on a diplomatic mission into enemy territory. Let's see what sort of resolutions we'll get in the next book.
So this one ends on a cliffhanger and for that reason, I've given it a slightly lower rating. On top of that, I'm starting to find all the political intrigues a bit too tiresome and with too many factions and families involved. The Dowager and young heir are hunkered down at Bren's estate trying not to be assassinated whilst Bren is sent on a diplomatic mission into enemy territory. Let's see what sort of resolutions we'll get in the next book.
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