SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

Surprise!

We're opening up the spoiler thread day one this time. Don't know if this will last, as the reason we postponed it all these years was to prolong discussion and keep people from feeling pressured to read the book BEFORE the month it was selected for, but new year, gonna try it.

We'll also be trying one other new thing: unhidden but tagged spoilers. Some members said they'd like to try to have ongoing conversations and didn't mind coming to share thoughts in the spoiler thread if they could have some way of knowing where it was safe to look. I'm not sure we can do much there, but we're going to try like this:

SPOILERS CHAPTER 3

and then content there.

Obviously, all things in this thread are spoilers, and we are not using the hide feature because of the app, so if you see this cropping up, that's why!

Try it out and report back in the Q&A thread on your feelings.

Questions to get discussion started:

1. What did you think of the world?
2. Did you like the format?
3. What part of the mission was your favorite/least favorite/zaniest?
4. Romance: a bonus or a bother?
5. Overall thoughts?

Non-spoiler thread here: First impressions

I'm going to wait before I launch into spoilers, but I'll post these:

Nalo Hopkinson's review of the book is interesting.

The Galaxy Game is an independent companion to this book. It's about Rafi, and it's a completely different type of book. I've only read it once, and don't really remember it well enough to tell you anything about it. But it is free on Audible Plus, narrated by Robin Miles.

I think the songs/videos I used in the matchmaker poll fit the book absolutely perfectly. Yes, even the Lego ones. Maybe now that you've read the book, you agree with me? :)

Anna wrote: "I'm going to wait before I launch into spoilers, but I'll post these:

Nalo Hopkinson's review of the book is interesting...."

OMG Nalo's amazing review makes me want to reread the book. (I ❤ Nalo.) Aaaaa! How many books can i squeeze into my month???...📚🤩📚

I'm really glad the spoilers thread is already open because I started/finished the book yesterday, but I'm a little confused about the directions. I need to tag everything specifically by chapter? Or can I just say spoilers for everything if I've finished the book?

no need to do anything different! the chapter system is for those who want to discuss as they read

Oh okay, that clarifies things, thanks so much!


I haven't eaten breakfast yet so I'm going to do that before I start gathering my thoughts. But Anna, those clues were ON POINT and I laughed so much about "not really a kissing book"

Haha, I know, I just got to rub that into Allison's face about an hour ago XD

Kate, no need for spoiler tags! this is the spoilers thread!

I didn't even know it was tagged as dystopia! I certainly don't think it's dystopian. I nominated it for the hopepunk theme last year, so yes. I'd say it's hopepunk. As for the romance, opinions are going to vary very much, and I completely understand that for some this is overly sappy, but for me it's very much a subplot. There is so much more going on, and for the majority of the book the romance is but a thin thread running alongside all the other happenings.

I had very much fun reacting to this book when I first read it (see quotes below), and some of the romance elements were very much in the center of those reactions, but upon rereads, knowing what's to come, I was able to just let it happen to me, and focus on all the other things :)

"I just finished a very weird book. Telepathic aliens on a mission to find brides visit Seelie court, ride elephants, and express love by biting necks and touching fingertips." (here)

"It's certainly an interesting book, I read it twice and I still don't know if I liked it! It's a little bit episodic, a little bit fantasy-themed, but also scifi. It's a little bit everything, and I can see myself reading it for a third time, to figure out how I feel about it :D" (here)

Since hopepunk was brought up, I got this book seconded to that poll by describing it (from memory, the nom thread has been deleted) like this:

"Episodic elephants!
Glitter and genocide!
Travelogue and telepathy!
Hummingbirds and homesteads!
Waterfalls and faeries!

Everything AND the kitchen sink!

The Best of All Possible Worlds!"

I'll add to that list, now that I can spoil things:

Shakespeare! Bacchanals! Ray Bradbury! Spousal abuse! Indiana Jones! Alien dogs! (yes, the music video is so spot on) Italian opera! Time travel! Casablanca! Slavery! Polyamorous mom! Lava! Romance! (but absolutely no kissing! :P) Fjords! Hot springs! (but no capybaras) Cat clasps! Flying! Amnesia! Mystery! etc.

I've now read it three times, and I'll probably keep rereading it every year? I like it, it makes me laugh! As long as you let it crash into you, and just relax into all the weird, it's a hilarious ride :) I originally rated it three stars, because I felt it was too much, and not tied together well enough, but I updated my rating to four stars, because *I* enjoy the book, and even though I know it has flaws, I always have fun with it :)

Anna wrote: "Romance! (but absolutely no kissing! :P) Fjords! Hot springs! (but no capybaras) Cat clasps! Flying! Amnesia! Mystery! etc."

That's a lie, Anna, the last few pages have much kissing!

EVEN IF THEIR MOUTHS NEVER TOUCHED THIS IS A KISSING BOOK.

But they did touch, so it's also factually a kissing book!

Yes, but it's just the last few pages :P I said:

"Also, you've accidentally chosen the book with the most romance, but it's not exaaaactly a Kissing Book? *cackles* "

So there's the 'exactly' and a question mark, so I wasn't lying :P

So much :P

:P

Also:

*will never stop cackling*

I anticipated we'd have three types of reactions to this book:


Emmet (most people)
"Ooookaaay? I have no idea what's going on, or what this place is, at all."

Batman (anyone who prefers actiony books)
"I hate this place."

Unikitty (a select few)
"Hiiiiiii! Here in Cloud Cuckoo Land, there are no rules! Any idea is a good idea!"

I was Emmet the first time I read it, and now I'm firmly in the Unikitty camp :)

(And there's also no consistency.)

Haha yes, I definitely see how this book could be polarizing. I felt myself as Emmet in parts when I wasn't really sure what was happening, but it honestly could be that I was reading too fast. I'm already rereading some parts of it again :)

Mostly though, I loved it and it was for me. I really enjoy this type of story - cross-cultural connections and language and figuring out how to live with people who are different from you when you don't always understand them (and sometimes you don't even realize you're having a misunderstanding!)

I'm also a big fan of slow-burn romance so it was perfect for me :)

(edited for formatting)

Amanda wrote: "The world idea reminded me a bit of Nalo Hopkinson's New Half-Way Tree reminagined into a kind, forgiving place - a world that accepts exiles and convicts and helps them rebuild and make a new life."

I like this! Midnight Robber is a favorite of mine, and I really wish BestWorlds had a more clearly Caribbean feeling setting.

Stephanie wrote: "I really enjoy this type of story - cross-cultural connections and language and figuring out how to live with people who are different from you when you don't always understand them"

I also enjoy this type of story. I just wish that the episodes were tied together a bit more, it feels very jarring going from some of them to the next, especially the first time when you're not expecting them.

The Faerie Queen chapter is definitely the worst one, I had a real wtf moment when I first read it, and I don't think I'm the only one. But rereading was lots of fun, I just enjoyed the sharp turns, and I'll surely find something new again the next time I take this journey!

I was so confused during that chapter, Anna! But I'm also enjoying rereading :) I have a feeling this book might get bumped up to 5 stars at some point as it's one I can see myself returning to once a year or so. I agree though; for now that disjointed feeling was why I rated 4 stars.

Amanda, I agree about the rescue. I didn't feel the stakes (and I felt a little confused about how it all happened to begin with). I thought the religious elements were interesting, too!

Last night I was rereading certain parts, and I love the scene where Dllenakh is reassuring Delarua before her interview. I loved the way the author showed that she feels encouraged and supported by him, and that he believes in her. (I feel like I read many stories where the romance is all about feeling off-balance and uncertain, so I really liked seeing the trust between them.)

I'm about halfway done, and I gotta take a break, and chime in here, before inhaling the rest. I'm really really liking this picaresque adventure. I even like the chapter in the Seelie court, and normally I don't like stories that take place among the cold and selfish Faerie people, the stories like Tam Lin.

The default cover is def. off. She's described as sturdy, with brown hair and 'cedar-brown' skin, whatever that is, with freckles. I do like the hummingbird cover and would love to see that design start a trend for more in that vibe.

I wonder about the world-building. This has to be in the pretty far future, and it's on a different planet, but cedar? And Indiana Jones? So many things just seemed incongruous & unlikely to me.

But it's not dystopian, or even post-apocalyptic (it wasn't *this* world that got killed). It's not even experimental or 'cuckoo' imo, but pretty straightforward.

I see it's gotten compared to LeGuin's work, and I can see that, but I, personally, like this much better. I am actually reminded of the anthropological SF of Chad Oliver (but it's been a long time, so I'm not sure whether it's as excellent as I remember).

I like the humor, too: "My God, get this man to a meditation chamber, stat!"

Cheryl wrote: "I wonder about the world-building. This has to be in the pretty far future, and it's on a different planet, but cedar? And Indiana Jones? So many things just seemed incongruous & unlikely to me. "

Agreed, and this is something I often have a problem with in scifi. Even if it's near future, there are references to media that is even now completely unknown to teens. But in this case they do talk about these all being remakes with aliens playing some parts, so maybe Indy is a classic hundreds of years from now, with several remakes.

That's one reason I linked the Hopkinson review. She sees this as Lord proving that she knows SFF. It's a shame she felt she had to, because I think slightly more vague references to all these things might've worked better?

Remakes, ok, I missed that. I don't like it much though.
And the tech seems not very advanced, but, again, that's hard to get right. I'm bothered, but not much.

So anyway, I just (re)read Dark They Were and Golden Eyed and it's a good story. Like most of Bradbury, it's more fantasy than SF imo, but that's fine. I do recommend y'all read it as it's relevant (and short).

I liked the lightness of it. I was definitely in the WTF camp for the majority, but I enjoyed gnawing on why this is where we went, and I had fun with those answers.

I still don't like romances.

But I did have a great time with a very different take on the "world ending" event, and some of the social hypotheses the author tested.

I was very much WTF about the "AND the kitchen sink" approach the first time, and then I read the Nalo review and it started making more sense to me. And of course on rereads I already knew all the things very coming at me fast, so I was able to take them in much better, and enjoy them for what they are, not wonder why they're there.

Cheryl wrote: "I just (re)read Dark They Were and Golden Eyed and it's a good story. Like most of Bradbury, it's more fantasy than SF imo, but that's fine. I do recommend y'all read it as it's relevant (and short)."

I could've sworn it's in The Martian Chronicles (on the group shelf), but apparently in just The Complete Edition.

I thought this was a pretty great read. Others have commented on it being "light," and I agree. It felt airy and easy to digest in long or short sittings. I enjoyed it well enough, but I am not sure it has the meat on it to make me want to read it again. A good read on one run, though!

I liked the first couple chapters more than the rest of it.

Ok I'm done. And yes, I'll have to reread it; it was just that charming.

I like the bit about "ten variants for the Sadiri word for "the right thing to do"' that all translate as "appropriate." Funny.

And I really like this: "There is no passion like the passion of a Sadiri complimenting your mind."

Dllenahkh reminds me of Nimoy's Mr. Spock. At least, many of those who have a crush on one would likely have a crush on the other.

Cheryl wrote: "I like the bit about "ten variants for the Sadiri word for "the right thing to do"' that all translate as "appropriate.""

One of my favorite bits! Especially in the audiobook, when Grace is finishing Dllenahkh's sentences with sighed 'appropriates' :)

Overall, I just like how they care enough about each other to negotiate and adapt... not to give up their identities or anything bad like that, but she exercises her patient and logical side, and he explores the benefits of new protocols of being in a relationship with a non-Sadiri.

I finished the book yesterday. I had mixed feelings about it, but generally liked it. I gave it 3.5 stars, but rounded down to 3 on GR.

1. What did you think of the world?
It was interesting and had a lot of potential, but I wanted the author to go into more depth with it.

2. Did you like the format?
The format was the most frustrating aspect of the story for me. It was like some sort of a story sampler. We travel to a community where there’s some sort of conflict with their neighbors, and the leaders are using telepathy to stir their people up into a fighting frenzy. Hmm, that’s interesting! And then we leave and never learn more. We go hang out with a group of people who have decided to pretend they’re elves. All sorts of interesting questions come up there, including what’s up with the very long-lived queen, and then we leave. And so on.

Nearly every place we went had some sort of interesting story, but we only got a taste of each story and then the author moved us on just when things started to get interesting. This is kind of my idea of what a Hell dedicated to readers might be like…

3. What part of the mission was your favorite/least favorite/zaniest?
The bit with the Seelie culture was a bit over the top, I’m not sure if I cared for that part but would have needed to learn more about it to make up my mind. :p The hidden place Grace and Dllenahkh ended up after they were swept off the bridge was interesting and I wanted to know more about that. I also enjoyed the bits toward the end where we learned more about what happened to the Sadiri world and how their people had tried to save them, and the hints about the Caretakers. But again, I wanted more.

4. Romance: a bonus or a bother?
Oddly, since I don’t particularly enjoy romance in my books, this was one of the few parts that I thought was actually satisfying because we were given a beginning, middle, and end to their story. I tolerate romances better in my books when they’re written in a subtle way like this, with a relationship growing slowly into friendship and then getting deeper and not too angsty. So more bonus than bother.

5. Overall thoughts?
This had a lot of potential. The writing held my attention and there were interesting ideas and hints of stories that I wanted to read more about. There were a variety of different types of relationships (not just romantic) presented in the story and I thought most of that was done well, but I wanted more from the plot.

Cheryl, I also got the Vulcan vibe from the Sadiri. :) And I was bothered by the cover too.

I found this book to be a joyful jumble. I usually enjoy journeys in books because they let you explore a place while the characters form relationships and demonstrate what kind of creatures they are. I'm not usually a fan of romance, but I liked this one because it wasn't based primarily on hormones and physicality. I agree about the similarities between the Sadiri and Vulcans, and for me this was a positive thing. The barrage of brief episodes got a bit chaotic, but even that was somehow charming. I gave this four stars, and may recommend it to some others. This isn't a perfect book, but somehow it's imperfections are its strength.

I very much enjoyed the picaresque adventures. Sure, I'd love to see all those communities & cultures explored in-depth, but how long would that series have to be?!

This was just more fun, imo. A lot of it was more like real life, too, in that we don't know everything in the background, and the romance develops without angst, etc. I like that. The veracity made the story more immersive for me... to the point where I almost forgot I was reading it digitally.

(I still prefer paper books and absorb the material in them more readily.)

I don't think I was the audience for this book, but I enjoyed it. I am not a fan of short stories or romances, and this was a serial short story romance. But I did think it was a lot of fun to see the different parts of the world, I had a good time laughing at the predicaments they got into, the way their powers hindered and helped, and the humor. I agree I wanted a bit more connective tissue between the stories--suddenly our narrator was magic! Suddenly we were with the Seelie and not the Unseelie! Suddenly mind rape but like we kind of skate over that! Suddenly slavery! Suddenly job loss! ETC. but I also really enjoy seeing stories that center Black joy and self-confidence without rooting success in tragedy or whiteness as a foil.

Anna can attest to my mounting discontent with the romance though haha!

1. What did you think of the world?
- It was interesting to see all the different cultural groups that had formed throughout but on a larger scale the world-building was much too sparse for me. I dislike hand-holding and appreciate when an author trusts me just pick things up as we go along, but there just wasn't enough for me to pick up.

2. Did you like the format?
- The format worked fine for me, although I would have preferred a little more time to find my footing in each segment before moving on.

3. What part of the mission was your favorite/least favorite/zaniest?
- I actually liked The Faerie Queen. The description just gave me an immediate sense of "Why not?", but in a delightful and charming kind of way, as opposed to an "Are you freaking kidding me?" sort of reaction. Like, given a large and diverse population and enough freedom to choose the life you want, why wouldn't some of them decide to be elves?

The chapter where Grace visits her sister was probably my least favorite, not so much because it was quite a bit darker than a lot of the others, but just because I had a lot of trouble following what was happening. I had to reread a good chunk of it but I still felt a bit lost and like I had missed something.

4. Romance: a bonus or a bother?
- Neither, really, it was just kind of... there. The slow-burn buildup throughout is something I would generally enjoy, but there wasn't enough depth to the characters for me to feel connected and thus emotionally invested in the relationship.

5. Overall thoughts?
- This was a nice enough read but it all felt very surface-level to me; I never managed to connect to it emotionally and this kind of personal, character-centric story needs that.

I'm only at like 33%, and I noted before I started that I had no idea what this was about, and the truth is I still have no idea what it's about lol.

It does seem to be a very low-stakes travelogue sort of story. And then out of nowhere there's psi powers? As I'm typing this I glanced up to see Amanda's comment about how the story got muddled after the Grace-visits-her-sister chapter, and I'll definitely agree. The story jumped the tracks there, and started to feel like it was going to be a completely different story.

But now they're just riding elephants so I guess that ended up being nothing?

It's more like real-life than a tightly plotted adventure. Things happen, then there's a lull, mixed in with some hurry-up-and-wait.... And that's why I love the book.

I just finished. I was completely confused as to the plot for the first 40ish percent - but I didn't care. Delarua is an entertaining narrator. I enjoyed the short story aspect, and the psionic stuff.

I think one my favorite thing about the book was the romance, because it was subtle. When I realized it was going in that direction, I was like "and there goes that..." but it wasn't cliche or rushed in my opinion. Pleasantly surprised.

I really liked the politics and the government she created. Felt "appropriately" idealistic AND red-taped.

All in all, I digged the all the separate forms of human, especially the vulcany Sadiri.

A fast fan.

77%.

It must say something about the quality of the writing that I feel compelled to continue despite being bored to tears by the story itself.

It's not that nothing happens (though there are certainly stretches of that); it's that too much happens, all too briefly. We only get snippets of events, and ideas that I find interesting are teased and then swept away so that Delarua can make moony eyes at Dllenakh. I don't know if it's that Delarua doesn't seem interested enough in all the stuff she's seen and experienced; nearly drowning, busting a human trafficking ring, nearly being kidnapped and having her brain broken for a time, learning about possible proof of the Caretakers....it's like each of those things happen and Delarua is like "hmm, neat. NOW WHAT DO I DO ABOUT MY FEELINGS ABOUT DLLENAKH"

I feel a bit shallow having to acknowledge my need for drama and plot, but there it is.

And the romance isn't really doing it for me. The burn is way too slow, and there's not enough personality to sustain it. I've learned that I would not enjoy a Spock love story. And ultimately my frustration with this book is that that is all it seems to want to be.

I'll finish, and I won't regret reading it, but I for sure wanted it to be more.

I finished this a few days ago. And thinking it over, the main thing I didn't like about is, that it didn't take enough time with situations that should have been the most intense, dramatic parts of the story. But instead of getting into them and describing them and pulling me along to live in those situations, the narrator spent too few words on them and jumped to the next scene like it was nothing.
Examples:
-the weekend with her sister's family (something buzzed by her wrist...)
-intrigue at the Fairy Queen's court
-the monk retreat place where Dllenahkh decides to stay and study, then changes his mind and they get their memories zapped
-the whole slave / servant / smuggling / genetic testing thing on the islands
-getting lost and trapped in the cave-in

Some of those take up literally 2, 4, or 5 pages!

Why? Why would the writer do it like this. I do not understand it.

I liked the premise, it was an intriguing setup, and I liked Grace. I was fine with the romance between her and Dllenahkh because it developed slowly and I could believe it.

Two other things I would have liked more about:
-the government / cultural setup on Cygnus Beta. Sometimes it was presented as a rough "Wild West" type colony planet with lots of room and freedom! And other times a well-run planet with a strong federal system: many departments running programs, communication with citizens, flexible enough to change and meet local needs.
-if both these things were true there would be a LOT more conflict between local communities and the central government. I think Sheri S. Tepper would have done a better job of bringing this out, like in Sideshow or The Gate to Women's Country. (Or many of the Hainish stories, although we can't all be Ursula K. Le Guin...) We got a taste of such a conflict at the islands but {brushes hands together three times} we took care of that in just a few pages!

Just finished, as much to get it over with as anything. I'm about to sound more annoyed than I probably am.

On the one hand, it had a nice tidy ending, which I'm always a fan of.

But after all they'd been through, we were deprived a last big scene of everyone together, saying their goodbyes or whatever. Lian and Joral were barely mentioned after the dramatic rescue (and I am being generous calling it "dramatic" because it managed to remove most of the drama from the moment.) Characters that Delarua had been building relationships with for the duration of the book were chucked aside for characters she'd met for like ten minutes.

I really wanted to like this book, and it's just frustrating that the book went out of its way to prevent me from doing that.

And just to twist the knife a little more, after D&D are finally official, we get one more little bonus in the form of the romance cliche to end all romance cliches: the emotionally damaged man whose previous wife broke his heart and made it difficult for him to love again....like that little addition just about OFFENDED me by its mere inclusion.


Usually when I finish a book, I complain that it should have been longer and spent more time developing things.

This one....should have been a short story, or maybe a novella. Even at a slim 300 pages, that's still far too many pages for how little actually happens in this book.

Hee hee hee!
This whole comment makes me cackle.

Also, @YouKneek above saying that setting up interesting situations and then leaving them abruptly is Special Hell for Readers

So, Bonnie and others want it to be longer, with a lot more development. Joon wants it to be a short story.

I'm glad that I, for one, found it 'just right.' :)

I echo many of the comments above.

I thought Nalo’s review was on point. I appreciated her description of the Caribbean influences. The author’s acknowledgment at the end referenced the Indian tsunami - I hadn’t read about the after effect of few women in the society. That was enlightening.

The episodic approach was readable in short bites. Side note, I had to look up picaresque, which I assumed was a reference to ST Next Generation. Spock comparisons were inevitable.

The Seelie chapter was odd, but the attempted kidnapping was particularly difficult to absorb. I needed to read that chapter twice.

US Book cover - insultingly inaccurate. Does the author, Lord, have a say? What must she think?

Romance - It was definitely slow burn, but it was also omnipresent.

Anna wrote: "The Faerie Queen chapter is definitely the worst one, I had a real wtf moment when I first read it,"

Yeah, being plonked down seemingly mid-scene in the Faerie Queen was very disorienting! But it was actually kind of fun after I decided I hadn't started listening to the wrong book by accident.

Cheryl wrote: "Ok I'm done. And yes, I'll have to reread it; it was just that charming.

I like the bit about "ten variants for the Sadiri word for "the right thing to do"' that all translate as "appropriate." Fu..."

Yes! I loved all the stuff about language.

Cheryl wrote: "It's more like real-life than a tightly plotted adventure. Things happen, then there's a lull, mixed in with some hurry-up-and-wait.... And that's why I love the book."

I have to agree! The only place where I would've liked some more "connective tissue" (as someone put it) was going into the Seelie Court. I was very confused for a bit there.

Otherwise, I loved the episodic nature of it. Plopping the cast of characters in new and bizarre situations and see what they make of it and how it makes them grow, or regress or their relationships or careers change or grow. For me, the slow burn of Dllennakh and Grace's relationship was the actual plot.

So I gave this book 4.5 stars rounded down. It's not perfect, by any stretch of the imagination, but the writing style carried it for me. I'm definitely going to read her other books and follow her in the future. I like it when there's everything AND the kitchen sink.

Let me begin by saying I never would have chosen to read this book on my own. I usually prefer action packed or thriller sci-fi novels. Further more romance is at the bottom of my book list. But I LOVED this book! Karen Lord created this fascinating world of intriguing pockets of refugees. I could have read even more about all of the different settlements although I feel as though the settlements were merely a vehicle for the development of love between Grace and Dllenahkh. Both of these characters were so beautifully creative. I found myself getting absolutely giddy at every little touch or nudge between the two.

While I would have loved to read more about the world and the refugee settlements, I think the episodic format was fitting as we were meant to see the subtle courting of Grace and Dllenahkh. My favorite part, and the part I would love to have gotten more background on was the situation between Grace, Marie, and Ioan. The way Dllenahkh responded to Graces distress at this time was so sweet and endearing.

In the beginning I stated that Romance is the last thing I want to read about, but Karen did an incredible job at creating such a real, natural love between two very likable characters. It was not cringy in the least and I even tried to imitate the Sadiri hand holding with my husband! Overall the book was so sweet, romantic, genuine, and still sci-fi enough to satisfy me.

The only thing that bothered me about this book is how abrupt the ending was. I feel as though I’m missing something that was meant by the appearance of Naraldi. Can anyone expand on this?

Brittany wrote: "The only thing that bothered me about this book is how abrupt the ending was. I feel as though I’m missing something that was meant by the appearance of Naraldi. Can anyone expand on this?"

Obviously it was meant to mirror his appearance in the first chapter when the circumstances were vastly different.

But ultimately it was just Dllenahkh getting his old friend back.

Naraldi had aged considerably on his "travels", but towards the end of the book it was revealed that he was unaging, so to speak, and getting (or at least appearing) younger. And because of this, (I believe) he more or less had to disappear from public view, because there would be questions. I recall a conversation where Dllenahkh offered Naraldi a place on the homestead, and it turned out he accepted.

I'm just about done--just three months late!--and will read through everyone's comments shortly and answer the discussion questions! :)

A side effect of reading this in audio is that I've missed some things, and/or it's difficult to go back to details from earlier in the book since I don't remember exactly where they were first introduced. If anybody remembers the details well enough to answer these questions for me, it would help me a bunch!

It's mostly to do with the Sediri. I gather there's been a diaspora of Sediri for quite some time, and once Sedira (?) is attacked, that diaspora is all that's left? Who or what are the Ta-Sediri*? Who are the Ein*, the ones who attacked Sedira and are now quarantined? Were they also of Sedira descent?

*I am making best guesses as to how any of these are spelled.

I was already in bed when I read this, so I didn't want to type on my phone. But now that I'm both awake and on the laptop, quotes! Well, one long quote, which I think might answer all your questions?

“We came to find the taSadiri.” He turned his head very slightly and looked at me. “Do you know of whom I speak?”

“Sadiri who do not practice the mental disciplines,” I replied immediately. “They left Sadira and founded Ain, and a few settled elsewhere in the galaxy. But they did not found Cygnus Beta. It was already here.”

“I have heard of the beings you call the Caretakers.” He said it neutrally, and I was glad for the small courtesy. Some people think the idea of the Caretakers is just another one of those savior-guardian myths that primitive societies dream up to deal with the uncertainty of the universe.

“Yes,” I said firmly, “they are the true founders of Cygnus Beta, but we acknowledge other early settlers—mostly Terrans, it’s true, but also Ntshune, Zhinuvians, and taSadiri.”

“There are strong psionic and proto-psionic strains in your ancestry,” he noted. “That was another one of the reasons we chose to come here.”

I wondered where this was going. “So what’s wrong, Dllenahkh?”

He struggled. Clearly these were very private matters. “There is a lack of consensus concerning our path. Securing the future of our people is, of course, the primary concern, but the way this can best be achieved is in dispute. Some feel that preserving genetic and cultural integrity would be the most effective course of action. With so few of us surviving, every person would be needed for this endeavor to succeed. Others believe that negotiation with the Ainya with a view to eventual integration of our tribes is the best option.”

“But perhaps that was their reason for … doing what they did,” I said awkwardly. “They’ve never had your level of galactic influence. Wouldn’t integration be kind of like giving them what they want?”

He paused. “Yes,” he said at last. “Many of us hold the same view. However, from the Ainya perspective, we drove out their forefathers and denied them their birthright; hence their pride in claiming responsibility for our downfall. Perhaps they wish to see us not merely humiliated but destroyed completely.”

He sighed and continued. “A third way has been proposed: colonies of hybrids selected for Sadiri physical traits and mental abilities and raised according to Sadiri values and traditions.”

Thanks, Anna. I did remember parts of that conversation, like them talking about the Caretakers. And, wow, my spelling of just about everything is wrong! :D I would have spelled Ntshune as "Entushune," from how Robin Miles pronounced it.