Status
Available
Series
Collection
Publication
DAW (1997), 464 pages
Description
In this riveting sequel to "Invader" and "Foreigner", six months have passed since the return of a human starship to the skies above the world of the atevi, upsetting the planet's balance of power and putting Bren at the center of a firestorm that could consume both human and atevi.
User reviews
LibraryThing member AnnieMod
Finishing the first trilogy inside of the much longer series, Inheritor picks up 6 months after [Invader] finished. The human ship is now part of the normal life of everyone, the second interpreter is steadily learning the language and Bren is back to trying to do his job. Except nothing is the
The relative peace does not last long and Bren (now with Jason) is thrown back in the middle of the machinations of Hanks and her supporters. Ilisidi gets to pull one of her tricks again, we get to see even more of atevi society, a love affair or three finally get to happen and the reason for the ship being back after 200 years is finally revealed (thus setting the stage for the next novels).
As usual with this series, it took me awhile to get into the style - Bren's constant doubt in anything that happens and his own actions can be annoying. On the other hand, he is a translator and the world literally depends on his work - one wrong word and things can crash down - just see what happened when Hanks mentioned FTL. Making a translator the main character and giving us the story from his viewpoint makes this series a bit different. And we are not talking about translations between languages and cultures only but between species - different brain wiring makes it impossible to find commonalities (or makes it very hard anyway). And looking at the society from outside while becoming part of it (in some ways) is going to always be interesting.
Cherryh specializes in writing humans as the outsiders - her Chanur and Mri series did the same. But this one is somewhat different - in both Chanur and Mri, there is only one human (and when others appear, they are there just marginally), here Bren is alone in the atevi world but the rest of humanity is still there (and getting everyone in trouble). The whole idea is as much dealing with a different culture as it is smoothing the way for the two cultures to meet. Plus he had been trained for that (unlike the Chanur and Mri cases).
I also think that with getting more familiar with the atevi helps the series - the first book was a hard read - worth it but still hard one. This books feels a lot lighter in some ways - mainly because things finally make sense. I almost want to go back and reread the first book now - but then I have a lot more left. But I can see myself returning.
Don't even try to read this novel on its own - it is very much a part of its series and even though a lot of the background is repeated, it won't work if you never read the previous 2 novels. On the other hand, if you are up for an adventure, you cannot really go wrong with this series (unless you bounce off the style anyway).
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same really - Mospheira don't even talk to him and Deanna Hanks is up to no good again. The relative peace does not last long and Bren (now with Jason) is thrown back in the middle of the machinations of Hanks and her supporters. Ilisidi gets to pull one of her tricks again, we get to see even more of atevi society, a love affair or three finally get to happen and the reason for the ship being back after 200 years is finally revealed (thus setting the stage for the next novels).
As usual with this series, it took me awhile to get into the style - Bren's constant doubt in anything that happens and his own actions can be annoying. On the other hand, he is a translator and the world literally depends on his work - one wrong word and things can crash down - just see what happened when Hanks mentioned FTL. Making a translator the main character and giving us the story from his viewpoint makes this series a bit different. And we are not talking about translations between languages and cultures only but between species - different brain wiring makes it impossible to find commonalities (or makes it very hard anyway). And looking at the society from outside while becoming part of it (in some ways) is going to always be interesting.
Cherryh specializes in writing humans as the outsiders - her Chanur and Mri series did the same. But this one is somewhat different - in both Chanur and Mri, there is only one human (and when others appear, they are there just marginally), here Bren is alone in the atevi world but the rest of humanity is still there (and getting everyone in trouble). The whole idea is as much dealing with a different culture as it is smoothing the way for the two cultures to meet. Plus he had been trained for that (unlike the Chanur and Mri cases).
I also think that with getting more familiar with the atevi helps the series - the first book was a hard read - worth it but still hard one. This books feels a lot lighter in some ways - mainly because things finally make sense. I almost want to go back and reread the first book now - but then I have a lot more left. But I can see myself returning.
Don't even try to read this novel on its own - it is very much a part of its series and even though a lot of the background is repeated, it won't work if you never read the previous 2 novels. On the other hand, if you are up for an adventure, you cannot really go wrong with this series (unless you bounce off the style anyway).
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LibraryThing member reading_fox
A much slower start than the previous books, with a recap of the story so far. There is a lot of complex politicing in this story and it is sometimes hard to keep all the names and allinaces straight. this must in part be deliberate writing form CJC's part, as Bren also finds it hard to keep the
Jason and Yolanda representatives from the ship have now landed. Conservative factions in power on the island would prefer the ship to deal exclusively with them, and Deana's faulty understanding of the aveti doesn't help. Ilisidi is still a power ot be reckoned with, but Bren apeals on her better nature toshow Jason the traditional way of Aveti life that he is trying to help preserve. What could be more peaceful trip fishing on the coast?
Finally a sub-plot is resolved that has been teasingly provided during the previous works. Can a human love an alien who is incapable of love?
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associations of the alliances clear in his mind.Jason and Yolanda representatives from the ship have now landed. Conservative factions in power on the island would prefer the ship to deal exclusively with them, and Deana's faulty understanding of the aveti doesn't help. Ilisidi is still a power ot be reckoned with, but Bren apeals on her better nature toshow Jason the traditional way of Aveti life that he is trying to help preserve. What could be more peaceful trip fishing on the coast?
Finally a sub-plot is resolved that has been teasingly provided during the previous works. Can a human love an alien who is incapable of love?
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LibraryThing member Pferdina
In this third volume of the Foreigner series, diplomat-translator Bren Cameron must juggle many tasks among the alien Atevi. Six months after the action of Invader, the representative of the returned spaceship Phoenix (Jason Graham) is trying to learn the Atevi language and not make things more
Even more than in the previous volume, Bren finds himself cut off from his own species. He has been cut off from the Mospherian government and is unable to go home or obtain news of his family. On the other hand, his relationship with Jase is strained by mutual misunderstanding. Once merely a low-level official, Bren is now living like an Atevi lord, in an apartment next door to the aiji, with fifty borrowed Atevi servants.
It is in this book, I think, that Bren really goes over to the Atevi side. From the start, he was working for the benefit of both species, but being cut off from his own people for so long allows him to almost fully integrate into Atevi society. He wrestles inwardly with himself over the possibility he is committing treason, but then it becomes clear that promoting Atevi interests really serves the human population as well. In addition, the Atevi are logical and civilized, qualities the human government is not exhibiting.
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difficult for the planet-dwelling humans. There is a threat of civil war among the aliens, too, as many of the conservative group mistrust aiji Tabini's project to build a spaceship and join the Phoenix at the ancient space station above the planet. The only beings Bren trusts are his security, Banichi and Jago, who have agendas of their own.Even more than in the previous volume, Bren finds himself cut off from his own species. He has been cut off from the Mospherian government and is unable to go home or obtain news of his family. On the other hand, his relationship with Jase is strained by mutual misunderstanding. Once merely a low-level official, Bren is now living like an Atevi lord, in an apartment next door to the aiji, with fifty borrowed Atevi servants.
It is in this book, I think, that Bren really goes over to the Atevi side. From the start, he was working for the benefit of both species, but being cut off from his own people for so long allows him to almost fully integrate into Atevi society. He wrestles inwardly with himself over the possibility he is committing treason, but then it becomes clear that promoting Atevi interests really serves the human population as well. In addition, the Atevi are logical and civilized, qualities the human government is not exhibiting.
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LibraryThing member JusNeuce
The best book of the Foreigner series, IMO
LibraryThing member bragan
Book three in Cherryh's Foreigner series. I found this a much faster read than the first two, which was nice. I confess, I had some trouble following all the alien politics, but it held my attention well, anyway, and there were some surprising and interesting plot developments. The ending kind of
Rating: 4/5. I'm not, I admit, entirely sure whether that rating is based more on how much I actually liked it, or how much I decided I was darned well going to like it, having already invested this much time in a very long series that I already own most of. But, hey, it worked for me either way.
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tied a lot of things up rather too abruptly, but it also leaves some promising directions for future volumes to go in, so I'll be looking forward to those.Rating: 4/5. I'm not, I admit, entirely sure whether that rating is based more on how much I actually liked it, or how much I decided I was darned well going to like it, having already invested this much time in a very long series that I already own most of. But, hey, it worked for me either way.
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LibraryThing member MikeRhode
Ok wrap-up to the trilogy.
LibraryThing member Tikimoof
3.5-ish.
I'm glad that some of my complaints during the book were addressed (namely Bren being pretty hypocritical with Jase, and Jase's weird mood swings), but I've detected a pattern in the books that I'm not sure I want to continue with.The trips through forests with Ilsidi are fine and all,
Also, and always: needs more Tabini.
The party scene was pretty much the best in the book. More of the political intrigue stuff where people talk to each other, and Bren isn't just wandering in his own head!
I'm glad that some of my complaints during the book were addressed (namely Bren being pretty hypocritical with Jase, and Jase's weird mood swings), but I've detected a pattern in the books that I'm not sure I want to continue with.
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but...surely there's a different way to resolve each book. Things came to a head too quickly, I really wanted to explore those repercussions more.Also, and always: needs more Tabini.
The party scene was pretty much the best in the book. More of the political intrigue stuff where people talk to each other, and Bren isn't just wandering in his own head!
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Subjects
Language
Original language
English