Synopses & Reviews
Civil war on the world of the
atevi seems to be over, but diplomatic disputes and political infighting continue unabated. Bren Cameron, brilliant human diplomat allied with the dominant Western Association, has just returned to the capital from his country home on the coast. But his sojourn was anything but restful. Attacked by rebel forces hoping to kill not only him, but also Ilisidi, the grandmother, and Cajieri, the young son, of Tabini-aiji, the powerful head of the Western Association, Bren and his resourceful associates have had a small war of their own to contend with. And this small war has ended with a daring proposition: that their longtime enemy Machigi, having been double-crossed by his allies and approached by Ilisidi with an offer of alliance, will sign a trade agreement with her Eastern district-a situation which has upset both the rebels and the loyal north.
But Brens accustomed role as negotiator for Tabini, Ilisidi, and their associates has suddenly changed radicallyfor Machigi, to Brens utter shock, has evoked an ancient law. Bren wears the white ribbon that for the last few centuries has identified the single official human-atevi negotiator. But before humans landed, this white ribbon represented a specialized negotiator between atevi adversariesa mediator who agreed to represent both sides with equal loyalty. These ancient mediators frequently ended up dead.
Now back in the capital, Bren finds that things are even more complicated than they previously were. He has now been put in the precaroius position of representing both Ilisidi and Machigi to the congress, and is becoming embroiled with both conservative and liberal factions. Meanwhile, Tabini-aiji is enraged to have lost the personal negotiator who has been his associate for decades, and is also jealous of any other party who stands to influence his young son. But there are even more dangerous things afoot, for Brens bodyguard has warned him there is a crisis inside the immensely dangerous Assassins Guild, and that the recent dustup with the Shadow Guild, a rebellious faction within the Assassins, may be only the beginning.
The long-running Foreigner series can also be enjoyed by more casual genre readers in sub-trilogy installments. Intruder is the 13th Foreigner novel. It is also the 1st book in the fifth subtrilogy.
Review
Intrigue, adventure, thoughtfulness, even brief touches of humor in a wonderfully exotic setting. (
Science Fiction Chronicle)
Superior...this is serious space opera at its very best by one of the leading SF writers in the field today. (Publishers Weekly, starred review)
Review
"One of the best long-running science fiction series in existence...Cherryh remains one of the most talented writers in the field." -
Publishers Weekly "Cherryh deftly balances alien psychology and human vanities." -
Denver PostReview
"One of the best long-running SF series in existence.... Cherryh remains one of the most talented writers in the field."
Review
"Some of the finest work of Cherryh's long and distinguished career."
Review
"My favorite science fiction series is C. J. Cherryh's Foreigner Universe. Cherryh deftly balances alien psychology and human vanities in a character caught between being human and part of an alien race."
Review
"The Foreigner series is about as good as it gets...so finely and densely wrought that you may end up dreaming of sable-skinned giants with gold eyes, and the silver spun delicacy of interstellar politics."
Review
"A seriously probing, thoughtful, intelligent piece of work, with more insight in half a dozen pages than most authors manage in half a hundred."
Review
“Cherryh superbly crafts complex intrigues and alien races possessed of integrity, as well as a sense of otherness.”
Review
“A large new Cherryh novel is always welcome...a return to the anthropological science fiction in which she has made such a name is a double pleasure.... Superlatively drawn aliens and characterization.”
Review
“Cherryhs project is particularly impressive, not only because it has gone on for so many years and volumes, but because every partial mutual understanding gained by humans and
atevi opens up new opportunities for misunderstanding (and vice versa).” —
Locus
"The latest Foreigner Universe saga...is a deep cerebral entry." —Midwest Review
"Another beautifully woven tapestry in a mesmerizing series about a complex alien society. Ms. Cherryhs expertise in world-building is again showcased in this masterpiece of protocol and intrigue that blends easily understood emotions with the intricacies of maneuvering that accompanies power struggles on a global scale." —Night Owl Reviews
"One of the best long-running SF series in existence...Cherryh remains one of the most talented writers in the field." —Publishers Weekly
"My favorite science fiction series is C. J. Cherryh's Foreigner Universe. Cherryh deftly balances alien psychology and human vanities in a character caught between being human and part of an alien race." —Denver Post
"The Foreigner series is about as good as it gets...so finely and densely wrought that you may end up dreaming of sable-skinned giants with gold eyes, and the silver spun delicacy of interstellar politics." —SFSite
“Cherryh superbly crafts complex intrigues and alien races possessed of integrity, as well as a sense of otherness.” —Library Journal
Review
"A third intelligent species makes its appearance in this sixth superior installment in Cherryh's much praised
Foreigner series. As with previous volumes in this intense series, detailed character development, highly charged dialogue and an eye for subtle differences in cultural preconceptions are of central importance, although Cherryh also manages some fine action scenes. This is
serious space opera at its very best by one of the leading SF writers in the field today." —
Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"[A] standout among Cherryh's generally excellent stories about human-alien relations." —Booklist
"Cherryh superbly crafts complex intrigues and alien races possessed of integrity, as well as a sense of otherness." —Library Journal
"Filled with a complex and layered society, with enough alien intrigue to keep you awake half the night, Explorer is so finely and densely wrought that you may end up dreaming of sable-skinned giants with gold eyes, and the silver spun delicacy of interstellar politics." —SF Site
"This sixth adventure opens things up and adds some new and intriguing plot elements. It's always great fun to see how Cherryh manages to get us to our destination, and this one's no exception." —Science Fiction Chronicle
"Excellent characterization, intense political tension, and truly unique alien races make the [Foreigner] series an essential component in any science fiction collection." —Voya
Review
"As usual, Cherryh provides a riveting plot that emphasizes intense human/alien interactions instead of physical violence...Cherryh remains one of the most talented writers in the field." —
Publishers Weekly "The marvellous attention to detail makes the culture of the atevi one of the most complex, multi-layered creations in science fiction...the Foreigner series is about as good as it gets." —SFSite
Review
"C.J. Cherryhs splendid Foreigner series remains at the top of my must-keep-up reading list after two decades. Number 14,
Protector, does not disappoint.... And then theres grownup political intrigue and gunplay for the icing." —
Locus (for
Protector)
"One of the best long-running SF series in existence.... Cherryh remains one of the most talented writers in the field." —Publisher's Weekly
"My favorite science fiction series is C. J. Cherryh's Foreigner universe. Cherryh deftly balances alien psychology and human vanities in a character caught between being human and part of an alien race." —Denver Post
"A seriously probing, thoughtful, intelligent piece of work, with more insight in half a dozen pages than most authors manage in half a hundred." —Kirkus
"Cherryh superbly crafts complex intrigues and alien races possessed of integrity, as well as a sense of otherness." —Library Journal
"A large new Cherryh novel is always welcome...a return to the anthropological science fiction in which she has made such a name is a double pleasure.... Superlatively drawn aliens and characterization." —Chicago Sun-Times
Synopsis
The thirteenth novel in Cherryh's Foreigner space opera series, a groundbreaking tale of first contact and its consequences...
Civil war on the world of the atevi is over but diplomatic disputes and political infighting continue unabated. Bren Cameron, brilliant human diplomat allied with the dominant Western Association, has just returned to the capital from his country home. But his sojourn was anything but restful, for Bren and his associates have had a small war of their own to contend with, ending with rebel leader, Machigi, joining the atevi congress representing the rebels as a member state.
Machigi, to Bren's utter shock, has invoked an ancient law, changing Bren's role as negotiator for Tabini-aiji, Ilisidi, and other leaders of the Western Association to that of a specialized, entirely neutral negotiator between atevi adversaries. Tabini-aiji is enraged to have lost his personal negotiator, and Bren is becoming embroiled in a development that could result in his assassination.
But there are even more dangerous things afoot, as a crisis brews inside the immensely dangerous Assassins' Guild. The recent dustup with the Shadow Guild may be only the beginning.
The long-running Foreigner series can also be enjoyed by more casual genre readers in sub-trilogy installments. Intruder is the 13th Foreigner novel, and the 1st book in the fifth subtrilogy.
Synopsis
National best-selling author and winner of three Hugo Awards, C.J. Cherryh presents book two of her second Foreigner trilogy-the epic story of a single human delegate on a hostile alien planet.
In this long-awaited sequel to Precursor, the alien atevi enter the treacherous politics of space travel-as their one human negotiator is caught in the throes of a mutiny...
Synopsis
The twelfth book in Hugo Award winner C.J. Cherryh's epic Foreigner series. In the wake of civil war, Bren Cameron, the brilliant human diplomat of the alien atevi civilization, has left the capital and sought refuge at his country estate, Najida. But now he is trapped inside Najida-which has been surrounded by enemies- with the powerful grandmother of his ally, Tabiniaiji, atevi leader of the Western Association. Ilisidi, the aiji-dowager, is not inclined to be passive and sends Bren into enemy territory, to the palace of the leader of the rebels.
Bren's mission is to negotiate with Machigi-a young atevi lord who has never actually seen a human-and somehow persuade him to cease his hostile actions against the west. Is Bren a shrewd enough negotiator to stay alive, and not alienate Ilisidi or Tabini, while also representing the interests of their enemy?
Synopsis
First in a brand-new Foreigner trilogy Cajeiri is the young son of the powerful leader of the Western Association-and he has become a target for forces bent on destroying his father's rule. For Cajeiri is the first ateva to understand the humans living among them-an understanding that threatens his own race.
Synopsis
The civil war among the alien atevi has ended. Tabini-aiji, powerful ruler of the Western Association, along with Cajeiri his son and heir, and his human paidhi, Bren Cameron, have returned to the Bujavid, their seat of power.
But factions that remain loyal to the opposition are still present, and the danger these rebels pose is far from over.
Synopsis
The epic tale of the human survivors of a lost spacecraft, marooned on a planet inhabited by a hostile alien race, follows the civilization's rise from the age of steam through early space flight to confrontations with other alien species in distant sectors of space.
Synopsis
The civil war among the alien
Atevi has ended and Tabini-aiji, the ruler of the Western Association, has returned to power. Bren Cameron, Tabini's human
paidhi, decides to return to his recovered home on the coast, but when Tabini's son Cajeiri, desperate for adventure, flees his responsibilities to join Bren, Tabini sends the boy's great-grandmother to find him.
Even though the war is over, the opposition is still present, and a district once thought to be safe could now be a trap. With Bren, Cajeiri, and his great-grandmother under one roof...a trap is baited.
Synopsis
C.J. Cherryh, one of the most prolific and acclaimed SF writers in the world, delivers the seventh book in her Foreigner series, and the first book in the new Foreigner trilogy-the epic tale of the survivors of a lost spacecraft who crash-land on a planet inhabited by a hostile, sentient race. From its beginnings as a human-alien story of first contact, the Foreigner series has become a true SF odyssey.
Synopsis
First in a brand-new Foreigner trilogy from Hugo Award winning author C. J. Cherryh. Cajeiri is the young son of the powerful leader of the Western Association-and he has become a target for forces bent on destroying his father's rule. For Cajeiri is the first ateva youth to have lived in a human environment. And after hundreds of years of fragile atevi-human coexistence, he may very well be the first of his people to ever truly understand the so similar-yet so dangerously different-aliens who share his home planet and threaten the hidebound customs of his race.
Synopsis
The civil war among the alien atevi has ended. Tabini-aiji, powerful ruler of the Western Association, along with Cajeiri his son and heir, and his human paidhi, Bren Cameron, have returned to the Bujavid, their seat of power.
But factions that remain loyal to the opposition are still present, and the danger these rebels pose is far from over.
Synopsis
"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.
Synopsis
In the aftermath of civil war, the world of the
atevi is still perilously unstable. Tabini-aiji, powerful ruler of the Western Association, along with his son and heir, and his human
paidhi, Bren Cameron, have returned to their seat of power. The usurper, Murini, has escaped to the lands of his supporters, but the danger these rebels pose is far from over. Ilisidi, Tabini's grandmother, the aiji-dowager, has returned to her ancient castle in the East, for though she supports the rule of her grandson, she also has powerful ties in the lands of the rebels, and she seeks to muster whatever support she can from among those enemy strongholds.
In his father's heavily armed and tightly guarded headquarters, eight-year-old Cajeiri is horribly bored. Two years on an interstellar starship surrounded by human children have left him craving excitement and the company of his peers. But unbeknownst to this dissatisfied youngster he has become a target for forces bent on destroying his father's rule and everything it stands for. Though still a child, Cajeiri embodies a unique threat to the venerable, tradition-defined lifestyle of his people. For this innocent young boy is the first ateva youth to have lived in a human environment, surrounded by human children. And after hundreds of years of fragile, tenuous atevi-human coexistance, Cajeiri may very well be the first ateva to ever truly understand the so similar yet so dangerously different aliens who share his home planet and threaten the hidebound customs of his race.
Synopsis
It has been nearly ten years since the starship
Phoenix returned to Alpha, the station orbiting the world of the
atevi, which had been abandoned following a rift between a faction of the station's inhabitants and the spacers' Pilot's Guild. The unexpected return of the
Phoenix has forever changed the lives of both
atevi and Mospheirans, for over the ensuing decade, the captains of the
Phoenix have brought both species into space. Their motivation seemed simple: Reunion Station, a human station in another sector of space, had been destroyed by aliens.
But on his deathbed, the senior captain of the Phoenix admits that he lied to the crewthat Reunion was merely damaged, not destroyed, and many people may have survived. At this disclosure, the crew rebels and forces the Phoenix to undertake a rescue mission to Reunion. Onboard the rescue mission are Bren Cameron, brilliant human paidhi representing the atevi ruler Tabini-aiji, and Tabini's grandmother Ilisidi, a fearsome and ambitious atevi leader with an agenda of her own. Trapped in a distant star system with little fuel left, facing a bellicose alien ship, how can Bren help to avoid interspecies war when the notoriously secretive Pilot's Guild aboard Reunion Station refuse to cooperate, and may have kept the inhabitants of their own station ignorant of their true situation?
The long-running Foreigner series can also be enjoyed by more casual genre readers in sub-trilogy installments. Explorer is the 6th Foreigner novel. It is also the 3rd book in the second subtrilogy.
Synopsis
Nearly ten years after the unexpected return of the starship Phoenix, the alien atevi have three functioning space shuttles, and teams of atevi engineers labor in orbit to renovate the space station. But these monumental advances not only add a dangerously powerful third party to an already precarious diplomatic situation, but rouse pro- and anti=s[ace factions in atevi society to incendiary levels. To help negotiate these treacherous diplomatic waters, Tabini-aiji, the powerful head of the atevi's Western Association, has sent the only human he fully trusts into space: his own paidhi, Bren Cameron.
However, the threat of possible invasion by hostile aliens who attacked Phoenix's station in a far-off sector of space hangs over them all. And when one of the senior captains of the Phoenix confesses that this station was not completely destroyed, as had been previously thought, the crew mutinies. How can Bren hope to mediate on a station overcome by a rebellious crew intent on taking the Phoenix on a rescue mission back into hostile alien territory?
The long-running Foreigner series can also be enjoyed by more casual genre readers in sub-trilogy installments. Defender is the 5th Foreigner book. It is also the 2nd book in the second subtrilogy.
Synopsis
Tracker is the sixteenth installment of CJ Cherryh's acclaimed Foreigner series.
About the Author
Of all science fiction writers there is none more highly respected than the brilliant, prolific C.J. Cherryh. Cherryh has written more than fifty novels, has won three Hugo Awards, both in the novel and the short story categories, and has frequently appeared on both the Hugo Award ballot and the Nebula Award ballot.