Pretender

Starred review from January 16, 2006
In volume eight of Cherryh's masterful Foreigner sequence (Destroyer
, etc.), Tabini, the deposed ruler of the atevi
home world, represents humanity's best hope of survival on this alien planet and the atevi
's own best chance of maintaining independence in a galaxy grown suddenly crowded with potential enemies. In order to retake control of his government, Tabini draws together various allies, allowing himself to serve as a possible target for assassination. Tabini must delicately balance the sensibilities of deeply conservative factions against the absolute need to push forward with the technological innovations that human beings have introduced to the atevi
world. Human diplomat Bren Cameron, meanwhile, must simply stay alive, if only to prove to the skeptical atevi
that other alien races do indeed exist and are headed their way. As usual, Cherryh alternates long stretches of brilliant, often oblique dialogue and complex political maneuvering with shorter interludes of violent, well-executed action. A science fictional equivalent of George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire sequence, this series represents contemporary SF at its finest.

February 15, 2006
Upon his return from a space rescue mission aboard the starship Phoenix, Bren Cameron, human paidhi (advisor) to Tabini-aiji, ruler of the humanoid atevi, finds his world in the midst of civil war and that Tabini-aiji is missing. Assisted by his loyal crew of bodyguards -Tabini's ancient grandmother Ilsidi and Cajeri, the ruling family's eight-year-old heir -Bren finds a haven with an allied family and watches as more allies arrive at the estate, hoping that their paidhi can prevent the destruction of their way of life. Billed as the -second book of the third Foreigner sequence, - Cherryh's follow-up to Destroyer opens up new aspects of atevi civilization while introducing a younger generation of characters. Superbly realized characters and an intriguing, Asian-based civilization make this a good addition to sf collections, particularly where the author has a following.

Copyright 2006 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2006
The eighth book in the Foreigner saga finds Bren Cameron needing to exert all his diplomatic skills and call on all his allies among the atavi just to stay alive. Two candidates for the rulership of that formidable race are squaring off for a deadly and total confrontation, and the influence of foreigner Cameron is considered at least partly responsible for the situation. Meanwhile, Bren and some of the atavi are aware that another, deadlier alien race is emerging from the starlanes to disrupt the political and military calculations of all factions to date. Cherryh makes no pretense of keeping her sagas simple enough for readers to begin them this far into the sequence, but on the other hand, her world building, aliens, and suspense rank among the strongest in the whole sf field. May those strengths be sustained indefinitely, or at least until the end of Foreigner.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)