Lots more diplomacy in this one!! 4.5 stars rounded up. One thing that frustrated me a little was the MC’s passivity went a little overboard in this. Sometimes that works really well in this series, like in the first book, but here it bugged me somewhat. Still an excellent addition to the series, quite curious to see how book 9 is gonna wrap up this arc.

Another spectacular entry in the Foreigner Series - relentless and thrilling every step of the way.

Reread this and enjoyed it much more the second time through. Appreciating he subtle political jousting helped make up for a fairly straightforward plot. But still looking forward to the next one!

Original review:
I love this series, but this book's not a high point. Wonderful political intrigue but not much happens - I mean she spends 50 pages working through a bus caravan running into town!

Looking forward to reading the next one, hopefully with more plot movement

The mecheiti aren't crashing through Uncle Tatisegi's hedges; instead, everyone else in the Padi Valley and the west seem to be crashing Tatisegi's in a show of support for Tabini. Bren worries, and there are priceless tea sets set out and many tea cakes devoured over fractious political discussions. And Cajeiri's in the middle of everything, Tabini's and canny Ilsidi's hope for peace on the continent. And Bren makes a definitive political statement.

Excellent! Definitely the best-paced book in the series so far.

When we last left our heroes they were on a 7 book search for another alien species to complicate their lives and add unimportant plot elements. 7 books. After all that - about 45 pages of aliens and then we go home to a planet where humans aren't really wanted and, I guess no one else is either.

And they returned to a civil war. Cool, right?

Only cool if Bren gets to use his gun.

Alas, pop-pop and then back to the proper napkin and tea service.

Yawn

This is book eight in a long-running science fiction series that began with Foreigner (1994) and currently numbers twenty-one books. I've greatly enjoyed the first eight books and will begin with general remarks that apply to them collectively, before progressing to comments on book eight 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.

Spoiler

Through Bren, the books conjure an intricate alien civilization, one in which words such as "friend" and "love" have no close equivalent, and in which there is an official, highly-respected Assassins Guild. Bren is a very sympathetic character, who finds himself in difficult situations where the stakes are high. I'm also very fond of several of the supporting characters, especially the assassins Banichi and Jago, and the elderly grande dame, Ilisidi. The plot builds from book to book, with developments from the small and personal to those of sweeping impact.

In as much as I have a general gripe, it's that the books' openings are comparatively weak (book eight's opening is perhaps the best so far). In the case of the first book, there are two introductory sections that I found less compelling than Bren's storyline. In the case of book two onward, the beginnings mix in new material with an extensive recap of what's happened so far in the series.

As for book eight in particular: I loved it. The story carried me along from start to finish, and I barely had time to appreciate how well it was done, how characters and threads from earlier books blended back into place, how the worldbuilding is so coherent. Bren is often uncertain of atevi intentions, as he is also uncertain of what he should do, and unsure whether his past actions were correct. But though Bren has doubts, I never doubt him: his essential goodness, his worry both for his particular associates and the fate of species.

I'm captivated by the series, the characters, the interplay of humans, aliens, technology, politics. Whether the story stays planetside with a comparatively tight focus, as in book eight, or whether it broadens out and encompasses space and additional alien species, I am captivated.

4.5 out of 5 imperiled 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).