Destroyer

Destroyer (2005) is the seventh novel in the Foreigner series and the first book in the third trilogy, following Explorer. In the previous volume, Bren Cameron and his associates travel to Reunion Station on the Phoenix. There they find an alien ship observing the system, an alien hostage aboard the station, and the Pilot's Guild refusing to answer simple questions. The humans and atevi aboard the Phoenix begin to communicate with the aliens, rescue the hostage, and force the Pilot's Guild to evacuate the station. The aliens are not very friendly at first, but Prakuyo An Tep, the rescued hostage, and the Dowager-ji establish a working arrangement with the kyo. Leaving Reunion Station in the hands of the aliens, the Phoenix departs for Alpha Station with over 4000 stationer refugees. In this novel, the Phoenix returns to find that the aishidi'tat of the Western Association has been fractured by the Kadigidi and Taisigini Associations and that Murini has declared himself as the aiji; they cite technological disruptions as the reason for the coup. Tabini-aiji escaped the initial attack, was last reported at the Taiben estate, and is presumed to be still alive on the mainland. Two of the shuttles are down on the planet, but the third is docked at Alpha Station. The aiji-dowager Ilisidi and the paidhi Bren Cameron decide to return to the planet on the only accessible shuttle, landing at the Jackson airport on Mospheira Island rather that on the mainland. There they are met by President Shawn Tyers and provided with all information available to the Mospheirans. Bren also meets his brother Toby and reluctantly accepts the offer of his boat to cross the straits to the mainland. The reduced party, including the aiji-heir Cajeiri, lands on the North Shore, acquires a truck from an allied association, and drives to the train station. Sneaking aboard the night freight, they travel to the Sidonin mail stop, steal a bus, and take backroads to Taiben. From there they ride mecheiti to the Atageini estate of Lord Tatiseigi, Cajeiri's great-uncle. This novel continues the story of the atevi rise to technological parity with the Mospheirans and the disruptions that inevitably occur. Murini proclaims his commitment to conservative concerns, but really is only giving lip service to the traditional life. He is the son of the former traitor Direiso, but had claimed to have no knowledge of his father's plots and gained shelter with Lord Tatiseigi. At that time, Bren had plead for his life as an innocent bystander. Now, of course, Murini's life will be forfeit if Tabini regains leadership of the Western Association. Lord Tatiseigi, however, is a true preservationist, reluctant to accept even such technology as electric lights. Moreover, the Kadigidi lands adjoin his estate and they have not been the best of neighbors. Of course, Tati-ji is also feuding with the Taibeni, who are also his neighbors, over a hundred year old disagreement. As the son

Okay, I can't believe I'm the first reviewer here... Cherryh, although highly prolific is also a fine writer, and this book came as a pleasant surprise. Just when we thought Bren Cameron was ready to come 'home' (a highly conflicted term for Mr. Cameron, who has become more comfortable with the hostile aliens his human compatriots share a planet with than he has with other humans) and settle into a competent, productive middle age with his atevi companions, Cherryh has taken Cameron's home and thrown it into chaos. Tabini, whom Cameron serves, has been deposed by the more volatile political elements of the atevi, just as an even more volatile (and threatening) alien presence promises to arrive in the solar system and set up negotiations. To make matters worse, Cameron (realizing that hindsight is 20-20) sees much of the progress that he himself instigated in order to keep the atevi in charge of their own homeworld as part of the cause of the overthrow. Cameron and his companions (including his atevi lover, Jago) are pitched into a desperate and confused race to find Tabini and to negotiate with the most anti-human of the atevi factions. I admit, that although I loved the first five of these books, I found that six and seven lagged a little--too much of the action aboard the space station was inside of Bren's head, and he seemed to be becoming a little self-important. This book, however, put the excitement back in the series--there were macheiti chases, battles, covert operations--all the good action stuff that Cherryh writes so cleanly. There was also the lovely, low-key personal stuff that I personally like to read between the lines--example, Bren and Jago's largely unspoken relationship has a few fine moments here--including Jago's unspoken threat to have Bren's ex-girlfriend assassinated and Bren's almost petulant longing to have a few private moments simply to talk to Jago when circumstances make that quite impossible. All in all, this book revived my excitement in the series, and although I'm still waiting (14 years of waiting, my friends) for the fifth Morgaine and Vanye book, this one went a long way towards making that wait bearable.

Any new Cherryh book is cause for celebration, doubly so with a return to the world of the Foreigner series. If you haven't read them all, please do... You will be lost if you start here. The character development is way too good to miss. A wonderful exploration of politics, self doubt, honor ,loyalty, and justice. Ms. Cherryh is simply the best writer of this kind of book, and my favorite period. Please hurry the next installment!

The Atevi send the spaceship Phoenix to Reunion Station where the inhabitants encountered the sentient space faring Kyo who planned to blow up the facility because it was in territory they considered theirs. Deploying diplomacy, interpreter and Human-Atevi advisor Bren Cameron convinces the Kyo to allow the four thousand inhabitants to peacefully leave and then the space station would belong to the Kyo. Now they are days away from home and both human and Atevi are looking forward to enjoying the little luxuries found on their planet. They come back to a world that is in the middle of a civil war and onboard the Phoenix is the dowager and the heir. No one knows where the ruler and his wife are and many think they are dead. Bren and his staff, the dowager and her staff, and the heir shuttle down to the planet where they travel through enemy territory to find the heir's great uncle. They hope to enlist his aid in returning the former ruler on his heir to power, but a traitor alerts the rebels who plan to kidnap or kill them. Nobody is better than C.J. Cherryh when it comes to writing an in depth exploration of an alien society. Relations between humans and Atevi are in jeopardy many of the native race believes humanity has too much influence and technology that disturbs the conservative elements of their society. Bren blames himself for pushing the space program and other technological advances on the leader who trusts him and he is desperate to undo the damage he has done. DESTROYER is a wondrous work starring two sentient races struggling to co-exist peacefully. Harriet Klausner