Cherryh, C.J.
DEFENDER
C.J. Cherryh
DAW 2001
HB 314 pages
ISBN #
0-88677-911-1
The question of the day: do Cherryh fans get to see those "other" aliens in
Defender? This is book five out of six (Foreigner Series). What do you think?
Maybe the book should have been named Preparing to Defend, or Defender of the
Peace. Oh, in that--defending the peace--Cherryh's main character, the
paidhi-aiji Bren Cameron, excels as a master of diplomatic innuendo and a
language/cultural translator with a minefield of dangerous taboos to maneuver.
For those of you new to the Foreigner series, a little background: Try to imagine a long distance space trip where the heirs of Earth find themselves so deep into space that they've lost their bearings and home in on the nearest livable solar system. These people have spent their entire lives in space and many of them consider colonization anathema. So one faction of humans braves a new world and the other faction continues their exploration of space. Both factions encounter aliens, or so we've been told. The Foreigner series is in one viewpoint, that of Bren Cameron, the one irreplaceable person skilled enough to keep peace on the planet between the humans and the deadly atevi (a position that has nearly gotten him killed more than once).
But now the space ship Phoenix has returned and Bren has to negotiate between
three factions in preparation for the dreaded meeting with those "other" aliens
the leaders of Phoenix say they've stirred up. This is not an easy job because
all members of this alliance want things their own way and now Tabini-aiji of
the Western Association (leader of the atevi) has gone behind Bren's back to
work deals without Bren's knowledge or consent. And when the ship's first
captain (Ramirez) dies, leaking incredible secrets on his death-bed, all of
Bren's previous work on the space station is up for power grabs. Angry and
harried into forging a new peace that moves him deeper into the colds of space,
this Lord of the Heavens--as Tabini now names Bren--finds the spacing guild no
easy ally, especially when the formidable aiji-dowager Ilisidi brings Tabini's
son to join their voyage.
Can Bren's faithful atevi body guards Jago and Banichi keep him alive long enough that he can save the planet again? We will have to wait until book six to find out. Meanwhile, Foreigner fans will enjoy Defender for the delightful story that it is: a continuation of Bren's experiences between stolid humans and the complex atevi who amuse and amaze the reader.
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