re:considering

Sometimes time and thinking, and discussing with others (not to mention rereading), informs my interpretations. In fact I like to think it improves my reading. This time it made me rethink my previous review, and instead of rewriting an already published post I decided to add a correction, a kind of post script.

In my original review I said that in this book plot is more important than character development. I was wrong. The plot is very visible and straightforward, and that obscures the fact that characters do evolve.

First Cajeiri evolve. He seems to learn something about himself, but he also asserts himself as a future leader, in sync with atevi genes and cultural patterns, to the delight of some and the frustration of others.

Secondly we see something happen with Bren. In previous books he has maintained some sort of balance between his human self and his atevi reality. Here he goes truly native, and without even reflecting on it, and as his mental set-up marks him a as a natural aiji, in atevi minds, he makes some vital choices which hopefully will evolve in the two upcoming instalments – some of which could set him at odds with his own aiji…

We also see the first atevi moron. No names, so not to spoil anything for those of you who are yet to read the book. He don’t start out that way, but negative development is development, too.
In that vein we get some development of the Toby and Barb characters, as well.

So, all in all both plot and character development, intertwined.

The story of this 10th Foreigner book begins with spring in Shejidan and an unwelcome letter, forcing the paidhi’s household to withdraw to the seldom visited coastal estate. Only a few months have passed since the events of the previous volume, Deliverer, and though things are seemingly normal the aishidi’tat has not yet settled itself.

Where previous volumes have sometimes tended to include a lot of retelling earlier happenings Conspirator does not, which is good. Instead names and events are dropped and referenced to obliquely, and either you remember the incident referred to or not. As you’re not going to get much out of the story without prior knowledge of the series anyway this is welcome.

The back side of this is most characters are more sketchily drawn than we are used to – focus here is on story, on goings-on, and development of characters clearly takes back seat. No one acts out of character, though, and so it’s not very disturbing. But we also get very little of personal moments, like the one in Pretender (I think) when Algini at one profound moment addresses Bren with “aiji-ma”.

Warning! Spoiler ahead!
What does happen, though, is that when the book ends Bren finds himself with an unexpected personal attachment to a region and a people not bent on trusting the Ragi aiji, and possibly with the prospect of having to back a proposal that’s not going to sit easy with the traditional centre of the Association.
End of spoiler.

Despite (or because of!) this it’s a promising start to the (infelicitous) fourth story arc. After reading the book I’m still walking around with the smile of a madman that appeared on my face the moment I got message from the SF Bookshop advising me my copy had arrived :D

Anyone not having read this series should consider doing it – it’s very good, even if it’s decidedly more “feel good” than, for example, the Alliance/Union books (which I also very much appreciate). A note though – when reading book #1 it will take some time before the real story gets going. But it’s worth waiting for! ;-)

EDIT! Sometime later I added some new thoughts, as I began to think I wasn’t spot on in this review. The new text is here – Rereview: Cherryh’s Conspirator, again.

I’m eagerly waiting for the start of next Foreigner story arch. Official release date is April 28th, and as the second instalment is finished I may be able to read that as well before the year is to an end.

I know this because I follow the diary notes published by the author, C.J. Cherryh. I read these notes because I’m curious. I want to know what she’s working on, and maybe get some hints on what will happen. But I also know she loves to tease her readers, so why was I caught unaware?!?!

Because in her note for February 7th she, or Herself, as she is called at the fan-site dedicated to her fiction, tells us Bren (the main character) is in trouble. Just in passing. I didn’t realise it was there until my eyes had conveyed the information to my brain for digestion. And obviously the mention referred not to Conspirator, which is the first in this arch, but to Deceiver, which Herself just finished.

Now I have to wait FOREVER before getting to know what this is about!!!

GAAHHHH!!!

The dangers of curiosity, transparency, reading, and the internet… ;-)
In this case I’d rather had been kept in the dark.