re:considering

So, Intruder – Foreigner book #13 – read and reread. I take a look at the shelf, and at the LibraryThing collection listing my To Be Read books. What then do I do?

Well, what is more natural than to reread Deciever (#11) and Betrayer (#12)!!!

I would lie if I said that it was my first reread. And the only reason I chose not to reread Conspirator (#10) too, and thus reread the previous story arch in its entirety, was that I had a very vivid memory of the goings-on in that one and didn’t feel a need to renew the acquaintance.

I’m not going to disseminate books 11 and 12 in detail. I just want to say that every time CJ Cherryh releases a new book I read it as fast as I can and every time I love it, more or less. And I have to admit that sometimes I don’t know if that love is because the book is truly good or because I’m, well –  a fan, and thus slightly off my head.

But reading Deceiver and Betrayer AFTER having read Intruder proved them to be even better now, when read as “history” than I first thought them to be.

Yes, there’s always inconsistencies. Some things you suspect is due to the author’s memory loss (hey, the film industry has continuity secretaries but what author can afford such assistance?!), and most of them are unimportant, like the colour of a dress. Others might change the story, like the vanished (and not) Bujavid apartment. But sometimes things that seemed weird or obscure when you first read about them gets crystal clear in hindsight, and many of the things in Intruder made happenings in the two previous books so much more clearer.

At least to me. So now I enjoyed those two books even more than I did in my previous readings of them, and it makes me realise that while Cherryh is no Ian McDonald or Iain M Banks, just to mention two of my other favourite authors,  she is a master of macro-politics, intrigue and character development.

She rocks, and I am totally justified in being a fan!

Feels good :D

And because I can’t just leave the Foreigner universe there I think I’ll go reread some old goldie. Like Intruder (#2).

*wanders off…*

CJ Cherryh is a master of conspiracy. So much so that readers experienced with her works suspect every single small turn of word as an indication of something brewing in the background… and her great mastery, one of them, is to sometimes actually let thing be just what they are while suddenly seemingly safe things flare up, evolving fast into major incidents. Great in building suspense!

After having spent the entire munitions store of the continent-spanning aishidi’tat during the last story arch not a single shot is fired in Intruder, book number thirteen in the Foreigner series, and first in this fifth three-book story arch. Not that the sense of danger is lessened; rather we now move into the domain of political plot-making and manipulation, with the situation in the aiji’s innermost circle as the focus point, paired with the healing of the aishidi’tat; something not appreciated by everyone.

In one scene Bren reflects that neither the aiji nor he is the young men they used to be and this captures some of the reason this series manages to uphold interest – the characters evolve over time, as do the complexity of the story, and the story is allowed to span not a book or two but five or six, or more; it could be argued that every one of the thirteen books are part of one and same story, as it spins out over the years.

In some ways the Foreigner series is like a loved TV show. You get to know the people and eventually even the ones that you dislike becomes familiar and understandable and, sometimes, loved. Each new instalment, then, can’t be judged as a standalone but on its qualities in respect to character and plot development in relation till what came before. This book takes Bren and his aishid back to Shejidan and firmly brings back stability, at the end, while plot and characters develop in a satisfying way, consistent with earlier goings-on, which means this is a very good episo… sorry, book.

One of the draw-backs of the familiarity is the tension between “human” and “alien”, and the many ways in which we can misunderstand one another even when we think we’re doing just fine, is mostly gone. Bren has become rather deft in interpreting man’chi, and in asking his aishid when he is in doubt. This has turned the series from being pure science fiction and more into a political sitcom, even when it is obviously involving aliens, space ships, and – perhaps – more aliens. Hopefully we’ll see more of the alien-human interface and its pitfalls during the rest of the story arch – Tabini HAS allowed Cajieri to see his associates from the ship for his ninth birthday :)

So, a promising start to a new sub-tale :)

It is high praise for C.J. Cherryh’s Foreigner series that when I received notice that my copy of Betrayer had landed at the SF bookshop I went to town after dinner to get it, arriving 15 minutes prior to the shop’s closing time.

Despite some problems with continuity, like certain populations varying in size (and with no small numbers, either), or with proof-reading the richness of the world, the step by step discovery and understanding of a very different culture, and the character interplay drags the reader into it, book by book, making it a personal experience.

Did this latest instalment live up to expectations?

My first reaction was “it’s so THIN”. So few pages… and the cover is not that well executed; it feels as it was done in great haste. But what counts is between the covers, so I dove into it, closing my eyes to the visual representation on the outside.

At first it was slow going. Not because I couldn’t read but because nothing much happened, storywise.
One of the things I liked with Deceiver was it was full throttle from the very start. Betrayer is a return to the older format were the first third to half is dedicated to reiteration of what happened earlier and to build-up. This builds tension, and ensures the reader remember the pertinent parts when things go sticky, so fills a purpose, but to someone like me, who have read the previous instalments a number of times, it’s a wee (very wee!) bit boring. The world in itself, and the renewed acquaintance with the people, makes it less so, though. And soon enough the pace quickens, which is reward enough.

The story itself, then. WARNING! SPOILER ALERT!!!
A handful of pages in quiet Algini reveals the existence of a rift within the Assassins’ Guild with a splinter faction trying to wreak havoc in the aishidi’tat – a reaction to the transformations to the atevi culture and economy (and political power) in the aftermath of the return of the Phoenix 13(?) years earlier. The renegade faction has manoeuvred to use Machigi and his ambitions on the Western coast as their smokescreen, making him the focus of the aishidi’tat, but with Bren’s, and then the dowager’s, arrival in Najida and then Bren’s arrival in Tanaja, their hand is forced.
Neither the dowager nor Bren had any idea this renegade faction existed and neither had they any idea the legitimate Guild had worked long on exposing and handling these renegades. They thought what happened (in Conspirator and Deceiver) was a plot amongst local lords, the infighting normal to the Marid area, and both finds themselves in over their ears.

Action commences.
END SPOILER

When the dust settles and the book is over my main urge, despite putting another and very interesting read on hold, to go back and reread all of this fourth story arc.

Definitely not a book to start this series with, and perhaps not the strongest instalment either, but definitely a worthy episode for us who need our shot of Foreigner Universe every now and then.

Yes, I know, I reviewed it not long ago but since I have a) reread it, and b) people now have had the opportunity to read it, so now I can go ahead and be as spoilerific as I want :)

Most books I don’t read twice at once and I must admit that part of my motivation for doing so with this one was to be able to discuss it with my fellow Shejidanites – I just might have done it anyway, but I’m not 100% sure. Because normally I deem life too short, especially in relationship to all those unread books out there in bookspace.

Deceiver starts with the shortest and fastest recap in the history of the Foreigner series. The story go almost present-time in a record 15 pages or so, when Tabini storms into Bren’s office, demanding an explanation for the actions taken by the aiji-dowager; the aiji then proceeds to a shout-out with Ilisidi herself… and this pretty much sets the general mood of the book – non-stop action, and with lots of things that feels nice for the real fan, in terms of interpersonal relationships of all sorts.

Cajeiri gets to mature incredibly but believably fast, which makes for certain turns as not everyone recognises this and reacts as if he’s still just a kid behaving irresponsibly.

Toby and Barb gets their respective selves in their own kind of bad spots, and I generally agree with everyone who thinks someone should just, hrm, eliminate Barb… but she does provide the story with some humorous moments even if she herself doesn’t recognise it.

And the dowager… ah, well. A real piece of work, that lady. It’s entirely possible to sympathise with Tabini’s frustration over his meddling grandmother, but really she does know what she’s doing. Her agenda is hers alone, though, and as always it is risky. Which Bren gets to realise in a real hard way, this time around.

My only complaint is a rather large inconsistency in back history regarding a character in the supporting cast, but hey, I can live with that. The character is not that important, long term. And the atevi universe is one of my favourite unreal places, stuffed with wry reflections on our own value judgements, communications deficits and social or economic or political order, sneakily packaged as easily digested action.

I know this series isn’t for everyone, and the first parts of the first book… well, you have to read it, obviously, at least the first time, but it isn’t really what the core story is about. At all. Still I can’t but think that every fan of science fiction should at least give it a try.

Deceiver (Foreigner #11) continues where Conspirator (Foreigner #10) left off, with Bren and his aishid, and with Cajeiri, Ilisidi and Bren’s brother Toby (and Barb…) still at the seaside estate of Najida, recuperating from the events that transpired only days ago, while simultaneously making preparations for assaults to come.

In this eleventh book the storyline that started in Conspirator shifts gears, from local to something larger, and with the paidhi trying to improvise on a mix of lack of sleep, too much violence, and fast politics. Business as usual, in other words. And as usual Ilisidi provides a key… a key that leaves one Bren Cameron & aishid in a very tight and uncomfortable spot.

The story is ever more tightly written, with a breathless pace and Cherryh’s trademark humour and a delight in surprising the protagonists.

When the the last page is turned I can only agonise that the concluding book while already written, and named Betrayer, has a year to go before it hits the bookshops. (Update – CJ recently said the cover is being made NOW and that this usually is about 6 months prior to publishing…)

This series is only getting better with each book.

My first encounter with the fiction of C.J. Cherryh was the Foreigner books. An online acquaintance (‘Fox, I’m looking at YOU!) thought I might like those books and he wouldn’t let down until I tried. So I did. Rough going, initially, and I’ll admit that I perhaps would had not gotten to the real story had he not told me to keep at it.

Later I learned that those initial parts were requested by the publisher, and I’m in two minds about them being there – they do explain some of the back story but they also feel pasted on.

Anyway, I got hooked more or less on the first page of the real story, and while waiting for #9 to be published in paperback (it felt infelicitous to buy the third of the third in another format) I went on to read – and enjoy – Cyteen, and then DownBelow Station… and the rest of the Company Wars books. And The Faded Sun omnibus. And Chanur. And some more, notably 40,000 in Gehenna and Wave without a Shore. And as I reread the Foreigner books I came to think of them as rather lightweight and feelgood, compared to those other books.

Still, loved them, and have reread them times innumerable. Most recent time was these past few weeks – I was in the process of starting Green Mars but had a monumental two-day headache – NOT what you need when you deal with Kim Stanley Robinson! – so I decided to read the first Foreigner story arch. I ended up reading most of the books, just omitting the two dealing with the Reunion situation, which I have reread more than the others. And I can’t help but feel that despite the sometimes not top-notch editing, and with some problems regarding continuity (for example in Deliverer it’s Geigi’s niece that wants to marry but then in Conspirator it’s the nephew, or Bren suddenly not knowing which province Banichi is from, despite being told that in book #1), and with a lot of the story going on inside the head of Bren, it’s still a fantastic and worthwhile piece of storytelling.

The way the tale deals with topics as language and culture, and how language reflects culture, is informed, as is the topics of alienation and assimilation – might I even mention Stockholm Syndrome, when I’m at it? – and while, yes, it’s, for the most part, lightweight in comparison that IS in comparison with works like Cyteen, which could be read as a Russian classic turned crime story. Which means people expecting a lightweight space opera probably thinks it too dense. Me? I just love it. And with #10 – Conspirator, the first book in the forth arch – the whole story took a new and unexpected and very political bent, leaving the reader crave for more.

Luckily book #11 – Deceiver – is announced for April. And – of course I have pre-ordered it, from the brick’n'mortar SF bookshop in town. Because I do want them to stay in business.

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.