Rating: 
Summary: Another excellent book by C.J. Cherryh
Review: "Explorer" is a must read. C.J. Cherryh has the gift of writing about events on a grand scale while allowing the reader to witness events through the eyes of an extraordinary character who considers himself ordinary. The "science fiction" is described in believable but carefully chosen details so that the reader cannot help but be drawn into the reality of the story. I like SF stories that take me on a trip and this book took me on an excellent trip. C.J. Cherryh excels at crafting believable aliens and alien cultures. If you want to find out what it would be like to meet and interact with another sentient species, read this book. If you enjoy political intrigue and all out action, that too is in this book. It was great. I enjoyed it so much. For those of you who have read C.J. Cherryh before, you know what I mean. If by some chance you haven't, it's time. I've been reading SF for 45 years and I recommend this book without reservation and with great enthusiasm.
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Summary: Keeps getting better.
Review: A year out from Alpha Station, Phoenix arrives in Reunion Station space, where the aliens - alluded to in the previous titles - are encountered. First contact, although basic, turns out to be much more fruitful than with those in charge of the station, who have their own, Guild agenda. To achieve this the Guild are prepared to withhold fuel, and take over Phoenix, if need be.Bren Cameron and his associates have their agenda, too: They must rescue an alien who has been held captive on Reunion Station for six years and return him to his fellow aliens, as a possible goodwill bargaining chip for their safe passage back to Alpha. Recover, Sabin, the senior captain and her companions. Board Reunion Station's population. And get the fuel from the Guild. It took a couple of chapters to get into CJC mode after a year of not reading any, since Defender. I was very impressed by how much more balanced the general writing quality is to the overall scheme of things, their being hardly any of the overt space-opera conventions that tended to - for me at any rate - make the subtlety and detail seem like elements that had to be justified. This also applies to the jacket blurb, which is more restrained than usual - and all the better for it. It was also good to see some new details, such as: Jump Drugs not being required, and the alien's lift, which spun, to simulate gravity. As usual, all the little details are used very effectively, especially some nice touches to do with Cajeiri's entertainments and experiments.
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Summary: A very fitting end to the second trilogy
Review: After just finishing Explorer I can say it was well worth the wait. The previous book was rather disappointing in its' lack of fulfilling plot and generally limped on and on. Explorer, on the other hand, was expertly crafted by Cherryh to give the reader suspense and intrigue about a third and completely unknown alien species in the Foreigner universe. Cherryhs' writing allows you to feel like you are there with Bren, Jase, Illisidi and the rest and how they try to deal with the fragile situation at Reunion station. The book ended in perfect form--a brief introduction and description of the new alien species and what may occur with the three species (human, atevi, and kyo)in the future. After finishing this book, I really hope Cherryh attempts a third installment for the Foreigner Universe. Explorer allows her to delve into this new species with new intrigues and stories. If you have read the previous books in the series, this book is certainly well written to end the second trilogy.
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Summary: A GREAT CONCLUSION (With NEW dangling plot lines)
Review: Amazon very nicely had the book waiting for me on Friday afternoon; I managed to stay up most of the night to finish it. Explorer has enough intrigue, personal interactions, action, adventure, mystery, and bits of humor to satisfy everyone who has been waiting for #6. Some prior volume semi-heroes turn out to be semi-villians (Ramirez), and vice-versa (Sabin); Jase finally starts asserting himself; Gram'Sidi saves the day; and an Atevi child turns out to be startlingly similar to human children. It would be possible, barely, to read this book by itself, but for enjoyment, Defender and Precursor are necessary. For true immersement in the Atevi universe, start with Foreigner, Invader, and Inheretor. For those of us who think they could be a paidhi, there a enough NEW open plot lines to start another three books, which I hear Ms. Cherryh is planning. I will not review the plot since that can be done on Amazon's book-cover flaps. I just enjoyed visiting my old friends so much that thinking (in 3's, of course) how long until we meet again is painful.
NOTE: According to the DAW Publishers website newsletter, C.J.'s next writing project is the sequel to Cyteen, at long, long, last.
Rating:
Summary: Doesn't Feel Like "The End"
Review: An enjoyable book, but there seem to be some loose ends left flapping in the wind -- or maybe I just want more personal information. As another reviewer mentioned, where are Jase's four other "siblings"? I kept expecting one of them to pop up. The book's ending just feels like there must be more to come. As for the characters, Sabin shapes up to be more complex and interesting than expected; I began to understand exactly why she is a starship captain. Young Cajeiri also proves to be an interesting character and adds a certain comic relief, as well as unexpectedly assisting Bren at times. One of the most affecting scenes is when the atevi staff is watching an old Godzilla movie (I'm not sure whom they were cheering for!) and Bren wants desperately to join them. But, his presence would only remind them of their duties and break up the party. Rather than disturb them, he goes back to his room, alone. While an atevi lord cannot feel loneliness, a human one can and does.
Rating:
Summary: One of my top favorites! Cherryh, don't let this be the end!
Review: As the Foreigner series has become one of my top favorite sci-fi/fantasy saga, I just have to do my part, at least to rate the series 5 stars even if my review is not as comprehensive as others. I am not much into sci-fi but I picked up this series a month back as I was impressed with Cherryh's Fortress fantasy series. I was hooked from the first book (Foreigner) and had a most enjoyable 2 weeks finishing all 6 books in this intelligent and riveting saga embellished with amazing characters. Cherryh did a brilliant job in her characterization and relationships development among three different "beings", the enigmatic atevi, the humans in space and the humans who have settled on the alien world. Her main characters Bren, Illisidi and Jase are intelligently and vividly developed and all the side atevi characters are just as appealing. Cherryh also did a great job delineating the intimate relationship between Bren and Jago. The pace may be slow in the second and fifth book but the deep characterization and thought provoking plot more than made up for it. I hope Cherryh will continue with a third trilogy.
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Summary: CJ Cherryh does it again
Review: CJ Cherryh does not disappoint! Fascinating characters, brilliantly paced and plotted, and some splendid twists to this story. I can't believe it's the conclusion though. Bummed about that but not about the book.
Rating:
Summary: Explorer
Review: Excellent, intelligent SF, the conclusion (sadly) to the atevi series. I will miss these people and this world. On a rescue mission to Reunion Station, the Phoenix encounters layers of political complexity, a hostile station government and a potentially hostile alien ship. This book contains more action than many of Cherryh's other recent works; it's almost as if someone told her that her protag wasn't protagging enough, because suddenly he's the action hero. But he always remains in character, and the scenes are fast-moving and believable. It's interesting to me how much tension and action Cherryh manages to convey *without* describing a lot of gore. There are also some humorous bits--involving the atevi response to what they find in the Archive of human culture, but most especially the first moment of communication with a member of a new species. It's not that common for me to laugh out loud while reading, and I did here. A few plot elements could have done with a little more elaboration. I wanted to know a bit more about why the stationers at Reunion were so disenchanted with the Guild, and I would have liked to see meetings between long-lost Phoenix and Reunion kin, since rescuing them was the original reason for the mission. Still, this is a worthy conclusion.
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Summary: The Province of Heaven
Review: Explorer is the sixth book in the Foreigner sequence and the concluding volume in the second trilogy. In this novel, the various factions go to Reunion station to confront the Pilots' Guild and possibly the alien ships. In the previous volume, the Phoenix has been refueled at Alpha Station and prepared for the voyage, the atevi and Mospheiran passengers have come aboard, and the ship's crew has set course for Reunion. But all is not yet settled; the various factions are still not fully reconciled, the events at Reunion remain unexplained, and Jase, the new Second Captain, is still uneasy about his competence. The year long voyage isn't likely to be peaceful for Bren Cameron. As Lord of the Province of Heaven, Bren is responsible for everything in the ship, but has only as much power over events as he can persuade others to give him. One of his tasks is to establish a working relationship with Sabin, the First Captain, and to encourage her to share more information with Jase. Just to add more complexity to his life, he also has to cope with Cajeiri, the ajii-apparent, who is practicing archery in the corridors and likewise being an active child. However, Bren does have allies in Jase, the ajii-dowager Ilisidi, the Mospheiran roboticist Ginny, and his atevi staff. When they get to Reunion, they find that the station has been attacked, but not destroyed, and the Pilots' Guild is in firm, even rigid, control. They also find an alien ship observing the station. Bren takes measures to undermine the Guild and to contact the aliens. Although this novel concludes a phase of the atevi-human story, there are many questions left unanswered, so another trilogy should be forthcoming. Right? Ah, the sweet agony of waiting for the next installment!
Rating:
Summary: The Province of Heaven
Review: Explorer is the sixth book in the Foreigner sequence and the concluding volume in the second trilogy. In this novel, the various factions go to Reunion station to confront the Pilots' Guild and possibly the alien ships. In the previous volume, the Phoenix has been refueled at Alpha Station and prepared for the voyage, the atevi and Mospheiran passengers have come aboard, and the ship's crew has set course for Reunion. But all is not yet settled; the various factions are still not fully reconciled, the events at Reunion remain unexplained, and Jase, the new Second Captain, is still uneasy about his competence. The year long voyage isn't likely to be peaceful for Bren Cameron. As Lord of the Province of Heaven, Bren is responsible for everything in the ship, but has only as much power over events as he can persuade others to give him. One of his tasks is to establish a working relationship with Sabin, the First Captain, and to encourage her to share more information with Jase. Just to add more complexity to his life, he also has to cope with Cajeiri, the ajii-apparent, who is practicing archery in the corridors and likewise being an active child. However, Bren does have allies in Jase, the ajii-dowager Ilisidi, the Mospheiran roboticist Ginny, and his atevi staff. When they get to Reunion, they find that the station has been attacked, but not destroyed, and the Pilots' Guild is in firm, even rigid, control. They also find an alien ship observing the station. Bren takes measures to undermine the Guild and to contact the aliens. Although this novel concludes a phase of the atevi-human story, there are many questions left unanswered, so another trilogy should be forthcoming. Right? Ah, the sweet agony of waiting for the next installment!
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