Precursor

Rating:
Summary: The Crown Jewel of this collection to date.
Review: The way in which Precursor was written, almost made me feel that the original trilogy was just a long set-up for what would begin to take place with this book. Bren Cameron once again is sent into unfamiliar territory to defuse a situation that comes about once again from a clash of culture. And while others talk about his struggle with his humanity, I think C.J. Cherryh, continues to bring to mind that Bren is nothing but human, despite his shift to being as close to Atevi as a human could be.

In this book, Bren goes up to the station above the planet to negotiate the trade deal with the ship captains for repairing both the station, and the Phoenix, while also attempting to prepare for an alien invasion from somewhere else that was chasing the Phoenix. Through this story, you learn the intricate relationships among the human's on the ship within their 'culture' and how it's contrary to both the Mospherians and the Atevi. All while continuing to build on what Bren and the Atevi have been learning about each other from the original trilogy.

Within the story there is conflict, conspiracy, and interspicing of danger throughout. This book was without a doubt, in my opinion, the crown jewel of the series. And the ending definitely left me wanting more.

Rating:
Summary: A worthy addition to the Atevi series
Review: There's something special, something felicitious, about CJ Cherryh's atevi. I have never found another author whose words resonate so delightfully in my heart and soul. Reading and re-reading only deepens the pleasure for me. Thanks to her skill as a writer I've flown in a shuttle, lived on a station and have been awed by aliens that appear more real than my neighbors. The atevi books are an experience for the senses. If one wishes to read words that can make one feel, smell, touch and hear an imaginary world and its inhabitants, this series will do it. I have one complaint: the next book isn't available yet!

Rating:
Summary: best of the series to date
Review: This is one of those series in which the books do not stand alone well. If you haven't read the first three, best to start with _Foreigner_ and work up.

As a strong Cherryh fan, I was a little dismayed by my own lukewarm reaction to the first three books, which made this one doubly pleasing: in terms of action and interest it is in my opinion the best of the series thus far. As ever, we are treated to Cherryh's economy with words and superb treatment of aliens, but this time we get some additional good stuff. Notably, the story here is more exciting; Bren has a new, important twist on his role, and it puts him into the thick of action. In addition, we see some very human familial issues showing us a dimension of Bren we hadn't seen to date. The question of whether Bren's increasing affinity for the aliens motivates a visceral fear of loss of his own humanity is left to the reader, to Cherryh's credit. It's a delight to read the work of an author who doesn't feel she has to belt the reader over the head with every personality twist evinced by the protagonists.

This book has definitely increased my interest in the series and I hope to see it continue. Strongly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: best of the series to date
Review: This is one of those series in which the books do not stand alone well. If you haven't read the first three, best to start with _Foreigner_ and work up.

As a strong Cherryh fan, I was a little dismayed by my own lukewarm reaction to the first three books, which made this one doubly pleasing: in terms of action and interest it is in my opinion the best of the series thus far. As ever, we are treated to Cherryh's economy with words and superb treatment of aliens, but this time we get some additional good stuff. Notably, the story here is more exciting; Bren has a new, important twist on his role, and it puts him into the thick of action. In addition, we see some very human familial issues showing us a dimension of Bren we hadn't seen to date. The question of whether Bren's increasing affinity for the aliens motivates a visceral fear of loss of his own humanity is left to the reader, to Cherryh's credit. It's a delight to read the work of an author who doesn't feel she has to belt the reader over the head with every personality twist evinced by the protagonists.

This book has definitely increased my interest in the series and I hope to see it continue. Strongly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Flow of Consciousness
Review: This is the crowning book of the series, starting with Foreigner. Cherryh mixes a new sociological challenge into her previous duality of human (Mospheiran) and Atevi (indigenous)peoples. With the addition of the culture of the "ship" and the "station" humans, the author provides an explosive mix of opinions and backgrounds. Without reading the previous trilogy, one cannot appreciate the complexity of Precursor. This was a book that I had problems setting down because I knew the main characters as friends of mine, whom I wished to succeed.

For the avid science-fiction reader, there is plenty of free-fall and low gravity action, with the additional science of orbital stations and the danger involved in the control of life support from a central board. As in many of this author's books, the story moves forward through the perceptions of the protagonist, and the reader is limited to the information available to Bren at the time. What I find enjoyable is that Bren Cameron is no fool, even though there are times when he regrets his actions or fears their results. He is able to steer three (four?) antagonistic cultures into confrontation with one another and the reader must read the entire book to learn the outcome.

Rating:
Summary: Can it get any better?
Review: This is why I started reading Science Ficton. The "Foreigner" series is as good as it gets in my opinion and each book has been better that the last. They also get better each time I read them

I love the political intrigue. I love the fact that the humans are the alien invaders. I love the fact 9 times out of 10 humans and atevi minds get to the same place bu different routs, but on that 10th time, watch out. Lastly I really love Bren's crazy neurotic mother and all the other family trama he has to deal with while he is also tryin gto save the world, that adds a dose of reality to the series. You and pick your friends, but not your family.

Cherryh's best characters are those who are in the process of transforming their souls. Bren thinks he has had to trade bits of his human soul to do his job of standing between Humans and Atevi, but he is not becoming less human as he fears, nor is he becoming Atevi as his critics on Mospheira claim, he is becoming something completely new the Paidhi for the entire planet.

I can't wait to see what happens next.

Rating:
Summary: We have lift off.
Review: Three years have passed, and the co-operative labours of the Mospheirans, the atevi, and the captains of the star-ship Phoenix has resulted in the successful completion of a working space-shuttle. But as Bren Cameron is soon to find out, the captains are divided in their motives.

In order to maintain the peace and promote progress Bren Cameron must rally the star-ship's crew for the general good and in support of those captains who are more forward thinking.

After reading Inheritor and the Kirkus review I was expecting this series to run out of propellant, but no - this Foreigner series has gotten itself a whole new lease of life, returning to the sort of pace with viewpoint inherent in Downbelow Station and Cyteen. So I don't know what Kirkus' guy was reading. Anyhow... Precursor is - unlike so many that are hyped to be - pageturningly unputdownable.A little too quickly paced at the start, but maybe that's because I was expecting something different.

It's a pity Defender is being held back until the summer of 2001. I was all set for having it this Christmas.

Rating:
Summary: Precursor-The atevi get into space
Review: To me, C J Cherryh is the absolute top writer in the fantasy/scifi field and this is one of her best books. Any reader that has not read the previous 3 books should read them as, otherwise, they will not understand the atevi and miss much of the plot.

Rating:
Summary: solid follow-up to original series, but too short ;)
Review: Upon consideration, even some niggling doubts aren't enough to downgrade my review from "Smashing!". PRECURSOR lacks something, but only when compared head-on to FOREIGNER; considering the incredibly tough act this installment has to follow, I'm happy enough with it ;) . My only substantial complaint is an overall feeling of this volume being the set-up for a later payoff which we have to wait for; it's a ripping political thriller in itself, but it definitely leaves the reader starving for more. I only hope that the subsequent volumes can deliver on these promises with the same energy and followthrough that INVADER and INHERITOR managed to bring to the storyline of the first volume.

Rating:
Summary: Another triumph for Cherryh
Review: What is there to say? I have been waiting for this book for months, ever since it was announced and have been eagerly contacting my bookstore to find out when it was going to arrive. The wait was worth it, even though now I am waiting for the next in the series to appear. Cherryh just seems to get better and better and involves her reader completely in her universe. After finishing the book I found myself starting all my sentences with "one" and looking for felicitious numbers. How Bren Cameron has matured. Now so much more than just an interpreter and capable of taking on the responsibilities expected of him. So much more confidence in his dealings even if there are family problems to distract him. If you have enjoyed the first three books in this series you will enjoy this. I am now once more going to have to start at the beginning and reread books one two and three!