Rating: Summary: I wouldn't buy this badly thought out publishing mistake. Review: I'm not sure why the publisher chose to reprint these books in this particular way, but I'm betting that Cherryh had no say in it. It's like reprinting "The Fellowship of the Ring" and "The Two Towers" but letting "The Return of the King" go out of print. STUPID. "The Pride of Chanur" is a standalone novel, and as such, could have been left out of this book to make room for "Chanur's Homecoming", which IS a vital part of the "series". I use the term "series" loosely in this case, since "Venture", "Kif" and "Homecoming" are actually one novel printed in three parts, like Cyteen. Only they got smart when Cyteen won the Hugo and printed it in one book, as it was intended. I'd say one would be better off checking out second hand stores for the entire series. I personally found a numbered, first edition paperback of "Pride" for 75 cents at Half Price books. Like most of the others, this rating does not reflect my opinion of the actual books, just this particular publishing pratfall.
Rating: Summary: Excellent Review: It's about time these stories were printed again! I had a rough time tracking them down separately. Cherryh's great at creating a universe that is alien to just the right degree, but I'll leave that kind of praise to better skilled reviewers.
Rating: Summary: buy these now... and maybe more will follow! Review: Note that despite the mediocre votes, the reviews below rave about the books themselves: it's the omnibus packaging of only half the series that is drawing complaints. Ms. Cherryh herself explains on her web site that these bulk releases are the best way to get old material back on the shelf so booksellers will accept new books in the series. And a new Chanur book would be a very good thing! These books are a perfect intersection between Ms. Cherryh's insightful extra-anthropological works and straightout adventure, with the most convincing space battles I've encountered, station docksides that make the cantina from Star Wars look like a walk in the park, and aliens characters so engaging that the humans seem, well, alien. Buy it, vote it up, and hope the message gets to the publishers!
Rating: Summary: excellent, but the end of the story is missing Review: The Chanur books are among my all-time favorites. From the cover art, I expected them to be kind of silly, but in fact they are poignant, exciting, sometimes hilarious, fast-paced, and just generally fun to read. I recommend all of them to anyone who likes science fiction that focuses more on character than high-tech gadgets. The big problem with The Chanur Saga is that it doesn't contain the entire story. The Pride of Chanur was a self-contained book, the first in the series. It was followed by a trilogy, and then a final self-contained book. The Chanur Saga contains The Pride of Chanur, plus the first two books of the trilogy (The Kif Strike Back and Chanur's Venture) ... but it leaves out the third book of the trilogy, which is the end of that story! If you buy this book, plan on also buying at least the final book in the trilogy, Chanur's Homecoming.
Rating: Summary: Why 4 Stars Review: The Chanur saga is an excellent selection if your looking for a science fiction novel. The best thing about this book is it's three in one quality. The fact that when you purchase this book your getting three novels instead of one is a big deal. The author really did a masterful job with the characters and the plot her unique pespective takes the reader on a journey that allows him / her to veiw the human race as an outsider. Entering into a technically advanced coalition of races. A most interesting read.
Rating: Summary: Also need to get "Chanur's Homecoming" Review: The Chanur series is made up of 5 books. A prologue novel ("The Pride of Chanur"), a 3-part series ("Chanur's Venture", "The Kif Strike Back" and "Chanur's Homecoming"), and an epilogue novel ("Chanur's Legacy")This collection contains the prologue and 2 of the three books in the series. The concluding book of the series ("Chanur's Homecoming") is missing, but, finally, it's back in print, amking this mislabeled "saga" complete once more. For a while the concluding volume was Out-Of-Print, making some of the reviewers here very cross. Basically it tells the tale of Chanur, a modest interstellar trader who gets caught up in a nightmare of galactic politics, and, just to survive, has to overturn the powers-that-be. They should have left her alone.
Rating: Summary: A Splendid Series Review: The Chanur series may be my most dearly loved books; if I had to choose one series to take to a desert island, the 5 Chanur books would top my list. I've read them repeatedly, finding them deeply satisfying time after time. I am, however, astonished at the publisher's including only 2 books of the 3-part set. The first book, Pride of Chanur, can be read alone. The next 3, however, together form one giant novel, as the 3 volumes of Lord of the Rings did, and it's very strange that the publisher did not include the final book of that set. I'd urge prospective readers to get this and advertise for Chanur's Homecoming, as well as getting Chanur's Legacy, the 5th book of the set. Some of Cherryh's fiction is too grim for me, but this series is some of the richest, most fascinating, and most upbeat fantasy I know.
Rating: Summary: Hello, where's the ending? Review: The thing about Cherryh is that she tends to write some looooong books. Two of them, "Chanur's Venture, etc." and "Cyteen" were therefore published in three seperate books, even though they were really one very long story -- like Lord of the Rings. Chanur's Venture, The Kif Strike Back and Chanur's Homecoming should actually be one book. So, why in the world did this idiotic publisher decide to publish The Pride of Chanur, which IS a stand-alone novel, along with two thirds of the larger story? Most likely, they haven't read it, and didn't consult her. I would think that publishers, in general, like to make readers happy so they'll buy books, so they wouldn't have done it on purpose. I would like to see this story all in one book, like Cyteen. I doubt that will happen, but I can always dream. In any case, it's really crappy to publish these and not the ending. It's like only publishing "The Fellowship of the Ring" and "The Two Towers" but letting "Return of the King" go out of print. STUPID.
Rating: Summary: Hello, where's the ending? Review: The thing about Cherryh is that she tends to write some looooong books. Two of them, "Chanur's Venture, etc." and "Cyteen" were therefore published in three seperate books, even though they were really one very long story -- like Lord of the Rings. Chanur's Venture, The Kif Strike Back and Chanur's Homecoming should actually be one book. So, why in the world did this idiotic publisher decide to publish The Pride of Chanur, which IS a stand-alone novel, along with two thirds of the larger story? Most likely, they haven't read it, and didn't consult her. I would think that publishers, in general, like to make readers happy so they'll buy books, so they wouldn't have done it on purpose. I would like to see this story all in one book, like Cyteen. I doubt that will happen, but I can always dream. In any case, it's really crappy to publish these and not the ending. It's like only publishing "The Fellowship of the Ring" and "The Two Towers" but letting "Return of the King" go out of print. STUPID.
Rating: Summary: Absolutely outrageous and unacceptable publishing [practice] Review: The three books combined into this single volume are part of alarger whole. Why has the publisher reprinted these three, which werealready available, and failed to reissue book four of the series, "Chanur's Homecoming"? You cannot even tell that the anthology is incomplete unless you are already familiar with it and know that the final page will leave off in the middle of a plot for which you CANNOT BUY the next chapter. This is not a criticism of the books themselves. They display Cherryh's extraordinary ability to visualize an alien society that is both skewed from and a somewhat critical commentary on our own. If you've never read Chanur, this is a cheap way to get started, but don't be surprised that there's no punch line here.
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