Amazing how the author can keep me on the edge of my seat without any gun battles, just politics and diplomacy (or lack thereof). The characters are deep, even the younger ones, and the universe building is multi-faceted and believable. Bravo! ( )

You'd think I'd be bored of this series by now, but I'm not. It's like coming home, time after time. ( )

After restoring the rule of Tabini, Bren and company get some time off at Najiri estate. Then everyone goes back to their normal work. It doesn't last very long, though. The kyo show up for a visit, there's an insurrection on the space station, and Cajeiri's young human associates go missing. ( )

I'm extremely happy to be returning to space again. Not that I didn't love the politics and the deadly action and the assassination attempts down below, but it's been a long time since we went back to space. Objectively, it's only been a year, but in that time there's been a civil war and the space station has been dealing with troublesome refugees from another space station that had gotten itself into some deep trouble with some very strange aliens.

And guess who's come to the Atevi homeworld, knock-knock-knocking on the door?

Ah, well, just imagine a bunch of chickens with their heads cut off and you're describing mostly the humans, including those in control of the space station.

Enter DIPLOMACY. Yes, diplomacy as a superpower. It's a thing.

It's a very geeky thing that I absolutely love. Add a bit of math, a lot of politics coming from so many sides, names and situations that have been developing for a truly wonderful run of 16 books, and the start of a new story-arc mini-trilogy, and I'm super-happy. It's always like coming home. Like coming home to a million old dysfunctional friends with ebony skin, who think in math and believe all humans are little tiny children.

But best of all, we're getting back to space! And Cajeri's human friends have just been gifted percieved powers among the rabble on the space station? Holy crap. And aliens are coming? Holy crap.

And we've got conspiracy, diplomacy, hacking, space-battle, and tea? Oh, yeah, Cherryh's on my wavelength. :)

I can't wait to see where this new trilogy takes us! :) ( )

To read more of my reviews, check out my blog at keikii Eats Books!

Quote:

“You are an arrogant bastard, Mr. Cameron.”
“One entirely at your service, sir, and in that interest, let’s create an understanding—"

Review:
Oooooo! WE'RE BACK IN SPACE, BOIS!

Things have returned to normal. The human kids are on their way home to the space station. There is no more war. The background figures trying to change the aishidi'tat have been stopped once and for all. Everything is on its way towards peace.

Of course, in the middle of all this things going right business, Jace, one of the four spaceship leaders, has told Bren that there is trouble brewing on the space station. Big trouble. One of the Mospheirans has been stirring up trouble amongst the shipfolk, the Mospheirans on board the space station, and the refugees from the Reunion space outpost they brought home all the way in book eight. That's enough trouble to keep Bren busy for a while, he just has to wrap up a few things on the mainland, first. Right?

Nope! The kyo have come! They promised they would, to observe how humans and atevi get along. And then it is gogogogo got to get everything ready, have to get up everyone back to the space station. Everyone being Bren, Ilisidi, and Cajeiri, so they can preserve the balance they met in before. Have to get everything in place so Bren can be in the right mindspace to both learn to communicate with the kyo and be the diplomat earth needs him to be. Because if the kyo are dissatisfied with anything he does, they could wipe out everyone. He has to make certain this doesn't happen.

Only, even that isn't enough. It turns out the kids that visited Cajeiri are in trouble due to the shit stirred up, and now they have to be extracted. They can be used as hostages if left in place. And the kids are under the protection of Tabini, and have to be kept safe. So that is an entire to-do that has to happen.

The only problem is that this doesn't feel like a whole book. But that has been true for a while now. I love these books. ( )