No one world-builds like Cherryh. In this installment we learn more about atevi politics, man-chi, and the dowager and her great-grandson, the heir to power. Can I just say, I LOVE the aiji-dowager. Old and infirm, she still pulls the strings and manipulates everyone in her quest for power, whether for herself or her great grandson, time will tell. What a great character. How does Cherryh keep track of all the complexities of her world? But she never puts a foot wrong. And Cajeiri the heir is coming along nicely. His ability to command man-chi is developing, but what sort of future leader will he be, steeped in human culture and space travel, without the instincts of his race? My guess is that, several books down the road, he will be the leader to unite both the atevi and the humans against the incursion of the alien kyo, but only time will tell.

The book does get a little slow in places, and there's a lot of introspection, but overall it's a great read. ( )

One more thrilling installment in the Foreigner series by CJ Cherryh, with Paidhi Bren, Banichi, Jago and other characters we love, all caught in the beginning of a civil war. ( )

This book marks the start of the third sub-trilogy of the series and a very welcome return back to the Atevi Homeworld.

Now while I did enjoy the spacetravel and the intrigue with the new aliens and the mess with the other space-station, I really love the fact that we're returning to where my love of the series began.

We left with the world practically unified under Tabini, but when Bren returns to the system only to find that supplies from the world aren't getting to the space station and the main continent is in turmoil and Tabini is presumed dead, grandmother Ilisidi and Tabini's young son and Bren go harrowing off to find support in the mainland or at least some word as to Tabini's fate.

The Atevi can't lose space! Not like this! No!!!

This one is full of politics and poor Bren still trying to figure out the deep fundamental differences between the Atevi and the Human mindsets, becoming a mystery much greater than that and a full-out action novel later, still.

God, I love this series. It really has everything. Characters we're deeply invested in, absolutely gorgeous worldbuilding, and truly fantastic stories that are both very grounded and intricate.

This series is still going strong 10 books after this, too!!! :) I can't wait to get to them!
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https://speculiction.blogspot.com/2019/10/review-of-destroyer-by-cj-cherryh.html ( )

Glad to get back into this series, but this volume really didn't have much happening in it. ( )