Review of Intruder by CJ Cherryh

Publisher: DAW Hardcover

Series: Foreigner 13

Release Date: March 6, 2012

Buying Links: Amazon    Barnes and Noble

Book Blurb:

In the wake of civil war, Bren Cameron, the brilliant human diplomat of the alien atevi civilization, has left the capital and sought refuge at his country estate, Najida. But now he is trapped inside Najida-which has been surrounded by enemies- with the powerful grandmother of his ally, Tabiniaiji, atevi leader of the Western Association. Ilisidi, the aiji-dowager, is not inclined to be passive and sends Bren into enemy territory, to the palace of the leader of the rebels.

Bren's mission is to negotiate with Machigi-a young atevi lord who has never actually seen a human-and somehow persuade him to cease his hostile actions against the west. Is Bren a shrewd enough negotiator to stay alive, and not alienate Ilisidi or Tabini, while also representing the interests of their enemy?

Reviewed By: Jax

My Thoughts:

This is one of my favorite series. Assassination attempts, political maneuvering, aliens, and their math based verb tenses and superstitions. The geek in me  gets all smiley reading it.

The atevi society reminds me of a combination of feudal Japan and Victorian England. I've been reading this series for quite sometime, and was wondering if it would start to get stale. Or ridiculous, once they regained their access to space. Thankfully, neither has happened. We've watched Bren go from a somewhat naive and unimportant part of the political landscape to a powerhouse that is now helping to train and maneuver the next generation. It's incredibly interesting to me to see how the pieces of the the ever changing puzzle come together. And yet, as Machiavellian as these books are, Cherryh never fails to add the 'human' element to what's going on - that the emotions of those involved can change everything.

In this book, we get to see more of the psychology and emotion that tie an atevi family together. We get to see how a adolescent, growing into his responsibility as the future leader of a world, finds his way. How his fostering affected his parents. How the impending birth of a sibling can set a household on edge. As much as these books are the story of political mayhem and strategy, they are also a study of an alien culture and psyche. In Intruder, we get to do just that...intrude into the inner circle of a home. It's intriguing!

And that all sounds so much more clinical than intended. *smiles* Like I said, this book makes my inner geek happy. However, the series as a whole is also a very enjoyable read. For all the formality of the atevi, they are a likable group. Private, a bit daunting, and yet welcoming. I highly recommend reading not just this book, but the others before it. 

The reviewer bought this book.