357 pages
English language
Published May 21, 2007 by DAW Books, Distributed by the Penguin Group.
The ninth novel in Cherryh’s Foreigner space opera series, a groundbreaking tale of first contact and its consequences…
In the aftermath of civil war, the world of the atevi is still perilously unstable. Tabini-aiji, powerful ruler of the Western Association, along with his son and heir Cajeiri, and his human paidhi, Bren Cameron, have returned to the seat of power. The usurper, Murini, has escaped to the lands of his supporters, but the danger these rebels pose is far from over. Ilisidi, Tabini's grandmother, the aiji-dowager, has returned to her ancient castle in the East, for she has powerful ties in the lands of the rebels, and she seeks to muster whatever support for her grandson that she can from among those enemy strongholds.
This is a consistently superb series and one that, with this third trilogy, is starting to take a larger view -- not just of Atevi culture and biology with the addition of Cajeri's point of view, but also the politics and associations of the East.
I am looking forward to seeing where things go from here.
