itssamu's review
3.0
I love political intrigue and anything that focuses on the minutiae of governance, but even this takes it to the extreme. The prose is overlong and always blending exposition with action; it's done seamlessly, but it gets exhausting when it feels like every word is vital world building that you can't miss out on. I'm a big fan of the concepts that Cherryh explores with a translator trying to maintain peace in a foreign world, and I'm enjoying the direction the story is going in, but the writing meanders too often for me to say it's actively fun to read.
csdaley's review against another edition
I am not going to give this book a star rating. I read half way through the book. Way longer than I ever read a book that I am not really enjoying. The reason I read so far is that Cherryh is a hell of a writer. Crazy good at putting sentences together. The problem for me was I just wasn't digging it. The story didn't click for me. This is after a book one that I barely finished. I might go back and give this another chance some day but for now I am out.
The no stars is because I don't think it is fair to mess with a book's rating just because it wasn't for me. I can absolutely see why people love this series.
The no stars is because I don't think it is fair to mess with a book's rating just because it wasn't for me. I can absolutely see why people love this series.
essinink's review against another edition
5.0
Middle books tend to slump, but this book is an exception. Maybe it's because the first novel gave me the grounding I needed to roll with things, but I liked Invader more than Foreigner. It was nonstop action, even though--at the heart of it--it IS still a waiting book, waiting for the ship in orbit to respond to both parties on the planet below.
Foreigner was distinct in that it separated Bren Cameron from all other human influence, forcing him to adapt more strongly to the atevi mindset than before. By contrast, Invader reintroduces those human elements in antagonistic fashion. Bren is not atevi, of course, and he never can be, but he's rather far divorved from the norms of his own species, too, and watching the psychological contortions he has trying to navigate agreements between the two peoples is fascinating.
No culture is a monolith; Not humans, not atevi. Invader does an excellent job of layering in complexity. (Some might say "too much," but Cherryh is very kind to her readers in reinforcing the who-is-who.) The atevi are still a bit confusing, but they're confusing to our protagonist, too, so that's alright. I'm thoroughly enjoying this series.
Foreigner was distinct in that it separated Bren Cameron from all other human influence, forcing him to adapt more strongly to the atevi mindset than before. By contrast, Invader reintroduces those human elements in antagonistic fashion. Bren is not atevi, of course, and he never can be, but he's rather far divorved from the norms of his own species, too, and watching the psychological contortions he has trying to navigate agreements between the two peoples is fascinating.
No culture is a monolith; Not humans, not atevi. Invader does an excellent job of layering in complexity. (Some might say "too much," but Cherryh is very kind to her readers in reinforcing the who-is-who.) The atevi are still a bit confusing, but they're confusing to our protagonist, too, so that's alright. I'm thoroughly enjoying this series.
nickkimball's review against another edition
3.0
**Foreigner** - 3.5⭐️ - *the one where Bren becomes an extremely underpaid foreign language teacher.*
**Invader** - 3.5⭐️ - *the one where Bren explains folding space and interstellar travel to aliens*
-or- *the one where Bren learns the aliens are way hotter than Barb*
**Invader** - 3.5⭐️ - *the one where Bren explains folding space and interstellar travel to aliens*
-or- *the one where Bren learns the aliens are way hotter than Barb*
winters's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
rxh05d's review against another edition
5.0
This is not a series to be read leisurely with breaks of months in between books. I was horribly confused at first, forgetting details of the first book. But this is some absolutely amazing drama from someone who has put a ridiculous amount of effort into designing a culture that is realistically and profoundly inhuman. One thing to note is that the POV character often goes into pages and pages of thought monologue, which may not be everyone's cup of tea.
random_pages's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
books17's review against another edition
5.0
"It's a frightening job to be an honest man."
"A dangerous job, among fools."
A wonderful follow up to FOREIGNER.
Following the events of the first book, Bren is rushed back to the Atevi capital of Sheijdan to continue his work as paidhi under the cloud of the recently returned Phoenix hanging above the planet. Our translator must tread a delicate balance to keep the peace.
I LOVED this. I struggled slightly with FOREIGNER, being quite an abstract plot and a brand new world, but with a bit of familiarity I really found INVADER a lot easier to read - though I took my sweet time doing so.
Bren is a lovely protagonist - so unsure of himself yet so intelligent and in his own way, charismatic - and the supporting cast feels a lot more fleshed out this time around. Bren's growing, fumbling relationship (or, to be real, association) with Jago is very entertaining and we get to see our translator interacting with other human beings for the first time.
Cherryh has a way of making big events seem small and understated. It's a very detached writing style that I struggle with a bit.
I'm very keen to go onto INHERITOR.
twentythree_sunrise's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
A wonderfully told science fiction political commentary and drama. There's enough context provided to read this book on its own, but I would very much advise against skipping the first book.
While Foreigner saw Bren whisked away to the wilderness and entirely out of his element, Invader sees him firmly back in the political sphere. Most of the book involves Bren tackling and agonizing over various maneuverings of human and atevi politics. Though the first book had a much stronger sense of movement and adventure, as Bren moved from urban to rural, from royal estate to untouched wilderness, most of this book takes place in a single hotel suite. That said, it is certainly not without drama, tension, humor, and, even, a bit of romance. The introspective monologues and conversations are excellent.
While the first book, I argue, is a discreet coming-out narrative, Invader is an explicit political commentary. There are one or two chapters in particular that this becomes most evident and Cherryh really holds nothing back. Some readers will surely find these commentaries dazzlingly fierce, inspiring, and, sadly, just as relevant today in 2022 as they were in 1996, when this book was published. Other readers will doubtless find these commentaries both offensive and downright scandalous. I am, full disclosure, amongst the former of these groups, and I don't believe it's much of a mystery as to what might have inspired these commentaries.
Despite the thematic shift, as with any good sequel, many of the best elements from the first book carry over here. There a some fresh new faces, and familiar ones. We still love Jago. We still get breakfast with Ilisidi. Tano gets a bit of attention, and he's a sweetie. Though things get rather tense, the ending is, as with Foreigner, ever so heartwarming.
A very good sequel.
While Foreigner saw Bren whisked away to the wilderness and entirely out of his element, Invader sees him firmly back in the political sphere. Most of the book involves Bren tackling and agonizing over various maneuverings of human and atevi politics. Though the first book had a much stronger sense of movement and adventure, as Bren moved from urban to rural, from royal estate to untouched wilderness, most of this book takes place in a single hotel suite. That said, it is certainly not without drama, tension, humor, and, even, a bit of romance. The introspective monologues and conversations are excellent.
While the first book, I argue, is a discreet coming-out narrative, Invader is an explicit political commentary. There are one or two chapters in particular that this becomes most evident and Cherryh really holds nothing back. Some readers will surely find these commentaries dazzlingly fierce, inspiring, and, sadly, just as relevant today in 2022 as they were in 1996, when this book was published. Other readers will doubtless find these commentaries both offensive and downright scandalous. I am, full disclosure, amongst the former of these groups, and I don't believe it's much of a mystery as to what might have inspired these commentaries.
Despite the thematic shift, as with any good sequel, many of the best elements from the first book carry over here. There a some fresh new faces, and familiar ones. We still love Jago. We still get breakfast with Ilisidi. Tano gets a bit of attention, and he's a sweetie. Though things get rather tense, the ending is, as with Foreigner, ever so heartwarming.
A very good sequel.
Content Warnings
Minor: Kidnapping, Gun violence, and Infidelity
thewashouts's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0