winters's review
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
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
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
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
vaderbird's review against another edition
3.0
5 star - Perfect
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
anarchistaesthete's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
oleksandr's review
3.0
This is the second volume of a lengthy (21 volume and it is still not completed I guess) SF saga about a collaboration between humans and atevi, humanoid locals, who were first contacted by humans in their age of steam, but now are roughly in Earth’s 1950s. The first volume, [b:Foreigner|57043|Foreigner (Foreigner, #1)|C.J. Cherryh|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1386924617l/57043._SY75_.jpg|1592031], I reviewed here.
The problem is that while on a surface alevi are quite human-like, their evolution different, so that evolutionary traits that turned social, like friendship or love are quite different for them, and say loyalty is biological and not only social.
The story’s protagonist is still Bren Cameron is the current envoy or paidhi (interpreter), who supply info to local ruler (aiji) Tabini. He just got his badly damaged arm operated in only human’s island colony Mospheira as he is called back to the mainland, Shejidan. He is tired, in pain, dulled by drugs and in this state he has to keep cooperation between humans and atevi, even if there are opponents of such policy in both camps. Bren finds out what has happened, while he was under meds: first, there is the Phenix, the ship that brought first colonists but them flew off to search a way back to Earth 200 year ago, back on the orbit. Locals panic, with human-like alien invasion fears of the 50s, but with humans as invaders. Second, while he was away, he was replaced by a younger paidhi with zero practical experience, who in addition suspect that Bren “went native”. She, Deana Hanks, decided to create own alliances, not with Tabini, but with his opponents and disclosed a lot of info, including the theoretical possibility of faster than light travel. As if these issues aren’t enough, Bren finds out that his potential fiancé tired of waiting for him, has married.
So the book is another crazy week of the paidhi, with guessing intrigues, both humans in the colony, on the ship, atevi with Tabini and his opponents, fighting with Deana, who ought to be his friend and replacement… the latter is quite interesting in the sense that if the book was written by a man, I guess he would have been accused of misogyny – we have the experienced and diplomatic man, Bren, and inexperienced and stubborn younger woman, who almost broke the fragile relations between the species (such is at least Bren’s impression).
While I cannot say that the book is wow or filled with novel ideas, but it is definitely an interesting and unusual SF, not to everyone’s taste. I plan to continue the series.
The problem is that while on a surface alevi are quite human-like, their evolution different, so that evolutionary traits that turned social, like friendship or love are quite different for them, and say loyalty is biological and not only social.
The story’s protagonist is still Bren Cameron is the current envoy or paidhi (interpreter), who supply info to local ruler (aiji) Tabini. He just got his badly damaged arm operated in only human’s island colony Mospheira as he is called back to the mainland, Shejidan. He is tired, in pain, dulled by drugs and in this state he has to keep cooperation between humans and atevi, even if there are opponents of such policy in both camps. Bren finds out what has happened, while he was under meds: first, there is the Phenix, the ship that brought first colonists but them flew off to search a way back to Earth 200 year ago, back on the orbit. Locals panic, with human-like alien invasion fears of the 50s, but with humans as invaders. Second, while he was away, he was replaced by a younger paidhi with zero practical experience, who in addition suspect that Bren “went native”. She, Deana Hanks, decided to create own alliances, not with Tabini, but with his opponents and disclosed a lot of info, including the theoretical possibility of faster than light travel. As if these issues aren’t enough, Bren finds out that his potential fiancé tired of waiting for him, has married.
So the book is another crazy week of the paidhi, with guessing intrigues, both humans in the colony, on the ship, atevi with Tabini and his opponents, fighting with Deana, who ought to be his friend and replacement… the latter is quite interesting in the sense that if the book was written by a man, I guess he would have been accused of misogyny – we have the experienced and diplomatic man, Bren, and inexperienced and stubborn younger woman, who almost broke the fragile relations between the species (such is at least Bren’s impression).
While I cannot say that the book is wow or filled with novel ideas, but it is definitely an interesting and unusual SF, not to everyone’s taste. I plan to continue the series.
bookbirb's review
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0