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This review does not represent the opinions of the general public. It reflects my personal thoughts and opinions on the book.
That said, on to the review!
Title: Invader
Author: C. J. Cherryh
Publisher: DAW Books
Format: Hardcover
Copyright Date: 1995
The starship Phoenix established a colony on the world of the atevi before departing for parts unknown. The humans it left behind struggled to win a place for itself in the atevi world, resulting in the settlement of the island of Mospheira. For nearly two centuries the colony has bartered its advanced techonology for its continued existence. Now, however, the Phoenix has returned, and its reappearance in the skies above wreaks havoc on the world below.
The starship becomes a new factor in the balance of power between the humans and the atevi. Bren Cameron, the paidhi, went home to Mospheira for surgery, but immediately returns to the aiji's court to control the dissemination of the news of Phoenix's reappearance. However, his successor-woefully deficient in the things that make a good paidhi--has been busy in his absence. Moreover, she is just a part of a larger movement on Mospheira itself, one that does not want to share the world with the atevi and wants to return to space. Furthermore, Bren's successor has left the paidhi's office in shambles, alienating the aiji and illegally attempting to undermine the government by negotiating with rebellious factions in the atevi society.
Bren faces a terrible decision. His job is to maintain the peace between the two species, but the Phoenix doesn't exist under the same constraints as the Mospheiran settlement. He is the only human on the planet capable of understanding the atevi to even a minuscule degree. It falls to him to present the atevi to the starship humans before the movement on Mospheira can poison them against the world's original inhabitants. Does he dare? Not trying means leaving the atevi open to destruction from above. Trying means isolating himself from the human race entirely. How can he abandon the atevi to remain human? How can he abandon the humans to save the atevi?
Here is the sequel to C. J. Cherryh's Foreigner. First we saw the difficulties of opening diplomatic relations with a foreign power. Now we see the problems of politics and power plays, and the added problem of a potential ally appearing on the scene. And let's not forget the dilemma of genetic heritage versus personal friendships!
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