Customer Reviews

Chanur's Legacy

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(9)
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The 5th and most recent of CJ Cherryh's Chanur Saga, Chanur's Legacy is very much in the vein of Cherryh's previous work. Captain Hilfy Chanur of the Chanur's Legacy is just trying to make a living in the shadow of her aunt, effective ruler of Compact space. When the administrator of Meetpoint Station offers her one million credits for transport of a simple cargo, the offer seems almost too good to be true. Needless to say, it is, and Hilfy and her crew, along with a few passengers, are sent on a harrowing mission throughout Compact space.

Cherryh is in true form here. Each alien race is uniquely developed, none having those "humans in makeup" or "different just to be different" qualities that often plagues SF in general, and space opera in particular. Moreover, each of the characters is quite well developed, and truth be told, I found the subplot regarding Legacy's male passenger as compelling, or more so, than the main plot.

For better or worse, saying the book is typical CJ Cherryh carries some other connotations: physical description is about nil; the main characters may spend 70 pages in a port and the most we'll ever hear about it its name. Also the plot is extremely, I might say excessively, complicated, and can get difficult to follow if you read quickly.

Still, danger, intrigue, romace, conspiracy: all are present and work together to create a marvelous story I could barely put down (even after it was finished). If you enjoy space opera, the Chanur Saga, or and of CJ Cherryh's work, this one's for you.

This review is for those that have already read the previous 4 books. If you have not, I highly recommend The Pride of Chanur - it is complete in itself, so if you only like it you can be finished and satisfied, but if you LOVE it there is much more to come.

Hilfy is now on her own, with a "hand-me-down" ship and experienced crew - all new characters, including a marooned hani male. Her style is quite different from Pyanfar's, and provides further insight into Haniness as well as a Hani translator's view of other alien minds. We also get an in-depth look at the manipulating stsho - and a very fascinating and charming look it is. There are alternate views of the mahendosat, and the kif are developing in an interesting direction. We even gain some glimpses into the methane breathers' inner workings.

Highly recommended as a broadening view of Compact Space's intricate workings, and as a rollicking good time as well!

The books under the title of 'Chanur' have all been great books. I have read the whole set 3 times now. It would be nice to actually see them made into a movie. Impossible, considering the level of detail, but definately a good idea. The level of psychology in these books is high, at the expense of detail in the realm of environment. If your willing to explore this aspect of scifi, read them. To bad Cherryh ended the series.

C. J. Cherryh's 5th Chanur sci-fi book, "Chanur's Legacy", is rich with complex aliens and intertwining cultures and governments. I have only read this book and the first book in the Chanur series, "The Pride of Chanur", but I enjoyed both immensely. Hilfy Chanur and her female crewmates are caught in a web of intrigue when Hilfy agrees to take a stsho religious artifact to the stsho ambassador on Urtur Station (in mahendo'sat space, I believe). As well, she picks up an abandoned male hani, Hallan Meras, who had been tossed in jail from hitting a "kifish gentleman", as Hallan said. His ship, Sahern's Sun Ascendant, leaves him behind. After all of this happens, the plot really takes off and the crew of Chanur's Legacy go for a rip-roaring political ride through Compact Space. Wow! I heartily recommend this book to eager sci-fi fans, because I've read it at least three times over. Can't get enough of it!

To start with, read any book written by CJ Cherryh. Period. But as to this specific book... this is actually the fifth book about the Chanur clan. Reading the series in sequence would be my recommendation (The Pride of Chanur, Chanur's Venture, The Kif Strike Back, Chanur's Homecoming), but it's really not necessary to do so to enjoy Chanur's Legacy. CJ Cherryh is a master at creating an alien universe and alien mindsets. One of the best things about this book (and the series in general) is that there are multiple races of beings, all fully developed in the reader's mind, and humans are not the central players. Cherryh's descriptive style, fast pace, and exploration of contrasting mindsets make this an intriguing read. You'll find it hard to put down, and if you have to, you can't wait to get back to it to find out what's going to happen next! Highly recommended!

Someone mentioned that the Chanur books aren't as good as the Faded Sun trilogy. I've been saving those for a dry period, and since Finity's End doesn't come out until August, it looks like I may get my chance.

All that aside, I actually found this book more enjoyable than the previous Chanur books, although a great deal of that comes from seeing Hilfy all grown up and taking on responsibilities of her own. We also get to know Compact space better, particularly the rich and mysterious stsho (such an irritating bunch, but a lot of fun to watch).

The commentary on gender relations is still a major theme, and I like how Cherryh has addressed it in this series; these books have, on the whole, a lighthearted approach to the subject that prevents heavy-handedness from weighing down the story.

The ending, as with most of Cherryh's books, leaves an opening for a sequel. Will we see one? Time will tell

If you like cats, Sci-Fi, intrique, by-plays and an all-around well-told story, you'll love this story of Pyanfar Chanur's niece. Deserves it's own place apart from the other Chanur stories.

I am a long time Cherryh fan. Most of her books I have read to rags. This book is a nice continuation of the Chanur family story, so if you haven't read the first ones (Pride of Chanur, Chanur's Venture, The Kif Stricke back, and Chanur's Homecoming, you should read them first. Happy reading.

This is the last installment in the Chanur saga, but, unlike the first four volumes, which are actually just a single long novel, this one is a separate story of the "next generation" and theoretically can be read by itself -- although you won't pick up on a lot of the references and themes if you do that. Hilfy Chanur, niece of the captain, Pyanfar Chanur, was the youngest and most inexperienced crew member of "The Pride of Chanur." During the course of that story, however, she went from utter novice to experienced spacer and from sometimes giddy "teenager" to rather cold-blooded young adult. The present story is set a few years later, following Hilfy's failed marriage (in Hani terms), a falling out with her aunt, and her assignment as captain of the trader "Chanur's Legacy." She's generally competent but she lacks Pyanfar's vast experience, and she knows it. Likewise, her crew is nothing like as thoroughly intermeshed as "The Pride"'s crew, but they're all trying hard. The plot, which is somewhat confusing, involves a contract from the stsho to deliver a ceremonial art object to another star system -- the fee involved is so large, it could put Hilfy's ship in the black all by itself -- but the intended recipient has fled, and the "Legacy" must follow or default on the contract. A second plotline revolves around Hallan Meras, a young man who longs to be a spacer, which is completely against Hani tradition and culture -- but a state of affairs which Pyanfar herself has already begun to change. But the ship he had signed onto has dumped him, leading Hilfy and her crew to rescue him against their better judgment. Cherryh uses the situation to explore in great detail the very different psychology of the Hani in matters of sexual politics, matters that were much less explicit in the earlier books of the series. She also gives us a more detailed look at what makes the stsho tick. And the Bad Guy this time is a Mahendo-sat, a species that generally supplied the Good Guys in the earlier volumes. It all makes for a pretty good yarn, though all the strings aren't tied up very well at the end; the story just sort of stops. I wonder if Cherryh had intended a sequel and just never got around to it?

Cherryh's specialties are simple: she creates aliens that are *very* alien, and she is economical with words. Both specialties are in short enough supply that anything she writes merits serious consideration.

_Legacy_ follows the career of one of the primary characters of the four previous _Chanur_ novels (all highly recommended). Thus, except for a couple of familiar faces, there's a new cast of characters. They interact in a lively story that is meat and drink for anyone who appreciates fine SF writing.

One should read the previous four novels (or the compendium, recently released) to get the necessary background for _Legacy_ to be a smooth read, but that said, one should read the whole bunch anyway. This series may be Cherryh's finest work, and _Legacy_ is an interesting continuation with plenty of interest.