Conspirator: (Foreigner #10) [Hardcover]

C. J. Cherryh (Author)

Book Description

Series: Foreigner | Publication Date: April 28, 2009

First in a brand-new Foreigner trilogy from Hugo Award winning author C. J. Cherryh.

Cajeiri is the young son of the powerful leader of the Western Association-and he has become a target for forces bent on destroying his father's rule. For Cajeiri is the first ateva youth to have lived in a human environment. And after hundreds of years of fragile atevi-human coexistence, he may very well be the first of his people to ever truly understand the so similar-yet so dangerously different-aliens who share his home planet and threaten the hidebound customs of his race.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Readers unfamiliar with Cherryh's Foreigner series (most recently 2007's Deliverer) are likely to be somewhat at sea in this complex and sophisticated 10th installment, but those who persevere will be rewarded with a space opera where ideas are as important as action. This book continues chronicling the experience of Bren Cameron, who serves as the paidhi-aiji, the interpreter for human colonists stranded on the planet of the alien atevi. Cameron's current concern is the spread of human technology, which has the potential to wreak havoc with the formal communication protocols the atevi rely on to maintain their societal structure. Cameron must engage in subtle diplomacy and political maneuvering while evading attempts on his life and keeping track of a headstrong young atevi nobleman. The lack of basic background may discourage new readers, but fans will be delighted. (May)
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About the Author

C. J. Cherryh is the author of more than fifty novels. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: DAW Hardcover; 1st edition (April 28, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 075640570X
• ISBN-13: 978-0756405700
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #764,738 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I've written sf and fantasy for publication since 1975...but I've written a lot longer than that. I have a background in Mediterranean archaeology, Latin, Greek, that sort of thing; my hobbies are travel, photography, planetary geology, physics, pond-building for koi...I run a marine tank, can plumb most anything, and I figure-skate.

I believe in the future: I'm an optimist for good reason---I've studied a lot of history, in which, yes, there is climate change, and our species has been through it. We've never faced it fully armed with what we now know, and if we play our cards right, we'll use it as a technological springboard and carry on in very interesting ways.

I also believe a writer owes a reader a book that has more than general despair to spread about: I write about clever, determined people who don't put up with situations, not for long, anyway: people who find solutions inspire me.

My personal websites and blog: http://www.cherryh.com
http://www.cherryh.com/WaveWithoutAShore
http://www.closed-circle.net

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Treasure for CJC fans!, May 1, 2009

By 

G. E. Williams "Nunah" (California) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Conspirator: (Foreigner #10) (Hardcover)

I have an associate whom I generally agree with about books, with the one exception, she hates C J Cherryh, and I think She (CJC) is the Greatest writer of our time. Ms. Cherryh writes in such a way that you must become the character, and live the story which is in my opinion, escapism at its finest. So it was with great joy that I opened up my delivery from Amazon this week and found Conspirator inside.

So here's the deal.
Conspirator is made especially for someone like me who is a big fan already, because there is so much character development and history that there is no way to just start here (in book 10) and enjoy it the way you should. But if you not yet a fan like me, do yourself the huge favor of reading the series from the beginning starting with Foreigner: (10th Anniversary Edition) (Foreigner Universe Books)and have the patience to get through the first hundred pages of that character development and history to follow the rest of the story.

Is this sci-fi? Sort of, but mostly it is a character driven political drama that digs deeply into what makes us human, and what helps to form alliance with each other and what causes us to break them apart. It is a marvelous metaphoric inspection on diversity and inclusion, and courtesy. I swallowed this book up in two days and hated to turn the final pages and will be frustrated for the next several months until the next edition comes along.

5* Continuation!

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Breaths fresh life into the Foreigner series, May 23, 2009

By 

N. Trachta (Colorado Springs, CO United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Conspirator: (Foreigner #10) (Hardcover)

Ahhh, a new CJ Cherryh book; in this case the 10th in the Foreigner series. For most writers, the 10th in a series typically starts to run out of steam; and I have to admit that after Deliverer (Foreigner) I was hoping that Ms. Cherryh was putting the Foreigner series to bed. Having said that and read Conspirator I'm glad Ms. Cherryh chose to continue the series because she managed to find an area that needed coverage in the series and did so admirably. If you're familiar with the series, feel free to skip to the next paragraph; for those not familiar with the series, humans had settled on a planet that had a native humanoid life form (the Atevi) and proceeded to coexist with them until differences and a war between the species forced the humans to retire to an island and leave a paidhi (an Atevi expression for the human who is the ambassador from the humans and broker of technology). The current paidhi is Bren Cameron who has raised the Atevi to a technological level near that of humans (say 21st Century), has the trust of the Atevi leader, and is an Atevi lord in his own right.

Rating wise this one is a very solid 4.5 star book. Ms. Cherryh did such a great job bringing the fire back into the storyline. There are three main focuses in this book; Bren's relationship with his brother Toby (this has been needing some work for awhile), the maturing and gaining control of Cajeiri, and the relationship between Bren and his Atevi estate (this had been awarded by Tabini in an earlier book). Ms. Cherryh addresses all three cases fairly nicely, however there is much more to be unearthed in all three cases (can you say sequel plus one). As always the writing is crisp with excellent dialog. This is particular shown in any dialog between Bren and any of the Atevi, especially Ilisidi (Grandmother to Tabini, Great Grandmother to Cajeiri). In cases where Bren is dealing with the Atevi (especially those of significant rank) I'm reminded of Alexander Dumas's The Three Musketeers (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)due to the formality of the words and the significance applied to what a person says (honor is very much alive with the Atevi). While this book only builds a little on the culture (I've considered the culture to be very feudal Japan with a possible mixing of Europe circa the 1500's), Ms. Cherryh's plot building is outstanding. As in all of the Foreigner series, the title gives us a nice clue on the books focus and Ms. Cherryh does a great job setting up the conspirator and the situation permitting the conspirator to bloom (actually it's been building for several books, we just weren't fully aware of it). Having said this and knowing that Amazon requires whole stars (no partials for a reviewer) I'm going to round this on up to 5 due to how good the story telling and plot were. This combination is making me look forward to Conspirator's sequel (Deceiver), something that is outstanding when you consider that you're reading the 10th in the series. Btw for those interested you can just pick this book up and read it without reading the earlier ones in the series; however you're missing some of the beauty of the series and would have to accept things as Ms. Cherryh presents them. Btw, the artwork on the front should be of Bren, Tano, and Algini.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow!, May 7, 2009

By 

S. Al-Amri (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: Conspirator: (Foreigner #10) (Hardcover)

Some would think that a series would be running out of steam/ideas by Book 10 but this book proves that is not always the case. This was a fabulous addition to the on-going story of the Foreigner universe.

Don't try to read this book though if you haven't read the series. Do yourself a real favor and start from book 1 - so much fabulous reading lies ahead of you - I am envious. Can't wait for books 11 and 12 (she seems to write in trilogies). Cajeiri is only 8 years old so the series has a lot of future possibilities.

These are not typical space opera but totally painless, utterly enjoyable courses in inter-cultural relations and the possibilities that are out there for understanding and agreeing with each other. Men and women alike can enjoy them.