Kesrith (The Faded Sun, Book 1) (Paperback)

by C. J. Cherryh (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"This is a powerful story...inspiring in its determination and feeling of strange loyalties and stranger courage. It sticks in the mind long after the last page is finished." -Analog --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Product Description
This is the story of three people: Sten Duncan, a soldier of humanity; Niun, last warrior of the mri, humanity's enemies; and Melein, priestess-queen of the final fallen mri stronghold. It is the story of two mighty species fighting for a galaxy, humanity driving out from Earth, and the enigmatic regul struggling to hold their stars with mri mercenaries. It is a story of diplomacy and warfare, of conspiracy and betrayal, and of three flesh-and-blood people who found themselves thrown together in a life-and-death alliance. --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: DAW (August 1, 1978)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0886774497
• ISBN-13: 978-0886774493
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #6,032,793 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars truly showcases Cherryh's talents in alien portrayal, January 23, 2000

By	J. K. Kelley "penslinger and long-term book j... (Eastern WA, United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Those who know Cherryh generally consider aliens to be her greatest strength. Cherryh's aliens are *really* alien, with alien concepts that humans often won't comprehend. Therefore, while the story unfolds, you also see the unveiling and description of a culture with a completely different set of assumptions than you're used to.

The _Faded Sun_ series is strongly recommended as space opera, as a study in human/alien and alien/alien interaction, and as the painful story of single human warrior's journey from one mindset to another. Definitely get all three books (search on 'Faded Sun').

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For the trilogy, five stars, June 16, 1998

By A Customer

Some years ago this was the first time I read Cherryh. She is still a bit raw around the edges in this series, and some bits don't hang together as well as they ought, but I rate the series in the first 50 of the 100 best sci-fi/fantasy books. For any fan of sci-fi, space adventure, fantasy - this is a must read. It shows all the promise later to be fulfilled in her space opera series, and yet is so full of energy, it surpasses them. Don't hang around for it to go out of print, get it now. You won't be disappointed.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Exuberant space opera. Cinematic?, August 25, 1998

By A Customer

The trilogy is the kind of exuberant ,somewhat pulpish, space opera that I would recommend to fans of Star Trek & Star Wars. Her knowledge of history, anthroplogy, & zoology made her aliens much more real & inhuman then you'd find in tie-in fiction. Making a violent xenophobic race sympathetic was an excellent ,if slightly dubious, effort. One thing I like about Cherryh is when the strong man in charge is a woman ,which is quite often in her work, she's often just as harsh. A fair amount of woman sfers act like women are automatically better leaders. In Cherryh's worlds those in power are brilliant, but ruthless regardless of gender. Power's always going to attract the ruthless types. The end of the trilogy was dissapointing as I recall. My other problem's are a certain confusingness of the style & the fact that an almost genocidal philosophy (unusually it's an exterminate humans, not exterminate aliens philosophy) is made strangely appealing. I found myself rooting for the destruction of the human race which was unnerving. I was surprised a literary type like Ursula K. LeGuin showed a liking for this trilogy & hoped it'd turn into a movie. END