See Foreigner and Precursor. ( )

Defender is the second book of the second trilogy of the Foreigner series.

it is perhaps the most psychological and convoluted.

Bren has set himself up on the station to represent the aiji's authority and serve as a mediating presence between the atevi, mospheirans, and Phoenix crew/captains that are working and living in such close quarters. in fact he's gotten quite used to the idea--- in the last installment (Precursor), he felt in danger the whole time he was away from the world; but as of this point, it is precisely going back down to the world that makes him the most worried. he feels so entrenched and secure in his new realm that he completely forgets to look ahead... again... the boy is always doing this. well, one can't be a whiz at everything. Bren is nothing if not fallible.

an inopportunely-leaked secret destablizes the station and prompts the crew to mutiny. Bren is so busy trying to hold everything together and prevent drastic action that he is again blind-sided by Tabini's own drastic action in response. not once, but at least three times. features a memorable series of confrontations between the aiji-dowager (with young Cajeiri in tow; yay, Cajeiri!) and the most xenophobic of the captains, neither of whom is going to back down and only one of whom is going to win. plus, of course, a couple of family crises that Bren can't possibly handle--- the usual.

Jase finally takes on the role, and not merely the title, of Captain, and we finally see the powerful young man that we got to know on the planet (instead of the meekly obedient officer). Kroger is back, much happier, and more in the right of things this time around.

do we have any new characters? surprisingly, not really. only Cajeiri. she's teasing us with Cajeiri. we haven't properly met him yet; we've just gotten a taste. we have to wait until the next book to enjoy him further. think: Tabini, as a child.

Barb, god, can't we get rid of her? no, because his mother dotes on her and Bren's an all-forgiving ENFJ. I rather agree with Jago on this matter (as well as many others). I always think of a certain quote when Barb comes up:

It's not that she's bad... She just makes me want to put my finger through my eye, into my brain, and swirl it around! (Gunter to Rachel, regarding Phoebe's singing, Friends.)

and, ah, the human psychology discussed when Cherryh starts in on Bren's Family! lol ( )

Almost nothing happens in this volume, but I became so engrossed in it anyway that I barely noticed. This, the fifth book in the Atevi series, concerns the imminent departure of the human starship Phoenix which has been docked at the space station above the Atevi home world for the last several years. Again, we follow translator and diplomat Bren Cameron as he negotiates interspecies communication.

Unlike some previous volumes in this series, there are no great battles, no new Atevi landscapes to explore, and hardly any new characters (the Atevi ruler's six year old heir is one exception). Most of the book is consumed by Bren's conflicts with his human family and his difficulty understanding the Atevi reaction to the death of Captain Ramirez.

There is a lot of intrigue and suspicion among the factions in this book. So much that the reader spends most of the time trying to figure out what is going on. It is not unpleasant, and the delicious alien-ness of the setting helps. This is obviously a world in which the author feels comfortable. ( )

Yet another stunning installment in the Foreigner series, and yet more startrekky moments ;-)

The book starts with a moment of frustration, of not understanding what is happening, but then goes on to describe the content and routine life Bren and his houshold has established on the space station... And then the troubles, as predicted by the reader, begins - a double-cross, feelings of being betrayed, of not being trusted...

Well paced, well written, in tone and theme not far from the first Foreigner book. ( )

Bren now lives up in the station fleeting trips back down. Aveti are up in numbers as well and the repair is going well, but he is called back down suddenly to attend an Aveti cermony, Tabeni paying late respects to his father - one of the best passages in the whole series, paused between the second and third bells ... absolutely gripping writing - and Bren has no idea why he was called down or why he has recieved no official communication. Back Above, Rameriz dies and suddenly secrets supposedly held tight are loose amoungst the crew. Bren's pride is shattered but he still has his job to do - hoping he can correctly intrepret aveti wishes against the captains plans, but crew are a completely different mindset, and he still isn't used to dealing with them, for all that they look human ... ( )