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mebius's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
mbs1236's review
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
essinink's review against another edition
4.0
Well, this is an odd one.
Yes, there's some machinations. A couple fights. The usual interspecies wrangling. But mostly this is one darn lighthearted book.
Yes, "lighthearted." As a descriptor for something written by Cherryh. I know.
Some years after [b:Chanur's Homecoming|57166|Chanur's Homecoming (Chanur #4)|C.J. Cherryh|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1316469063l/57166._SY75_.jpg|55694], Hilfy Chanur (previously a Junior Officer on The Pride) is captain of Chanur's Legacy and urgently trying to make a living and name separate from her aunt's. It starts with a stsho contract, is complicated by a stranded hani male, and spirals from there.
We learn a lot about the Stsho. Legalistic, herd-minded, tri-sexed herbivores that they are, they're also hilarious. Every time Hilfy had to sit in conversation with one, I found myself snickering. To say nothing of their 500+ page contracts. (And it's a credit to Cherryh that she made spacefaring trade and legalese, complete with indemnity clauses, both interesting and humorous).
And then there's Hallan, who we first saw in the epilogue of Homecoming. As a young Hani male breaking ground in space (recall that this was taboo, until Pyanfar started shaking things up), he is a wide-eyed blundering innocent who got himself stranded lightyears away from home. Naturally, Hilfy's not about to leave him stranded, even though taking him along is yet another complication.
As funny/interesting as the stsho plot is, the Hallan plot is slightly more interesting. It's a bit of the coming-of-age, a bit of the romantic comedy, and no small amount of serious reflection on the ramifications of rapid social change.
And not just Hallan himself. Hilfy's been through a lot over the years, and didn't part ways with Pyanfar on good terms. She's still finding her feet, and Hallan is a catalyst that forces her to confront her own hang-ups.
In some ways, this is the best of the Chanur books; it's fairly straightforward, with a delicate balance on humor and depth. That said, I don't know that it would make sense without knowledge from the preceding stories.
In other ways... well, it's definitely not perfect. Hallan is extremely naïve, and as much as I adore his character, the rom-com plot thread and its ultimate conclusion doesn't quite sit well with me. Still, I enjoyed this, and I can see myself rereading it. Solid 4/5.
Yes, there's some machinations. A couple fights. The usual interspecies wrangling. But mostly this is one darn lighthearted book.
Yes, "lighthearted." As a descriptor for something written by Cherryh. I know.
Sheets dropped into the printout tray. One ... two ... three ...
... ten ... eleven. The thing was a monster.
... forty-nine... fifty...
My gods, was the printer on a loop?
...one hundred ... one hundred one ...
Out of paper.
Some years after [b:Chanur's Homecoming|57166|Chanur's Homecoming (Chanur #4)|C.J. Cherryh|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1316469063l/57166._SY75_.jpg|55694], Hilfy Chanur (previously a Junior Officer on The Pride) is captain of Chanur's Legacy and urgently trying to make a living and name separate from her aunt's. It starts with a stsho contract, is complicated by a stranded hani male, and spirals from there.
"Honor it with your ownership. Your discrimination is of wide repute."
"Your graciousness is most extravagent."
"Your excellency's delicacy and sensitivity amply justify our admiration."
It went on like that for two and three more rounds of compliments and deprecations.
We learn a lot about the Stsho. Legalistic, herd-minded, tri-sexed herbivores that they are, they're also hilarious. Every time Hilfy had to sit in conversation with one, I found myself snickering. To say nothing of their 500+ page contracts. (And it's a credit to Cherryh that she made spacefaring trade and legalese, complete with indemnity clauses, both interesting and humorous).
And then there's Hallan, who we first saw in the epilogue of Homecoming. As a young Hani male breaking ground in space (recall that this was taboo, until Pyanfar started shaking things up), he is a wide-eyed blundering innocent who got himself stranded lightyears away from home. Naturally, Hilfy's not about to leave him stranded, even though taking him along is yet another complication.
As funny/interesting as the stsho plot is, the Hallan plot is slightly more interesting. It's a bit of the coming-of-age, a bit of the romantic comedy, and no small amount of serious reflection on the ramifications of rapid social change.
And not just Hallan himself. Hilfy's been through a lot over the years, and didn't part ways with Pyanfar on good terms. She's still finding her feet, and Hallan is a catalyst that forces her to confront her own hang-ups.
"Nobody had told her when she was growing up that every attitude and opinion she had learned was going to be obsolete when she was twenty-five.
In some ways, this is the best of the Chanur books; it's fairly straightforward, with a delicate balance on humor and depth. That said, I don't know that it would make sense without knowledge from the preceding stories.
In other ways... well, it's definitely not perfect. Hallan is extremely naïve, and as much as I adore his character, the rom-com plot thread and its ultimate conclusion doesn't quite sit well with me. Still, I enjoyed this, and I can see myself rereading it. Solid 4/5.
lsmith36's review
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
colossal's review against another edition
5.0
This is a reread for me and part of the buddy read of the Chanur series with the SpecFic Buddy Reads group. The series is structured is an initial volume, a middle trilogy and this book, a sequel following Pyanfur's neice Hilfy as the captain of her own ship.
There were five years between the publication of [b:Chanur's Homecoming|57166|Chanur's Homecoming (Chanur #4)|C.J. Cherryh|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1316469063s/57166.jpg|55694] and this book (and I suspect most of that book was written straight after the previous two) and it really shows. The writing of this is so much smoother and the world so much better thought out.
Hilfy Chanur takes on an unusually lucrative contract with the Stsho governor of Meetpoint Station. Unfortunately she almost immediately regrets the decision as she becomes embroiled in political machinations regarding Stsho internal government with both Mahendo'sat and Kif muddying the waters. Meanwhile her relatively inexperienced crew is having to contend with a male Hani spacer that Hilfy has somehow acquired in the midst of the action on Meetpoint.
The story is told through alternating viewpoints of Hilfy, Hallan (the Hani male) and one of Hilfy's crew Tiar Chanur. Hallan's point-of-view is compelling as stepping beyond gender stereotypes in an environment where all his companions believe he doesn't belong. Hilfy's point-of-view is familiar from the other Chanur books, but she's done a lot of growing up and does a lot more during this book. By the end of it, it's clear that Pyanfur has an heir if she wants one.
This book also gives the Stsho some overdue attention and we learn a lot more about them and their peculiar and fragile psyche as well as their gender system.
If you can slog through the earlier Chanur books and their dense writing, this one is well worth getting to.
There were five years between the publication of [b:Chanur's Homecoming|57166|Chanur's Homecoming (Chanur #4)|C.J. Cherryh|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1316469063s/57166.jpg|55694] and this book (and I suspect most of that book was written straight after the previous two) and it really shows. The writing of this is so much smoother and the world so much better thought out.
Hilfy Chanur takes on an unusually lucrative contract with the Stsho governor of Meetpoint Station. Unfortunately she almost immediately regrets the decision as she becomes embroiled in political machinations regarding Stsho internal government with both Mahendo'sat and Kif muddying the waters. Meanwhile her relatively inexperienced crew is having to contend with a male Hani spacer that Hilfy has somehow acquired in the midst of the action on Meetpoint.
The story is told through alternating viewpoints of Hilfy, Hallan (the Hani male) and one of Hilfy's crew Tiar Chanur. Hallan's point-of-view is compelling as stepping beyond gender stereotypes in an environment where all his companions believe he doesn't belong. Hilfy's point-of-view is familiar from the other Chanur books, but she's done a lot of growing up and does a lot more during this book. By the end of it, it's clear that Pyanfur has an heir if she wants one.
This book also gives the Stsho some overdue attention and we learn a lot more about them and their peculiar and fragile psyche as well as their gender system.
If you can slog through the earlier Chanur books and their dense writing, this one is well worth getting to.
infosifter's review against another edition
5.0
This is the final book in the Compact Space series. "If you have a smart opponent, make him think himself to death, " is the advice Hilfy Chanur, merchant captain, was given by her illustrious aunt. Though she is tired of living in her aunt's shadow, she is beginning to understand her.
This is old-fashioned, multi-species SF, filled with both action and intrigue. I only wish there were more books featuring this universe!
This is old-fashioned, multi-species SF, filled with both action and intrigue. I only wish there were more books featuring this universe!
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