Cherryh writes a complex plot here, replete with who-has-said-what-to-whom confusion from beginning to end. Secrets are revealed on Captain Ramirez's deathbed, causing consternation among the three party agreements that were hammered out ten years previously. From Bren Cameron's point of view, it's the humans who are the problem, both the ones in the star ship and the ones on the planet. They all have to accept the atevi as trusted equals if the mission is to be successful and Bren is willing to be pretty ruthless on the atevis' behalf to make that happen. But both flavors of human are xenophobic toward their atevi partners, a major hurdle.
I'm somewhat dismayed that there has been so little change in ten years with Bren's mother, brother, and ex-girlfriend. They are still looking for attention and expecting him to solve all their problems. Even if he was there, they would all still be unhappy, for they just seem to be wired that way. The current mission, however, promises to solve this situation for Bren, as he will be incommunicado for at least two years. They will get on with things or they won't. But I doubt that we will find out in the next book—maybe in two books time?
So, nothing is settled at the end of this novel, and the ship commanders are going to have to decide if their other human and atevi passengers are friend or foe. Are they together against the hostile aliens or are they on different teams? Perhaps it will take a hostile outsider to unite this motley crew.
Book Number 435 of my Science Fiction & Fantasy Reading Project.
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