***100 Days of Summer 2023***
Reading prompt: Book categorized as space opera
Virtual 12 sided dice roll: 1
Be careful what you wish for.
Bren, the aiji-Dowager, and the young gentleman, Cajeiri, the heir, have returned to the capitol city, along with Tabini. After the rebellion, everything is in flux and Tabini is concentrating on regaining control of his government. The youngster, being used to the relative freedom of the space ship and his human pals, is lonely, bored and annoyed with his confinement. He wishes for something to happen. Then it does when he is kidnapped by his father's political rivals.
Cherryh introduces an innovation in this volume—we get Cajeiri as narrator, alternating with Bren. Since he gets separated from the responsible adults in his life, this is a sensible way for the author to keep the reader informed. And it is a pleasant change from Bren's constant searching for connections and worrying. Cajeiri tells us at one point that he and his great-grandmother have discussed Bren. They recognize his emotional nature and they can't always predict what he will do, but they know that he will do his best for them.
The adults are concerned that the young gentleman has missed the developmental window where he should have been bonding with other atevi, and indeed he sorely misses his human friends from the ship. Curiously, no one seems to think that it would be a good idea to keep him busy with appropriate activities, leaving him plenty of time to plan shenanigans. Perhaps fearing for his life will reset his brain and let him appreciate his own species?
Cherryh is wonderful at juggling the interactions between several human factions and intertwining atevi political manoeuvring. Things progress slowly until the kidnapping. We can share Cajeiri's impatience for action. But once the plot is shoved into motion, the pace never slows. If you've made it this far in the series, you're likely as addicted as I am, and also glad that there are still numerous volumes still ahead.
Book number 488 of my Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Project
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