Another entry in the ongoing series - and since the author is averaging about a book a week (character time) or so now, I figure we're looking about two or three trilogies before Cajeiri gets to go fishing, a couple hundred before the kyo show up.

This book is exactly what you'd expect going in, with bonus points for the extra action, and tighter 'when we last saw Bren' section at the start.

Barb's character is more interesting than in earlier books, it's debatable whether she's smartening up, or Bren is just being a little more honest with himself. Cajeiri's internal monologue wanders back and forth between child and adult thoughts, with some genuinely alien/atevi-like stuff in there.

On the other hand, it almost doesn't even pretend to end. I was looking for the afterword "tune in next week when you'll hear Barb say 'Why doesn't anybody like us here?'" To demonstrate the effect, ( )

Bren finds himself temporarily homeless after higher ranking dignitaries claim his apartments in the capital city. But heading to his country home until things calm down somehow doesn't pan out as planned.

More politics, more action, more intrigue, never boring. ( )

https://speculiction.blogspot.com/2020/08/review-of-deceiver-by-cj-cherryh.html ( )

It's always a real treat to pick up these books even when I know it's gong to have some parts that are going to inevitably annoy me. Such as Barb. But despite that, I think I'm really getting into--- or perhaps diving ever deeper--- into the alien political misadventure. :)

It's almost as if I'm meant to cry in relief every single time Bren daydreams or doodles or has to convalesce after getting shot because all his other hours are just filled the sneaky suspicion that he's just landed his and his allies' staff in yet another outbreak of war. Those backward Atevi just don't appreciate the human influence! (or working indoor toilets)!

For shame!

Even so, I love the pace and the constant simmer of excitement. I'd grown to expect Tabini's son and his delightful PoV to get into yet another kerfuffle, but would you believe it? Not This Time! :) Of course, Tobi and Barb and a mess of other Atevi youngsters are more than enough to get people shot or kidnapped or turn the South into another outbreak of civil war, but who's counting? Well, actually, I am. I love this series. Its great characters, its DEEP worldbuilding, its amazing political and instinctual setup, everything always rises to the occasion!

The next book will conclude this mini-trilogy following Bren's rise to political power in the Atevi. I can only hope that these benighted aliens get their crap together and prep for an alien invasion! Sheesh! ( )

To read more of my reviews, check out my blog at keikii Eats Books!

Quote:

Would his father do a thing like that?
It was what mani said, 'Watch out for a man whose enemies keep disappearing.'
Well, that was his father, damned sure. Most everyone knew his father that way.

Review:
Boy am totally, head-over-heels in love with this series. But... it is a bit difficult to even know what to say after 11 books. If you want to start with Deceiver: don't. If you've already made it this far: you know what to expect by now, there are no changes. Only awesomeness. Action. Politics. Danger. Tea. Great company, awesome friends and a whole lot of responsibilities. What more can you ask for? Whatever it is, you probably got it with this.

Deceiver takes up immediately after the events Conspirator and just... doesn't ever stop. It is action sequence after action sequence, with the requisite sitting around talking and meeting over gallons of tea in between. I just couldn't stop reading. I didn't want to stop. I needed to know absolutely everything. Hell, I still want to know more even now.

Matters at Najida have gotten very heated. And Bren, being the Lord of Najida, and Cajeiri are right in the middle of it. And now Ilisidi is here to help. This is all part of a massive plot against Bren, Tabini, and the aishidi'tat as a whole, both the past kerfuffle we just wrapped up and the new one that was started which was a continuation on the previous. And wrapped up in this is Geigi, who is home from his time on the space station because his nephew fucked up bad. Geigi is fun to have around, I missed him.

The past two books have almost felt like they were just one book that got split up when it got big enough (a trend that will continue from this point forward). The biggest change between this book and the previous was how much I have started to like Cajeiri. Only eight years old, he is a child by any standards. He thinks and acts and exists like a child, so it has always been a bit perplexing why Cherryh made him a perspective character. Yet I have warmed up to him so much. I liked him before, but this book was the time for Cajeiri to shine. I'm so, so, so proud of this little shithead.

Sidenote: Oh my god look at that cover! It's the best one yet! ( )