Third book of the trilogy that began with Chanur’s Venture and The Kif Strike Back. The three read as though they were conceived as a single novel, but this one stands successfully alone, though the backstory probably works better because I’d read the others.
Pyanfar Chanur–the main character in these books–grows weary of being other folks’ pawn and takes control of her destiny. This impacts many others’ destiny as an unintended side effect. The joy, here, is watching all this work itself out. As always, Cherryh’s stories are deeply imagined, well-written, and grounded in careful research.
I’ve commented before on this author’s methods. She’s unusually reticent about revealing more than her characters know, which can sometimes be frustrating. But it makes her stories rich in ways no other author I read can manage. This is a special story, and exceptionally well told.
This review was originally published on LibraryThing.