Goodreads Review

Tracker by C.J. Cherryh

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I don't know how C.J. Cherryh does it. How does a writer keep a series running for so long without getting stale, losing the plot, and muddling up little details? Her planning and organising skills must be superb. I picture her writer's room with the walls covered in detailed timelines, character charts, notable incidents and an Atevi dictionary!

The novels follow on closely from each other yet could be read as a stand alone. In 'Tracker' we have the visit from the children from the space station, along with captain, Jason Graham, ending happily - it nearly didn't in the previous novel - and Bren settling down to get those agreements tied and made legal.

I love the way Cherryh does not forget loose ends and does so realistically. The humans rescued from the dying space station, and brought to the atevi planet space station, are now rebelling because for over a year there has been no work and limited food and no hope. Bren has to go and sort things out on behalf of the human and atevi governments and just as this rebellion seems about to explode the kyo spaceship arrives in the system.

The characters continue to grow older and surprise. The aiji's son and heir is developing nicely into a strong character, his human friends seem to foreshadow a different future for him and are emerging as people in their own right. Bren is steadily achieving his goal of no more fighting and trade agreements instead.

It's a satisfying read for those readers who have followed the series through. We can see the ends tying up and the new openings and problems possibly arising. As this novel leaves the reader knowing that the kyo are coming into the space station it seems a little mean to have to wait months for the next novel!!! Certainly I am impatient for the next book - 'Visitor' - to land in my post box.

And Cherryh never forgets to make the reader think. The whole series is about coping with alien cultures, respecting and living with them, not crushing them, or being crushed. Worth thinking about.






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