Pretender

Cherryh alternates long stretches of brilliant, often oblique dialogue and complex political maneuvering with shorter interludes of violent, well-executed action. A science fictional equivalent of George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire sequence, this series represents contemporary SF at its finest. -- Publishers Weekly [Cherryh's] world building, aliens, and suspense rank among the strongest in the whole sf field. May those strengths be sustained indefinitely, or at least until the end of Foreigner . -- Booklist Intrigue, adventure, thoughtfulness, even brief touches of humor in a wonderfully exotic setting. -- Science Fiction Chronicle Cherryh's follow-up to Destroyer opens up new aspects of atevi civilization, while introducing a younger generation of characters. Superbly realized characters and an intriguing, Asian-based civilization. -- Library Journal