Foreigner (First Foreigner, volume 1) by C J Cherryh

Following a failed assassination, professional intermediary Bren
Cameron is hustled off to a safe house... or possibly, to a location
where it will be easier to dispose of the befuddled ambassador.

https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/of-comfort-and-despair
--
My reviews can be found at http://jamesdavisnicoll.com/
My tor pieces at https://www.tor.com/author/james-davis-nicoll/
My Dreamwidth at https://james-davis-nicoll.dreamwidth.org/
My patreon is at https://www.patreon.com/jamesdnicoll

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On Tue, 7 Apr 2026 08:51:53 -0400 (EDT), jdnicoll@panix.com (James
Nicoll) wrote:

Foreigner (First Foreigner, volume 1) by C J Cherryh

Following a failed assassination, professional intermediary Bren
Cameron is hustled off to a safe house... or possibly, to a location
where it will be easier to dispose of the befuddled ambassador.

https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/of-comfort-and-despair

You are a brave man to undertake this series.

As to its popularity -- it eventually becomes a soap opera.

And very very very slow. The last group of novels I read (all on
Kindle) covered /one month/ in (IIRC) 9 (or 12?) novels. That month
was the last month before the Heir's 12th birthday.

But also very readable. I kept on long after a saner person might have
given up.
--
"Here lies the Tuscan poet Aretino,
Who evil spoke of everyone but God,
Giving as his excuse, 'I never knew him.'"

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 08/04/2026 04:02, Paul S Person wrote:

On Tue, 7 Apr 2026 08:51:53 -0400 (EDT), jdnicoll@panix.com (James
Nicoll) wrote:

Foreigner (First Foreigner, volume 1) by C J Cherryh

Following a failed assassination, professional intermediary Bren
Cameron is hustled off to a safe house... or possibly, to a location
where it will be easier to dispose of the befuddled ambassador.

https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/of-comfort-and-despair

You are a brave man to undertake this series.

As to its popularity -- it eventually becomes a soap opera.

And very very very slow. The last group of novels I read (all on
Kindle) covered /one month/ in (IIRC) 9 (or 12?) novels. That month
was the last month before the Heir's 12th birthday.

But also very readable. I kept on long after a saner person might have
given up.

Thank you for the warning. I won't begin.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 4/10/26 21:10, Titus G wrote:

On 08/04/2026 04:02, Paul S Person wrote:

On Tue, 7 Apr 2026 08:51:53 -0400 (EDT), jdnicoll@panix.com (James
Nicoll) wrote:

Foreigner (First Foreigner, volume 1) by C J Cherryh

Following a failed assassination, professional intermediary Bren
Cameron is hustled off to a safe house... or possibly, to a location
where it will be easier to dispose of the befuddled ambassador.

https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/of-comfort-and-despair

You are a brave man to undertake this series.

As to its popularity -- it eventually becomes a soap opera.

And very very very slow. The last group of novels I read (all on
Kindle) covered /one month/ in (IIRC) 9 (or 12?) novels. That month
was the last month before the Heir's 12th birthday.

But also very readable. I kept on long after a saner person might have
given up.

Thank you for the warning. I won't begin.

Another opinion is that it resembles a soap opera but a good soap Opera with hair breath escapes as well as an Alien race with radical and conservative factions in open warfare.
I never regretted time spent with Bren as he learns about the
alien society and its severe rules. In some ways it resembles
medieval Japan.

bliss

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On Sat, 11 Apr 2026 16:10:36 +1200, Titus G <noone@nowhere.com> wrote:

On 08/04/2026 04:02, Paul S Person wrote:

On Tue, 7 Apr 2026 08:51:53 -0400 (EDT), jdnicoll@panix.com (James
Nicoll) wrote:

Foreigner (First Foreigner, volume 1) by C J Cherryh

Following a failed assassination, professional intermediary Bren
Cameron is hustled off to a safe house... or possibly, to a location
where it will be easier to dispose of the befuddled ambassador.

https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/of-comfort-and-despair

You are a brave man to undertake this series.

As to its popularity -- it eventually becomes a soap opera.

And very very very slow. The last group of novels I read (all on
Kindle) covered /one month/ in (IIRC) 9 (or 12?) novels. That month
was the last month before the Heir's 12th birthday.

But also very readable. I kept on long after a saner person might have
given up.

Thank you for the warning. I won't begin.

Oh, I found the first three books very exciting and so moved on to the
next set. The slow realization that I was reading a soap opera took at
least two more sets beyond that.

BTW, the reason the return of the Ship causes such a commotion is
because Atevi believe in the immutability of numbers, including the
number of stars. The Astronomers lost respect for their failure to
predict it's appearance.
--
"Here lies the Tuscan poet Aretino,
Who evil spoke of everyone but God,
Giving as his excuse, 'I never knew him.'"

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)