Review of Betrayer, by C.J. Cherryh

Betrayer by C.J. Cherryh

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Betrayer is the latest installment in Cherryh's Foreigner universe, the third book in the fourth trilogy (12 titles in all so far--and another is forthcoming) with which I have faithfully kept up. It picks up right where the last one in the series, Deceiver left off.

For those not familiar with this universe, about 200 years ago, a human starship, the Phoenix, got hopelessly lost, with no way to find their way back to Earth or anywhere in human space. They wound up in orbit around the planet of the atevi. After some years, the colonists decide to go down to the planet, the starship leaves, and after several missteps, wind up in the War of the Landing with the atevi. The end result: the humans settle on an offshore island, Mospheira. In exchange, they agree to gradually release to the atevi their advanced technology. To prevent any future wars, the two societies agree to the paidhi (interpreter), one human diplomat to live among the atevi and to represent humans to the atevi and to interpret both cultures to each other. Otherwise, the two groups are kept separate. 200 years later, Bren Cameron has the job of the paidhi.

Several adventures later, including assassinations, a civil war, the return of the starship, contact with another alien species, political machinations of the byzantine variety, personal family drama, and so on, we wind up here at Book 12. Bren, paidhi, the human diplomat, allied with Tabini-aji, the leader of the Western Association (the biggest atevi "nation"), has left the capital and has taken refuge on his country estate, Najida, But Najida is not the sanctuary he wanted. Even though the usurper who forced Tabini out of power has been killed, and the legitimate government restored, rebel groups persist and their "center of power", the Marid (a district), is next door to Bren's country estate.

Bren is trapped there, surrounded by enemies, along with Ilsidi, Tabini's powerful grandmother, and Cajeiri, Tabini's son and heir. Ilsidi old and conniving and not "inclined to be passive," tries something both shocking and dangerous. She sends Bren and his bodyguards to the enemy, to Machigi, the lord of Marid, a district "virtually at war with the Western Association." Bren's mission: get Machigi who has never seen a human, to cease hostilities. Bren presents Machigi with a bold trade offer. But Machigi is suspicious of Ilsidi and invokes an ancient law. The white ribbon that represents the paidhi used to represent a negotiator who represented both sides in a dispute with equal loyalty. These mediators often got killed in the process.

So, can Bren survive? Can he stay alive? Can he represent both sides? The adventures continue.

Cherryh's strengths in this series has been her keen attention to cultural details and the sustained presentation of a truly alien culture, the atevi, and at the same time to tell a human story of a man who spends his life between humans and atevi, a life spent on eggshells as it were. She has succeeded. Cherryh's fans won't be disappointed with Betrayer.



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