Rarely is there a chance to read something that is so intricate in it's design, so perfect in it's scope, that leaves the reader in complete awe at the turn of the last page. If someone is ever named a 'master' at portraying emotion in a character, it would undeniably have to be C. J. Cherryh. There's something so real about this story, that it makes you feel, like few other literary works can do. And that is why this trilogy is borderline perfect.
Too complicated to summarize, let it only be said that this is a classic Sci-Fi story, with intergalactic travel, spaceships, racial feuds, good guys and bad guys; albeit the 'good guys' aren't exactly good, but at least as good as a feudal race of mercenaries could ever get to be. But quietly placed in it's pages is a subliminal drama that gives complete life to the story. In the whole trilogy, the main character uses his 'blaster' a total of about two times, and likewise for his sword. Right off the bat, this is extremely weird in a sci-fi novel, considering the standard overdose of action that stereotypes this genre. But she makes it work. She plans everything out in a way that leaves all actions unquestioned. You do not doubt her methods and trust me, it all pays off in the end.
Now, for those who have read C.J. Cherryh before, this is a standard Cherryh Novel. And for those who've never read from her, let me describe the type of novel that she writes. It is SLOW. Don't pick it up thinking you're going to read star wars because you'll be extremely disappointed. However, trust me, this is normal for Cherryh. This is an epic story that spans years in the process, and it's true beauty lies in the characters. There's no flashy lights, no fancy swordplay (except in the last book, which is unspeakably awesome) and no geeky techno-babble either. This is not 'hard sci-fi', at all. This set of novels is a complete immersion into a group of complicated psyches, that may seem a little simplistic at first but piece by piece they unlock the true genius of the work. You'll get to understand and actively speculate in the political and social factors of each of these species', and what the actions from the novel could mean to the stability and condition of all these characters, even the galaxy.
So, why are these characters so cool? The book portrays three main races, the Humans, the fat evil ones, and the Mri. The humans are the same as ever, the bad ones are kind of like a 'Jabba the hut' but even more conniving and powerful, but the Mri... The Mri are quite possibly the best society ever put on paper. It is a delicate combination of a feudal structure and martial arts, which strikes a perfect balance. They are ninjas, mixed with Rorshack and a few Drow. I think no other race is explained as much as this one, and in good reason. The Mri are so complicated, you'll sometimes read a whole chapter that describes a simple activity they do, and once your finished you realize just why that was so important. Everything they do is for a reason. And if you like them, then the last book will amaze you.
The story follows a human who is 'abducted' by the Mri, and eventually becomes one of them. This process, however, is the most grueling and sometimes scary thing that happen in the novel. But once it does, you'll be screaming in thanks at the author for writing something so good. Of course, there are problems in the galaxy and things that might bring doom to everything, and people who save everyone, but all of that somehow takes a backdrop setting in comparison to the internal drama of the main characters.
There are just no words to fully describe the effect that these novels have on the reader. They are fully recommended and are bound to leave you breathless after the full read.
Too complicated to summarize, let it only be said that this is a classic Sci-Fi story, with intergalactic travel, spaceships, racial feuds, good guys and bad guys; albeit the 'good guys' aren't exactly good, but at least as good as a feudal race of mercenaries could ever get to be. But quietly placed in it's pages is a subliminal drama that gives complete life to the story. In the whole trilogy, the main character uses his 'blaster' a total of about two times, and likewise for his sword. Right off the bat, this is extremely weird in a sci-fi novel, considering the standard overdose of action that stereotypes this genre. But she makes it work. She plans everything out in a way that leaves all actions unquestioned. You do not doubt her methods and trust me, it all pays off in the end.
Now, for those who have read C.J. Cherryh before, this is a standard Cherryh Novel. And for those who've never read from her, let me describe the type of novel that she writes. It is SLOW. Don't pick it up thinking you're going to read star wars because you'll be extremely disappointed. However, trust me, this is normal for Cherryh. This is an epic story that spans years in the process, and it's true beauty lies in the characters. There's no flashy lights, no fancy swordplay (except in the last book, which is unspeakably awesome) and no geeky techno-babble either. This is not 'hard sci-fi', at all. This set of novels is a complete immersion into a group of complicated psyches, that may seem a little simplistic at first but piece by piece they unlock the true genius of the work. You'll get to understand and actively speculate in the political and social factors of each of these species', and what the actions from the novel could mean to the stability and condition of all these characters, even the galaxy.
So, why are these characters so cool? The book portrays three main races, the Humans, the fat evil ones, and the Mri. The humans are the same as ever, the bad ones are kind of like a 'Jabba the hut' but even more conniving and powerful, but the Mri... The Mri are quite possibly the best society ever put on paper. It is a delicate combination of a feudal structure and martial arts, which strikes a perfect balance. They are ninjas, mixed with Rorshack and a few Drow. I think no other race is explained as much as this one, and in good reason. The Mri are so complicated, you'll sometimes read a whole chapter that describes a simple activity they do, and once your finished you realize just why that was so important. Everything they do is for a reason. And if you like them, then the last book will amaze you.
The story follows a human who is 'abducted' by the Mri, and eventually becomes one of them. This process, however, is the most grueling and sometimes scary thing that happen in the novel. But once it does, you'll be screaming in thanks at the author for writing something so good. Of course, there are problems in the galaxy and things that might bring doom to everything, and people who save everyone, but all of that somehow takes a backdrop setting in comparison to the internal drama of the main characters.
There are just no words to fully describe the effect that these novels have on the reader. They are fully recommended and are bound to leave you breathless after the full read.
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Hello. I've never been a reader of sci-fi/fantasy books. Not because the genre doesn't interest me, but because my number one interest has always been the American West/Native American history and my reading has been in this area, both history and fiction, for more than 40 years now. Because I love to read and already have so many books that I will probably never get around to, I have always stayed away from other genres. There's just not enough time to read everything, let alone what I already have. However, not too long ago I was in a used book store and picked up, among other books, a handful of sci-fi titles. And only because they were practically giving them away...I figured what the heck. Among the books available were several from C J Cherryh. Two were from the Faded Sun series (from DAW). They looked interesting and I decided what the heck, for the low price I had nothing to really lose. Plus they were in awesome shape. Afterwards I found out that the Faded Sun series consisted of three books and have since purchased the other one. Plus I bought the combined trilogy (all three books in one). Something about them just caught my attention. Maybe it was the covers. I haven't read them yet, but they are on my "to read list" for 2016. My favorite sci-fi show is Farscape and I'm hoping these books leave me with a similar impression. I don't mind books that are slow on action but big on character as long as I feel immersed in another time and place. Anyhow, I was searching Google for more information on the Faded Sun series and came across your review. Reading it makes me really look forward to digging into these books in the next few months. Thanks.
marcsdesign66 said...
November 22, 2015 at 6:58 PM