James Nicoll Reviews

1983’s The Dreamstone¹ is the first of two novels in C. J. Cherryh’s Ealdwood series.

Human encroachment being seemingly unstoppable, the Fair Folk went elsewhere. Some retreated deep underground or underwater. Others left for Faery. All save Arafel.

Arafel remained in her Ealdwood. Only the brave, the arrogant, the naïve, or the desperate Men trespassed in the Ealdwood.

Niall was desperate.

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C. J. Cherryh’s Port Eternity is a stand-alone science fiction novel set in her Alliance/Union milieu. Port Eternity is also an Arthurian novel… in a sense.

Wealthy beyond reason, Lady Dela Kirn whimsically travels from world to world in her lavish starship Maid of Astolat. A luxury craft demands a crew of exceptional quality. Thus, the Lady Dela Kern purchased azi¹ servants designed and conditioned to serve faithfully. These she named after characters in her favourite tales: Elaine, Gawain, Lancelot, Lynette, Mordred, Percivale, and Vivien.

Having seen Lady Dela Kern through many passing love affairs, the crew believes they know the path Lady Dela’s current infatuation will take. But the azi are wrong. They have no idea that the Maid​’s next voyage will be its last.

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C. J. Cherryh’s 1981 Wave Without a Shore is a stand-alone science fiction novel set in the Alliance-Union universe.

Sculptor Herrin Law is Freedom’s foremost artist, a creative genius without parallel on the thinly populated, backwater planet. Waden Jenks (friend) and Keye Lynn (occasional lover) might consider themselves his peers, but surely Law is superior to Jenks and Lynn.

At least, that’s how Law sees it. If there is one thing the people of Freedom are good at, it is perceiving reality the way they want it to be.

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C. J. Cherryh’s 1980 Serpent’s Reach is a stand-alone science fiction novel. Serpent’s Reach is set in Cherryh’s Alliance-Union universe. Reach is part of the ​“Era of Rapprochement” set of novels; I am not sure what the Era of Rapprochement denotes.

Fifteen-year-old Raen a Sul hant Meth-maren is set for life. As a member of the Kontrin aristocracy, she enjoys wealth, status, power (as soon as she comes of age), and most importantly, agelessness. She will never die of old age.

Assassination at age fifteen is a definite possibility.

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1979’s Fires of Azeroth is the third volume in C. J. Cherryh’s Morgaine science fiction series, which thus far has four volumes.

Morgaine and her faithful companion Vanye fled from a doomed world through an other-dimensional gate, closing the gate in their wake… but not in time to avoid bringing calamity with them.

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1979’s Kutath is the third and final volume in C. J. Cherryh’s Faded Sun trilogy.

The mri are humanoid alien mercenaries who were, until recently, in the employ of the alien regul. Following the end of the war with humans, the regul decided to exterminate the mri to prevent them from working for the humans. This almost succeeded.

The last two mri on Kesrith (priest Melein and warrior Niun) fled in the company of human soldier Sten Duncan. Pursued by a regul and human fleet, the trio traced a chain of dead planets leading back to the true mri home world, Kutath.

Why did the mercenary mri leave a wake of dead worlds? And is Kutath about to join them?

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1976’s Brothers of Earth is the first novel in C. J. Cherryh’s Hanan Rebellion¹ series. Let’s call it a planetary romance.

Endymion pursued and overtook fleeing Hanan starships, obliterating the enemy Although unable to escape the loathsome Alliance craft, the Hanan starfarers in turn obliterated Endymion.

The sole survivor? Endymion​’s communications officer, Kurt Morgan.

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