Tracker by C.J. Cherryh (Foreigner #16)

Tracker by C.J. Cherryh

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Jacket Blurb:  Tracker is the sixteenth installment of CJ Cherryh's acclaimed Foreigner series.

It’s been a year of upheaval, since Bren Cameron’s return from space—a year when he and the aiji-dowager, one of his most powerful atevi allies, returned home from their two-year interstellar mission to find the government over­thrown and their world in chaos.

Now, at last, things are calming down; the Assassins’ Guild is functioning again, working out its internal difficulties, and Bren is settling back into his routine: not as Lord of the Heavens; not—to his regret—as Lord of Najida peninsula, where his leisure estate is located; but as paidhi-aiji, an official in the atevi court.

His current ambition is to keep himself and his bodyguard out of harm’s way, and to shepherd the aiji-dowager’s daring new trade agreement through the appropriate legislative committees. Combined with Tabini-aiji’s recent appointment of his young son Cajeiri as his official heir, Bren’s workload is challenging, but at least things on the atevi world seem to be on the right track.

Something is coming, however, quietly, stealthily, just the first ominous twinkle of a new star in the heavens…



Tracker begins right where Peacemaker leaves off, with Cajeiri putting on a brave face to say good bye to his three associates from the Ship, their visit now concluded. Bren says goodbye to Jase after Jase confides in Bren that there are personnel issues on the space station that may have unfortunate ramifications for the atevi/human relations.

Bren immediately acts on Jase's warnings, and contacts both Tatsigi-aiji and the President of Mospheria, Shawn Meyers. They need to remove the problematic individual immediately. But before Bren can do anything, the Kyo arrive in the Atevi system. Bren, Cajeiri and the Dowager must go meet them. Bren has to step into station and ship politics, a highly volition situation that could imperil any contact and dialog with the Kyo before they even arrive.

As much as I love this series, I confess I am getting a smidge tired of the frantic running around from crisis to crisis that only Bren can solve. I just wasn't feeling the love, so to speak, with the space station crisis and Stationmaster Tillington. The hypothetical question was, why didn't someone speak up sooner if Tillington was being problematic? But...then we wouldn't have Bren in crisis management mode and rushing to save the day at great personal angst.

Tracker is at it's essence, a transition book - a way to get Bren, the Dowager and Cajeiri from the ground to the Space Station to set up the next book. Recommended with reservations if you've been reading the series.



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