Resurgance by CJ Cherryh (Foreigner #20)

Resurgence by C.J. Cherryh
My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb: The twentieth book in the beloved Foreigner saga returns to the trials of diplomat Bren Cameron, as he navigates the tenuous peace he has struck between human refugees and the alien atevi. Bren Cameron, diplomat in residence, usually represents the ruler of the atevi state. But Ilisidi, the dowager, has been known to borrow his services from time to time--and she has her own notions how to solve the simmering hostilities in the south of the atevi continent, playing one problem against another. This time, she is betting the hard-won northern peace--and the lives of the people--on being right. She has commandeered the Red Train, taken aboard what passengers she chooses, and headed for the snowy roof of the world, where a hard-scrabble town and its minor lord are the first pieces she intends to use.

I had speculated at the conclusion of Emergence (#19) that Emergence felt like an ending, a conclusion to the series. It was not. While I am happy to delve back into the world of Bren and the Atevi, I admit I'm beginning to wonder if it's time to bring this series to a conclusion. I honestly don't expect every book to be a "knock my socks off Wow! that was spectacular!" installment, but I would like something other than perceived crisis after crisis.

Resurgence brings Bren back to the Atevi mainland and right into another one of Ilisidi's machinations. As Ilsidi's plot unwinds, I realized Bren's role was actually quite small and, honestly, mostly irrelevant. A crisis where there was no crisis, a Padhai where there didn't need to be one, a terrorist attack to add action and so much repetitive exposition.

What kept me reading was Cajeri's plot line - his success from Tirnamardi and his relationship with his Mother, his interaction with his household, his father and the (finally) decision to re-home Boji. I found myself wanting to skip Bren's plot line to get to Cajeri.

Ultimately, when all was said and read, this is a straight-up transition book. Characters were maneuvered into place for the next installment. That's it, nothing more.

And yet, this is still a good read. It's a Cherryh book through and through. Recommended if you've read the first 19 books.

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