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This is a Buddy Read for Defender by C.J. Cherryh starting on August 12, 2024.


Happy Reading!

Thank you!

1. Foreigner (Apr 12) [Link]
2. Invader (May 12) [Link]
3. Inheritor (Jun 12) [Link]

Arc 2!
4. Precursor (Jul 12) [link]
5. Defender (Aug 12)
6. Explorer (Sep 12) [link]

7. Destroyer (Oct 12)
8. Pretender (Nov 12)
9. Deliverer (Dec 12)

4th Trilogy, 2025
10. Conspirator (Jan 12)
11. Deceiver (Feb 12)
12. Betrayer (Mar 12)

13. Intruder (Apr 12)
14. Protector (May 12)
15. Peacemaker (Jun 12)

16. Tracker (Jul 12)
17. Visitor (Aug 12)
18. Convergence (Sep 12)

19. Emergence (Nov 12)
20. Resurgence (Dec 12)
21. Divergence (Jan 12 2026)

22. Defiance (Feb 12 2026)
Probably have a book or two more by this time.

Audio: 1-19 are on Audible as Audible Only. Apparently the audiobook contract fell apart so the last few have yet to be converted, and the audio is in limbo.

Ebooks: Open Library has a copy of the ebook and volunteer-made audio. I haven't tried them out though so I don't know the quality, or what their schtick is.

Started... didn't expect another time jump, after the previous book, but here we are...

Few more years passed, 3 shuttles traveling to and from the station about once a week (on rotation, so each ship travels every 3-4 weeks)...

This one didn't feel as high stakes as the previous ones, because I trust Bren to solve things, at this point... and the "mutiny" from the blurb felt pretty muted... unrest might have been a more accurate phrase...

I kinda agree with some of the more critical reviews tho, too... (view spoiler)[most of Bren's family drama needs to either resolve or just go away... years are passing and nothing is getting better, more of the same, and it's tiring... cut them off or make them listen... his mom, brother & brother's wife... BARB wanting to be a side piece...

The same reviewer said they love Ilsidi, but cool your jets with all the poisonings, woman... (hide spoiler)]

Started a few days ago. After the brilliant 4th book, I was so excited to start this one. I'm currently on page 210. My impressions so far:

Tabini (view spoiler)[
I love how basically we, as the reader, have to figure out Tabini's subtle, ambiguous yet brilliant political maneuvering. Initially I didn't quite know how to react on Tabini's decision to not to respond to Bren's messages. As well as the revelation that Tabini had made a secret arrangement, allegedly, with Ramirez-aiji as well as the Mospheiran President.

But, now that Ilisidi appears to be coming in the freight shuttle, I begin to understand his silence. I assume even Tabini hadn't known Ramirez's secret. And his sending Ilisidi is his response to ensure that the Phoenix would stick to the agreement signed by Ramirez to provide spaceship pilot training to Atevi. I think Tabini expected from the very beginning that the Phoenix crew would vote to go back to Reunion ASAP. Hence, the urgency of sending Ilisidi. I don't know, though, if he had an inkling of Ramirez's secret.

Reading Bren's reasoning of Tabini's response feels like reading the author's inner thought process in creating the plot for each book, I suppose.

Although, I'm still confused about the memorial services for Valesi.

And it appears that his son, Cajeiri, would play a more prominent role in future arcs, I assume. Looks like he's gonna be a precocious child. Though, I expect he would become a strong leader and a brilliant politician under Ilisidi's tutelage.
(hide spoiler)]

Ramirez's secret (view spoiler)[
I fully expect the crew would vote to go back to Reunion ASAP. Though, I don't know what kind of trouble would pop up to fill up the remaining 200+ pages in this book. I suppose if Ilisidi did come with the freight shuttle, there would be some political tension. But I don't suppose the climax of this book would be as dramatic as in the previous 4 books.

Regarding Ramirez's secret, there are still a few confusing points for me.

(1) I assume if the Pilots Guild were that strong, they would've ordered Ramirez to stay at Reunion, and would assume command themselves of the Phoenix to go back to the Atevi home planet. So, I don't know if I believe Ramirez, a junior captain, would be entrusted to set up base to protect humanity and the Phoenix. I would've assumed that if the senior captains at the Pilots Guild had decided that, they would've paired Ramirez with another more senior captain(s). So, there must be more to it that has been revealed so far.

(2) Which brings me to the second point I want to make. I don't quite catch the timeline. So, the Reunion expected Ramirez to go back to the Atevi planet, and return back to Reunion in 2 years? How did that give Ramirez enough time to "hatch" Jase and Yolanda, and to train them in some sort of language training in anticipation of communicating with the crew who had been left to man the station orbiting Atevi planet?

Based on physics theory that I understand, if the Phoenix traveled at speed of light, time would seem short for the Phoenix crew. But not for the crew left at Reunion. It would be years before the Phoenix could return with some sort of additional back up to support the Reunion militarily. So, expecting on-time back up from the Atevi planet seems to be a stupid idea.

Which also backs up my first point. I would've assumed the Pilots Guild would've decided to go back themselves to the Atevi planet to make further plans. And the more logical plan would be to flee the solar system. And perhaps, that would've been the first choice. (hide spoiler)]

Barry wrote: "Started a few days ago. After the brilliant 4th book, I was so excited to start this one. I'm currently on page 210. My impressions so far:

Tabini
I love how basically we, as the reader, have to ..."

Re:Tabini, I also didn't quite get the Atevi's habit (not just Tabini but also other Atevi like Banichi or Jago) to keep important information from Bren. Was it because Bren was considered untrustworthy? Or was it simply how Atevi operate? Maybe subordinates were supposed to simply follow orders no question asked, but how should they make judgement on what action to take if they were not provided with complete information?

Only through Ch. 8... As always, I am loving everything about this series. (view spoiler)[ I can't believe Ramirez is dead and the captains have been hiding that there are people still on the space station that they ran away from... And what is up with all the fuel and supplies - did they all get shipped to those folks or are they about to get shipped there???

I was surprised that Tabini had a son! Did we know that from before? And he is going to foster with Ilsidi? This should be fun!

Barry, I am interested in the answers to the questions you are raising about the timeline of the ship humans too... I don't think only two years have passed for anyone, because they said there might have been kids born and grown on Reunion already, and I think at least 6 years have passed since the previous book...

Anny, I think Atevi are very secretive by nature/culture. They seem to go by the rule that the less is said, the better... (hide spoiler)]

I forgot to mention. I don't understand.... no, that is not it, I understand, but I don't agree with Bren avoiding his family at all cost. I really wish he would go and see them, settle some things face to face, and stop running! I get the appeal of avoidance, I get tempted myself, coming from a culture that is very family/tribe oriented, but it will be good for everyone to just see them and put his foot down in person... This long distance is just not working for either side...

This is one case where I blame the author... it's like they don't want to deal with it... there are YEARS off time jumps between books... plenty of time to resolve the family stuff... but nothing is done... then the books happen, and life is too hectic to deal with it, so it's the same family drama from book to book, but it's been 10 years now since book 1........ TEN YEARS...

Yeah.... He really should have dealt with the drama a long time ago, even if it happens off page!

Spelling that out makes the ex-girlfriend plot even crazier, too...

Yeah...

Should be along this week. As for the family drama... be honest now, how many real life family dramas get resolved in a decade or less? Some people just don't change...

I hear you.... So very true, unfortunately...

Ok, so I finished it and as always, loved it, but that was not an ending! She should have labeled this as part of a book that has been split! This is the first time she ended the book without at least wrapping up the plot for the particular volume. I was very tempted to jump straight into the next one, but I am so behind on so many BRs, I have to move to those...

Jase is showing some backbone, but I think he is starting to align with the Ship and is begging to drift away from the Atevi and Bren.

The "battle" of wills between Ilsidi and the Captain was awesome! Both are some tough ladies and G-d protect anyone who stands in their way!

The political intrigue is excellent! I love it so much! I don't understand why I hadn't read these books after collecting them on my shelves and audio library for ever!!! So glad you guys decided to read it and gave me the incentive to get to it finally!

Yeah, these stories do tend to come in threes... but this one is like... an intro and two halves...

That is exactly how I see it... I don't like being left hanging like that, but the series is so good, it's worth waiting for...

Finished.

Boy, the second half of the book was really quite tense. I didn't expect that tension, even after (view spoiler)[Ilisidi appeared (hide spoiler)]. Gotta give it to Cherryh for writing excellent political tensions throughout the series so far. (view spoiler)[Although, I'm sort of expecting Sabin to go tit-for-tat sometime in the future. Though, I do expect Sabin to give the proper amount of respect to Ilisidi after her deliberate poisoning episode. (hide spoiler)]

Re: family drama. I kinda browsed through on those sections quickly. It's just too much. I mean it's been 5 books and years, and nothing has changed.

Ramirez's secret (view spoiler)[
So let me try to elaborate on the timeline, based on my understanding.

1. Decades ago, Phoenix went off to establish another station on another solar system (which would become Reunion). Meanwhile, after some years, it became difficult to maintain the station orbiting above Atevi Earth. So, all personnel floated earthbound and occupied Mospheira.

2. Maybe around 12 years ago? The Phoenix returned to Reunion and found it "destroyed". Although, Ramirez with 3 security crew went into the station and discovered some 200-300 crew remaining. A senior captain, allegedly, ordered Ramirez to fly back to Atevi Earth with the mission of bringing in back-up from the Atevi Station.

3. The Phoenix returned to Atevi around 10 years ago in Book 1 to find that the station had been abandoned, and now all humans living on Mospheira.

Some questions that I have :
1. How much time needed to go from Reunion to Atevi? I'm assuming it's 1-2 years?
2. How functional could a station be to survive without additional support for a minimum of 2 years, while having to feed 200-300 personnel?
3. Now that 10+ years had passed, what would we see at Reunion? Would we see a dead station? A highly decimated station with only a few remaining personnel (couldn't imagine the horror of seeing your comrades dying)?
4. If Reunion turns out to be fully functional, was there an alien attack ever? Or was there a political fallout?
5. And when did Ramirez order Jase and Yolanda to be "hatched"? Based on Jase's and Yolanda's age, they should've been birthed maybe during the Phoenix's initial exploration beyond Reunion, no?
(hide spoiler)]

I started this last night. I kind if wish there wasn't another time jump.

They keep piling up

Barry, I think Phoenix left the Atevi planet with the humans who kind of rebelled against the pilot's guild/union, closer to 150-200 years ago... This is how I understand it... So they must have been on Reunion, around another planet, for a while. After some other jaunt, they were returning to Reunion and this is where I think we don't know enough... (view spoiler)[ They noticed damage to the station. In the beginning we were told there was almost total destruction from aliens, but ever since, we have been getting softer bits and pieces and right now everyone is being told there should be around 2-300 people left there.

I am starting to suspect that it was some type of internal political struggle, not the aliens, who have damaged the station.

The travel is 2 years ... I think Ramirez knew way in advance that some of their people will be coming back, if for nothing else, than for workers and resources, and they "hatched" our translators about the time they made that decision. I still think that whatever happened on Reunion threw their plans in disarray, but the genes that perpetuate affinity to languages, are used in advance, so they could be ready for other worlds and new aliens...

It has been around 10 years since they have been on Atevi Earth, so I am very scared about what we're going to find on Reunion. They could find the desolation, which would be tragic, or they could find them thriving, which would piss me off, because that would mean someone lied to all the people on Phoenix! Either way, it will be very interesting to find out! (hide spoiler)]

I am also absolutely amazed by Cherryh's ability to write tension and have me on the edge of my seat, while it feels like almost nothing is happening... That is a talent!

Choko wrote: "Barry, I think Phoenix left the Atevi planet with the humans who kind of rebelled against the pilot's guild/union, closer to 150-200 years ago... This is how I understand it... So they must have be..."

Yeah 150-200 years seems about right. (view spoiler)[I'm just hoping there's a real alien out there. Otherwise, are we going to just read about three-way political tensions between Atevi - humans - Pilots' Guild for the rest of 15+ books?

I'm really tempted to browse through the series to find out the answer. But .... I'm gonna practice my patience by not peeking hahaha. (hide spoiler)]

I am tempted too, hahaha! But I am being very patient and will be discovering everything with you guys:)))

Read this a few weeks ago and really enjoyed it. But sadly a lot of books are going in one ear and out the other this time of year... most of what I remember is chuckling over (view spoiler)[Saban's poisoning... I loved seeing Bren's patience-strained explanations and remembering Bren's own experience... yet another situation that emphasizes his growth over these books... (hide spoiler)]

As for aliens I'm definitely in the camp believing they have to be "out there"... but there's more local politics, and (view spoiler)[Cajieri's story (hide spoiler)] first...