Pulp. Just like the comics used to make.

Even more so than the first Chanur novel, this book is breathless and sometimes brainless. Clearly written in a hurry with little of the care and nuance that marks Cherryh's best works, the first two-thirds of "CV" is a helter-skelter of running around with little assessment of 'sitrep' by the various frustrated and frustrating cast of characters. The last act draws tighter and actually becomes engaging, maybe because the mahendo'sat character Jik arrives on stage just then both tired and calm, spreading that vibe around.

And my biggest complaint from the first book holds doubly valid here: why o why is Pyanfar, the main hani character, not more actively trying to ask the human Tully just _what the hell he's there for._ ( )

Un misterioso proyecto de los humanos y los mahendo’sat involucra de nuevo a la capitana hani Pyanfar Chanur y a su tripulación en una intriga estelar de grandes proporciones. De nuevo la compleja e inestable relación entre las especies que forman el Pacto se halla amenazado, al tiempo que la propia Pyanfar ve en peligro el futuro de la casa de Chanur en su planeta natal. Y esta vez, incluso los respiradores de metano, los misteriosos knnn y los elusivos tc’a, están implicados.

This is my second read and I was hoping I'd enjoy it more this time. Unfortunately, no. It's not bad, but it lacks the sophistication and humor and therefore the bulk of the fun of her later works. It may be cool to see how much she improves over the years, or just treat this as a lesser novel with an alien-rich area of space. Above all, it's a merchantman kind of novel. Trade, cultural weirdness, and much enmity with certain species always getting in the way.

Of course, humans are the odd ones out.

And they're back! Or one is, and he's come bearing trade treaty! Enter greed, guilt, and more chase. :)

I think Cherryh is being a bit sly with the text, rewarding careful readers and turning everyone else (myself included) into chumps, however. She's not reinforcing big events with repetition, just slipping them in. :) It's great for her later series because she's got that skill down pat, but here? It tends to confuse or just reward later re-readers. Some re-readers. Me? I kinda wish I like the feel of this series more, but I don't.

I have started enjoying the deeper cultural aspects and oddities of all the aliens, however. The world-building is fun even if you can't hang a whole hat on it.

All in all, though, it reads with much action and adventure, which is kinda funny for aliens wrangling to get off space stations with their cargo intact and setting up back-door deals and alliances. But it's still fun for all that. :) ( )

(Review of all four books on Chanur's Homecoming) ( )

“Chanur’s Venture” by CJ Cherryh. This is a re-read of the book for me. In this story the Mahendo’sat machinations involves the Chanur space ship to become a courier for Tully and documents that could break open the Compact that allows so many races to trade. Stsho and Tc’a politics are involved as are Humanity’s actions in firing on Knnn ships. The story has action upon the docks of space stations and ends with a rescue mission in motion. This is very excellent space opera. ( )