The first one, Pride of Chanur IIRC, is great. Then a trilogy follows, more involved, which perhaps slows things down, but worth it if you like the glimpse into the various aliens of the first book - she delves further in the trilogy. The last singleton is truly a sequel, not as strong as the first, but good.
Haven't done Downbelow Station myself. Also she has two trilogies (to which she is adding a seventh) starting with Foreigner. I had trouble getting into those.
I liked her contributions (and her main character) to the Thieves' World series.
Both ase and I enjoy Cyteen. It has been published as a trilogy, but is really one book - it has been published that way, too.
A couple of related recent books: Hammerfall and Forge of Heaven. Interesting setting. I have seen Hammerfall panned as a bit derivative, but I think it is simply a chosen setting. The story and the characters I found interesting. The second is a sequel in which some major characters in the first are secondary characters, but the main action takes place on a totally different stage, again, with well-imagined, different characters and culture.
The trouble with Thieves' World was runaway character power inflation. Cherryh ran her own series, Merovingen Nights, the first of which was wholly hers: Angel with a Sword. I liked it and the series, and it was much better managed.
Oh, well, better stop blathering. I agree, there is some Cherryh that is hard to wade through - takes some experimentation. Enjoy the rest!
no subject
Haven't done Downbelow Station myself. Also she has two trilogies (to which she is adding a seventh) starting with Foreigner. I had trouble getting into those.
I liked her contributions (and her main character) to the Thieves' World series.
Both
A couple of related recent books: Hammerfall and Forge of Heaven. Interesting setting. I have seen Hammerfall panned as a bit derivative, but I think it is simply a chosen setting. The story and the characters I found interesting. The second is a sequel in which some major characters in the first are secondary characters, but the main action takes place on a totally different stage, again, with well-imagined, different characters and culture.
The trouble with Thieves' World was runaway character power inflation. Cherryh ran her own series, Merovingen Nights, the first of which was wholly hers: Angel with a Sword. I liked it and the series, and it was much better managed.
Oh, well, better stop blathering. I agree, there is some Cherryh that is hard to wade through - takes some experimentation. Enjoy the rest!