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For the first time in nine books, we have a second Point of View. I was slightly thrown when this happened.

This is the second book of the third Trilogy of the Foreigner series and both this trilogy and this book in particular are proving to be some of the best entries in the series so far.

The Atevi remain as inscrutable as ever, and are possibly the most engrossing alien race of any series. While superficially similar to humans, but unmistakably alien. Possibly the most alien species in fiction and I find myself, as with the main character, almost understanding them and almost getting a grip on what is happening.

It sounds frustrating, but Cherryh's writing is so strong that it is, instead, absolutely gripping.

And she has really picked up the pace this time around. The political maneuverings still provide the core of the story, but this feels like a much more action-oriented installment.

Absolutely superb.

This third entry in Tepper's Arbai sort-of-trilogy is the weakest of the three, but this is possibly a reflection of the incredibly high bar she set for herself with Grass.

Sideshow returns to may of the themes of the previous two books, but it all feels a bit more didactic, with less engaging characters and a weaker, more plodding, story.

If you have read Grass and Raising the Stones, then Sideshow wraps things up reasonably well. Otherwise... Tepper has written better books than this.

The premise of this novel is comically brilliant and the early chapters have several laugh-out-loud moments.



It all slows down a bit once the plot gets going, but The Kaiju Preservation Society remains a fun romp throughout.

While there are plenty of moments of comic brilliance, Most Harmless does have a bit of a disjointed feel overall.

I did feel, with Life, the Universe and Everything, that the series was starting to lose it's way somewhat. With this book, though, Adams gets solidly back on track.



It's very different to what has gone before, and this is very much to the book's advantage. Arthur is more of a character this time around and there's visible plot.



So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish is still very much a Hitchhiker's book, but it also demonstrates the value in a series taking the occasional left turn.

I do have a strong sense of the series starting to lose its way with this novel. It certainly has its moments, but really doesn't come close to the standard set by the first two books.