[Review] Faded Sun Trilogy

Hi All,

Since we talk about books ever so often, I thought I'd impart my
impression
of this one, and you can decide for yourself if it's for you.

The Faded Sun Trilogy by C. J. Cherryh (DAW Books)
(Includes the novels Kesrith, Shon'Jir, and Kutath)

To start off, this book gives the FT, DS, and/or SG player virtually
nothing to work with in terms of scenarios.

In fact, the only thing that made me think of FT while reading was the
effects of FTL travel. Remarkably similar to the effects described in
FT,
causing disorientation and nausea. Humans counter the effects with
drugs,
but another race, the Mri, are immune to the effects.

This DOES suggest an interesting idea for the FT universe, a race whose
people are not disoriented by FTL - though their computers might still
be!
This would have little effect in the tactical game, but could be an
interesting campaign mechanic.

A quick synopsis - without giving anything away: the last of the Mri
escape
the Regul (and Humans) and search for their homeworld. The Mri are a
race
with a strong warrior caste. The Regul are a race of "Jabba the Hutts."

The books are primarily about the discovery of the culture and heritage
of
the Mri, which is revealed through various characters either teaching or
learning various aspects thereof. So if you think you'd like a book
about
the culture of a strict caste system with a strong, stubborn warrior
mindset, then this is for you.

One very interesting aspect of the book is that racial points of view
are
given alot of attention. What makes sense to a Mri or Human is
incomprehensible to a Regul, and vice versa. Much in the same way the
Humans do not understand the motivations or thinking of the Kra'Vak,
Sa'Vasku, or Phalons.

Cherryh writes well, with very good character developement, and lots of
cultural goodies to keep you thinking. You'll be hooked into flipping
pages
just to see what's revealed next. The end, while not a surprise as such,
is
not quite what you expect.

I think I've wasted enough of people's time for now.

Schoon