Book Banter -- Inheritor

Title: Inheritor
Author: CJ Cherryh
Length: 410 pages
Genre: sci-fi
Plot Basics: Bren Cameron, the human interpreter to the atevi race of aliens, has been cut off from his own human government for starting up negotiation between the atevi and the recently re-appeared human spaceship, Phoenix. Making Bren's job tougher is his on-going struggle with the new interpreter, Jase Graham, sent down from the ship. The atevi are in an all-out space race against the humans. Meanwhile, political factions among the atevi are turning once again to assassination as way to solve problems, again endangering Bren and Jase.
Banter Points: Once this book gets going, it really is exciting. The dynamics between Bren and Jase are great. There's a killer twist at the end too that it's a great surprise. Also, this book sets up plot elements that Word Nerd hopes will be expanded in the second trilogy.
Bummer Points: This book takes a while to get going. Cherryh reviews much of what happened in the first two books of the series and re-explains the differences in the thinking between humans and atevi. Again, the plot sometimes gets bogged down in Bren's internal thinking.
Word Nerd recommendation: Word Nerd still, despite the wordiness of the books, really likes this series. Bren Cameron is a great character and she's looking forward to reading more about him in the next books.