Chanur's Legacy

by C.J. Cherryh

Book Overview

Hiffy Chanur, once a member of her aunt's crew on The Pride of Chanur, is now captain of her own vessel, Chanur's Legacy. It should have been the ideal existence for Hiffy, her fondest dream fulfilled, but instead the young captain's increasingly hard-pressed to take care of her ship's business. So when Meetpoint's stationmaster offers her a million credits to transport a small, mysterious, "religious" object it seems like a golden opportunity--perhaps...

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0886775590
• ISBN13: 9780886775599
• Release Date: September 1993
• Publisher: Daw Books
• Length: 415 Pages
• Weight: 0.48 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 4.2" x 6.8"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

A deeper look at the Compact powers-that-be

This review is for those that have already read the previous 4 books. If you have not, I highly recommend The Pride of Chanur - it is complete in itself, so if you only like it you can be finished and satisfied, but if you LOVE it there is much more to come. Hilfy is now on her own, with a "hand-me-down" ship and experienced crew - all new characters, including a marooned hani male. Her style is quite different from Pyanfar's, and provides further insight into Haniness as well as a Hani translator's view of other alien minds. We also get an in-depth look at the manipulating stsho - and a very fascinating and charming look it is. There are alternate views of the mahendosat, and the kif are developing in an interesting direction. We even gain some glimpses into the methane breathers' inner workings. Highly recommended as a broadening view of Compact Space's intricate workings, and as a rollicking good time as well!

One of a very few.

The books under the title of 'Chanur' have all been great books. I have read the whole set 3 times now. It would be nice to actually see them made into a movie. Impossible, considering the level of detail, but definately a good idea. The level of psychology in these books is high, at the expense of detail in the realm of environment. If your willing to explore this aspect of scifi, read them. To bad Cherryh ended the series.

Grandiose yet personal

The 5th and most recent of CJ Cherryh's Chanur Saga, Chanur's Legacy is very much in the vein of Cherryh's previous work. Captain Hilfy Chanur of the Chanur's Legacy is just trying to make a living in the shadow of her aunt, effective ruler of Compact space. When the administrator of Meetpoint Station offers her one million credits for transport of a simple cargo, the offer seems almost too good to be true. Needless to say, it is, and Hilfy and her crew, along with a few passengers, are sent on a harrowing mission throughout Compact space.Cherryh is in true form here. Each alien race is uniquely developed, none having those "humans in makeup" or "different just to be different" qualities that often plagues SF in general, and space opera in particular. Moreover, each of the characters is quite well developed, and truth be told, I found the subplot regarding Legacy's male passenger as compelling, or more so, than the main plot.For better or worse, saying the book is typical CJ Cherryh carries some other connotations: physical description is about nil; the main characters may spend 70 pages in a port and the most we'll ever hear about it its name. Also the plot is extremely, I might say excessively, complicated, and can get difficult to follow if you read quickly.Still, danger, intrigue, romace, conspiracy: all are present and work together to create a marvelous story I could barely put down (even after it was finished). If you enjoy space opera, the Chanur Saga, or and of CJ Cherryh's work, this one's for you.

One of the best SF writers ever!

To start with, read any book written by CJ Cherryh. Period. But as to this specific book... this is actually the fifth book about the Chanur clan. Reading the series in sequence would be my recommendation (The Pride of Chanur, Chanur's Venture, The Kif Strike Back, Chanur's Homecoming), but it's really not necessary to do so to enjoy Chanur's Legacy. CJ Cherryh is a master at creating an alien universe and alien mindsets. One of the best things about this book (and the series in general) is that there are multiple races of beings, all fully developed in the reader's mind, and humans are not the central players. Cherryh's descriptive style, fast pace, and exploration of contrasting mindsets make this an intriguing read. You'll find it hard to put down, and if you have to, you can't wait to get back to it to find out what's going to happen next! Highly recommended!

Intriguing!

C. J. Cherryh's 5th Chanur sci-fi book, "Chanur's Legacy", is rich with complex aliens and intertwining cultures and governments. I have only read this book and the first book in the Chanur series, "The Pride of Chanur", but I enjoyed both immensely. Hilfy Chanur and her female crewmates are caught in a web of intrigue when Hilfy agrees to take a stsho religious artifact to the stsho ambassador on Urtur Station (in mahendo'sat space, I believe). As well, she picks up an abandoned male hani, Hallan Meras, who had been tossed in jail from hitting a "kifish gentleman", as Hallan said. His ship, Sahern's Sun Ascendant, leaves him behind. After all of this happens, the plot really takes off and the crew of Chanur's Legacy go for a rip-roaring political ride through Compact Space. Wow! I heartily recommend this book to eager sci-fi fans, because I've read it at least three times over. Can't get enough of it!