C. J. Cherryh

1942-

Reviewed by John Hulet,
Kelly Lasiter, Rob Rhodes

C.J. Cherryh is the pseudonym of Carolyn Janice Cherry. Her editor used her initials and added the silent h so she wouldn't look like a romance writer (It's still pronounced “Cherry”). Her science fiction and fantasy works have won three Hugo Awards, a John W. Campbell Award, a Locus Award, and other awards. You can learn more about C.J. Cherryh at her website.

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Ealdwood — (1981-1983, revised 1997) Publisher: It was that transitional time of the world, when man first brought the clang of iron and the reek of smoke to the lands which before had echoed only with fairy voices. In that dawn of man and death of magic there yet remained one last untouched place — the small forest of Ealdwood — which kept the magic intact, and protected the old ways. And there was one who dwelt there, Arafel the Sidhe, who had more pride and love of the world as it used to be than any of her kind. But fear of the world of Faery ran deep in the hearts of men, and when Ciaran Cuilean, Lord of Caer Wiell, a man with Elvish blood in his veins, found himself the object of increasing distrust and suspicion from his men, his king, and even his own family, he knew he must once again put his humanity aside and return to Ealdwood. For shadows of a newly awakened evil swarmed across both lands, and unless Ciaran reclaimed his haunted weapons from the Tree of Swords and joined Arafel, he would see this evil overtake not only the warm hearthstones of the mortal keeps but the silvery heart of Ealdwood itself!

Omnibus edition:

c. j. cherryh ealdwood the dreaming tree

Rusalka — (1989-1991) Publisher: This is Hugo-Award-winning author C.J. Cherryh's Del Rey debut—the story of Rusalka, the ghost of a murdered girl still seeking to exist by drawing the energy of life from all nearby living things, and the attempt to bring her back to life by her father Ulamets, and Pyetr, the young man who loved her.

C.J. Cherryh fantasy book reviews Rusalka: 1. Rusalka 2. Chernevog 3. Yvgenie

fantasy book reviews C.J. Cherryh Rusalka Rusalka

I like folklore, and I like novels based on folklore, and I was prepared to like C.J. Cherryh's Rusalka, especially after seeing it reviewed elsewhere. It did hold my attention long enough that I was able to finish it, but in the end I had to admit that I didn't like it.

First gripe: the endless and tedious scenes of Pyetr, Sasha, and Uulamets wandering around in the woods acting like jerks to one another. Pages upon pages of one of the characters musing about what morons the other two are. The use of the word "woodcraft" on what seems like every page, as Sasha or Pyetr admires Uulamets' skill in navigating the forest. It begins to feel like we are reading the same chapter over and over after a while.

But that's the little gripe. The big one is what seems like a big continuity mistake:

C.J. Cherryh Rusalka

About a third of the way into the book, a false Eveshka is brought to life by Uulamets' magic. He was trying to resurrect his dead daughter, but instead resurrected a version of her who was as he wanted her to be rather than as she really was. Now, Pyetr never had sexual or romantic feelings about Eveshka until this false Eveshka showed up; it was then that he started noticing her beauty. BUT... later, Pyetr claims that he knew all along that the Eveshka look-alike was a fake, and all of a sudden he is in love with the real one. Why? He wasn't in love with the real one before — He was annoyed by her until he met the fake one. I don't think I understand. —Kelly Lasiter

The Fortress Series — (1995-2006) Publisher: A ruined tower in a vast forest is the haunted home of the world's last great wizard, Mauryl. Here in the storm drenched night, Mauryl performs a final act of the highest Old Magic, a Shaping, hoping that by this most wondrous of spells the wrongs of a long forgotten wizard war may be righted. In the tower, a boy is brought full grown to life. Named Tristen, he is neither golem nor man, and to Mauryl's dismay he has none of the wisdom needed to ensure the success of his last gambit of the wizard's long life. Presented with the precious book that contains the knowledge he needs, Tristen cannot understand a single word. Instead, Tristen loves his maker blindly, and loves the beauty of the world. Tristen walks alone and helpless from the last outpost of the Old Lands into a new age of holiness rife with treachery and war. A glamour protects him until, as the veils of unknowning are blown aside by events, Tristen's power is manifest. Then Mauryl's enemies become his. And though Mauryl's book is with him always, still Tristen cannot read it.

the fortress series c.j. cherryh fortress in the eye of time

the fortress series c.j. cherryh fortress of eagles

the fortress series c.j. cherryh fortress of owls

the fortress series c.j. cherryh fortress of dragons

the fortress series c.j. cherryh fortress of ice

book review Fortress in the Eye of Time Cherryh Fortress in the Eye of Time: A completely different slant on an old story line

I loved Fortress in the Eye of Time. To be honest, the first half of the book doesn't move very fast, but you come to appreciate how C.J. Cherryh controls the flow of the story based on the progress of the main character. It's a very interesting technique that takes a little patience to enjoy.

The story centers around a young man who is called back from a distant past and who's soul has already lived a life. His challenges in adjusting to life with no real past are very well written and yet his native intelligence and personality begin to grow quickly. The characters that surround the protagonist are fairly well written and far from perfect themselves. For me, the frailties of people are often neglected in most fiction unless it is overly depicted in the bad guy. In this case, Cherryh is very effective when describing the different supporting cast and creating reasons for them to be who they are.

The story follows the political manuevering of a Prince and various factions who either want him dead or simply out of the way. The culmination of the story, when the main character begins to experience the depth of who he will be, is very exciting.

On a final note, C.J. Cherryh does a good job of describing conditions that people live in without wasting too much time on trivia. It makes for a more believable read when life is a little rustic, even for the nobility. I recommend Fortress in the Eye of Time! The next three in the series are a worthwhile reward. —John Hulet

fortress of ice review c.j. cherryh Fortress of Ice: Great author, decent book

I have really enjoyed C.J. Cherryh's Fortress Series, and I enjoyed Fortress of Ice.

That being said, this book was the worst one in the series. The plot was kind of boring and the transition to the new characters didn't draw me in with the same connection that I had in earlier books. My biggest gripe is that the main character of the first four books is left as a supporting character, which makes sense for the book, but is disappointing for someone who enjoyed his role.

I was very disappointed with the direction that Cherryh has taken the Fortress series and I had hoped for something different. It's good reading if you are a fan of the series, just understand that things have changed a great deal and you may find yourself missing how things were. —John Hulet

Stand-Alone Novels:

The Paladin — (1988) Author's description: set in a mythical far east, a potential student seeks a retired hero for a teacher.

The Paladin review Cherryh The Paladin: Oriental Low Fantasy

The Paladin is a stand-alone novel set in the China of an alternative world. It's more of an alternative history than a fantasy — there are no mythical creatures or magic here, although superstitions of both remain. The story falls into two parts. In the first, a stubborn girl seeking vengeance for her murdered family arrives at the mountain home of an exiled hermit who was the greatest warlord in the Empire prior to the death of the old emperor and the takeover by an evil regent. The girl wears him down, and he agrees to teach her swordsmanship and so on, convinced that she will eventually tire and lose hope in her foolish quest. Instead, she perserveres, and he finds himself growing fond of her.

Over a two-year span, she becomes a promising pupil; he finds his defenses against the world he left behind crumbling ... and how much he now needs her. In the second part, the two leave the mountain and begin their desperate quest to assassinate the evil regent. It's enough to say that there are no surprises as the tale lumbers towards its anti-climax. In fact, I recommend stopping once they leave the mountain — the development of their bond is the true story here, and frankly, the second part is tedious. Why so?

M: Mapping. The political and strategic references that arise in their quest are so convoluted and filled with names and rulers' names that you can't understand what's going on unless you keep flipping back and forth to the map at the front.

S: Swordplay. The pair train and train, and the girl learns wonderful fighting patterns and how to make a stronger man's sword slide off her own, and yet, when they finally get into fights, the action is basically described by the swordmaster's count of bodies: "one-two, three, four and five." The training scenes are far superior.

G: Grammar. Perhaps it was intentionally done to give the story a "different" (Asian?) feel, but the grammar/style is very unorthodox and often forces the re-reading of passages. Dashes, italics and fragments are everywhere (often thought-fragments), slowing the scan constantly. (I tend to read quickly, but reading this book was often like running through a rice paddy — in ankle weights.)

Finally, most of the story is told from the man's viewpoint, and he's simply not likeable. Of course, a character doesn't have to be likeable, but his constant irritability and "damn" this-es and thats ultimately prove tedious. (If he is a paladin or samurai, he surely missed his etiquette training.) His repetitive lusting for the girl — though very realistic given the time/place context and often well described — may also seem creepy to some readers. (He's forty; she's sixteen.) His retired warhorse, in fact, is the most pleasant character present — and I can't understand why we're never even given one look at the man through the girl's eyes.

The first part of the novel is worth reading, especially if you like realistic characters and Oriental culture. Beyond that, I can only recommend this book as a library loan. I understand, however, that The Dreaming Tree by C.J. Cherryh has a very good reputation and is worth a look. —Rob Rhodes

The Goblin Mirror —(1992) Publisher: Things weren't right in the little kingdom of Maggiar, so the princes Bogdan and Tamas set off to seek an answer to the kingdom's troubles in the world over the mountain, a world they knew only from legends. But that glorious place was great no more. The goblins had declared war, and no one — especially not visitors were safe from the raging battles, the darkest sorcery, and the evil that roamed the land...

Faery in Shadow —(1993) Author's description: Damned by Faery for the patricide he committed to save his brother, Caith macSliabhin treads the shadowy side of Faery with one of the Dark Sidhe, a pooka (damned by Faery for goodness) as his only companion.

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