The Kif Strike Back Audiobook By C. J. Cherryh cover art

The Kif Strike Back

Chanur, Book 3

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The Kif Strike Back

By: C. J. Cherryh
Narrated by: Dina Pearlman
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When the kif seize Hilfy and Tully, Pyanfar and her shipmates enter into a simple rescue attempt. It soon becomes a deadly game of interstellar politics.

©1986 C.J. Cherryh (P)2012 Audible, Inc. Science Fiction Fiction

Critic reviews

"Compellingly written, with distinctive characters and well-realized races and cultures." (Fantasy Review)
"A rousing good tale and... the most believable alien characters to come down the SF pike in a long time. Highly recommended." (Kliatt)
Political Intrigue • Action Adventure • Excellent Narration • Exciting Story • Complex Plot • Accessible Series
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a strong addition to the series with interesting new alien characters left me wondering when that kik would get to eat finally!

Classic!

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I loved this series when I was a kid, still own and love the paperbacks. of course the pronunciations by the narrator were different, the voices different, from my own mental sounds, but the story is as enjoyable this way as the written form. highly recommend this series!

loved listening to a favorite from years back

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The middle part of a series is always a slog (think Two Towers), but this does a good job keeping you informed and invested as the clock counts down. Story's fine (glad Kim's finally finding a place with the ship as cook/lawyer/bruiser), but Dina does an excellent job making the Kif (both in their language and without) seem alien yet understandable.

Middle of a three-part story.

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This series is gripping. I never want to put it down. It’s well worth the purchase I definitely recommend it!

Gripping

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Another great story about the Pride's crew. It seems to stand out from the previous titles as well in length and quality.

Another great story

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I've always loved this series. Narrated beautifully, added tremendously to my enjoyment. Excellent! Superb!

Wonderful!!!

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An epic scifi action adventure. Mind bending twists of political intrigue. Light hearted at purposeful, & well chosen moments. Audio performance is perfect. Author, Cherryh, is masterful.

Action packed

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This series is in many ways Cherryh's most accessible one. She takes on one species after another and makes them real as a dime. And comprehensible by their own lights. Without ever making them into humans with fur or feathers. It's a wonderful space opera, which I normally hate. But here, when the alliens are so alien and yet, somehow people you know, how can you resist?
Some whiny bits in the dialog. Listen to it and see what you think. It didn't ruin my enjoyment of the books.But you might feel differently.

A whirl of worlds.

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I recently listened to The Kif Strike Back written by C. J. Cherryh and narrated by Dina Pearlman.

This is the second book in the Chanur's Venture trilogy. It's nearly impossible to review a book in series like this without having a few spoilers. With that in mind, if you want to avoid spoilers stop reading now.

Things aren't going well for Pyanfar. You would think being a Hani captain (A humanoid cat like race) would matter for something. It's bad enough she has to put up with, the gods be damned, Vigilance, but the other unwelcome bedfellow is the Mehendo'sat. 

One does what one must when it comes to clan and crew though. She's on a mission to rescue Hilfy, Pyanfar's niece, and the human Tully from the Kif (dangerous double jawed humanoid aliens) Sikkukuk. He offered them to her if she would but follow him to the station Mkks. Gods rot it, one does what they have to for family, even walk to traps, or so they say. 

Dina Pearlman does an amazing job with the narration. Some of the names are hard to pronounce or extremely similar sounding, however, she delivers each well. Her stellar diction combined with her emotional delivery make this an amazing bit of narration. 

Conclusion: The second book in the series, while still bursting with action, is primarily a book of political intrigue. It becomes very multidimensional when you have to think cross-culturally in the context of multiple cultures. For those who enjoy Sci-Fi with political intrigue, I think this book is a fitting Kifish challenge. 

Can you pronounce this?

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This is the third book in a series and had me on the edge of my seat. Now on to the next book in this series.....

it is an exciting book.

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