Front flap:

In one of her most compelling novels, best-selling author C.J. Cherryh returns to the award-winning universe of her classic Cyteen and Downbelow Station, and to the oldest, most historic of the interstellar Merchanter ships: the Neihart family's...
FINITYS
END
With a truce declared between the major powers, war hero Captain James Robert Neihart returns to the Alliance station of Pell to reclaim one of the Merchanters' own.  During the Company Wars, Finity's End had to leave a pregnant crew member on Pell and was unable to retrieve her orphaned son.

The Neiharts want their lost cousin back; out of love, but also because the war has cost Finity's End a generation.  No babies have been born, while half the crew - half the family - are dead, making the prodigal youth even more precious.
But Fletcher Neihart has left Pell for the planet Downbelow where, after a childhood spent in uncaring foster homes, he's found happiness working with the hisa - Downbelow's mystic, peaceful natives.  He even has a beautiful girlfriend.  The last thing he wants is to be dragged into space.  He has no choice.

Fletcher is reunited with a home he's never seen.  From having no family, he's now surrounded by kinfolk - all battle-scarred strangers more alien than the non-human hisa.  Like Jeremy, the hero-worshipping twelve-year-old; JR, groomed to be a captain and growing into leadership; Madelaine, ship's attorney and Fletcher's great-grandmother.

And the Neiharts must deal with a resentful hostage who bears their name and



Back flap:

(continued from front flap)

features, but knows nothing of their history, traditions or lives.

Meanwhile, Finity's End flies toward conflict and danger.  For Captain Neihart is forging a treaty among the worlds, stations and Merchanters; and opponents will try ambush, sabotage and murder to stop him.  By journey's end the hope for peace will depend on whether JR, Jeremy and the crew can uphold Merchanter honor; and whether Fletcher, guided by a gift from the hisa, can learn to trust... and find his true place in the universe.

An evocative, richly realized exploration of loyalty, family and transition from one of the most accomplished writers in the history of science fiction.

C.J. CHERRYH is the prolific, Hugo Award-winning author of Downbelow Station, Cyteen, Rider at the Gate and almost 50 other books.  She lives in Oklahoma.


Back cover:

ACCLAIM FOR
C.J.CHERRYH

"Taut, gripping, realistic work." - Kirkus Reviews

"Cherryh evokes more tension and danger in one verbal confrontation than most writers can manage in a dozen space battles." - Publishers Weekly

"Marvelously skillful." - Philadelphia Inquirer

"One of the genre's best authors." - Sacramento Bee

"The top of the field in both world building and characterization." - Chicago Sun-Times

"C.J. Cherryh writes intelligent, realistic science fiction." - Columbus Dispatch