Cloud's Rider

by C.J Cherryh

Reviewed by Coral

Cloud's Rider, the sequel to C.J Cherryh's Rider at the Gate, was another book I remember liking when I first read it years ago. But after the disappointment of the first book I wasn't expecting much from this one. How right I was.

The plot, if there even was one, was pretty thin, with a lot of unnecessary detours thrown in for good measure. I can't connect with any of the characters, so I don't really care what happens to them. Worse, I still don't understand what it is about riders that makes them so important in the grand scheme of the colony. From the last book we know that Nighthorses won't carry cargo or passengers and are likely to buck off their own rider if annoyed. So why is it, without bonded Nighthorses, humans wouldn't have survived on this colony planet?

Wish I knew.

Grade: F