I initially picked up TGE because I saw it compared to the Foreigner books, which I had just finished rereading and wanted more of, and I agree that it was a good rec. They have the same appreciation for crunchy procedural matters, the same feeling of characters acting from within the constraints placed on the political class of an interesting world, and the same basic decency on the part of the main characters who are a bit out of their depth but who seek out other competent people as allies. Decidedly fewer explosions in TGE, though.
I might add Andrea Höst's Touchstone trilogy (Stray, Lab Rat One, Caszandra) to the list, as they also feature a sensible, conscientious protagonist dealing with a culture she isn't fully part of, and a narrative which rewards collaboration and following protocol. (Also like TGE and the Foreigner books, I've seen this trilogy criticized as boring, but all of these books satisfy if you like watching people do their best, find allies, and file the right paperwork.) The Touchstone books aren't as technically accomplished, and I could do with less romance and more of an ending in the third one, but they've become comfort reading for me.
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momijizukamori
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Date: 2015-08-30 02:17 am (UTC)I might add Andrea Höst's Touchstone trilogy (Stray, Lab Rat One, Caszandra) to the list, as they also feature a sensible, conscientious protagonist dealing with a culture she isn't fully part of, and a narrative which rewards collaboration and following protocol. (Also like TGE and the Foreigner books, I've seen this trilogy criticized as boring, but all of these books satisfy if you like watching people do their best, find allies, and file the right paperwork.) The Touchstone books aren't as technically accomplished, and I could do with less romance and more of an ending in the third one, but they've become comfort reading for me.