Veeerrry interesting. This is a direct follow-on from Black Blossom - remember the woman in that story whose lover went to the auneri (the aliens - who happen to be humans)? This is her story, her POV. And what she does is learn languages - learn the alien language (and is mightily surprised to discover they have more than one), and in order to do so meets, talks with, learns from, teaches the humans. Like all the previous books, this is presented as her writing things down in order to explain them to humans. But part of what she's explaining is her path from simply accepting her culture to wondering how it differs from, and is similar to, human culture. She learns as much about her own people and their history - or more - than she does about human culture and history - or at least, she writes more about it. I begin to understand how the Ai-Nadar society works, and why the humans (in the story, and reading it) have such a hard time believing/accepting that it works. Part of it, I think, is that the society, while firmly enforcing all the rules, makes rules for individuals, not for everyone. You will work at this job we've found for you - but the finding involves actual conversations and contact between the individual and the finder, and the job is meant to fit the person, not the person the job. It's the job they'll be happiest in, not the job society needs and they can do. The why of that is - seriously weird. Adages having deeper meaning than is apparent... The disaster at the end is terrible - and the human reaction, and their reaction to the Ai-Nadari reaction, is fascinating. Harra's reaction, too - though she kind of missed the point of her society! It would not have been a job that made her happy - or not happy enough. The oddest thing is that the Exception shows up only a few times, and fights with our POV character each time...and yet I see why the book was called that. This particular Exception has some effect on things, the position of Exception (and its predecessors) has had major effects on Ai-Nadari society. As usual after finishing a Hogarth, my brain is buzzing with new and odd viewpoints. Lovely. ( )