terriko

Her oeuvre is large spanning a number of subgenres of SF and fantasy, but I suggest Foreigner. It's about a (fairly large) lost colony of humans that gets stranded on a planet with an indigenous sentient species, the atevi, with a barely just industrializing civilization. Most of the story takes place 200 years later when the atevi have a generally technological civilization, and focuses on the lone human diplomat who lives among them, representing humanity's interests---a human polity which has "paid the rent" via gradual tech transfer. Until something happens that disturbs the delicate equilibrium.

The world, characters, and the culture of the atevi are so well-realized that she's now writing her 12th novel in that world, and it's still good. Never fear, while they are in chronological order, they all have episodic/conclusive endings, so you can just read as far as you want without generally being left at a cliffhanger. I started reading them grade 10, and they've had a considerable effect on me. I also own them all and would lend them to you but I am in the wrong country at present :)

If you end up not liking it, you may instead like The Faded Sun trilogy. I had a friend who did not like Foreigner but loved The Faded Sun. Or the Chanur series.

Asad