Yeah, it's far from his best anyway. Last Call, Anubis Gate, Stress of her Regard or Declare are all better choice to start Powers.

For Cherryh, I think I recced you the Foreigner series? It's long but goooood. Otherwise the Faded Sun Trilogy, the Morgaine saga (okay, that one is low tech enough to pass for fantasy in a way), or Chanur of course (warning: I read this one many, many, many years ago).