Gate of Ivrel | 
pick(1976) This is Cherryh's debut novel and y'all she hit the ground at a dead sprint. Premise is, a lost civilization has left a network of gates around the galaxy. Misuse of the gates destroyed the builders' civilization, so a team is sent to close the gates and prevent a repeat catastrophe. In this volume, gate-closer Morgaine joins forces with a local outcast to close the gate on his planet. It's an excellent launch to a series and a long career.
RamsFan1963 I thought Brothers of Earth was Cherryh's first book, but it was published the same year as this so I guess they're co-first novels. 3y
swynn @RamsFan1963 Someone else on another site told me they were 100% certain Brothers of Earth was first. I'm open to correction, but AFAICT both books were published by DAW in 1976: this one in March and BOE in October. With publication dates that close, maybe she wrote and/or sold BOE first, but DAW issued GOI first for its own reasons? IDK 3y
RamsFan1963 @swynn I've never read Gates of Ivrel, but Brothers of Earth is one of my favorites. It always amazed me how good Cherryh's writing was from her very first published work. I don't think I've read anything by her that I didn't enjoy. 3y
swynn I bounced of a couple of her works when I was in high school (oh dear high school me), but loved her Chanur books and some of the early Foreigner novels in my twenties and thirties. I'm really looking forward to reading more of her stuff as part of my DAW project. Gate of Ivrel was certainly a rousing introduction. Brothers of Earth will come next, later this year or early next. 3y