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| Author(s): Anne McCaffrey and Margaret Ball Published: July 1998 by Eos |
When their demise is imminent, a mother and father jettison their newborn daughter from their spaceship to save her life. When she is found by three guys in a mining ship, they name her Acorna, but know nothing about the alien race from which she hails. Acorna develops both physically and mentally faster than expected, and shows both intelligence and healing powers. When a threat is made on her life, it's up to Acorna and her three caretakers to keep her from harm.
The first in a long series.
The Good
The writing here is spot-on, for one. Also, the plot is engaging, and most of the characters--especially Acorna herself--are likable. It's great to see a character whose superpower is to heal, and not to destroy or obliterate everything in sight, like many popular sci-fi/fantasy characters. This is a wonderful start to the series; I can only hope the rest of the books stack up to this one.
The Bad
Unfortunately, the authors felt the need to add some crude and profane content into the mix. D-words and b-words are thrown around a few times, as are sexual references, including ones to prostitution. Granted, that latter subject is vilified, as it should be, but it's still there. You may want to think twice about handing this to a child or young teenager.
Conclusion
The late Anne McCaffrey was and still is a legend when it comes to science fiction. Not only have her books sold into the millions and continue to be in print decades after their initial release, but some of her stories have even been made into computer games. I wouldn't be surprised if there's a movie based on the Pern books scheduled to come out sometime in the next few years. Some purists may find issue with her co-writing a book with someone else, but, I really enjoyed this one, even though it was my third time reading it. Sci-fi/fantasy fans in general should check this series out; minus the obscene content, it's a good one!
Score: 3.75/5
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