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Acorna #1
Acorna: The Unicorn Girl
She was just a little girl, with a tiny horn in the center of her forehead, funny-looking feet, beautiful silver hair, and several curious powers: the ability to purify air and water, make plants grow, and heal scars and broken bones. A trio of grizzled prospectors found her drifting in an escape pod amid the asteroids, adopted her, and took her to the bandit planet Kezdet, a place where no questions are asked and the girl might grow up free.
But Kezdet has its own dark secret. The prosperity of the planet is based on a hideous trade in child slave labor, administered by "The Piper" -- a mystery man with special plans for Acorna and her powers. But free little girls have a way of growing into freedom-loving young women, and Acorna has special plans all her own. . .
But Kezdet has its own dark secret. The prosperity of the planet is based on a hideous trade in child slave labor, administered by "The Piper" -- a mystery man with special plans for Acorna and her powers. But free little girls have a way of growing into freedom-loving young women, and Acorna has special plans all her own. . .
400 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1997
256 people are currently reading
3472 people want to read
About the author
Anne McCaffrey
471 books7,716 followersAnne Inez McCaffrey was an American writer known for the Dragonriders of Pern science fiction series. She was the first woman to win a Hugo Award for fiction (Best Novella, Weyr Search, 1968) and the first to win a Nebula Award (Best Novella, Dragonrider, 1969). Her 1978 novel The White Dragon became one of the first science-fiction books to appear on the New York Times Best Seller list.
In 2005 the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America named McCaffrey its 22nd Grand Master, an annual award to living writers of fantasy and science fiction. She was inducted by the Science Fiction Hall of Fame on 17 June 2006. She also received the Robert A. Heinlein Award for her work in 2007.
In 2005 the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America named McCaffrey its 22nd Grand Master, an annual award to living writers of fantasy and science fiction. She was inducted by the Science Fiction Hall of Fame on 17 June 2006. She also received the Robert A. Heinlein Award for her work in 2007.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 288 reviews
June 19, 2023
All the way back in 2001, a short story called "The Smallest Dragonboy" in my seventh grade literature textbook served as my introduction to the great, now late author Anne McCaffrey. After finishing that story, we watched an interview with Ms. McCaffrey--was it on laserdisc or DVD? I'm still not sure!--where she talked about how, despite some of her stories having female leads, she didn't have any Cinderella-style characters "because Cinderella was a wimp!"
At the time I read/listened to that story in class, I wasn't much of a reader; I was all about Pokémon, Game Boy Color, Hoyle Board Games, and the music of dc Talk, all of which I could engage in while hardly even cracking open any literature (at least, none worth reading). It wasn't until my junior year of high school was almost over that I rediscovered the love for reading I had when I was in elementary school, all thanks to a Star Wars Expanded Universe novel I bought at a garage sale. Still, I remembered that short story and video interview from seventh grade; years later, I came across the Acorna series at a garage sale, and that was my first experience with the works of Anne McCaffrey in a long time.
Reading it now--for the sixth time!--I had forgotten some of the details of the plot; then again, as many books as I read in just a year's time, there's no way I could remember them all. Anne McCaffrey and Margaret Ball work great together, and spin a fun sci-fi/fantasy yarn with a likable heroine and plenty of plot twists. The only downside is that some potentially offensive content--d-words and h-words, sexual references, talk of prostitution, etc.--found its way into the mix, which could keep some discerning readers from enjoying this. If that kind of thing bothers you, proceed with caution.
At the time I read/listened to that story in class, I wasn't much of a reader; I was all about Pokémon, Game Boy Color, Hoyle Board Games, and the music of dc Talk, all of which I could engage in while hardly even cracking open any literature (at least, none worth reading). It wasn't until my junior year of high school was almost over that I rediscovered the love for reading I had when I was in elementary school, all thanks to a Star Wars Expanded Universe novel I bought at a garage sale. Still, I remembered that short story and video interview from seventh grade; years later, I came across the Acorna series at a garage sale, and that was my first experience with the works of Anne McCaffrey in a long time.
Reading it now--for the sixth time!--I had forgotten some of the details of the plot; then again, as many books as I read in just a year's time, there's no way I could remember them all. Anne McCaffrey and Margaret Ball work great together, and spin a fun sci-fi/fantasy yarn with a likable heroine and plenty of plot twists. The only downside is that some potentially offensive content--d-words and h-words, sexual references, talk of prostitution, etc.--found its way into the mix, which could keep some discerning readers from enjoying this. If that kind of thing bothers you, proceed with caution.
January 23, 2010
I read this as part of a big cleaning out of the many books I've purchased since my teen years, but never actually read. I expected it to be an earnest story about a unicorn girl (named Acorna nonetheless) and as such possibly humorously bad. One mark in its favor is that there was a very definite wry tone to the narrative, so most silliness seems intentional. But that's pretty much the only mark in its favor.
Sadly, this book is just...bad. It's badly written and badly structured, with constant POV changes, often from one paragraph to the next, a plodding pace, and a complete lack of rising action or climax.
It's as if the authors forgot that in a book things not only need to happen, but need to happen in a way that's interesting and engaging. Instead, the characters (all quite shallow) just sort of wander about and do stuff with little to no competent resistance or drama. There's never any suspense or sense of danger despite the fact that the characters are ostensibly attempting very dangerous things. Every antagonist either turns out to mean them no harm and becomes a massively powerful ally or is instantly and easily dispatched by aforementioned massively powerful allies. So, instead of anything remotely entertaining you're basically just reading a dull account of how some dudes easily accomplished a thing.
This is the part where I would usually complain about the relationships, but there's not much to complain about. There are a couple of people who appear to vaguely like each other and in the end maybe move in together or get married or something with no actual development leading into this. There are a couple of other people who like each other in an even more vague manner than the previous couple, one of whom suddenly confronts the other about it 3/4 of the way through the book. They proceed to have a brief conversation in which no conclusions are reached and absolutely nothing is resolved, and then it's completely forgotten about for the rest of the book. I suppose it would be disappointing if you had any reason to care about any of these people? I don't know.
At any rate, I expected this book to be bad, but it was surprising in the way that it was bad. Instead of earnest, melodramatic cheese bad, it was shoddily-thrown-together, barely-a-story bad.
0/5
Sadly, this book is just...bad. It's badly written and badly structured, with constant POV changes, often from one paragraph to the next, a plodding pace, and a complete lack of rising action or climax.
It's as if the authors forgot that in a book things not only need to happen, but need to happen in a way that's interesting and engaging. Instead, the characters (all quite shallow) just sort of wander about and do stuff with little to no competent resistance or drama. There's never any suspense or sense of danger despite the fact that the characters are ostensibly attempting very dangerous things. Every antagonist either turns out to mean them no harm and becomes a massively powerful ally or is instantly and easily dispatched by aforementioned massively powerful allies. So, instead of anything remotely entertaining you're basically just reading a dull account of how some dudes easily accomplished a thing.
This is the part where I would usually complain about the relationships, but there's not much to complain about. There are a couple of people who appear to vaguely like each other and in the end maybe move in together or get married or something with no actual development leading into this. There are a couple of other people who like each other in an even more vague manner than the previous couple, one of whom suddenly confronts the other about it 3/4 of the way through the book. They proceed to have a brief conversation in which no conclusions are reached and absolutely nothing is resolved, and then it's completely forgotten about for the rest of the book. I suppose it would be disappointing if you had any reason to care about any of these people? I don't know.
At any rate, I expected this book to be bad, but it was surprising in the way that it was bad. Instead of earnest, melodramatic cheese bad, it was shoddily-thrown-together, barely-a-story bad.
0/5
February 4, 2021
As a longtime avid reader, I have devoured literally thousands of books over the past decade and a half or so. A daily Bible reading has been part of my routine for years, but, God's Word, amazing as it is, isn't the only literature worth revisiting time and time again. Since discovering this series thanks to a garage sale around 2008, I have read it in its entirety more times than pretty much any other, except for maybe Frank Peretti's Veritas Project, which is only a duology. Between rebuying the books at places ranging from my local used bookstore to eBay, checking them out from the library, and even finding eBook versions, this series continues to fascinate me.
I've always been a sucker for a good story; I remember back in 2012 being glued to my television, staying up past midnight--which I hardly ever do, except on New Year's Eve--to finish The Witches of Oz, which had some of the poorest special effects and most abysmal acting I'd ever seen. Why? Despite the terrible production values, the story drew me in, to where I just had to see how it finished. While I wouldn't recommend that movie to anyone--because most people would be turned off by such shoddiness--it nonetheless kept my attention. Over the years, I've also enjoyed telling stories to entertain people; I guess you could say I'm a storyteller, though I hesitate to use that term, because some people would use it to indicate a chronic liar, of which I am not.
While the late Anne McCaffrey has many works to her name, this series will always hold a special place in my heart, because it was my first experience with her works, save for a short story that was required reading in seventh grade. I know Pern gets a lot of fanfare, and it's great...but, so is this. As long as I have both the time and the ability to read, I will keep reading the adventures of the unicorn girl...because they hold a lasting appeal.
I've always been a sucker for a good story; I remember back in 2012 being glued to my television, staying up past midnight--which I hardly ever do, except on New Year's Eve--to finish The Witches of Oz, which had some of the poorest special effects and most abysmal acting I'd ever seen. Why? Despite the terrible production values, the story drew me in, to where I just had to see how it finished. While I wouldn't recommend that movie to anyone--because most people would be turned off by such shoddiness--it nonetheless kept my attention. Over the years, I've also enjoyed telling stories to entertain people; I guess you could say I'm a storyteller, though I hesitate to use that term, because some people would use it to indicate a chronic liar, of which I am not.
While the late Anne McCaffrey has many works to her name, this series will always hold a special place in my heart, because it was my first experience with her works, save for a short story that was required reading in seventh grade. I know Pern gets a lot of fanfare, and it's great...but, so is this. As long as I have both the time and the ability to read, I will keep reading the adventures of the unicorn girl...because they hold a lasting appeal.
January 7, 2009
Okay, this is going to be of a review for the entire series of Acorna books because, well, there are alot of them and I would get carpal tunnel if I wrote an individual review of each book.
Basically this is the story of 2 asteroid miners who come across a strange space pod that has a little girl that resembles a unicorn inside of it. As she is only a baby and there is no one to care for her, they quickly adopt her. This creates all sorts of problems as she is highly sought after as proof of alien life. So the three miners head to the planet Kezdet, where they have heard that with enough money, one can live without being bothered.
However Kezdet has its own problems, namely that its entire economy relies on children working as literal slaves. The 3 miners, along with Acorna, work to end this terrible tragedy.
In later books, the story of searching for acorna's people takes place, along with her finding a boyfriend who is physically and emotionally scarred, and finding out that her people are at war with a bug-like race, the Khleevi who are responsible for not only her being an orphan but also for her boyfriends scars as well.
Up until this point the story is pretty straightforward and easy to understand and really quite enjoyable. Anne McCaffrey once again is able to create a world that is easily understandable, with characters you can identify with.
However, eventually as the series wore on, i think she ran out of plot developments and the story just turns downright well, bizarre. Acorna's boyfriend finds a way to travel back in time and he tries to change history so that he is never captured by the khleevi and tortured (can't really blame the guy but still) meanwhile while doing this he somehow traps acorna in a time loop so that she isn't in the past with him or in the present with everyone else but somewhere else altogether. At this point the story got so incredibly technical, hard to follow and really just unbelievable that I stopped reading before finding out how they fixed it. But I assume they did, becasue there is apparently another series entirely that follows thier children and it is somewhat difficult to have kids if you are stuck in some sort of time vortex
Basically this is the story of 2 asteroid miners who come across a strange space pod that has a little girl that resembles a unicorn inside of it. As she is only a baby and there is no one to care for her, they quickly adopt her. This creates all sorts of problems as she is highly sought after as proof of alien life. So the three miners head to the planet Kezdet, where they have heard that with enough money, one can live without being bothered.
However Kezdet has its own problems, namely that its entire economy relies on children working as literal slaves. The 3 miners, along with Acorna, work to end this terrible tragedy.
In later books, the story of searching for acorna's people takes place, along with her finding a boyfriend who is physically and emotionally scarred, and finding out that her people are at war with a bug-like race, the Khleevi who are responsible for not only her being an orphan but also for her boyfriends scars as well.
Up until this point the story is pretty straightforward and easy to understand and really quite enjoyable. Anne McCaffrey once again is able to create a world that is easily understandable, with characters you can identify with.
However, eventually as the series wore on, i think she ran out of plot developments and the story just turns downright well, bizarre. Acorna's boyfriend finds a way to travel back in time and he tries to change history so that he is never captured by the khleevi and tortured (can't really blame the guy but still) meanwhile while doing this he somehow traps acorna in a time loop so that she isn't in the past with him or in the present with everyone else but somewhere else altogether. At this point the story got so incredibly technical, hard to follow and really just unbelievable that I stopped reading before finding out how they fixed it. But I assume they did, becasue there is apparently another series entirely that follows thier children and it is somewhat difficult to have kids if you are stuck in some sort of time vortex
August 18, 2009
I found this book in my school library when I started grade 9, and I thought it sounded like the absolute most ridiculous book in the history of the world! I spent the next three years making fun of it, and my friends and I even had a sort of inside joke about it. I mean, come on! This is a story about an orphaned girl who has a unicorn horn sticking out of her forehead! Puh-lease! In grade 11, I finally read it, sort of as a joke, and it turned out to actually be pretty good, when it comes to science fiction. If you overlook the fact that the main character has a horn in her head, it's a pretty good story line!
May 25, 2014
I had heard of the late author Anne McCaffrey but had never felt curious enough to read her young adult series. Then I came upon Acorna, decided, what the heck, and picked it up. I am so very glad I did.
This book grabbed me and sucked me in right from the get-go. The characters are ‘real’ if you know what I mean…well as real as a girl with a silver horn (unicorn) can be!
This story, at least the first half-reminds me very much of another of my favorite authors Anne Bishop and the book “Written in Red” a sort of paranormal fish-out-of-water type of book. This novel also has some elements of Ms Bishops “Black Jewels” trilogy, but is much less sexual.
That is somewhat how Acorna starts – with a foundling with a horn, adopted by three metal prospectors who hunt for ore on asteroids and such. Acorna definitely has a lot to learn about how to be human…or does she really?
There is a lot of excitement, tragedy and humor. There is fantastic world building and character growth in this first installment.There is not a huge amount of scientific info dumps and very little about the science of space travel –it is a world that needs no explanation, it just is. And I loved it.
There is some romance, but mostly implied. I hope this will be developed in future books.
If the rest of the series stands up to this novel then I will be a happy camper. I will very much mourn the passing of such an author as Ms. McCaffrey but be content that at least I DID find her, and look forward to reading all of her books that I have missed until now.
This is said to be an adult series, but I can see no reason that teens wouldn’t like it also. As far as I can remember there is no horrible language and the scary parts are something most teens can handle easily.
This book grabbed me and sucked me in right from the get-go. The characters are ‘real’ if you know what I mean…well as real as a girl with a silver horn (unicorn) can be!
This story, at least the first half-reminds me very much of another of my favorite authors Anne Bishop and the book “Written in Red” a sort of paranormal fish-out-of-water type of book. This novel also has some elements of Ms Bishops “Black Jewels” trilogy, but is much less sexual.
That is somewhat how Acorna starts – with a foundling with a horn, adopted by three metal prospectors who hunt for ore on asteroids and such. Acorna definitely has a lot to learn about how to be human…or does she really?
There is a lot of excitement, tragedy and humor. There is fantastic world building and character growth in this first installment.There is not a huge amount of scientific info dumps and very little about the science of space travel –it is a world that needs no explanation, it just is. And I loved it.
There is some romance, but mostly implied. I hope this will be developed in future books.
If the rest of the series stands up to this novel then I will be a happy camper. I will very much mourn the passing of such an author as Ms. McCaffrey but be content that at least I DID find her, and look forward to reading all of her books that I have missed until now.
This is said to be an adult series, but I can see no reason that teens wouldn’t like it also. As far as I can remember there is no horrible language and the scary parts are something most teens can handle easily.
August 11, 2017
Okay, just... no.
I always wanted to read this book as I read a few of Anne McCaffrey's books when I was younger. I enjoyed them, as they had dragons and I absolutely love dragons.
But this...
Despite it having a Unicorn Girl, the thing that really ticked me off was the religion aspect.
Anne McCaffrey skewered up Islam in her novel, presumingly 'updating' the already existing religion with her own preferences, etc.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was the seal of the Prophets. The Quran is perfection, never having changed since it's revelation.
And yet, Anne McCaffrey decided to bring about more prophets, etc into her story to add to our religion.
If you're writing a sci-fi novel, you might as well make up your OWN religion in the stories, not taking one that exists and messing it up.
I couldn't finish this novel because of this reason.
Otherwise, the premise of the story was initially good.
I always wanted to read this book as I read a few of Anne McCaffrey's books when I was younger. I enjoyed them, as they had dragons and I absolutely love dragons.
But this...
Despite it having a Unicorn Girl, the thing that really ticked me off was the religion aspect.
Anne McCaffrey skewered up Islam in her novel, presumingly 'updating' the already existing religion with her own preferences, etc.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was the seal of the Prophets. The Quran is perfection, never having changed since it's revelation.
And yet, Anne McCaffrey decided to bring about more prophets, etc into her story to add to our religion.
If you're writing a sci-fi novel, you might as well make up your OWN religion in the stories, not taking one that exists and messing it up.
I couldn't finish this novel because of this reason.
Otherwise, the premise of the story was initially good.
October 4, 2011
I found this story to be fresh and creative. While the mystery of Acorna the unicorn girl was the center of the book. I found the other characters to be funny, protective and cool. I could see each of them as if they were living and breathing in front of me on a screen. Her details were also extremely imaginative without giving so much that I was unable to picture things myself. This is the book that made me an Anna McCaffrey Fan. :D
August 30, 2023
This is a cute sci-fi book (series, which I do plan to continue). I love the "Uncles" because it's like Snow White-esque (i.e., miners taking in a young lady). One of my students last year actually recommended this book because it's the one that really got her into reading. I could see someone reading this book/series then moving into Dune or Brandon Sanderson books.
December 7, 2013
Recently I watched a review for “The Last Unicorn”, it was based on a book, however when I went looking for the book I couldn’t find it. I found this book however. Having read all of the “Dragonriders of Pern” series by Anne McCaffrey I decided to give this series a try.
This was an enjoyable book. It seemed to lack somewhat in characterization and plot. My memories of Dragonriders are a little fuzzy as it was several years ago I read them, but it seems they were much better written. These books boil down to good vs evil. The good being Acorna and her friends, the evil practically everyone else. I say practically everyone because not everyone is evil, but it seems that everyone who is not a friend of Acorna, if they are not evil, they end up becoming her friends.
The story starts with 3 space miners finding a floating escape pod and inside it is a little girl, human-like, but not human. Before they can back to their planet they take care of her, they become her ‘uncles’ and as such decide to keep her and raise her as their own. They discover she has some special abilities. Upon returning to their planet they find things have changed, this leads to the first encounter with ‘evil’ and they end up on the run and on a planet Kezdet, which uses child slave labor.
What follows is Acorna trying to free the children and acting impulsively, which disrupts the carefully laid plans already in place to save the children.
This could almost be considered a young adult book, but there is some violence and adult situations in it.
This was an enjoyable book. It seemed to lack somewhat in characterization and plot. My memories of Dragonriders are a little fuzzy as it was several years ago I read them, but it seems they were much better written. These books boil down to good vs evil. The good being Acorna and her friends, the evil practically everyone else. I say practically everyone because not everyone is evil, but it seems that everyone who is not a friend of Acorna, if they are not evil, they end up becoming her friends.
The story starts with 3 space miners finding a floating escape pod and inside it is a little girl, human-like, but not human. Before they can back to their planet they take care of her, they become her ‘uncles’ and as such decide to keep her and raise her as their own. They discover she has some special abilities. Upon returning to their planet they find things have changed, this leads to the first encounter with ‘evil’ and they end up on the run and on a planet Kezdet, which uses child slave labor.
What follows is Acorna trying to free the children and acting impulsively, which disrupts the carefully laid plans already in place to save the children.
This could almost be considered a young adult book, but there is some violence and adult situations in it.
May 6, 2022
I read this when I was a lot younger, but although I loved it then, I never read the rest of the books in the series. Now a bit older, and with all the books in my possession, I thought I'd give it a go. I kind of liked it, but there seems a lot going on and sometimes I just wanted to pause the author for a moment. There isn't a huge amount of character development, but is a lot of action, which at least makes the book a fast read. I did like the idea that our myths of unicorns are based on some alien race visiting in the past (not that that's been done before!), and it will be interesting to see where it goes from here.
May 11, 2023
A great start to an exciting adventure
I first read Acorna when I was a tween. I think I read it at least 5 times. I never got through to the next book, but now I look forward to it.
Sometimes I had a little trouble figuring out what was going on because it did jump around a lot, changing character views and places.
I can't wait to see what Acorna does next and how the children adapt on the moon.
I first read Acorna when I was a tween. I think I read it at least 5 times. I never got through to the next book, but now I look forward to it.
Sometimes I had a little trouble figuring out what was going on because it did jump around a lot, changing character views and places.
I can't wait to see what Acorna does next and how the children adapt on the moon.
January 6, 2019
A very cool story. It left me full of positive energy. =)
March 27, 2018
An interesting mashup of scifi/fantasy. The plot is really good and, overall, the book was an enjoyable read; but, if I'm being honest, it wasn't very well-written and the execution of the story was fairly shoddy. Things happened at unrealistic pacing and the character development was a little hasty. Also, a few things came across as slightly sexist/racist, but it was subtle and the author was born in another time, so I didn't read too much into it. The story was very good, though, so no regrets reading it.
April 8, 2018
Surprisingly dark for what I thought would be a fun sci-fi romp featuring a unicorn girl. The writing was simplistic and uneven, and couldn't pull off what it attempted. The plot had little direction and didn't manage to create any tension.
April 21, 2024
A team of asteroid miners find an alien castaway in space, and rescue her. They look after her and keep her safe while they continue mining, and start to look for her people. When they reach a planet - that's when the trouble starts . . . interesting concepts - good read.
October 16, 2017
Not a bad book, all in all.
December 25, 2021
Read this book when I was a little girl. Its been awhile. I should reread.
July 23, 2021
a literal horse girl with cool magic powers like being able to tell the potassium percentage of lettuce just by tasting it builds a colony on the moon to house children she rescues from slave labor and sex trafficking, what's not to like
October 31, 2014
This is a re-read of a series I first picked up in my early teens and have re-read a couple of times since. Acorna is the first book in that series. I would describe the series as a sci-fi/fantasy mash-up; it has space travel, futuristic technology, and aliens, but it also has a unicorn girl with magical healing powers who is hailed as various goddesses incarnate and saves enslaved children from evil slavers. Is it any good? Well, let’s just say I enjoyed bits of it more than other parts.
The first part of the book I’ve always greatly enjoyed. The comic dynamic of the trio of itinerant miners – Rafik, Gill, and Calum – who discover an alien unicorn girl works really well. The interplay of the three off one another, the comedy of the situation, and there was a real sense of sci-fi here as they travelled the stars undertaking their asteroid mining. Their escape from Amalgamated Mining is always a part I’ve found less thrilling. It all just seems a little too silly and easy to pull off to be believable or gripping. Nevertheless, the quartet goes on their way and now they’re on the run. The escapade with Rafik’s uncle, Hafiz, is another section I’ve always enjoyed. It serves as an interlude from the previous action, the descriptions here are vivid and evocative, and the battle of wits is both an enjoyable read and adds some more comedy into proceedings. The planet-hopping that follows as they struggle to keep afloat and one step ahead of their pursuers is semi-enjoyable, but all the planets they visit are skimmed over too quickly, I felt, with not enough distinguishing description, events, or characters. Finally, the quartet arrives on Kezdet, where Acorna gains a powerful new protector and joins the effort to end child slavery on the planet. It’s here where I felt the book suffers the most. It seemed all too convenient for Acorna to become the ward of her powerful, wealthy, beneficent protector, and all too easy to uncover and bring down the child slavery ring. Many of the characters seemed one-note at this point, even previously established interesting characters such as Calum, Gill, and Rafik, as they each become focused on their individual tasks. Pal Kendoro is just a stereotypical puppy love, his sisters general well-meaning but lacking any really distinctive personality, and the antagonists just seem to be through and through evil without any redeeming features or deeper complexity. It did begin to feel a little bit Mary-Sueish, with Acorna the stunningly beautiful unicorn girl with magical healing powers rescuing the dirty children in rags, who of course immediately love her, from the soulless slavers.
One confusing thing as well; the book opens by stating that; “The space/time coordinate system they used has no relationship to Earth, our sun, the Milky Way”, yet throughout characters give distinct Earth backgrounds (e.g. Chinese, British…), use modern idioms and reference historical events (e.g. the abdication of Edward VIII), and even refer to constellations that we know, such as Coma Berenices. Not only was this somewhat confusing, given the initial information that the story is supposed to be set in a fantasy reality/galaxy, but I also found it immensely distracting. As a reader I want to be immersed in this fantasy universe, but every so often the book is reminding me of the real world, not the fictional world I’m supposed to be losing myself in.
I’ve liked this series, over the years, but it’s always seemed a little bit simplistic and not quite up to scratch as far as being an amazing read goes. It’s decent, it’s reasonably enjoyable, but no more. I like it, but I don’t love it.
6 out of 10
August 16, 2021
Acorna is one of those books that, no matter how often I've read it, it has affected me just as deeply each time.
This story of a Unicorn girl, reft violently from her parents, as they hope she escapes their terrible fate is, on the surface, a story of hope against adversity. It tells how deeply a person can be loved, no matter her species, and how those that love her will do almost anything to make sure that she is happy, and will do all that they can to help her find her people.
But it's also a tale of the dark side of humanity. About the depths that some people will go to, in order to make as much profit as possible.
How their very humanity is slowly and gradually killed off - draining away with every act of violence towards the most innocent, as they use, and abuse, children, in order to make a profit or, worse, use and abuse children in the very worst way possible.
It's not a comfortable book to read, as Anne is quite blunt in her writing at times and, even when glossing over the worst acts of inhumanity, still lets the reader know just how bad it actually is.
I think what makes it like this for me, is knowing that all of the things she has written about, aren't just a work of fiction.
All that was done to the children in her story, has been done to countless children throughout humanity's history and, sadly, is still going on.
But, Anne writes in such a way, that there is that beacon of hope that, maybe not soon but, one day, humanity will wake up totally to these horrors, and actually do something about it!
I'm just so glad that she ends this book on a high note, as it's not something I would be able to go to sleep easily, after reading!
It doesn't actually end in the normal way, though, as it has been left open to continue Acorna's story in the next book: Acorna's Quest.
This story of a Unicorn girl, reft violently from her parents, as they hope she escapes their terrible fate is, on the surface, a story of hope against adversity. It tells how deeply a person can be loved, no matter her species, and how those that love her will do almost anything to make sure that she is happy, and will do all that they can to help her find her people.
But it's also a tale of the dark side of humanity. About the depths that some people will go to, in order to make as much profit as possible.
How their very humanity is slowly and gradually killed off - draining away with every act of violence towards the most innocent, as they use, and abuse, children, in order to make a profit or, worse, use and abuse children in the very worst way possible.
It's not a comfortable book to read, as Anne is quite blunt in her writing at times and, even when glossing over the worst acts of inhumanity, still lets the reader know just how bad it actually is.
I think what makes it like this for me, is knowing that all of the things she has written about, aren't just a work of fiction.
All that was done to the children in her story, has been done to countless children throughout humanity's history and, sadly, is still going on.
But, Anne writes in such a way, that there is that beacon of hope that, maybe not soon but, one day, humanity will wake up totally to these horrors, and actually do something about it!
I'm just so glad that she ends this book on a high note, as it's not something I would be able to go to sleep easily, after reading!
It doesn't actually end in the normal way, though, as it has been left open to continue Acorna's story in the next book: Acorna's Quest.
September 9, 2012
I first read Acorna: The Unicorn Girl when I was in grade school. This review is for a reread. I remembered the major strokes of this book, but had forgotten the details.
This is the story of three miners and how they find purpose and romance in their lives, catalyzed by the discovery of an extraterrestrial named Acorna. It is the story of the start to the overhaul of an economy in which labor is ill treated - very reminiscent of what happened on Earth in the not too distant past - by a few rich souls who have ethics rather than just morals. It is the story of hope provided to the downtrodden laborers in the person of Acorna. But what it decidedly is not, is the story of the eponymous Acorna.
This book deals obliquely with the concepts of extreme poverty, selling children into slavery, pedophilia, and sadomasochism. It also has a scene or two that remind me of Disney's Aladdin when Jasmin escapes the castle and heads out into the market, not understanding that she is going to need money.
I cannot speak to the feelings of suspense or not, for as I mention that I have read this novel before, whenever a tricky situation was encountered, I vaguely remembered how it would be resolved and so read on to see that resolution take place. Perhaps you should read a first-read review to see if the tensions are as tense as they are supposed to be.
This is the story of three miners and how they find purpose and romance in their lives, catalyzed by the discovery of an extraterrestrial named Acorna. It is the story of the start to the overhaul of an economy in which labor is ill treated - very reminiscent of what happened on Earth in the not too distant past - by a few rich souls who have ethics rather than just morals. It is the story of hope provided to the downtrodden laborers in the person of Acorna. But what it decidedly is not, is the story of the eponymous Acorna.
This book deals obliquely with the concepts of extreme poverty, selling children into slavery, pedophilia, and sadomasochism. It also has a scene or two that remind me of Disney's Aladdin when Jasmin escapes the castle and heads out into the market, not understanding that she is going to need money.
I cannot speak to the feelings of suspense or not, for as I mention that I have read this novel before, whenever a tricky situation was encountered, I vaguely remembered how it would be resolved and so read on to see that resolution take place. Perhaps you should read a first-read review to see if the tensions are as tense as they are supposed to be.
June 21, 2020
I usually don’t read sci-fi. I love sci-fi movies and tv but my reading tastes are more fantasy and horror. I knew of Anne McCaffrey’s DragonRiders is Pern series and when I saw “unicorn girl” I mistook it for fantasy. *eye roll* But my mistake turned out to be a happy one. From the beginning I was engaged with the characters. I mentioned to friends that the first chapter was like “Three Men and a Baby” in space. And that’s not an insult; I love that movie! It was a fast, adventure filled story with characters I grew fond of immediately. And as much as I keep telling myself I am only going to read the first book in a series, I already have a copy of Acorna’s Quest waiting for me.
April 2, 2008
I am not usually one for sci-fi books, but there is the occational novel that breaks that barrer and this is one of them! A suprisingly futuristic take on fantasy elements, this series is a fantastic read.
Three astroid miners find an escape pod from an unknown alien race in which they find a curiously built infant girl. With no other option available, they take to raising the child and come to care for her. But the story builds as Acorna seeks to find her way the world and battle the corrupt slave system of the planet Kezdet.
Three astroid miners find an escape pod from an unknown alien race in which they find a curiously built infant girl. With no other option available, they take to raising the child and come to care for her. But the story builds as Acorna seeks to find her way the world and battle the corrupt slave system of the planet Kezdet.
January 11, 2010
Ooh, I thought. Unicorns. Anne McCaffrey is supposed to be good, right? Played straight, this could be enchanting, or if it's tongue-in-cheek, all the better! But... alas, I was too old to swallow this one. I should have listened to the cover's warning. My favorite thing about it was deconstructing its flaws.
March 13, 2017
No. Don't bother. Really. 400 pages. Hours of your life wasted. Let me take the hit.
Full harsh review
Full harsh review
January 5, 2018
A bit dated now, but still as good as I remember reading as a kid. ^_^
September 1, 2019
Loved the Acorna Series, transports you to another world
February 27, 2022
There HAS to be fanfiction of this series that are better than the books. There just HAS to be!
This is one of those books that someone gave to me a child, but my childhood instincts must have been excellent, because I never bothered to read it. On the surface, it's exactly the type of book I like--it appears to be the epic story of a magical girl, last of her kind, thrust into a world that borders ancient fantasy and futuristic tech.
Unfortunately, that's not what this book is about. This is a book about space miners. If you're interested in different types of elements and metals and the conceptualization and city planning of moonbases, then this book is for you. Although it might actually not be, because I am not knowledgeable enough on the physics of space travel or the geology of outer space to know if any of that supplied information is in any way accurate.
I'm erring towards that it probably isn't, because the story-telling of the book suffers so much from a lack of tension and an overuse of the deux ex machina literary device that I'm inclined to believe that all the "sciencey" parts are likewise made up. The book utterly lacks any genuine conflict. Anytime the characters actually go somewhere and do anything besides mining rocks, the difficulties they encounter border on comedic farce. It honestly reads like when you were a kid playing with your friends and you would play off each other "imagining" different ways to heighten the tension in increasingly unlikely scenarios, knowing full well that the "good" guys were going to win so it didn't really matter how ridiculous you were.
So, let's talk about Acorna. The writers really painted themselves into a corner with her. Acorna ages about 5x faster than a normal human, so that by the time she is 4 years old she is 18, meaning that instead of some kind of flash forward we get to read through all four years of Acorna's childhood on the mining ship. The author's definitely should have flash-forwarded, implied that Acorna and her space-mining guardians spent most of the time in space but had several surface adventures on nearby planets all over the universe. This would give plenty of opportunity for developing the character down the line and a lot of room for particular plot points and mysteries the writers could conjure up whenever they felt like it.
Instead, Acorna--and the whole book's--development is rushed, with Acorna learning complex mathematical equations at the age of 2. We also get to read about how much she loves vegetables and how much she eats. Acorna also has the ability to purify air and water, meaning that the miners can stay on the spaceship for even longer durations than expected. What fun! More time mining rocks! It's truly baffling how such a fun concept as a unicorn girl has been shoe-horned into the most boring situation imaginable.
Finally, the last half of the book has more in the way of adventure and development, as Acorna is motivated to secure justice for the slave children who, you guessed it, spend all day working in the mines. Many other reviewers have commented on the startling shift in content from "goofy space family" to "child sex trafficking rings", and it honestly reads like the writer's were escalating off one of those Creative Writing class prompts: "So how can we make these bad guys not just bad, but REALLY REALLY bad!"
Everyone who helps them is a good guy, nobody has any under-the-surface motivations, and of course you have the friend with an unlimited supply of money. I also really struggled with the characterization of Acorna's three guardians--the writers heavily favor Rafik, while the other two are kind of relegated to side characters. At least no one died--well, no one who couldn't be brought back in the next paragraph.
I really, really hope there are some good fanfics worth reading. The concept is so fun and has so much potential, I have no idea why the writers went for the space miner angle. A passionate writer could imagine such a better and more meaningful story around Acorna.
This is one of those books that someone gave to me a child, but my childhood instincts must have been excellent, because I never bothered to read it. On the surface, it's exactly the type of book I like--it appears to be the epic story of a magical girl, last of her kind, thrust into a world that borders ancient fantasy and futuristic tech.
Unfortunately, that's not what this book is about. This is a book about space miners. If you're interested in different types of elements and metals and the conceptualization and city planning of moonbases, then this book is for you. Although it might actually not be, because I am not knowledgeable enough on the physics of space travel or the geology of outer space to know if any of that supplied information is in any way accurate.
I'm erring towards that it probably isn't, because the story-telling of the book suffers so much from a lack of tension and an overuse of the deux ex machina literary device that I'm inclined to believe that all the "sciencey" parts are likewise made up. The book utterly lacks any genuine conflict. Anytime the characters actually go somewhere and do anything besides mining rocks, the difficulties they encounter border on comedic farce. It honestly reads like when you were a kid playing with your friends and you would play off each other "imagining" different ways to heighten the tension in increasingly unlikely scenarios, knowing full well that the "good" guys were going to win so it didn't really matter how ridiculous you were.
So, let's talk about Acorna. The writers really painted themselves into a corner with her. Acorna ages about 5x faster than a normal human, so that by the time she is 4 years old she is 18, meaning that instead of some kind of flash forward we get to read through all four years of Acorna's childhood on the mining ship. The author's definitely should have flash-forwarded, implied that Acorna and her space-mining guardians spent most of the time in space but had several surface adventures on nearby planets all over the universe. This would give plenty of opportunity for developing the character down the line and a lot of room for particular plot points and mysteries the writers could conjure up whenever they felt like it.
Instead, Acorna--and the whole book's--development is rushed, with Acorna learning complex mathematical equations at the age of 2. We also get to read about how much she loves vegetables and how much she eats. Acorna also has the ability to purify air and water, meaning that the miners can stay on the spaceship for even longer durations than expected. What fun! More time mining rocks! It's truly baffling how such a fun concept as a unicorn girl has been shoe-horned into the most boring situation imaginable.
Finally, the last half of the book has more in the way of adventure and development, as Acorna is motivated to secure justice for the slave children who, you guessed it, spend all day working in the mines. Many other reviewers have commented on the startling shift in content from "goofy space family" to "child sex trafficking rings", and it honestly reads like the writer's were escalating off one of those Creative Writing class prompts: "So how can we make these bad guys not just bad, but REALLY REALLY bad!"
Everyone who helps them is a good guy, nobody has any under-the-surface motivations, and of course you have the friend with an unlimited supply of money. I also really struggled with the characterization of Acorna's three guardians--the writers heavily favor Rafik, while the other two are kind of relegated to side characters. At least no one died--well, no one who couldn't be brought back in the next paragraph.
I really, really hope there are some good fanfics worth reading. The concept is so fun and has so much potential, I have no idea why the writers went for the space miner angle. A passionate writer could imagine such a better and more meaningful story around Acorna.
February 16, 2025
⚠️ Content Warning: This book includes themes of child exploitation, forced labor/enslavement/indentured servitude of children, child sexual abuse, and ableism (though the latter is explicitly challenged in the text). ⚠️
I have such a history with this book, even though I only just finished it. I first picked it up as a kid after my Aunt Delores recommended Anne McCaffrey to me. I had devoured Dragonsong and other books in her dragon-related series, so when I spotted this one, I thought, why not? But at around ten years old, I hit a scene involving child abuse and child sexual abuse, and I just… couldn’t keep going. I didn’t have the words for it then, but I was mortified. So I quietly set it aside, never told my aunt, and simply moved on to other books.
Now, decades later, I picked up a used copy at The Last Bookstore during a trip with my dad, determined to finally read it and the rest of the series. I’m so glad I did. Not only did I get closure, but I genuinely enjoyed it. This book reaffirmed my love of fantasy—space fantasy included!—and reminded me why McCaffrey’s storytelling has stuck with me all these years.
One of the things I love about her writing is the way she shifts perspectives, giving insight into multiple characters, even minor ones. As a narrative therapist, I really appreciated how she explores different viewpoints, even those of antagonists or characters who appear briefly. It makes the world feel richer and more immersive, like everyone exists beyond the page.
Also, for a book written in the ’90s, this has aged surprisingly well. There’s a diverse cast of characters representing different cultures, religions, and languages—sometimes reimagined in a futuristic setting, but still present in a way that was refreshing to see. And despite touching on some incredibly dark themes, the story itself remains engaging, full of adventure, humor, and found family.
A few other things I loved:
-Strong women characters—with names, agency, and conversations about things other than men (hello, Bechdel Test pass!)
-A balance of character and plot—this book has a lot of moving parts, but McCaffrey manages to make it work.
-An ending I didn’t see coming—always a plus.
This was pure fun to read, and while I’ve been reading a lot of nonfiction lately, this reminded me that I just love a good fantasy story. I also realized that putting this book in the bathroom (and leaving my phone out) helped me get through it faster. Maybe that’s a trick I’ll use for the rest of my paperback TBR (I have a 2025 goal of reading all my TBR books -eek)?
Would I want to see this adapted into a show? Probably, though it would have to be a TV series rather than a movie—there’s just too much plot to condense. But for now, I’m happy that I finally saw this story through and can’t wait to continue the series.
I have such a history with this book, even though I only just finished it. I first picked it up as a kid after my Aunt Delores recommended Anne McCaffrey to me. I had devoured Dragonsong and other books in her dragon-related series, so when I spotted this one, I thought, why not? But at around ten years old, I hit a scene involving child abuse and child sexual abuse, and I just… couldn’t keep going. I didn’t have the words for it then, but I was mortified. So I quietly set it aside, never told my aunt, and simply moved on to other books.
Now, decades later, I picked up a used copy at The Last Bookstore during a trip with my dad, determined to finally read it and the rest of the series. I’m so glad I did. Not only did I get closure, but I genuinely enjoyed it. This book reaffirmed my love of fantasy—space fantasy included!—and reminded me why McCaffrey’s storytelling has stuck with me all these years.
One of the things I love about her writing is the way she shifts perspectives, giving insight into multiple characters, even minor ones. As a narrative therapist, I really appreciated how she explores different viewpoints, even those of antagonists or characters who appear briefly. It makes the world feel richer and more immersive, like everyone exists beyond the page.
Also, for a book written in the ’90s, this has aged surprisingly well. There’s a diverse cast of characters representing different cultures, religions, and languages—sometimes reimagined in a futuristic setting, but still present in a way that was refreshing to see. And despite touching on some incredibly dark themes, the story itself remains engaging, full of adventure, humor, and found family.
A few other things I loved:
-Strong women characters—with names, agency, and conversations about things other than men (hello, Bechdel Test pass!)
-A balance of character and plot—this book has a lot of moving parts, but McCaffrey manages to make it work.
-An ending I didn’t see coming—always a plus.
This was pure fun to read, and while I’ve been reading a lot of nonfiction lately, this reminded me that I just love a good fantasy story. I also realized that putting this book in the bathroom (and leaving my phone out) helped me get through it faster. Maybe that’s a trick I’ll use for the rest of my paperback TBR (I have a 2025 goal of reading all my TBR books -eek)?
Would I want to see this adapted into a show? Probably, though it would have to be a TV series rather than a movie—there’s just too much plot to condense. But for now, I’m happy that I finally saw this story through and can’t wait to continue the series.
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