Rowan, The (Rowan/Damia)

by Anne McCaffrey

Rowan, The (Rowan/Damia)

book data

1328 ratings, 3.89 average rating, 30 reviews (more data...)

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published

January 25th 2007 (first published 1992) by Brilliance Audio on MP3-CD

binding

MP3 CD

isbn

1423330293 (isbn13: 9781423330295)

description

Told in the timeless style of Anne McCaffrey, The Rowan is the first installment in a wonderful trilogy. This is sci-fi at its best: a contemporary l...more

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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 1558)

All ratings | 5 stars (420) | 4 stars (422) | 3 stars (345) | 2 stars (89) | 1 star (12) | avg 3.89

all | this edition

Jo rated it:

(review of isbn 0517086034)

07/31/07

bookshelves: sci-fifantasy

McCaffrey tends to over-do her female leads sometimes, and the Rowan and Damian are prime examples of this (no pun intended). I still liked the books very much however because they're an easy fun read. They're more sci/fi-romance-adventure really.

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Wealhtheow

Wealhtheow rated it:

07/31/07

bookshelves: sci-fi

The Rowan is an orphaned girl with incredible psychic power and a cute little psychic pet. Oh the pain she suffers from being an orphan! Oh the oppression of being so powerful! Oh the agony of no one understanding your Speshulness!

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Nola

Nola rated it:

(review of isbn 0517086034)

07/13/08

bookshelves: fiction---science-fiction

Read in July, 2008

recommended to Nola by: Mom
recommends it for: science fiction buffs, romance buffs, anyone who likes psychic powers

When a mudslide overwhelms the Rowan mining settlement, the only survivor is a three year old girl whose psychic powers alert everyone on her moon to the fact that she is trapped in a mud-covered skiff alone. Ann McCaffrey’s novel, The Rowan, follows the growing up of a unique and powerful child into an isolated womanhood, where she finally meets that strong, sensitive man who saves her from loneliness, achieving a merging of the minds and perfect unity, etc. (Yeah, I got a bit impatient with...more When a mudslide overwhelms the Rowan mining settlement, the only survivor is a three year old girl whose psychic powers alert everyone on her moon to the fact that she is trapped in a mud-covered skiff alone. Ann McCaffrey’s novel, The Rowan, follows the growing up of a unique and powerful child into an isolated womanhood, where she finally meets that strong, sensitive man who saves her from loneliness, achieving a merging of the minds and perfect unity, etc. (Yeah, I got a bit impatient with the pacing and details of the story.)

I first read this book years and years ago, and frankly, I enjoyed it much more then. I still enjoy the story but the writing really seems lacking to me. It is hard to believe how many novels McCaffrey has sold. So much of the story is description, and it jumps around a lot. It feels as though we skim, skim, skim, oh wait here's a scene, skim, skim, skim some more. Her writing style is just very jerky.

One reason the story felt so jerky was that much was simply assumed, and then it took the author quite awhile to clarify the point, leaving the reader wondering if they missed something. Then there was the prediction-thing about guarding the guardian. After five years, I’ve never figured that out. Did they guard her, or was her death presentable? Or were they talking about Purza’s unfortunate end? And I had made the mistake of reading Damia (the second book in the series) first, and so I found myself missing the interaction with Afra, the second in command. I'm sure if I had read the series in order, the point wouldn't have been so lacking. But given the definitive role he plays in the Rowan’s life, you would have think he could have added a few more sentences, or interacted a bit more with the two main characters.

That said, kudos to an intriguing story - psychics running the shipping service in the solar system, and the loneliness that goes along with such an exalted position; an alien attack defeated by nonmechanical powers and women’s intuition exceeding robotic sensors. Ultimately, an alien attack on the far-flung planet of Deneb helps the Rowan to meet her man, which we all know is the point of McCaffrey’s novels. The evil is defeated, love conquers all, and the solar system is set right.

But I could have used a bit more detail in the process.
...less

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Christian

Christian rated it:

(review of isbn 0517086034)

07/08/08

bookshelves: sci-fi

This is one of my favorite novels, even though it is definitely not one of the best novels I've read.

When I read anything, I tend to enjoy it more when the character development is strong enough that I care about what the characters think and feel, and especially what happens to them.

Anne McCaffrey may be weak at creating actual science fiction—I consider this book to be more of a futuristic fantasy than hard science fiction—but she is fantastic at showing you who a character...more

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Jim

Jim rated it:

(review of isbn 0517086034)

03/19/08

bookshelves: science-fiction

Read in March, 2008

I can't help it, I love these books. I have read this one four times now over a 17 year period. I highly recommend the Pegasus series followed by the Rowan series.

Told in the timeless style of Anne McCaffrey, The Rowan is the first installment in a wonderful trilogy. This is sci-fi at its best: a contemporary love story as well as an engrossing view of our world in the future.

The kinetically gifted, trained in mind/machine gestalt, are the most valued citizens of the Nine Star League. Usin...more

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Christina

Christina rated it:

(review of isbn 0517086034)

11/23/07

Read in November, 2007

The first part of the book--the Rowan's childhood--is excellent. Everything that follows feels rushed, especially her love interest and the alien attack. So much time was spent building up her relationships in the first part of the book, and then barely any time was spent doing so in the later parts. Everything happened too fast and it felt artificial. So, while the last part of the book (Rowan's adulthood) is all right, it is disappointing given how terrific the first part of the book (her chil...more

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Danae

Danae rated it:

(review of isbn 0517086034)

12/01/08

This is the book that started it all. I read this book several times before I found out that it was the first in a series. I went wild and read the series in less than a week. I revisit them quite often. This book begins with the discovery of an orphan child, named the Rowan. It follows her life to the point where she meets Jeff Raven, her future husband. It also introduces the first mention of the Hivers, the evil space insects that are out to destroy all life.

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Will

Will added it (review of isbn 0517086034)

12/01/08

(to be written later)

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Malee

Malee rated it:

(review of isbn 0517086034)

07/15/08

bookshelves: sci-fi-fantasy

I still remember going to the bookstore with my dad when I was a kid. I didn't know all the names of the authors or the series back then. I picked this book solely by the cover. I read it countless times as a kid. I still remember wanting tights like the Rowan's to wear for Halloween.

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Lisa

Lisa rated it:

(review of isbn 0517086034)

08/12/08

bookshelves: sci-fi

Read in July, 2008

Classic McCaffrey! Strong female protagonist, gets herself and the galaxy out of trouble, falls in love, begins dynasty of super "talented." This is the story that started all of the Talent books. Although it happens in the future, it was one of her first, if not the first, short story.

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Therese

Therese rated it:

(review of isbn 0517086034)

10/03/07

Read in January, 1992

recommends it for: anyone who likes Fantasy/Sci Fi

I was hooked on Anne McCaffrey's work when I read the "Dragonriders" series - I loved that series, but I have to say that I enjoyed the series beginning with "The Rowan" even more.

If you like Fantasy with an "outer space" flavor, this series is for you!

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MJ rated it:

(review of isbn 0517086034)

05/21/08

bookshelves: sci-fi

Read in January, 2004

Rowan, working for the Federal Telepath & Transport service as a telepath directing communications and cargo. Her loneliness is alleviated by finding another like her, who is asking for help in turning back aliens determined to destroy the human race.

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Iavasul

Iavasul rated it:

(review of isbn 0517086034)

04/10/08

Read in May, 2001

I picked up this book simply because I loved the world of Pern.

This book had a different setting, but was just as sweet, emotional, and compelling.

I was very interested in being able to cope with being alone and someone so close yet so far away.

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Mary-Beth

Mary-Beth rated it:

(review of isbn 0517086034)

11/28/07

bookshelves: fantasy, fiction, romance, sciencefiction

So this is the original story in the telepathic series by Anne McCaffrey. It's probably the best one and after awhile I just gave up on these because they ended up being pretty much exactly the same just with different names swapped in.

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Denise

Denise rated it:

(review of isbn 0441735762)

06/16/07

bookshelves: sf

Read in June, 2007

This didn't hold up to a reread as much as I'd hoped -- when I was younger I adored it, and now I can see the flaws. But still, entertaining.

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Michelle

Michelle added it (review of isbn 0517086034)

11/13/08

Science fiction can ask "what if" of its strange technological advances and still be peopled with unique and memorable characters.

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Dwayne

Dwayne rated it:

(review of isbn 0517086034)

10/02/08

A first glimpse into another of Ms. McCaffrey's universes...to me, not as compelling as Pern, but every bit as entertaining.

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Rachel

Rachel rated it:

(review of isbn 0517086034)

01/09/08

A good read if you like Anne McCaffrey, but it does tend to stay on the mold she creates: neglected girl makes good.

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Stephanie

Stephanie rated it:

(review of isbn 0517086034)

04/28/08

A great read and filled to the brim with new ways of thinking as far as how powerful our minds really could be.

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Hsullard

Hsullard rated it:

(review of isbn 0517086034)

06/30/08

bookshelves: books-from-when-i-was-a-wee-lass---

Hmm, a new world from McCaffrey! And I liked it. Not as dear to my heart as Pern, but I still dug it.

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