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The Rowan (Pegasus/The Tower and the Hive #5)
The Rowan is the first book in "The Tower and the Hive" series (also known as "The Rowan" series) by Anne McCaffrey. It is set in the universe of the "Pegasus" trilogy, against a backdrop of a technologically advanced society in which telepathy, psychokinesis and other psychic Talents have become scientifically accepted and researched. Telekin...more
Mass Market Paperbound, 328 pages
Published
September 1st 1991
by ACE Charter
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The Rowan is about a woman who was found orphaned as a baby on a small mining planet. Her entire town was destroyed during a mudslide leaving her as the only survivor. She may not have survived anyways due to her being trapped inside a vehicle under the mud. However, Rowan has incredible psychic powers in telepathy and telekinesis which caused people from other planets to hear her crying. She was eventually saved and placed with someone to watch over her. Due to her strong powers, they thought t...more
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Estara Swanberg
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Fans of the Tower and Hive series
Recommended to Estara by:
auto-read series
I picked this as my first reread of her books - not because I don't have loads of others I could reread but I have realised that I know the plots of almost all books still to a pretty large degree of detail - although my last time rereading is probably ten years in the past.
That's because I discovered her as one of the major female sf&f authors in print in the UK when I went over there for the first time as an au-pair in 88/89. And even in Germany's university towns later one I could...more
That's because I discovered her as one of the major female sf&f authors in print in the UK when I went over there for the first time as an au-pair in 88/89. And even in Germany's university towns later one I could...more
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!
An important aspect of making stories believable is in the character development; instead, Anne McCaffrey spends hundreds of pages describing how spaceships and goods are teleported around the galaxy. (This is about as interesting as reading a UPS manual.)
A Stellar Experience!!!: THE ROWAN is the first book in the wonderful TOWER AND HIVE series (the other titles being; DAMIA, DAMIA'S CHILDREN, LYON'S PRIDE, THE TOWER & THE HIVE) and is easily the best.
We are now in the universe envisaged by Henry Darrow and the first Peter Reidinger (see PEGASUS series), a world where mankind has reached beyond the stars; where inter-planetary transport and communication is achievable predominantly through the powers of the scarce and extremely valuable PRIMES,
...more
This book had some lovely moments, but they were few and far between and in no way made up for the inferior plot writing of this book. Plot strands died with little or no explanation (what on Earth happened to the Barquecat?!). At one point, McCaffrey contradicts herself, saying that the Rowan's parents have specific names when she confronts Reidinger, then saying that the Rowan had no idea what there names were ten pages later. Also, the beginning of the book was typical alienating sci fi: t...more
Ugh.
I am so annoyed I wasted a whole day on this book. But, I am even more annoyed that is was voted the book of the month under Women in Sci-Fi.
This is space romance. Telekinesis and TElepathy joined in one person, albeit on a space station, does not Science Fiction make, even if there is an alien invasion. And no, I do not beleive in 'Love at first mind-brush'.
To be fair, this book starts well. A small child is the only survivor of a landslide, and her anguished ...more
I am so annoyed I wasted a whole day on this book. But, I am even more annoyed that is was voted the book of the month under Women in Sci-Fi.
This is space romance. Telekinesis and TElepathy joined in one person, albeit on a space station, does not Science Fiction make, even if there is an alien invasion. And no, I do not beleive in 'Love at first mind-brush'.
To be fair, this book starts well. A small child is the only survivor of a landslide, and her anguished ...more
The Rowan is the first book in "The Tower and the Hive" series (also known as "The Rowan" series) by Anne McCaffrey. It is set in the universe of the "Pegasus" trilogy, against a backdrop of a technologically advanced society in which telepathy, psychokinesis and other psychic Talents have become scientifically accepted and researched. Telekinetic and telepathic powers are used to communicate and teleport spaceships through space, thus avoiding the light barrier and...more
An organization of telepaths help transport goods from planet to planet with the help of their minds. When a hostile race of aliens try to invade, the telepaths must use their talents to save the human race. This series from Anne McCaffrey has always been a favorite of mine and I've been in the mood to reread the books again.
Since it has been several years since I read these, I found there was quite a bit I had forgotten. Her style of writing is a bit choppier than I remembered and ...more
Since it has been several years since I read these, I found there was quite a bit I had forgotten. Her style of writing is a bit choppier than I remembered and ...more
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.
Martina the Book Fairy
rated it
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review of another edition
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review of another edition
Shelves:
clairvoyant,
fantasy,
futuristic,
match-maker,
other-planet,
psychic-powers,
romance,
space,
technology,
teenage-protagonist,
aliens
This is one of my all-time favorite books. I first read it when I was 13 or 14 and continued to pick up Anne McCafrey's entire catalog afterwards. I've read it every few years since (I'm now 34) and still adore it! I even have a signed copy from when I met Ms. McCaffrey back ing 2005. Sadly, the reason I picked it up again was because Ms. McCaffrey passed away just a few days ago - on November 21, 2011. It seemed fitting to read it again now as a celebration of her life and the role she pla...more
I have to admit that when I first read the blurb I thought it would be a very complicated sci fi story and that I wouldn't love it as much as Anne McCaffrey's dragon books. Well... I was WRONG! This is one of the best book (and series) I have read in a long time. It ranks close to Harry Potter, if not higher. And I stand by what I just said.
Anne McCaffrey wrote two series in the Talents universe which involves Earth functioning thanks to the Talents of telepathic or telekinetic persons...more
Anne McCaffrey wrote two series in the Talents universe which involves Earth functioning thanks to the Talents of telepathic or telekinetic persons...more
Nola
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
science fiction buffs, romance buffs, anyone who likes psychic powers
Recommended to Nola by:
Mom
Shelves:
fiction-science-fiction
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 t...more
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 chara...more
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 chara...more
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 S...more
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 S...more
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
Dreadfully disappointing. The character build-up nearly became interesting, and then just fell flat in one fell swoop. As did the romantic interest! The heroine is stuffy, bitchy, and predictable. The hero (? a term I use loosely here) is too pompous, too perfect, and totally unbelievable as a person. The characters fall in love in a within-seconds-mind-meld, as though the author was afraid to attempt the complexities of a growing relationship. The action is anti-climatic.
Classic, and for a damn good reason. McCaffrey keeps the story tripping along lightly, hitting all the right girlie SF buttons (hot sailors, space cats, psi powers, etc.), though occasionally her relationships seem a little more fait accompli than romance. Just as much fun to read now as it was twenty years ago, though now that I'm older I do wonder if the Beetles weren't Card's Buggers.
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.
I just reread this for the first time in years - since at least high school I would assume. I was a bit concerned that I wouldn't like it as much as I did then, and while I did downgrade from four stars to three, that's just because I'm a really nitpicky reader.
This was one of my favorite of McCaffrey's books, and I suspect that rereading much of her work (as I plan to do this year) this will remain the case. However, I suspect I might also discover that her writing is a bit predi...more
This was one of my favorite of McCaffrey's books, and I suspect that rereading much of her work (as I plan to do this year) this will remain the case. However, I suspect I might also discover that her writing is a bit predi...more
Wonderful series. Rarely can a series go through so many books and still retain a constant quality in its characters. Rowan and Jeff are both really cool, and I just love their personalities, and how they match. Good balance between romance and actual other stuff, too, which made this book even more special.
It's been a while since I've read an Anne McCaffrey book, and I now remember why I loved her books so much. Her science fiction focused on the characters and their relationships with other people, and she does it very well.
This book is a romance at its heart. It has a compelling main character, and her love interest is just as awesome.
My one issue, however, was the last few pages. The story feels like it should have ended sooner than it did.
Otherwise, t...more
This book is a romance at its heart. It has a compelling main character, and her love interest is just as awesome.
My one issue, however, was the last few pages. The story feels like it should have ended sooner than it did.
Otherwise, t...more
Love McCaffrey n'est-ce pas? I will say that this time around I've notice some flaws, but it might have been in my skim reading rather than the book itself. What happened to the Rowan's barquecat once she goes to Callisto and how did I miss that it was gone for no apparent reason before?
Too young and simplistic for me. The beginning was interesting, but around the middle, as the Rowan meets her true love, all the tension went out. They are immediately in love? Strange, and boring. Not enough complexity in the underlying world, in the characters or their relations.
This was the first book I ever read by Anne Mccaffrey. And I was hooked from the very beginning! A great science fiction with just a touch of romance. The series focuses heavily on telepathy, and psychokinesis. Those that have these abilities are known as Talents. Rowan is one such person.
The story starts the the girl (to be known as Rowan) at a very young age. This book follows her training as a talent and continues there her young adult years. The Rowan is found to be one ...more
The story starts the the girl (to be known as Rowan) at a very young age. This book follows her training as a talent and continues there her young adult years. The Rowan is found to be one ...more
I'm a big fan of McCaffrey's from almost since I could read. She could probably write a book about the alphabet & I would love it. I'm a little confused about what place in what series this book has, but that's nothing new with her! I like reading about characters with extrasensory perception, and romances in which both partners form a tight, bonded team.
First book of another good series of books by Anne McCaffrey, She is an exceptional writer with a whole universe of imagination just waiting to be placed on paper for our entertainment.
A Recommended Book from a recommended Author.
A Recommended Book from a recommended Author.
This novel follow the Talent series, though it's not necessary to have read them in order to enjoy this. It's typical McCaffrey - though the female characters are talented and strong, they also long for, or respond to, a male figure who will look after them. Still, putting aside any criticism of sexual stereotypes, this novel is fun. There's plenty of adventure, plenty of comment on people and their foibles, a good dose of romanticism, and the marvellous psychic powers that McCaffrey is so go...more
There's nothing like some old school scifi! I don't love this book as much as I did when I first read it back in high school, but really no one can do the tortured protagonist who does well as well as Anne McCaffrey.
This is not my favorite book of the series. I think it is mainly because I have never connected with the Rowan as a character. I first read this after reading Damia(the next book in the series) and fell in love with both Damia and Afra and neither have much presence in this book.
If you are thinking if reading this series, which I do recommend, start with Damia.
If you are thinking if reading this series, which I do recommend, start with Damia.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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| Sci Fi Aficionados: * November Theme Read-The Rowan by Anne McCaffrey | 37 | 56 | Nov 22, 2011 03:56pm |
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Anne McCaffrey was born on April 1st, 1926, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, at 1:30 p.m., in the hour of the Sheep, year of the Fire Tiger, sun sign Aries with Taurus rising and Leo mid-heaven (which seems to suggest an early interest in the stars).
Her parents were George Herbert McCaffrey, BA, MA PhD (Harvard), Colonel USA Army (retired), and Anne Dorothy McElroy McCaffrey, estate agent....more
More about Anne McCaffrey...
Her parents were George Herbert McCaffrey, BA, MA PhD (Harvard), Colonel USA Army (retired), and Anne Dorothy McElroy McCaffrey, estate agent....more
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