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Twins of Petaybee #2
Maelstrom
In Changelings, bestselling authors Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Ann Scarborough returned to the sentient planet Petaybee with a story of growth and transformation in the face of deadly new threats. The telepathic, shapeshifting twins Murel and Ronan found that Petaybee had plans for them as well. Now those plans begin to bear fruit with fresh possibilities... and dangers.
MAELSTROM
Now that Petaybee is forming a new equatorial island, the planet has agreed to harbor a group of new refugees, workers indentured to the powerful InterGal Corporation. But the mission to collect the immigrants becomes a rescue operation when it is revealed that InterGal is doing nothing to help these survivors of a world devastated by a meteor shower. Murel and Ronan set out to persuade the frightened refugees to come out of hiding, leave their world, and bring along their sacred totem animals, the gifted sea turtles called the Honus. But the twins discover that they've taken on more than they expected: the Honus are not the only animals sacred to the refugees. There are also the Manos, intelligent sharks who have lost none of their predatory habits-and who cannot be left behind to die.
When the Manos are released into Petaybee's waters, a tragic misunderstanding endangers the whole resettlement operation. At the same time, the mysterious sea otters who once rescued the twins' father are suddenly revealed to be much more than they appear to be.
Now it is up to Ronan and Murel, with the intrepid assistance of their river otter friend Sky, to smooth the waters before a maelstrom of revenge destroys Petaybee's harmonious way of life.
But even as the twins uncover startling new facts about Petaybee's past that will change everything they thought they knew about the planet, the forces of InterGal are gathering, preparing to strike...
MAELSTROM
Now that Petaybee is forming a new equatorial island, the planet has agreed to harbor a group of new refugees, workers indentured to the powerful InterGal Corporation. But the mission to collect the immigrants becomes a rescue operation when it is revealed that InterGal is doing nothing to help these survivors of a world devastated by a meteor shower. Murel and Ronan set out to persuade the frightened refugees to come out of hiding, leave their world, and bring along their sacred totem animals, the gifted sea turtles called the Honus. But the twins discover that they've taken on more than they expected: the Honus are not the only animals sacred to the refugees. There are also the Manos, intelligent sharks who have lost none of their predatory habits-and who cannot be left behind to die.
When the Manos are released into Petaybee's waters, a tragic misunderstanding endangers the whole resettlement operation. At the same time, the mysterious sea otters who once rescued the twins' father are suddenly revealed to be much more than they appear to be.
Now it is up to Ronan and Murel, with the intrepid assistance of their river otter friend Sky, to smooth the waters before a maelstrom of revenge destroys Petaybee's harmonious way of life.
But even as the twins uncover startling new facts about Petaybee's past that will change everything they thought they knew about the planet, the forces of InterGal are gathering, preparing to strike...
256 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2006
67 people are currently reading
988 people want to read
About the author
Anne McCaffrey
478 books7,753 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 54 reviews
April 21, 2024
I enjoyed the story and the writing; however, I was not a fan of the cover image. One look at it will make the reason why obvious.
EDIT: Oh, the wonder of eBooks; making the cover smaller and less noticeable!
EDIT: Oh, the wonder of eBooks; making the cover smaller and less noticeable!
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May 10, 2021I picked this up having read and enjoyed Dragonflight. I didn't enjoy this nearly as much, perhaps because it was to my mind a young adult / teenage novel rather than for adults, and that wasn't quite what I was looking for. I also found the obsession with girls having to hide themselves to get changed a bit off-putting (I don't use 'obsession' lightly: whereas in most books it would have been glossed over, literally every time the female Selkie changed form there was some kind of comment about what she hid behind to get changed).
The plot was well put together, and as with other McCaffrey books, made logical sense for the vast majority of the time. Although the number of things going wrong for the main characters at times seemed a bit unbelievable, when I took a step back I realised that actually it was all totally believable and exactly the sort of set of little things leading to disaster that might actually happen.
I found the main characters reasonably engaging, but a bit illogical at times. Though this was believable given they were 10 year olds, it didn't lead me to love the story.
I did enjoy the mind speak passages and the characterisation of the various species, and that the authors didn't shy away from things going wrong and even people getting killed. Though I think the emotional reaction of the characters wasn't in depth enough to be interesting. This illustrates my feelings about the characters in general, just a bit distant, I didn't connect with them.
Overall this was a perfectly fine YA novel, if a little sexist, but too shallow to be really engaging for me.
The plot was well put together, and as with other McCaffrey books, made logical sense for the vast majority of the time. Although the number of things going wrong for the main characters at times seemed a bit unbelievable, when I took a step back I realised that actually it was all totally believable and exactly the sort of set of little things leading to disaster that might actually happen.
I found the main characters reasonably engaging, but a bit illogical at times. Though this was believable given they were 10 year olds, it didn't lead me to love the story.
I did enjoy the mind speak passages and the characterisation of the various species, and that the authors didn't shy away from things going wrong and even people getting killed. Though I think the emotional reaction of the characters wasn't in depth enough to be interesting. This illustrates my feelings about the characters in general, just a bit distant, I didn't connect with them.
Overall this was a perfectly fine YA novel, if a little sexist, but too shallow to be really engaging for me.
August 9, 2021
I'm not quite sure how Ronan and Mural can get through the day without having yet another adventure, or crises, but that's what we get in this book two of the Twins of Petaybee.
It starts off with Marmion, and the captain of her ship, Johnny, taking the twins, Ke-ola, and their otter friend, Sky, off planet to go and invite Ke-ola's family to come live on Petaybee with them.
When they arrive at the planet, they're shocked to see that the eco domes that his family lived in, had been smashed flat by a meteor storm, that was still hitting the planet.
They are immediately hailed by another ship, one belonging to Intergal, and warned away, but when Marmion explains that she has on board one of the children belonging to the planet, a Colonel Cally, in command of his ship, tells her that there were no survivors, and so she should leave.
But Ke-ola tells her of tunnels deep under the surface, caused by the giant roots of trees that had died, and that he was certain his family would have gone there to shelter from the meteor storm
When told of this, Cully very obviously doesn't want to believe it, but Marmion shames him into letting her ship land to search for survivors, while Cully says he will look elsewhere to see of any other people survived that way.
Marmion and her people do find Ke-ola's family, along with their remaining sacred Honu, the sea turtles they regard as family, and rescue them. They realise that Cully has left the planet without searching any further but, when the Honu tells Ke-ola that there are still people alive in a different area, they do their best to rescue them, too - only to find out that this group have sharks as their sacred animals!
After a lot of arguing, they, too, are rescued, and Marmion puts the sharks in a temporary sleep, so that they'll survive the journey without feeding.
Once they return to Petaybee, Ronan and Mural realise that the deep sea otters will need warning about the sharks, and go to do so.
Unfortunately, the sharks are let out into the sea a lot quicker than they were expected to and, because the deep sea otters were still being so secretive, it took the twins so long to get their attention to warn them, that one of them, the leader's son Jeel, had swum up to see what these new creatures were like!
Mural offers to go and warn Jeel, but his mother had argued so long with the twins, that Mural didn't get to him in time, and she saw the sharks attack, and kill him. His mother sees this too, and is so angry, that she keeps Ronan with her, and moves the whole ship from the volcanic vent it rested on, but the maelstrom that this caused in the sea caught Mural, and knocked her out.
In the meantime, there had been an. accident with the boats that held the shark's human family, as they go with the sharks, to release them into the sea and Yana, who had been with them, was doing her best to sort things out, and rescue everyone.
When Mural comes to, she manages, with the help of a pod of Orcas that she'd met with previously, to get back to tell her parents what had happened. Unfortunately, they were so busy rescuing others, that she decided that she'd look for Ronan herself.
She was told by some local seals, that a more northerly pack of seals had seen the craft with the deep sea otters land on another volcanic vent near to their fishing grounds, so Mural, and Sky the otter, decided to go rescue Ronan themselves, with their parents so busy.
When they eventually get to the area, they're so exhausted they rest on an ice floe, but the local seals there decide they want to eat Sky, and threaten Mural, unless she hands him over! Fortunately, the Orca pod hear her distress, and come scare the seals away.
In the meantime, back with Marmion and the rest of Ke-ola's rescued family, an Intergal ship arrives, and settles besides her own. She sees that it's Colonel Cully, but he brought along a squad of soldiers, arrested Marmion, all of her crew in the ship at the time, then took the rest of Ke-ola's family - the elderly and the children - with them, not allowing Marmion time to call for help.
A crew member of Marmion's managed to leave the bridge communications board open, so Johnny, who was helping in the rescues, heard what had happened, and let Yana know.
Mural, in the meantime, persuades the deep sea otters to release Ronan, just as their father, Sean, arrives nearby to the craft and, after being drawn into it, brings the twins home with him, to find that Marmion and all had been arrested, and that he, Yana, and all the major leaders in Petaybee are at risk of being arrested, too.
Because of the turbulence caused by the volcanic actions of Petaybee's island-making, communications were impossible but, as Yana needed to let Marmion's friends and colleagues know what had happened to her, and because none of the adults could travel off of Petaybee without serious risks of harm, the twins knew that they needed to do something about it.
They decide to go back to the deep sea otters, to ask them for help, and had just reached the sea, when it became very turbulent - and before they knew it, the deep sea otters appeared, telling them that their cousins, the sea otters, had told them that the twins needed their help.
After explaining to them all that had happened, the book ends with Ronan, Mural, and Sky the otter, going into the sea, and entering the deep sea otter's craft!
This was an enjoyable book, with lots of adventures - actually, a little too much, if I'm honest - enough to make me feel breathless at times! Lol
It starts off with Marmion, and the captain of her ship, Johnny, taking the twins, Ke-ola, and their otter friend, Sky, off planet to go and invite Ke-ola's family to come live on Petaybee with them.
When they arrive at the planet, they're shocked to see that the eco domes that his family lived in, had been smashed flat by a meteor storm, that was still hitting the planet.
They are immediately hailed by another ship, one belonging to Intergal, and warned away, but when Marmion explains that she has on board one of the children belonging to the planet, a Colonel Cally, in command of his ship, tells her that there were no survivors, and so she should leave.
But Ke-ola tells her of tunnels deep under the surface, caused by the giant roots of trees that had died, and that he was certain his family would have gone there to shelter from the meteor storm
When told of this, Cully very obviously doesn't want to believe it, but Marmion shames him into letting her ship land to search for survivors, while Cully says he will look elsewhere to see of any other people survived that way.
Marmion and her people do find Ke-ola's family, along with their remaining sacred Honu, the sea turtles they regard as family, and rescue them. They realise that Cully has left the planet without searching any further but, when the Honu tells Ke-ola that there are still people alive in a different area, they do their best to rescue them, too - only to find out that this group have sharks as their sacred animals!
After a lot of arguing, they, too, are rescued, and Marmion puts the sharks in a temporary sleep, so that they'll survive the journey without feeding.
Once they return to Petaybee, Ronan and Mural realise that the deep sea otters will need warning about the sharks, and go to do so.
Unfortunately, the sharks are let out into the sea a lot quicker than they were expected to and, because the deep sea otters were still being so secretive, it took the twins so long to get their attention to warn them, that one of them, the leader's son Jeel, had swum up to see what these new creatures were like!
Mural offers to go and warn Jeel, but his mother had argued so long with the twins, that Mural didn't get to him in time, and she saw the sharks attack, and kill him. His mother sees this too, and is so angry, that she keeps Ronan with her, and moves the whole ship from the volcanic vent it rested on, but the maelstrom that this caused in the sea caught Mural, and knocked her out.
In the meantime, there had been an. accident with the boats that held the shark's human family, as they go with the sharks, to release them into the sea and Yana, who had been with them, was doing her best to sort things out, and rescue everyone.
When Mural comes to, she manages, with the help of a pod of Orcas that she'd met with previously, to get back to tell her parents what had happened. Unfortunately, they were so busy rescuing others, that she decided that she'd look for Ronan herself.
She was told by some local seals, that a more northerly pack of seals had seen the craft with the deep sea otters land on another volcanic vent near to their fishing grounds, so Mural, and Sky the otter, decided to go rescue Ronan themselves, with their parents so busy.
When they eventually get to the area, they're so exhausted they rest on an ice floe, but the local seals there decide they want to eat Sky, and threaten Mural, unless she hands him over! Fortunately, the Orca pod hear her distress, and come scare the seals away.
In the meantime, back with Marmion and the rest of Ke-ola's rescued family, an Intergal ship arrives, and settles besides her own. She sees that it's Colonel Cully, but he brought along a squad of soldiers, arrested Marmion, all of her crew in the ship at the time, then took the rest of Ke-ola's family - the elderly and the children - with them, not allowing Marmion time to call for help.
A crew member of Marmion's managed to leave the bridge communications board open, so Johnny, who was helping in the rescues, heard what had happened, and let Yana know.
Mural, in the meantime, persuades the deep sea otters to release Ronan, just as their father, Sean, arrives nearby to the craft and, after being drawn into it, brings the twins home with him, to find that Marmion and all had been arrested, and that he, Yana, and all the major leaders in Petaybee are at risk of being arrested, too.
Because of the turbulence caused by the volcanic actions of Petaybee's island-making, communications were impossible but, as Yana needed to let Marmion's friends and colleagues know what had happened to her, and because none of the adults could travel off of Petaybee without serious risks of harm, the twins knew that they needed to do something about it.
They decide to go back to the deep sea otters, to ask them for help, and had just reached the sea, when it became very turbulent - and before they knew it, the deep sea otters appeared, telling them that their cousins, the sea otters, had told them that the twins needed their help.
After explaining to them all that had happened, the book ends with Ronan, Mural, and Sky the otter, going into the sea, and entering the deep sea otter's craft!
This was an enjoyable book, with lots of adventures - actually, a little too much, if I'm honest - enough to make me feel breathless at times! Lol
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 27, 2022
I'll be honest and say I'm now getting a bit tired of Petaybee and these damned precocious twins! The bit I really liked about the first trilogy (the whole sentient planet thing) barely registers in this book and instead we have alien/ancients to deal with. Not to mention shipping some sharks across the galaxy and the normal interference from the 'bad' federation.
I still enjoyed it, as I would anything written by either of these authors, just found my eyes rolling on occasion as one or other of the twins turned into a seal and got into trouble without telling anyone else what they're up to.
Hoping the planet comes back with a say in the final book of the series!
I still enjoyed it, as I would anything written by either of these authors, just found my eyes rolling on occasion as one or other of the twins turned into a seal and got into trouble without telling anyone else what they're up to.
Hoping the planet comes back with a say in the final book of the series!
May 16, 2021
This is the second book about the twin silkie born on Petaybee, the intelligent planet. Again a fast action-based adventure book with more action than needed. Adventures are unbelievable, which is fine as this is a science fiction book about unreal adventures. While this was a fun book to read once, it isn't something I would read again. Many of Anne McCaffrey's books I have read several times. This series is not going to be one of them
December 31, 2023
I am enjoying this second trilogy in the Petaybee series but not as much as I did the first. There are inconsistencies-like a character name is different than in the first trilogy-which I probably caught because I am reading all six books in order. They're small but noticeable.
Still, these are well-written otherwise and I have to read the third one to see how Marmie and the kids get off the prison planet.
Still, these are well-written otherwise and I have to read the third one to see how Marmie and the kids get off the prison planet.
March 18, 2019
Anne McCaffrey is an author I always enjoy reading. I really loved the way this series started although I felt it lost a bit of its appeal as the books went on.I do find it to be a very fascinating world with great characters but I am not sure I love the formula of the story telling. But I still quite like it.
June 13, 2017
I didn't enjoy this book nearly as much as the first in the series. It was quite repetitive. Certain parts of it really dragged on and did not keep my interest. I skipped around a lot until I got to the end. When I finally did get to the end, I decided not to continue reading this series.
August 27, 2017
I enjoyed the first series, but this series about the wonder twins just didn't do anything for me. I made it through the series, it was interesting enough - but I am a completist, even when it hurts a little.
June 22, 2017
Book 2 of 3 in the Twins of Petaybee series was good. The deep water seals are aliens? And shape shifters! So cool!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 28, 2018
Better than the previous one now that the twins are a little older. The Federation needs to suck an egg.
November 2, 2018
I love this author! Great book! Well written! Interesting characters! Read! Enjoy!
September 7, 2021
Feels very unfinished but entertaining enough
February 2, 2023
love
I have read many books by both authors and I am very pleased by this series! I can’t wait to see what the twins get up to next!
I have read many books by both authors and I am very pleased by this series! I can’t wait to see what the twins get up to next!
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August 14, 2025Another great book!
This is another great book from this writer. I expected no less. I am looking forward to the next one!
This is another great book from this writer. I expected no less. I am looking forward to the next one!
December 17, 2013
Maelstrom by Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Ann Scarborough is the second book of the Twins of Petaybee series set in the Petaybee universe. After I finished this book the first thing that it made me think of is how much darker it is than the first one. Not dark as in heroes are dying but dark as in everything seems to be going wrong for the protagonists. Once again the main characters are the selkie children Mural and Ronan Shongili. The two of them decide to go with Marmie on a rescue mission for Ke-ola's people who have been left to die on a hell planet. The mission has many difficulties which occur to people who leap before they look. The first is of course the fact that the company which has profit above all else didn't care at all for the people and is willing to let the displaced people die rather than rescuing them and risk damaging their equipment. I found the book very correct on the way that human nature can at times continue to allow others to suffer just because of pettiness. Once they get down many of the people are fatalists who decide they would prefer to die rather than move again. In history this has often happened when people are taught that forced movement is what caused their problems they become tied to an area that they would be better off leaving because they feel like any movement will be to a worse place. The next problem is that certain of the people who they try rescue have a connection with certain vicious predators who they won't leave behind. This could to be a reminder of what happens when people are rescued from bad situations. The people may be mostly innocent but at times they harbor evil within who they will not leave behind. This is one of the major reasons why most of the world likes to say about refugees we care but keep them out of my neighborhood. Often living in a violent nasty area creates certain disillusioned people who become the same as those who torment them. In many ways this book was much better than the previous book even though elements of it seem a bit forced but that probably has to do with the overall plot of this series and not necessarily this book in particular.
February 7, 2013
SUMMARY:
The Shongili twins, Ronan and Murel, accompany their friend Marmie on her luxury space craft Piaf to rescue their friend Ke-ola's family from an uninhabitable planet. They arrive to find the planet in the midst of a terrible meteor storm and when they go down to the surface find that the survivors have taken refuge under ground. Ronan and Murel change into seal form and find the survivors and their totem animals or aumakua, the giant turtles, or Honu, and the sharks. Back on Petaybee the twins, in their seal form, escort the Honus to their new home in the middle of the ocean. They also want to warn the otters and seals about the sharks. It is a long journey and Murel falls asleep and gets separated from the rest. She is surrounded by a pod of Orcas who, thinking she is a normal seal, try to eat her. Before they can do so she is caught up in a whirlpool caused by the volcanic activity in the area, as is Ronan, who had swum back to try to rescue her. They are rescued from the whirlpool by the mysterious deep sea otters and taken into their shielded city on the ocean floor. While their leader, Kushtaka, is talking to them her son Jeel sees the sharks and goes to inspect them, Murel races after him but is too late and Jeel is killed. Meanwhile Marmie and her crew are arrested on trumped up charges of kidnapping Ke-ola's family and taken to Gwinnett Incarceration Colony, along with most of the survivors they rescued. When Murel and Ronan return to their family and discover that Marmie has been arrested and the Piaf impounded they realize they need to get off the planet and go to her rescue. While staying with Kushtaka they were told that the deep sea otters were not just otters but beings from outer space who had hidden in the depths of Petaybee's oceans for years. Now that they have been discovered they plan to leave, the twins persuade Kushtaka to take them with her and to help them rescue Marmie.
January 16, 2012
Maelstrom is where this series really hits its stride. I love the concept of a sentient planet that the human residents can "speak" to and Ms. McCaffrey and Ms. Scharborough do it justice. They bring together a truly diverse cast of characters that are fun and interesting. What the story lacks in focus and tightness of plot it makes up for in sheer creativity and exuberance.
My main problem with the book was its voice. Yes, this is Ann McCaffrey and it has her characteristic tone and timber to the prose. But, while the first Petaybe series was about and for adults, this one was about children. It seemed to me, that the authors knew it should be a middle grade or YA book but didn't want to alienate the adult fans of the original series. So they straddled the line between, not specifically writing for either audience and missing them both.
Overall it was a fun and entertaining read but not as good as it could have and really should have been.
My main problem with the book was its voice. Yes, this is Ann McCaffrey and it has her characteristic tone and timber to the prose. But, while the first Petaybe series was about and for adults, this one was about children. It seemed to me, that the authors knew it should be a middle grade or YA book but didn't want to alienate the adult fans of the original series. So they straddled the line between, not specifically writing for either audience and missing them both.
Overall it was a fun and entertaining read but not as good as it could have and really should have been.
September 19, 2008
I like what they're doing with this series. Easy to read, even a little hard to put down when I'm reading right before bed. Each books expands the diversity of human cultures and animal lifeforms whose competing needs have to be addressed in order for there to be success. Not the best prose but definitely successful storytelling and the concepts grab my heart and leave an imprint on me after having read these books and that's a pretty high compliment. Maybe I'm having a very idiosyncratic response, but I think this series should be getting more attention. Totally fluffy and yet also significant. I would definitely recommend this series as gifts for young adults. There's even some increasingly bold (considering the context of McCaffrey's novels) feminist statements in each novel. I'm an embarrassed but increasingly ardent fan (as if you couldn't tell).
August 8, 2023
Book Two of the Twins of Petaybee series was another winner! The shapeshifting Shongili twins and their otter friend Sky discover a mysterious alien race beneath the waves. They want to be kept secret, even after rescuing the twins' dad from certain death in the previous book.
Unfortunately, the twins just returned from a rescue mission. They found colonists of Hawaiian descent abandoned on a dying world and brought them and their totem animals to Petaybee for sanctuary. They settle in Petaybee's newly formed temperate zone, but some of the newcomers are Mano'Amuakua, or People Of The Shark. Now four deadly new creatures inhabit the depths, and the consequences of their appetites could spell disaster for the twins' chances of remaining friendly with the reclusive aliens.
A great read with something of a cliffhanger ending. Looking forward to the series finale.
Unfortunately, the twins just returned from a rescue mission. They found colonists of Hawaiian descent abandoned on a dying world and brought them and their totem animals to Petaybee for sanctuary. They settle in Petaybee's newly formed temperate zone, but some of the newcomers are Mano'Amuakua, or People Of The Shark. Now four deadly new creatures inhabit the depths, and the consequences of their appetites could spell disaster for the twins' chances of remaining friendly with the reclusive aliens.
A great read with something of a cliffhanger ending. Looking forward to the series finale.
April 13, 2009
This is such a bad book, and coming from Mdme. McCaffrey, one of the greats of sci-fi/fantasy, it's incredibly disappointing. I'm hoping it was maybe just her idea and Ms. Scarborough picked it up, dropped it, brushed it off, dropped it again, kicked it around for a bit, then stumbled off with it. The idea is an okay one, but the execution is just horrendous, with most of the book taken up by the characters talking about what they're going to do, what they did do, and what they might have done if they had known what they know now. It's almost as if this were a junior-senior high book, but even if it were (and there is no indication it is), that would not excuse the pathetic writing and overwhelming boringness of the book. Avoid.
July 18, 2009
The second book in the Twins of Petaybee trilogy. I enjoyed this one also. The twins are aboard a spaceship headed for the planet where Ke-ola's people are suffering. They discover that the planet is being bombarded with meteors and that the settlements are in danger. Against the wishes of Intergal (the evil company that has a lot of power in this universe), their ship rescues the survivors and their totem animals, the Honu (sea turtles) and the Mano (sharks). As might be expected, when released on Petaybee, the Mano cause problems in the oceans. An unexpected ally, the "deep sea otters", show up and reluctantly help the twins and their friends. The story ends with Intergal threatening Petaybee's way of life and sets the reader up for book three.
December 26, 2023
The train of this story is starting to get away from me after so many volumes, but I am a McCaffrey addict and will pick up and enjoy anything with her name on it. This time through, I thought there were too many story threads, and several of the plot points were reminiscent of the Acorna series (child heroes, shape-shifting aliens, mind-talking animals).
December 2023: "Re-read" in audiobook form.
December 2023: "Re-read" in audiobook form.
January 8, 2011
Then entire time I'm reading this story I'm thinking of the Hawaiians and Polynesians. I don't know how much research Ms. McCaffrey put into those cultures, but now this is what I'm thinking. I liked the sacred tortoise. The shark is pretty amazing too. I like it. Then again, I do like sharks. I've scuba dived with them around, not on purpose, they just show up. This was another fun read abet a bit heavy handed with it's environmental and social commentary.
May 28, 2011
My full review is here on my personal website. I'll post a few excerpts here, though:
3.0 out of 5.0 stars
The very worst thing about this book is that the storytelling is getting worse with each book.
The very best thing about this book is that, assuming you liked the previous books, it’s still readable enough to enjoy the new characters, even if they are a little unusual.
3.0 out of 5.0 stars
The very worst thing about this book is that the storytelling is getting worse with each book.
The very best thing about this book is that, assuming you liked the previous books, it’s still readable enough to enjoy the new characters, even if they are a little unusual.
October 24, 2009
I always find the Anne McCaffrey books very difficult to put down, and this was no exception. It is the second in the series.
The selkie twins help to rescue people and their bonded animals from a planet damaged by meteors, resettlement on Petaybee does not go smoothly and the actions annoys the planetary police.
The selkie twins help to rescue people and their bonded animals from a planet damaged by meteors, resettlement on Petaybee does not go smoothly and the actions annoys the planetary police.
October 9, 2008
Great follow up to Changelings - even better I think. Continued good development of twins, interesting follow up with friend Keola on his planet, and cliffhanger ending back on Petaybee signalling a good sequel to come- soon I hope!
September 13, 2010
I get the feeling the took this trilogy and broke one book into 3 books. Literally picks up right at the end of the other. Enjoyed the adding of the aliens and sacred telepathic critters to Petaybe, and another quickie fun read.
September 18, 2011
Growing up on the sentient planet Petabyee, half selkie twins Murel and Ronan embargk on a missioto rescue the lifeforms of a dying planet that is under Interglactic Company control setting off charges of smuggling against the pro-Petabyee faction.
March 10, 2024
Loved it except for the part where the majority of humanity, especially those with power, continues to be heartless greedy jerks. All of the ocean creatures were delightful though, even when they were also sometimes being jerks. The deep sea otters added a really interesting dynamic.
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