The Rowan by Anne McCaffery

After writing my post about one of the great influences of my writing career, Anne McCaffery, I felt it was about time I started the book reviews of her work. Most would perhaps start with her better known Dragonriders of Pern series but I have to be different and focus on her The Tower and the Hive series; and perhaps in that case I should start with the very first, To Ride Pegasus, which happens in the same universe but centuries before The Tower and the Hive series. However I am going to concentrate on the first I read and instantly loved, The Rowan, book one of the series.

The novel centres around the character known only as the Rowan to begin with. She emerges from a devastating mud slide which wipes out her entire mining community. She is only about four years old but already exhibiting substantial mental abilities; she was found due to her mental screams alerting everyone in the area.

The story then progresses while the Rowan grows older and undergoes extensive training to become a Prime, one of the powerful beings possessing of telekinesis and telepathy that helps the universes function. During this time Rowan suffers with several residual problems left over from her being buried as a child but she also suffers with a claustrophobic problem enforced on her by her trainer Siglen. She believes she can never leave her planet as it is too painful and traumatizing.

Soon, through old records, Rowan discovers her birth name is actually Angharad Gwyn and she had parents that loved her. She also mentally bonds with Jeff Raven who is in need of her help and attracted to her mental signature. Through defeating an attack on his home World their destinies soon become set in stone and they look forward to their futures…

This book is so well written that you hardly notice the in detail science which is written about. You are more involved in the smooth tempo of the narrative and the intense personality of the story. You find yourself hoping that things work out well and that every character is given the ending they deserve; you get lost in the imaginative and fanciful universe created.

Have you read it? What do you think? 🙂