Monday, July 24, 2006

Science Fiction - "The Rowan"

This book by Anne McCafferey describing the life story of a Talent child who's the only survivor of a mud slide on planet Altair. In this universe people with various levels of psychic ability exist and the one's with strongest psycho-kinetic talent are used to make interstellar travel possible (they use their ability to push spaceships between stars). Since the disaster where the child was found destroyed a mining town of the Rowan Mining Company, she decides to call herself "the Rowan".

The book describes how she grows up on Altair under tutelage of the Prime Talent of that planet - Siglen. The story follows a typical coming-of-age pattern and the science fiction parts at times seem to be besides the point.

About half way through the book Rowan finds the love of her life - another strong Talent from the planet Deneb. They both work together to stop an alien invation from another part of the galaxy. The invading aliens and the final battle scenes reminded me a little of "Ender's Game" - another insect-like society attacking the humans.

I didn't particularly like this book. Mostly because I found the science fiction parts used as just a background and the rest of the story was not that compelling. Mind you I'm a sucker for a good love story (eg. nearly anything by Jane Austen) but the love stories in this book were not that appealing.

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