Product Description
This is a collection of three novels about the brave and tragic people of Ballybran, the "crystal singers". This volume includes "The Crystal Singer", "Killashandra", and "Crystal Line". ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Good solid Sci-Fi and strong female character
I first read these books when I was about eighteen. Since then I've read many, many science fiction books over the years, and yet I keep returning to this series in much the same way I return to Lord of the Rings or Narnia.These are like a favored old friend.McCaffrey creates such a strong and independent female character in Killashandra Ree, yet she is an imperfect one.I like that.This is a perhaps a more "realistic" view of science fiction and off-SOL III living then you get in many sci-fi stories. Killa is not a superhero type character like The Rowen orDoctor Who, [though I could see the Doctor visiting someplace like Ballybran] but more what a normal woman would be if this were an actual setting.The story also nicely crosses over a bit with some of McCaffrey's other "brain ship" stories.No dragons. No super-hero stuff. No mind-bending telekenetic powers. Just the story of a girl who can sing with a job to do.

I highly recommend these.

great story
enjoyed all the stories in this book.the characters were great and the the stroy was interesting.

The Crystal Singer Series in one edition
This book combines the three books in the SF Crystal Singer series, The Crystal Singer, Killashandra, and Crystal Line in one volume. I bought this for my wife, since she has read her original copy of The Crystal Singer until it's falling apart, and she couldn't find the other two books any more.
For those who haven't read the books, it's an interesting take on McCaffrey's look at the way music could influence people's lives. In this case, Killashandra Ree is a highly trained singer with few prospects, so she joins a mysterious Guild that offers everything she wants except an explanation of what she will be doing. Turns out that her voice aids her in mining one of the most valuable crystals known to man, but in the process, it drives many insane and invariably damages the memory of all others, if they leave the planet. And that's just book one. As always with McCaffrey, there is a romance, an interesting new world, and likable characters.
If you don't care for the dragons, but you want to experience McCaffrey's comfortable, enjoyable stories, this may be the series for you (of course, it's great for those who've read all the Pern books and want more). In this case, it's a handy 3 in 1 package. ... Read more

Product Description
In Dragon's Kin, bestselling author Anne McCaffrey did the unthinkable: for the first time ever, she invited another writer to join her in the skies of her most famous fictional creation. That writer was her son, Todd McCaffrey. Together, they penned a triumphant new chapter in the annals of the extraordinarily popular Dragonriders of Pern. Now, for the first time, Todd McCaffrey flies alone. And Dragonsblood is proof that the future of Pern is in good hands. After all, dragons are in his blood...

Never in the dramatic history of Pern has there been a more dire emergency than that which faces the young dragonrider Lorana. A mysterious fatal illness is striking dragons. The epidemic is spreading like wildfire . . . and the next deadly cycle of Threadfall is only days away. Somehow, Lorana must find a cure before the dragons - including her own beloved Arith - succumb to the sickness, leaving Pern undefended.

The lyrics of an all-but-forgotten song seem to point toward an answer, an answer from nearly five hundred years in the past, when Kitti Ping and her daughter Wind Blossom bred the first dragons from their smaller cousins, the fire-lizards. No doubt the first Pern colonists possessed the advanced technology to find the cure Lorana seeks, but over the centuries, that knowledge has been lost.

Or has it?

For in the distant past, an aged Wind Blossom worries that the germs that affect the fire-lizards may one day turn against larger prey - and unleash a plague that will destroy the dragons, Pern's only defenders against Thread. But as her people struggle to survive, Wind Blossom has neither the time nor the resources to expend on a future that may never arrive - until suddenly she uncovers evidence that her worst fears will come true.

Now two brave women, separated by hundreds of years but joined by bonds transcending time, will become unknowing allies in a desperate race against sickness and Threadfall, with nothing less than the survival of all life on Pern at stake.

"The torch has been passed and burns more brightly than ever in this latest chapter of the venerable Pern saga, the first of what one hopes will be many solo efforts by the son of series creator Anne McCaffrey." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
... Read more

Customer Reviews (96)

Not a bad story, but bad science
If you have more than a basic understanding of biology, this book will drive you crazy!The storyline is decent, if a little redundant compared to other Pern books. But it's obvious that the author doesn't really understand how genetics works. This wouldn't be a bad thing if he would keep it vague in the story, but he tries to explain things in detail and gets them outright WRONG! I can accept some variation from Earth genetics - life would evolve differently on a different planet.However, there are some basic rules as to how genetics works that will be constant - and the author completely ignores them.

(SPOILERS) Also, I find it completely unbelievable that a society with no concept of even basic cell biology will be able to learn enough about genetics to engineer a cure to an bacterial infection in just a few days. Not to mention that engineering a cure was considered a more feasible and appropriate solution than antibiotics. I'm not impressed with Todd McCaffrey's first attempt at a solo Pern book.

Good-ish, but no Anne McCaffery
First, I just want to say that I've loved the Pern series since I first read the initial trilogy in middle school over 10 years ago.It has and always will be my favorite series.However this book does not do the series justice.I could handle all of the other Todd/Anne collaborations, but when he goes off on his own...things loose their coherence.*spoiler alert* The book seems to be a mash-up of all previous books at once while adding plot points that contradict previous books.It lacks true creativity and has too many things going on at once to truly enthrall the reader.Todd also goes a little death happy.Virtually every dragon we learn the name of dies.The bond with the dragons is what makes this series, and that isn't allowed to develop in this book.We barely have time to acknowledge the main character's dragon, Arith, before he kills her.I cried every time a main dragon died in Anne's books.I wanted to with Arith, but I simply wasn't given enough reasons or time to feel attached to her.Moreover, I didn't feel like finishing the book after that.I have NEVER had that happen with a book before.Not even when I choked down the Eragon series.It leaves me very dubious about reading his next book.I think he could improve, but Anne gives him such high praise that I fear she had rose-colored glasses over her eyes for his writing and may never give him the guidance he needs to reach her level.

And I just wanted to add- they need to get Whelan back illustrating.These bio-mechanical messes on the last few covers make me cringe.

what is it with Todd and plagues?!
He creates great characters, but has this obsession with killing them off. and now, with his dragon plague, he kills off the whole reason for the books-the dragons. not only that, he kills off a beautiful, sweet queen dragonet!

i read the book, then hid it, where i will never see it again. i dont need the additional depression of his killing of characters i come to love. his books are not worth buying, especially if you are depressed, and reading to get away from the pain of that.

good read
Anne McCaffrey is the quintessential writer of fantasy books pertaining to dragons.These books are always wonderful, well written, and perfectly characterized.All of her series are great but the ones that take place on Pern are the best of all.

Better than I expected
Over the years I've read and reread Anne McCaffrey's Pern series.So I was a bit wary of the idea of anybody else taking up the reigns.I didn't have great expectations for this book, but was pleasantly surprised.
First of all, it's very readable, good pacing, plenty of suspense etc to keep you interested.And as an added bonus it continues some plot lines from Dragonsdawn which is my favorite book of the series.Many mysteries left from that book are touched on in this one, which I felt was very well done.

My one complaint is Lorana and Aryth.Lorana impresses a dragon; anyone who's read any Pern books knows how huge a deal that is.Yet there is hardly anything about their relationship.It is very much glossed over as nothing more than impetus towards finding a cure.

While it may seem repetitious to have Lorana hear every dragon, I thought it was intriguing how Todd made a slight shift towards not necessarily hearing every dragon, but feeling every dragon.

Some very interesting ideas for Pern are created in Dragonsblood.Whether they are true to the canon, I don't know, but overall an enjoyable continuation to the series.

It may not seem a good thing, when speaking of a Dragonriders of Pern book, but in many ways this was light reading.And as others have said it does lean in the direction of fanfiction.But every now and then I like a light read.While there are issues, there are also some nuggets of great information. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

McCaffrey stand-alone novels
Other people have written accurate and detailed reviews of this novel. Not being a reviewer I won't even try. Instead I'll use a negative review as a jumping off point to address some of McCaffrey's novels that aren't part of one of her well-known series.

It's a pity that the reviewer can't remove the 1-star rating, which I believe she would if she could. This book really is written by Anne McCaffrey and the description makes it clear that it isn't a fantasy novel. She wrote a fair number that weren't, "The Lady" being the most recent and best.And, since it was mentioned, as with "The Kilternan Legacy" wife-beating is absolutely a reason to leave one's husband and get a divorce, no matter how difficult. (Unfortunately "The Lady", fully set in Ireland, didn't sell well for the same reason the reviewer gave "The Kilternan Legacy" a 1-star rating: it wasn't fantasy. It was her final foray into non-genre writing and showed all of her skill as an author. When an signed copy of "The Lady" was requested McCaffrey was almost shocked, and much gratafied, that anyone remembered it much less wanted one autographed. The reviews given as most useful on the Amazon listing are as this being a horse story -- skip those and read the others.)

Meanwhile she has several fantasy novels that have nothing to do with dragons, spaceships, or other series.The one I know is "No One Noticed the Cat" which Publisher's Weekly accurately described as "An enchanting and sophisticated fairy tale for adults and intelligent children alike".I loaned my copy to other adults and eventually had to get a new one because it never came back.I just found "An Exchange Of Gifts" and "If Wishes Were Horses" so can't comment on them but, as with everything else I've mentioned, they are available on Amazon and reviews are there.

"Black Horses for The King" doesn't fit in with any of those categories.This one I also know, and it's historically accurate novel of a boy who comes into the service of Lord Artos.McCaffrey's love and tremendous knowledge of horses comes through here more strongly than anywhere else but it's not a "horse story".Instead the research that went into making Pern so believable is used as research for a novel set in the actual time.Her ability for "coming of age" stories seen in some of the Pern novels, and others, is also fully realized here.

For those who are interested she has some other, extremely early works and some semi-contemporary ones that are perfectly nice.

Oh, and the cover of this edition of "The Kilternan Legacy" is so bad it's a good example of covers that don't fit.

Not the fantasy author!
I thought I was buying a fantasy book, and so was sorely disappointed.Also, wife beating seems acceptable.This has nothing to do with Pern or dragons, and I am convinced written by a different author with the same name.Deceptive.

Fun reading
I am a huge fan of McCaffrey, especially of the Dragonriders of Pern series, but this one is fun and from earlier when she was writing semi- romance books.Great characters and a fun view of Ireland from someone who actually lives there.

Pleasant Little Romantic Novel
Irene "Rene" Teasey is still trying to recover from her bitter divorce when she learns that her great aunt Irene, whom she never met, has left her some property in Ireland.Rene is unsure if she wants to go, but her teenage twins, Simon and Snow, are determined to go.Before she knows it, Rene finds herself in a quaint Irish hotel with some sleazy real estate agent trying to buy the land cheap.The twins talk her out of it and hustle her to Irene's property where Rene forces a bulldozer off of her road with a shotgun.Rene isn't at all sure that she wants to get involved in a battle with some land developers, but she falls in love with her new house and feels that she needs to honor her great aunt's wishes of keeping on the old tenants in the cottages out back.In no time at all, Rene is developing a backbone and a real personality and really has the opportunity to come into her own far away from her ex-husband and her family.She even finds a new love interest, Shay Kerrigan, whom her great aunt Irene hated for reasons unknown to Rene.Shay seems to genuinely care for her and her twins, but is he really interested in her or in her property?And why do her new tenants hate Shay?As Rene becomes more involved in the lives of those around her, she finds that she had a lot more in common with her great aunt Irene than she ever knew.

This is a charming little romance/mystery novel that most readers will enjoy.It is a little dated as it was originally published some time ago (this is a reprint edition), but in a quaint sort of way.The main characters were quite well developed and the reader will find herself rooting for Rene and urging her to stand up for herself for once.But the supporting characters were absolutely delightful: Irene's twins Snow and Simon were hilarious and so much like teenagers now, sometimes so very grown up and other times so very not and the lovely Ladies Brandel, two very elderly noblewomen who were so very sweet.The tenants were also quite fascinating.This book is also a very clean romance - no swearing, no sex scenes, although there are some references to domestic violence.All in all, a very well written nice little find by Anne McCaffrey.

Oldie but Goodie
Very readable but not contempory as it was written about 25 years ago. ... Read more

Product Description
Combines the texts of two sequels to the best-selling The Ship Who Sang in a single volume, following the adventures of Tia and Nancia, who overcome paralysis by becoming starship-controlling "brains" that protect other young people from suffering a similar fate. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Shellpersons Among the Stars
Brain Ships (2003) is an omnibus edition of the Brain Ships series, including The Ship Who Searched and Partnership.These novels are set in the far future within the universe of The Ship Who Sang.

The Ship Who Searched (1992) is the third SF novel in this series.I know, this story is placed before the second book in the series.Don't ask me, but check the publication dates, the brainship numbers and the internal references.

In this novel, Hypatia Cade is the daughter of an archaeological team.Doctors Pota Andropolous-Cade and Braddon Maartens-Cade are conducting an Evaluation dig at a Salomon-Kildare site.The three of them are alone on the planet except during the supply ship visits.

Tia is alone in the camp during the day, except at mealtimes.She spends most of the day doing homework, watching holos and monitoring communications.Shortly after her seventh birthday, Moira -- TM-370 -- is an unexpected visitor.Moira has diverted a routine run to bring their supplies and a birthday present for Tia.

On days when her parents are too busy for her to visit their dig, her parents let Tia don her vacuum suit and go play in her own dig.She carefully excavates pretend artifacts from the trenches.Then she digs up something that is a very real artifact.

Tia catches some kind of disease from her first find and feels tingling in her feet and hands.Eventually, she loses sensation in all her extremities and is paralyzed from the neck down.Even her face is partially paralyzed.

In this story, Tia becomes a shellperson.She is the oldest person ever admitted into the program.She does very well and eventually is installed in her brainship.

Hypatia -- XH-1033 -- is now working for the Institute, delivering supplies to various archaeological sites.First she has to select a Brawn.None of the first six are suitable and the second six are not much better.Her supervisor is perturbed and wants her off the tarmac as soon as possible.

Alexander Joli-Chanteu is one of the last set.Tia spends more time with him than the others, but finally decides that he is not quite the right person to be her Brawn.But then he comes back after dark and has a more candid conversation with Tia.Although she still sees some flaws in his character, Alex does have the right sort of attitude and an interest in archaeology.Tia decides to choose him as her Brawn.

Tia and Alex become specialists in dealing with plagues and other sorts of diseases.While they are not doctors, they have run into more than their share of ailments and have learned to counter their effects until the medical personnel arrive.So MedCen preempts their services to hunt for smugglers who are bringing diseases into the Central Worlds.

PartnerShip (1992) is the second SF novel in this series.In this novel, Nancia Perez y de Gras -- XN-935 -- is expecting her father to call her before she starts her new career as a brainship.Instead, her brother pays her a visit.He brings her two datahedrons with his own synthcompositions on them.In addition, he gives her the latest -- not yet released -- version of SPACED OUT, the most popular video game.

Flix talks her into playing the game with him and finds out that she knows the position of every opponent in the game.After all, the game resides in her memory banks, so how is she to avoid knowing everything about it.While they are playing the game, a message arrives from her father apologizing for missing her graduation.

Shortly after that, her passengers arrive.They have obviously been celebrating and are passing a pouch of Stemerald back and forth.Then they notice the SPACED OUT game and play it until they break off for bed.

Only one passenger -- Blaise Armontillado-Perez y Medoc -- notices that Nancia is a brainship.The other four believe her to be an AI drone.So they talk freely in front of her sensors and she becomes suspicious of their intentions.She records all their actions and statements.She even records the keystrokes of Polyon de Gras-Waldheim as he cracks his way into the Net security system and assigns himself a privileged user account.

Nancia is shocked at the plans of the five High Family graduates.They intend to make their fortunes in the Nyota ya Jaha system.Polyon proposes skimming off working metachips into the discard bin and then selling them to the highest bidder.Alpha bint Hezra-Fong has created a new addictive drug that should sell well.Darnell Overton-Glaxely and Fassa del Parma y Polo have come into business enterprises that they can milk for maximum profits.

Only Blaisse doesn't have any profitable ventures to gain more wealth.As a Planetary Technical Aid representative, he will be handing out food bars to the vegetative natives of Angalia, a mudhole of a world.Yet he agrees to join a group wager about whom will accumulate the greatest fortune over the next five years.

In this story, Nancia selects Caleb as her Brawn.As a native of the Vega sector, he has very strict moral beliefs.She tries to discuss the behavior of the High Family brats with him, but he soon dissuades her from such discussions.

Over the next five years, Nancia learns that Caleb is a highly competent Brawn on normal runs, but hopeless in undercover efforts.Then they become involved in an investigation of Polo Construction, Fassa's company.Nancia once more considers releasing her tapes of the onboard activities of the five High Family brats, but decides to hold off.

These stories are good addition to the Brainship tales.Although only a fable among the brainships, Helva is an example to both Nancia and Hypatia.Enjoy!

Highly recommended for McCaffrey, Ball and Lackey fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of technological progress, undercover investigations, and very exceptional women.

-Arthur W. Jordin

Beware - This is a collection of 2 books
This is a fabulous series however, BEWARE.This is two books in one - PartnerShip and The Ship Who Searched.I am kind of a purist and would rather have each book by itself.

Not a cheat necessarily
I knew from the title "Brain Ships" plural that this was probably an omnibus reprint of previous books.Easy enough to check if any book you are interested in is such a reprint.

THE REAL CHEAT is "The Ship Avenged".The premise of human brains in starships is converted to a ship driven by an artificial intelligence program built by Joat (jack of all trades).SHAME on Stirling.

Would have been a much better sequel if story was about Joat overcoming the big obstacles that disqualified her for a ship's brawn.

Omnibus
When I bought this book I had the feeling it might be an omnibus of old books (because most of the new Anne McCaffrey books lately have been). But I didn't mind since I am just now starting the Brain Ship series. This omnibus contains "The Ship Who Searched" and "PartnerShip". I enjoyed both stories and look forward to reading the others in the series. I would recommend this book to anyone who doesn't already have these two books but is an Anne McCaffrey fan. Otherwise, you should probably skip the book.

Reprint compliations can be great
I hate to see a book containing two great stories receiving negative reviews simply because these stories were published previously. There are hundreds of great science fiction stories that have gone out of print over time. I think that these books being made available again is wonderful opportunity for readers to explore and enjoy great works from sf's past. ... Read more

Product Description
A LEGEND? , A MYTH? , A FAIRY TALE?A NICE SCIENCE FICTION ADVENTURE. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

The first trilogy of the Dragonriders of Pern
This is a collection of the first three novels in the long running Dragonriders of Pernseries.

DRAGONFLIGHT - The introductory novel of the series, establishes the basic premises and main characters of the series.

DRAGONQUEST - The secondnovel in the series, continues the saga by expanding on the consequences of the actions taken in the first novel.

WHITE DRAGON - The third novel in the series, relates the story of the changes that have to Pern as a result of the actions taken in the first two novels and foreshadows changes that will occur in subsequent ones.

Excellent used book in excellent condition.
Great book. My original copy was falling apart from so much use, so I came to Amazon & found a dealer who was selling a copy (no longer available new). It's in excellent condition.

Dragon are forever
I read the three books that make up this book when I was in high school and they were individuals at that time and I was wrapped forever in the world of Pern. Ms. McCaffrey caught my imagination and in the last 30 years has never released it. She writes with an eye to the people and the situations that one came see happening. This book started me reading Sci-fi and it is still good after many more read thrus.

Great collectible.
Book was shipped using great care in the protection of its condition.Bubble wrap and and plastic-sealed Ziploc protected the book from any possible damage from regular shipping occurrences.Dust jacket has nice protective plastic cover keeping its condition immaculate.Pages crisp and clean.

Poor shape
I expected this book to be in better shape. Either way my mom loves it. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Ring of Fear
This is quite unlike Anne's other books, especially as it is not science- speculative- or fantasy-fiction.It is relatively simple in plot, but enjoyable all the same.It's nice to read something set on Earth and in modern times to see the difference in styles.Personally, while I do enjoy reading this, I prefer the Pern and the Crystal Singer series, and others in the speculative-fiction style.

Ring of Fear by Anne McCaffrey
It has been my favorite book for years, and I have been looking for an extra copy of it at least that long. I am so glad that Amazon had it!

Old-fashioned or just appalling?
I quite liked this book at the beginning, but I began to get tired of the old-fashioned plot of a young woman in danger who turns to an older, more experienced man who takes care of her completely, down to picking out her clothes.I can understand that plotline in a Regency romance, but surely in 1971 women were more interested in a partnership than a sugar daddy?I was truly appalled, however, when (*SPOILER ALERT*) she realized that he truly did love her when he flipped her over and spanked her for disobeying his orders (and putting her life in danger).Yeah, when he hits you, it means he really loves you...
I read another romance by Anne McCaffrey from the 1970s which was much better - The Kilternan Legacy - about a woman picking up the pieces after a nasty divorce.She inherits a property in Ireland and takes her children to check it out.Less suspense, danger, and sex than Ring of Fear, but more fun and romantic.I have also liked many of her fantasy novels.

Great Murder-Mystery Romance!
Nialla has been on the run since she found her horse-trainer father murdered.The police didn't seem to be interested in finding her father's killer and everyone else took advantage of her naivete, including her father's ex-employer, who brutally raped her.Terrified that someone will find her, she dyes her red hair a mousy brown and keeps on the move, traveling from horse show to horse show.Her greatest loves are her horses, Orfeo & Phi Bete, and her coon cat, Dice, until she meets Rafe Cleary.Rafe is unlike any other man she has ever met and she finds herself falling in love with him before she can stop herself.Without Nialla knowing it, Rafe does some digging into her background and realizes that she is in desperate need of his protection, whether she wants it or not.He quickly marries her and sweeps her off to his beautiful country estate.Nialla is happier than she has ever been, but will her all too-perfect storybook ending last?

This is a quick, fun read written in an old-fashioned romantic style.All of McCaffrey's characters were great: Nialla is a strong woman, but not afraid to lean on someone else for help, Rafe is a fascinating, mysterious man whom readers will want to learn a lot more about, Mr. Marchmount is the villain who the reader actually begins to feel sorry for because he is so pathetic, but the animals are the best characters and have so much personality, especially Dice, that it is worth reading the book simply to read about them.This book is a far cry from McCaffrey's popular Pern series, but is very well written and enjoyable all the same!

Romantic Suspense from the Dragonlady!
This was not at all what I expected from a McCaffrey book, but it was an excellent read!There are no SF elements at all--this is a romantic suspense novel.Also, this is most definitely an adult book--a bit racier than her SF books.However, the characters were as captivating as any of her SF books.
This is the story of a woman on the run with only her horses and cat.She travels from horse show to horse show barely getting by, living in fear.Finally her past catches up with her, and she is nearly killed trying to rescue her beloved horses from a suspicious barn fire.Rich and mysterious Rafe, a fellow horseman, rescues her and helps her to face her enemies and uncover her past, even as he finds himself falling for her.

Jennifer Crusie and Janet Evanovich fans--you should like this one! ... Read more

Product Description
Young Tizra and her twin brother Tracell find their world abruptly changed when their father is unexpectedly called to fight in a war which promises to last much longer than the usual three-day skirmish. Their mother--the village healer--enlists her children to assist her in caring for the many refugees left wounded and homeless by the conflict. Inspired by her mother, Tizra learns never to surrender hope even in a time of fear and uncertainty. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

A quick read, and worth the time
This short fantasy novel explores the power of hope and love, and that dreams really can come true.

Lady Talarrie Eircelly has a well-known gift for healing in their small country village. Whether the malady is physical or emotional, she is The Person To See. Her husband, Lord Emkay Eircelly, is known as a fair ruler of the village. They have several children, including teenage twins, Tirza and Tracell. Life is pretty good in the village, until a messenger arrives from the king with news of war.

Lord Emkay rides off to war, along with every able-bodied man in the village, leaving Lady Talarrie in charge. The entire village goes into crisis mode. Flowers are pulled up, and vegetables are planted. Hunters scour the forest for any old or lame animals that would have died during the upcoming winter, and cull them earlier than expected. Nothing is more important than getting ready for the upcoming winter.

The war comes to the village, destroying most of the houses. This forces the whole village to move into the manor house for the winter. It's tight, but with lots of improvising, they survive the winter. When spring comes, the first priority is to start rebuilding the village. After a winter crammed into close quarters, people's tempers are almost gone.

An important part of growing up is receiving a present from your parents on your 16th birthday. Tirza's gift is all set, a special crystal from her mother to wear around her neck. Tracell, her brother, has always wanted a horse of his own; not just any horse, but a Cirgassian war horse. The war has not only taken all the able-bodied men, it has also taken all the able-bodied horses. Tracell's gift is hardly a sure thing.

This story is less than 100 pages, but it's pretty good. It's a very quick read, and it's worth the reader's time.

A great short story
Wishing for a horse for her son in time of war, when none can be bought, a mothers love opens her manor house to the people of her village, when most of the village has been shelled into rubble, even the pub!

Cheers...............

unknown work of my favorite author
Love Anne McCaffery.Did not know this book existed.Short, but good.Different than many of her other works.

outstanding!!!
outstanding little book for all ages. this is as good as her Pern books - Loved it!

A little disappointed in length and style..
I LOVE Anne McCaffrey.. I've read nearly all her books and been a big fan for many years.. I think her Dragonrider series would made a great movie! I wish Peter Jackson would get his head around them and direct them to the same success he did with the 'Lord of the Rings' Trilogy..
Unfortunately, I was not nearly as happy with her last 3 books that I bought on Amazon and just finished reading.. The reason is simple, the storytelling was not up to Anne's usual engrossing style and they were far too short.. So what's going on here? Why are writers producing and selling stories in one volume that should be put in an anthology? These WERE short stories, NOT novels, and I don't appreciate spending my hard earned dollars on what are, essentially, tiny stories.. The big print is nice, but it just goes to emphasize how small the book really is.. Come on, Anne! You and your family can't be so hard up for money that you can justify ripping your fans off with these itsy-bitsy books, can you? Put these stories where they belong, in a full-sized anthology, which I would be happy to go out and buy.. From now on, I'm going to be reviewing all Anne's books to make sure it's a 'real' book I'm paying for and not a novella.. C- ... Read more

Product Description
What do the world's most imaginative minds feast upon?Spiderfish Stew . . . Shrimp Anarchy . . . Surrealistic Fudge . . . Pa's Peasant Soup . . .and Marvelous Morphed Meat. How do the world's great science fiction and fantasy authors feed themselves when they're not whipping up tales of wonder? What did they eat before they were famous-and what do they serve to their friends? Compiled and annotated bybestselling author Anne McCaffrey, SERVE IT FORTH is an unparalleled collection of recipes submitted by the writers themselves, so you can eat like Patricia Anthony (The I've-Been-to-Brazil-I-Know-What-Black-Beans-Are Dip), David Gerrold (Death to the Enemies of the Revolution Chili), and Poul Anderson (The Great Pumpkin). Each wonderful, dunce-proof recipe is accompanied by personal notes from the author-chefs, as they guide you into the preparation of such repasts as: - Sherried Walnut Cake by Lois McMaster Bujold - Pig by David Drake - Comforting Clam Chowder by Peter S. Beagle - Night of the Living Meatloaf by Allen Steele - How (and Why) to Dress and Prepare Texas Armadillo by Ardath Mayhar - Catfish and Red Meat Flavoring by Larry NivenAnd over 100 more! With additional dinner, dessert, and bread recipes by Joe Haldeman, Katherine Kurtz, Mercedes Lackey, John Brunner, Joan Vinge, M. K. Wren, and many more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Like SF?Like cooking?Get this book!
I love reading and writing, especially science fiction.I also love eating, and cooking, although I'm not a chef.
This book is an interesting look into the non-literary creative works of a group of writers compiled by Pern mistress Anne McCaffrey.None of these writers will ever be confused with James Beard or even Emeril Lagasse, but the reader does get insight into the comfort foods that keep these writers going.A good book, also, for those who think they're too busy to eat.

A mediocre sidekick that proves that writers are not chefs
While my expectations for this book were never too high in the first place, I found that the "recipies" presented within are merely quick remakes of the already existing ones, sprinkled with outlandishnames. If you are trying to gain insight into the nature of the writerswhose recipies are compiled within, there are other ways to go about thatgoal. ... Read more

Product Description
Product DescriptionForbidden by her father to indulge in music in any way, a girl on the planet Pern runs away, taking shelter with the planet's fire lizards who, along with her music, opens a new life for her. From the PublisherAnne McCaffrey's best-selling Harper Hall Trilogy is a wonder-filled classic of the imagination. Dragonsong, the first volume in the series, is the enchanting tale of how Menolly of Half Circle Hold became Pern's first female Harper, and rediscovered the legendary fire lizards who helped to save her world. ... Read more

Product Description
The thirty-year-old peace between the humans and cat-like aliens on the planet Doona once again is threatened by unrest when the Gringgs, a race of alien visitors, propose both friendship and trade and Doona's leaders begin to question their motives. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Excellent book, can't wait to read it.
Now that I know Decision at Doona has sequels, I got both, and can't wait to read them!I have as complete a collection of her Pern, Acorna, Brainship, now Doona, plus certain misc. books of hers, as I can get.She's a fantastic author, along with her son, and co-authors who do great jobs furthering her worlds.Linda

Okay, but not as good as the first two.
After finding "Decision at Doona" and "Crisis on Doona" to be two of the best books I've read recently, I started in on this one with great anticipation.It's hard not to want to read more aboutDoona and some of the characters we've come to love.

The book wasgenerally good and enjoyable, and was time well spent, but in my opinion itwas weaker than the first two.The plot didn't seem as well constructed,and some threads were not adequately developed or resolved.I kept waitingfor the story to kick into high gear, but except for a few tense moments,it seemed to just coast along.

I too hope there are more books in thisseries.And I hope that McCaffrey (now 73) has given Nye her blessing tocontinue the series if she dies anytime soon.

I Want More!
This is a truly great ending to the Doona trilogy; just one problem: I want more! The ending of the book just begged for at least one more enstallment to this lovely series. Though there was one thing that I didnot like and that was the fact that Spacedep was the antagonist in allthree books. I should think that after the first two incidents involvingSpacedep that they would have tried to keep it out of the Gringg affair.But all in all, a great book and *hopefully* more to come. ... Read more

Product Description
The fate of the galaxy is placed in the hands of Lunzie, who discovers the true nature of a new friend; Fordeliton, who is dying of a mysterious poison; Dupaynil, who is exiled; and Aygar, who tries to prove himself. Reissue. AB. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Generation Warriors a Fitting climax to a great series,
The Planet pirate Series is an exciting series for those with imagination to make the book real, the books travel in a logical sequence go thru the life starting with the tragic planet reai in which the heroine's family is killed and she is taken captive as a slave, to rescue, and she is accepted into FLEET Academy. She is commissioned and goes up thru the officer ranks to Commander. Fighting pirates all the way. There is room for a sequel, which I hope comes out, with the post script about the government with the undercover pirate leaders replaced with real LEADERS.

The Palney Pirate Series
I personally enjoyed the entire series but I'm a pretty diehard Anne McCaffery fan.the only book that disappointed me has nothing to do with this partticular series, The Skies of Pern.

Generation Warriors
This book, about a young girl captured and taken from her home and enslaved is about her fight to end the slave trade. It does not take a simplictic view of human society. It touches on how a people who view themselves as oppressed can thus justify terrorism and the explotation of others.

It also ties together two other books, The death of sleep and Dinosour Planet, taking characters from both books and bringing them forward in time.

The long awaited conclusion -
This is definitely not a stand alone book. The concluding volume in a series that includes both Dinosaur Planet books, The Death of Sleep, and Sassinak picks up the story as if it and that last book were a single work. Generation Warriors offers no back story recap to speak of - in fact, pretty close to none at all - so I'm sure anyone trying to begin with it would be utterly confused.

Lunzie Mespil, the physician who appears in all of the earlier books, is once again going through retraining so she can resume practicing after a multi-year spell in cold sleep. Her descendant Sassinak, a former slave who's now a Fleet cruiser captain, asks Lunzie to join a medical research team on a mission to the heavyworlder planet Diplo in hope of gaining information about a conspiracy that both suspect. This conspiracy just may tie heavyworlder rebels to traitors at the Federation government's highest levels, other traitors at the heart of Fleet, and - most interesting of all to Sassinak - to the planet pirates who kidnapped her when she was 12 years old. It's a dangerous mission for Lunzie. Meanwhile, Sassinak takes her cruiser into the Federation's heart because that's where she must go to participate in the trial of the heavyworld traitor whose actions in Dinosaur Planet nearly cost Lunzie and others their lives. That should be the safest place in the galaxy, but Sassinak doesn't view it that way. She hates going anywhere that requires her to disarm her ship - and as always, Sassinak finds a way to bend rules that go against her instincts. That's how she's stayed alive long enough to captain a cruiser.

Except for its deus ex machina ending (a fault that runs throughout this series), Generation Warriors is terrific reading. Elizabeth Moon and Anne McCaffrey are both brilliant at writing strong women, and Moon has a particular gift for breathing life into mature (even elderly) female characters. "Auntie Q" is a delight! Lunzie, who wasn't that interesting a protagonist in The Death of Sleep, comes into her own here. While Sassinak continues to be Sassinak, Ford continues to be Ford, and so on. The plot mixes rousing space opera with some surprisingly thought-provoking social SF. All in all, a worthy conclusion to a series I started reading - well - almost as long ago as Lunzie went into cold sleep.

An excellent book
Anne McCafffrey and Co. have written an excellent space opera - as good as any that I've read (and I've read alot!) Sassinak keeps you excited as she works her way through the ranks and outsmarts the bad guys. Lunzie isn't as much of a page turner, but that's just me. It left me wanting more.

(Elizabeth Moon's Sporting Chance and Once a Hero series' are a good read and very similar world too) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

what can i say
ive owned the two books in this book so i didnt have to buy this one they are great books and fun to read

A reprint - don't be fooled
Have you read The Ship Who Won and The Ship Errant?If you have, do not buy this book expecting new stories.

Frankly, I'm appalled that the publisher would repackage two previous works without making it obvious to the bookshelf-browsing fan.I am disappointed that Anne McCaffrey would countenance such a deceptive practice.

Having said that, both novels are entertaining (if dated) sci-fi stories in McCaffery's Brain Ship universe.If you enjoy that series but somehow missed these installments, you won't be disappointed.

New readers of the Brain Ship saga should start with The Ship Who Sang.

Good, but REPRINTS
I agree with the reviews. These two novels are great additions to the BrainShips series, but Amazon SHOULD INFORM when some book advertised as new is merely a reprint. It happens all too often with many popular writers. I would hate to buy a supposedly "new" story and find out it was one I had already read. Norma.

Boy, thanks for delays and customer reviews.
I bought this book for our collection, and was sent a "shipment delayed" notice by Amazon. Lucky for me. When I came back over I saw the two other customer reviews indicating that it is just a compilation of two old novels. Thanks to these customers for informing me of this so I could cancel this order instead of having to send it back.

A Reprinting of Two Great Stories
There are a number of reviews that are negative simply because these stories were previously published as 2 separate novels, The Ship Who Won and The Ship Errant.They are missing the point. The point is that both of the original novels were wonderful! As always, Anne McCaffrey creates a rich and detailed universe and draws you into it on page one. If you already have both novels separately, then you don't need this one. If you don't, what better way than together in a shiny new hardback! ... Read more

Product Description
Kai and Varian awoke from their forty years of coldsleep only to discover that mutineers had taken over Ireta. But they were determined to save their planet and its unusual dinosaurs. All they had to do was solve the planet's myriad mysteries and gain the trust of the most dangerous beings in their Universe....
... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

An Adequate Sequel
This volume is the sequel to the earlier Dinosaur Planet, and as such is pretty good effort.While some of the logic and sequences are a bit muddled, the story line is followed well and the characters are developed intelligently.Although it is necessary to have read the earlier volume to truly appreciate this book, a close reading of this volume as a stand-alone story is possible.

Another great Anne McCaffrey story....
Pern became my 'Star Wars' during and after college. Building a large collection of her works.

Needed more dinos, again
I am a fan of Anne McCaffrey, and I liked this book. But I am also a fan of dinosaur stories, and there were, again, not enough dinosaurs for me in this book. Understandable, given all the starship technology, aliens and such, but with a name like Dinosaur Planet Survivors, you'd expect more, well, dinosaurs. Again I doff my hat to Hopp's Dinosaur Wars and its sequel, Counterattack, as having better coverage of the big beasties. McCaffrey gets the nod for sheer imaginativeness.

Not her best work
Like the Death of Sleep I do not think that this book is one of the better works of Anne McCaffrey. I had read almost all of her other books when I read this one, and I was very disappointed. It had a very hard time just finishing it. I would not recommend this book to anyone who is expecting something on par with Dragonriders of Pern Series or the Powers That Be Series...

Excellent, better than the first.
As far as sequels go, this has to be the best I've read.It is not McCaffrey's best work, but a real page turner nonetheless.Since the protagonasts wake up 40 years after the first book ended, the plot is fresh (not good guys against bad guys revisted as with many sequels).Thedescendants of the original bad guys may not be bad at all, and McCaffreydraws the point beautifully that "the sins of the father should notvisited upon the son."In addition, McCaffrey masterfully links thesebooks to her other series involving Sassinak!It was a great tie in andanswered many questions with surprising insights.To often, authorsstories take place "galaxies apart." It's nice to see an authorbring separate stories/series together without writing a 15 book saga. Irecommend all McCaffrey's books, particularly her non-fantasy works such as"The Lady." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Pleasant and Fun to Read, but Lacking Somehow
In the author's acknowledgements she thanks the people without whose help she would not have been able to write a book instead of a long essay. This book is chock full of interesting details and amusing anecdotes, but it reads like the long essay the author originally thought it to be. It is short and very light on description. Some interesting subjects are mentioned but only briefly. Very little was expanded on in a way commensurate with the volume of her subject's life works. In a biography, I like to learn more about the subject's personality.I was fortunate enough to meet Anne McCaffrey once and would have loved to be in a position to get to know her better (once I got over being in awe of her imagination). In a nutshell, this little tome is a gem for die-hard fans; an absolute must have, to round out any McCaffrey collection. It would not do much to entice an unfamiliar reader to read Anne's marvelous works.

A Great Biography of a Great Author
This is a well-researched detailed biography of the life of Anne McCaffrey, starting with her childhood and following the development of her writing career to the present.It does a good job of presenting the major events in McCaffrey's life and situating what novels she was working on at various times amongst those events.Included are quite a number of interesting photographs, a chronology, a partial list of McCaffrey's works, and sources for further reading including web sites.I really enjoyed reading this biography, and while I was already pretty well informed about McCaffrey's life I did learn new things from this book.

It should be noted that this book is part of series which is aimed at teens, and this is evident as the book stops to explain terms such as magna cum laude.But I think that McCaffrey fans of all ages will find it a very good read, just as they enjoy her own books that were aimed at a younger audience. ... Read more

Product Description

Acorna, the "unicorn girl" has made peace with her Linyaari past, and aboard the interplanetary salvage vessel Condor she is finally free. But dread overtakes her when a distress signal summons Acorna and her companions to a nearby planet. For among the myraid wonders of this world of sentient plants and intoxicating perfumes are unmistakable signs that everythng Acorna holds dear is in peril. A promise of world-shattering devastation is in the celestial winds-and impending catastrophe at the claws of the cold-blooded insectile race that seeks to eradicate all Linyaari and human life from the galaxy...the Khleevi!

Customer Reviews (16)

Good, but not one of her best series.
I love McCaffrey's books, but this series is not my favorite.It is good, though.

Great read as usual from the author
The Acorna books are amazing.They are unregrettable and very deep.It takes you away to another time and place, and lets you see the world through a very different (make-believe) culture.
I hope Anne keeps putting out new books to amaze her audiences.

Doona
This book is great! First I have read of the Doona books, the puns that pop up through the book are hysterical. A great commentary on government!

Let it die already
While I loved the first Acorna books, and fell in love with the sweet little unicorn girl, I quickly changed my mind after this book. The plot was alright, but it seemed to me that McCaffery was rushing through this. She didn't take the time to develop the setting, plot of chars as she should have. She left the ending ambiguous, and tortured a poor creature who had already been tortured enough. Either she needs to spend a lot more time on her writing, or she needs to leave this series alone.

Acorna's World
This book is my favorite in the Unicorn girl series. I was brought to tears at some points. This is truley A.M's work at it's best! Two thumbs way up!!!!! ... Read more

Product Description
Twenty original science fiction tales based on the theme of music--by such authors as Marion Zimmer Bradley, Charles de Lint, and Gene Wolfe--include the story of a singer whose ear for music helps her fight crime. Original. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Bed time stories for the fantasticallyinclined
I am a fan of Anne McCaffery's Science fiction, and I just finished this (back in December, getting caught up here) anthology that she co-edited with Elizabeth Ann Scarborough. Ann Scarborough is new to me, and I am going to look up her first novel, Song of Sorcery, which is mentioned in the introduction, primarily because Sweet William, the name sake of one of my favorite flowers, is a significant character. I did enjoy Scarborough's story "Scarborough Fair." The main character, Anne, is a writer, and I always enjoy these glimpses into other writer's lives. Anne is also a bit of a genealogist, and that interests me also, as I have been doing a little research on my family tree.

My favorite stories in the collection are "Bluesberry Jam" by Gene Wolfe, "Ever After" by Paula Lalish, "The Last Song of Sirit Byar" by Peter S. Beagle, and "A Bird in the Hand" by Anne McCaffery.

"Bluesberry Jam" is about a traffic jam that lasts so long that it develops a culture and social services. "Ever After" is a sort of a silly story, about making wishes and finding love; the ending has more truth in it than most `true' stories. "The Last Song . . ." reminds us about the power of song, the power of our words--to create what is real in this life. "A Bird in the Hand" is a kind of who dunit in space . . . I like mysteries, and science fiction, so this is the perfect escape.

Entertaining, but not quite what I thought it'd be
Loving the editors' stand alone works as well as their collaborations, I expected this book to contain short stories that lived up to their title.Space Opera = Opera in Space.Yes, I know "space opera" is a viable subgenre of science fiction, but given the musical bent of the theme, I was hoping for a more traditional interpretation.

Several of the stories made engrossing reads and held my attention.I found this to be quite the entertaining bunch of stories by authors familiar and new.I especially loved Peter S. Beagle's story, was surprised by the craft in Robin Wayne Bailey's story, and felt a little bittersweet (because of her passing) reading Marion Zimmer Bradley's story.

As a fan of science fiction, I heartily endorse this anthology.Sadly, not all the stories lived up to my expectation, mostly because I felt too few of them weren't science fiction-y enough.A music lover, I loved the theme, just was hoping for a bit more music and science fiction.

Still, well worth your read, especially for the masters' whose works appears within these pages.

Entertaining, but...
The book was enjoyable.Made for some light reading during lunch hours at the office.But it wasn't up to the standards that I expect from a collection like this.Perhaps someone with more of a musical background might enjoy it more than I did.A couple of the stories were very engrossing and entertaining, but overall it wasn't the best I have read.

very good anthology
I liked these stories and thought they were well-chosen.Anne McCaffrey& Elizabeth Ann Scarbourough make a good team.It was an interestingconcept, mixing music and science fiction.This was a very good book for acollection, although I did prefer McCaffrey's Pern series.

Sings a joyful song
Generally, science fiction anthologies are a mixed bag, some terrific stories, some terrible stories that you think may be in there just because the author has a "name." Space Opera, however, is nothing like any anthology I have ever read before. It is a one-note song, but that one note sings a joyful song. Made up of short stories commissioned for this anthology, they all share a theme, music. Within that theme, there are as many variations as the human mind can devise. Some stories are only tenuously connected with music, like the faintest hum. Others throb, resonate and pound into your brain like Sony's megabass. But all are worth reading, and some reading 2 or 3 or 4 times to capture all the rich nuances. For anyone who loves science fiction and music, Space Opera is a rare find and a thrilling melody. I particularly enjoyed the story contributed by Elizabeth Ann Scarborough, and not just because we are both nurses. Anne Berson RN (bersonfamily@worldnet.att.net) ... Read more