The Rowan (Tower and Hive, #1)

by Anne McCaffrey

The Talents were the elite of the Nine Star League. Their gifts were many and varied, ranging from the gently telepathic, to the rare and extremely valued Primes. On the Primes rested the entire economic wealth and communications systems of the civilised worlds. But Primes were scarce - only very rarely was a new one born. And now, on the planet Altair, in a small mining colony on the western mountain range, a new Prime existed, a three-year-old girl - trapped in a giant mud slide that had wiped out the rest of the Rowan mining community. Every Altarian who was even mildly talented could 'hear' the child crying for help, but no one knew where she was buried. Every resource on the planet was centred into finding 'The Rowan' - the new Prime, the first ever to be born on Altair, an exceptionally unique Prime, more talented, more powerful, more agoraphobic, more lonely, than any other Prime yet known in the Nine Star league.

• ISBN13: 9780552137638
• Publish Date: 19 September 1991 (first published 1 October 1990)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 1 February 2014
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Transworld Publishers Ltd
• Imprint: Corgi Books
• Edition: New edition
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 320
• Language: English

Reviews

[wyvernfriend]

I used to love this series when I was younger and it did stand up to re-reading for me.

The Talents are spread out over the Nine Star League using their psionic abilitiies to help things along. Among these abilities there's a lot of variety and power, but there are very few high-powered telepaths, the ones who can help push cargo, and onto a small mining colony one is born. Orphaned at an early age and known as The Rowan she's trained by the Prime on her planet. The first part follows her youth. Her life changes when she comes into contact with another telepath, male and needing her help. She discovers more about herself and her abilities and has to face some of her fears.

I liked it, there were some casually sexist moments in it but it was published in 1990, and the author is of an age where some of that was normal. Still the attitudes have improved from the first book, I do want to continue with this series and see where and how it continues to entertain (I hope)