Acorna's Quest

by Anne Mccaffrey

Other authorsMargaret Ball (Author)

Paperback, 1999

Status

Available

Call number

813

Publication

Eos (1999), Edition: First Thus, Mass Market Paperback, 416 pages

Description

'I must find my own kind!' Found as an infant drifting in space, Acorna, the Unicorn Girl, has become a young woman. She still has her tiny, translucent horn, and her 'funny' feet and hands. And, she still has her miraculous ability to make plants grow and heal human sickness. But Acorna has strange dreams of a gentle folk who mind-speak by touching horns. With her 'Uncle' Calum, one of the three grizzled asteroid prospectors who rescued, protected, and raised her, she sets off to find her people. No sooner does she leave than a mysterious craft appears, piloted by the Linyaari, a gentle race with telepathic powers. The Linyaari are roaming the galaxy, spreading the alarm about the deadly Khleev--And searching for a beloved little girl they had given up for lost, long ago...… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member nieva21

This novel had interesting twists and turns, as far as the Linayarii, coming to warn Acorna (and her uncles) of the dangers waiting in the arrival of the Kleevi. Her people coming to her was a surprising twist that she experienced as did the reader, since Callum and her were supposed to take off on

the Acadecki, to locate Acorna's homeland. While they are in transit, they end being captured by the Starfarers on the Haven. It is rather lucky, since Markel is a genuine first generation Starfarer before the organization went corrupt and that he is alive and can rescue Acorna, Dr. Hoa, and Callum. This book keeps the intensity throughout the story, but there were a few parts when Mccaffrey's trying to match up Uhuru, to find Acorna with the vessel the Haven that get a bit muddled. Otherwise, I enjoyed it and can't wait to read book three.

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LibraryThing member willowcove

Not one of McCaffrey's better series

LibraryThing member zjakkelien

Very much in the style of its predecessor, Acorna, this book is fast-paced and uncomplicated, ending in a Disney-like all-is-well fashion. Very enjoyable.

LibraryThing member BellaFoxx

At the end of the last book, the children on the planet Kezdet were being liberated, enrolled in school and are learning actual trades. This next installment involves Acorna wanting to find her own kind, humanoids like her. There are practical as well as sentimental reasons for this. Her

“Uncle” Calum believes he knows the general area of space where they will find her home planet. The two of them set off to find it, rather impulsively since it appears everyone else doesn’t want them to go and end up on a planet they were not planning to go to. This lands them smack dab in the middle of a armed conflict.

Meanwhile, the Linyaari appear with a warning about the Khleev and in doing so discover that a little girl they thought was dead is alive, but missing. Acorna needs to be found and something needs to be done about the Khleev, who are coming and are deadly.

Once again we have Acorna acting impulsively, this time she drags Calum along with her. We meet some old friends and foes and discover new friends and foes. The action is fast paced. The characters are again not well developed, you have good, who are very good, and evil who are very evil, and the ones who are good as long as it profits them. But still this was an enjoyable read.

This could almost be considered a young adult book, but there is some violence and adult situations in it.

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LibraryThing member gypsysmom

I see that Anne McCaffrey's website classifies this book as YA and I guess I can see that since many of the characters are teenagers, including Acorna herself. However, this isn't juvenile fiction and even though I am far from young I found lots to enjoy.

Acorna was found by three asteroid miners in

a suspension pod. Her translucent horn and unusual hands and feet made it clear she was from an alien race. She also matured much more quickly than humans reaching full growth in three years. The three miners raised her at first and then turned her over to others to further her education. At the opening of this book Acorna and one of the miners, Calum, are wanting to set out to find her people but others who care for Acorna keep coming up with reasons for delay. Finally Calum and Acorna steal away in their ship only to find that there is a problem with the hydroponics system that means Acorna will starve unless they get new seeds and plants. They head to a planet which is agriculture based, Rushima. When they get there they find that the planet's crops have been decimated by floods and drought brought on by a starship that can manipulate weather systems. The starship is in the control of a group of refugees from another planet who are holding Rushima to ransom. Before they can escape the area and let others know of the settlers' plight Calum and Acorna are captured by the starship. Meanwhile back home a mysterious craft has appeared and it contains four beings of the same race as Acorna. They bring news of another alien race that overran their planet and are coming to human space specifically to the planet Rushima. Some great space opera ensues.

This is the second book in the Acorna series and I have not read the first one. However, there is enough reference to the first book that it doesn't really make a difference. Not sure if I will read the rest of the series but if I do I think I will try to read them in order.

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