The Rowan

Tower and Hive, Book 1

By: Anne McCaffrey

Narrated by: Jean Reed Bahle

Length: 9 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

Told in the timeless style of Anne McCaffrey, The Rowan is the first installment in a wonderful trilogy. This is sci-fi at its best: a contemporary love story as well as an engrossing view of our world in the future.

The kinetically gifted, trained in mind/machine gestalt, are the most valued citizens of the Nine Star League. Using mental powers alone, these few Prime Talents transport ships, cargo, and people between Earth's Moon, Mars' Demos and Jupiter's Callisto.

An orphaned young girl, simply called The Rowan, is discovered to have superior telepathic potential and is trained to become Prime Talent on Callisto.

After years of self-sacrificing dedication to her position, The Rowan intercepts an urgent mental call from Jeff Raven, a young Prime Talent on distant Deneb. She convinces the other Primes to merge their powers with hers to help fight off an attack by invading aliens.

Her growing relationship with Jeff gives her the courage to break her status-imposed isolation, and choose the more rewarding world of love and family.

Listen to the rest of the Rowan Series.

©2007 Anne McCaffrey (P)2007 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"In this sensitive portrayal (expanded from the author's first published story, 'Lady in the Tower') McCaffrey draws a warm and vivid picture of a struggling frontier society." ( Publishers Weekly)

Rowan

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Yes anne mccaffery is one of the best authors in my time I was born in 1955

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Rowan?

TIme

Did Jean Reed Bahle do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

no

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Yes

Any additional comments?

Stop yhe reverbee

The power of the mind

This is an amazing story of a time when psychic powers are real and a vital part of the running of the world. I love this series and have read and reread and now listened to it. Highly highly recommended.

Another Romance Novel

I had been interested in finding out what The Rowan is all about. She seemed so otherworldly and regal I had assumed it would be an exciting novel about a mistress who wields great power and saves galaxy or planet. Instead I just find out it's a romance novel. Maybe you'll like it.

Excellent story, the narrators tone not so much

Love love the story! read it multiple times, but this just may be personal, I did not enjoy the voice or the way it was read. The metallic tone grated. I wish there were ways to adjust that.

very obvious computer voice cadence

sometimes the narrative is very obviously a computer. it is distracting. the story is as good as all McCaffery books

Anne Mccaffrey Awesomeness

Anne brings another universe to life in her brilliant, deft ways. Her gift of storytelling has such humanity woven through it, that it blossoms into a compelling desire to finish. enjoy.b

Part Science Fiction, Part Romance, Part Fantasy, but all awesome!

What if a Sci Fi author wanted to write a fantastical Science Fiction Romance? That’s what The Rowan is to me. The science is decent, but it leans magical real fast.

And that’s not a bad thing! Read, or listen in my case, and enjoy! It’s well worth your time.

An Optimistic Take on Psychic Power Evolution

The idea that psychic power can be identified and that it proves to be a key to human expanse into space is fascinating. Telling it using the life of a young girl growing into her power proves fascinating.

This book has an optimistic view of our future expansion. It even has an optimistic view of our ability to deal with aliens. A wonderful story.

So so

The story was okay if a bit dated but the performance was really distracting. There were times when the reader sounded like the old artificial computer voices you could use to read things and that was before the echo effect signaling the mind communication.

Wonderful

Read this as a young teen, and loved it. Read again 30+ years later and was reminded of her great skill at creating new, exciting, believable worlds, with engaging characters.