The Tower and the Hive

by Anne McCaffrey

Book Overview

A LEGENDARY FAMILY For generations, the descendants of the powerful telepath known as The Rowan have used their talents to benefit humanity. As human civilization reached out to colonize the stars, the family led Earth to ally itself with the peaceful alien Mrdini. Together, the two races have held back the predatory Hivers, who once decimated entire worlds. THE NEW ORDER But there are factions on Earth who resent the power the family has accumulated...

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0441007201
• ISBN13: 9780441007202
• Release Date: May 2000
• Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 4.4" x 6.6"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

A realistic conclusion to an exciting series!

I have read most every book by Anne McCaffrey that is out there including the Pern books and Acorna books. I have enjoyed the Talent series the most for the creativity of the author and the reality checks that are included. I admit it would have been nice to have a perfectly completed and everything resolved type of ending but for me, I enjoyed that while the major issues of how to get the Hivers to not go out and destroy worlds populated with sentient beings and getting the Gwyn-Raven-Lyon grandchildren out on their own and starting their own dynasty are resolved more quietly than with a big bang! Especially touching and interesting in this book was the more information we got on Mrdinis, their hibernation and reproductive habits as well as their attitudes and politics. The relationships between Asia and Rojer and Laria and Dano were also very nicely matured. I enjoyed learning more about the "bad guys" -- the Hivers -- their habitat was so well described I could just picture it. I also swear that I have had a "sting-pzzt" type of experience -- when my husband used to work in a factory before we were married and came home with a sort of metallic powder all over him. It was definitely a smell/taste/feeling!! I was also glad that this book had a few less tragedies since the last book had quite a few. The invasion of the Blundell building was exciting and showed how Jeff Raven and the Rowan have still "got it."

Superb "theatre of the mind" quality narration.

The descendants of Rowan, a powerful telepath used their manifold talents to persuade Earth and the Mrdini to become allies against the predatory Hivers, an insectoid species that exterminates all other life forms. The Rowan clan are confident of being able to secure and keep the peace -- if they can survive sabotage and assassinations aimed at destroying them and all they stand for. Anne McCaffrey is a confident, talented, seasoned science fiction author whose gripping story is ably presented by the superb narrative skills of Susan Ericksen in this complete and unabridged library edition. 9 hours/6 cassettes.

Too much left hanging by a great book

I have enjoyed this great book immensely, I found it very hard to put down, but it left too many loose ends and did not close of the series in a way that is satisfying. It would have been good to see a new FT & T rise strong from its past, with a new charter that includes cooperation with the military, but that didn't happen. The Hiver problem also doesn't feel completely finished, what happens if a really smart queen figures out what is going on and manages to avoid 'the treatment'. I hope that McCaffrey will change her mind and write another novel, because I know that there is a lot of room for another one. This book is well worth the read, don't let comments like mine put you off, because it is a fast ride that will leave you gasping from Hiver stench, and crying in triumph as Laria and Rojer finally find their feet.

I love them all!

There are some books that you must read and The Rowan series is the one. They are must read books of romance, suspence, and everything you can think put in one book perfectly layed out. But if this is your first Anne McCaffrey book, I would sugest that you start at the beginning, other wise you would be lost. Once you start reading her novels you can't get enough of sciece fiction itself. I recommend all of Anne McCaffrey books. I may be really young but I know what I like and I've read almost all of her books. This is a book you can't miss.

Don't bother with it.

This book was clearly a rush job, and reads like a draft version instead of something complete. The characters are hollow, the plot thin. Filled with stupid little mistakes that should have been caught by the several "proofreaders" listed in the acknowledgements. E.g., on page 2 someone orders a ship to reverse course for home by performing a 360-degree turn. The worst I've seen from McCaffrey in decades.