Customer Reviews

Pegasus in Flight

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This was my first encounter with the work of Anne McAffery and initailly I found the plot confusing and hard to follow - particularly as the environment, characters and even the language were described but not explained. After a short while however, the pieces began to fit together and the world of the Talants started to take shape so that by the end of chapter 2 I was spellbound, caught up in the high tension and pacy plot. For me reading the book was like watching a movie. I put this down to the effective use of 3 writing techniques. First the extensive use of dialogue - either in the form of thought or words gave the impression that I was observing rather than being told throught narrative what was going on between the characters. Second the use of "sets" which drew largely on the familiar but with plausible futuristic twists enabled the writer to create a new world without the need to give lengthy descriptions. Lastly the use of short chapters which cut into each other like scenes, heightened the whole cinema feel to this book, particularly toward the end of the book when the plot began to move more quickly towards its final climax. I will definately read more of her works.

This one is even better than the first Pagasus book - tighter writing, characters drawn with more assurance, the implications of life in a society where some have Talents more carefully explored.

DON'T read this book first. They must be read in order to get the full impact of McCaffrey's rare ability to create a consistant and delightful premise, then work out all the implications logically.

This, the second book in the Pegasus series, which predates (in timeline) the Rowan and its successors, is a good book an many levels. As pure, nail-biting adventure it rates highly in any genre. Add Anne McCaffrey's unique blend of the personal elements and the SF/Fantasy which she does so well and you get a real winner. It is, as the other reviewers here point out, about the "early history" of the Talented (i.e. people with telekinetic, telepathic and other realted abilities). I must say I found the first book in the series a little disappointing - I think because it was rather disjointed. However this one is much better and really whets one's appetite for more. Pegaus in Space comes next...

For those who have read To Ride Pegasus and the Talent series, Pegasus in Flight holds quite a few familiar surprises.

One curious oddity is the titling of the two Pegasus books. Oddly enough, Pegasus In Flight was published before To Ride Pegasus. Even more interesting are the characters. It is recommended that you don't read the two books in order of publishing-instead, start on To Ride Pegasus and then move on to this also fine novel.

The most interesting features of this novel are the appearances of familiar characters from other Talent Series books or their descendants or ancestors. We see Sascha Roznine, undoubtedly a relative of Vascha Roznine in TRP; we see Dorotea Horvarth and her son Miklos; Rhyssa Owen is undoubtedly the daughter of Daffy op Owen; and perhaps most heartening of all, we see the first Peter Reidinger. Later, in the Talent books, his descendant would become one of the best and most explosive personalities. This all is very good, as it binds the novel to others in the series.

Pegasus in Flight takes place one generation after To Ride Pegasus and centuries before the Rowan books. A call for Talents to work on the world-wide project of Padrugoi, which would be the stepping stone of mankind to the heavens, is led by the brutal Russian engineer Ludmilla Ivanova Barchenka, who will stop at nothing to strip Earth of its Talents. In the midst of this gigantic, frenetic circus of a project lies foul play-Rhyssa, her future love interest, and others uncover terrifying statistics of some "accidents" that have been occuring on Padrugoi.

In the meantime, Tirla is a scruffy girl living in the dark Linears of Jerhattan. Here she ekes out a living by helping alleyway mothers elude the illegal-peoples check as well as doing various other deeds. Her knack for languages makes her an important person in the Linear G-unknownst to her, this "knack" is actually a very strong Talent. In the meantime, Tirla struggles to elude the perverted Yassim, who deals in unsavory uses of children stolen from the Linears or sold by their parents.

Young Peter Reidinger was an ordinary boy until he was suddenly paralyzed. This paralysis forced his mind to transfer motor functions to another part of the brain-and gave him a powerful Talent.

Rhyssa, Sascha, Dave Lehardt and the other Talented strive to save the kidnapped Tirla and Peter whilst evading Ludmilla Barchenka's persistent assaults for kinetic Talents. And as they do, they meet danger, love, and dark plots and conspiracies head on.

Pegasus in Flight is rather disappointing when compared to its beautifully written followers. The plot was wonderfully done, only very often Anne would convolute or add some sort of detailing, or just something that would make it a little more "muddled". There are several very dry points, as in To Ride Pegasus, but there are some really wonderful scenes and pages and chapters that warrant reading over and over again.

Mostly Pegasus in Flight is a rather fine novel, but given a choice over this or the, say Rowan or Damia, the other Talent book would win. Series fans must read-as for others, it is a very good stepping stone into the Talent world, giving the reader a full immersion into this far-future series, but the Rowan serves the purpose just as well. Try it-you just might like it.

I was looking for the kindle edition on amazons webpage but no luck so i went to the random house page to see when this book would be available and lo and behold it is but the amazon link leads nowhere.

This it a fantastic light sci-fi, dealing with the doings of Talents, psychically gifted people in not-so-distant future, when space travel is just begining to be explored. Even though I love this book, I wouldn't recommend the two "prequels" Wings of Pegasus and To Ride Pegasus. They don't involve the same characters, and Pegasus in Flight stands on its own. The sequel, Pegasus in Space, is also excellent, and is actually a continuation of this book. This is an excellent book for teens, and very similar to the X-men movies.

Anne McCaffrey is the greatest. This book continues the story of psychically Talented individuals in the near future. The characters are getting filled out more in this book. You have to read this one second. Don't try to read it before To Ride Pegasus. Actually they could have easily been combined into one book. They are available as a double set and that is how I bought my copies. This series is a wonderful look at "what if" in our own society. A great read!!! Definitly follow up on the story by reading Pegasus in Space.

With the end of the second book I was disappointed that it had ended. At fisrt I was not overly thrilled that the main characters from "To Ride Pegasus" were used, but by the middle I was truly enjoying these new characters. I was overly joyed when Doreta returned but as an older woman giving some link between the first two novels. When I picked up the third novel I was pleased that the characters from this book continue on. I still wonder at the limit of Peter's Talent, and besides her natural Talent for languages Tirla has some other Talents that are still hidden. The topic of child theft and their use as a labour force on farms, in mines, and as prostitutes is somthing most of use may not think about but occurs all time in all countries, in one form or another. Yet the story also shows us that children can have the greatest impact on use personally and on society if they are given a chance to succeed. With hints from other reviewers that there is a link between this an the Rowan series I may have to start that one soon.

What a wonderful book leading into the Rowan series! After being disappointed with the Tower and the Hive, I was leary of going back to the beginning, but now I am amazed that I had not heard anything on this book. After reading this book, I am really tempted to reread the Rowan and the rest of the series again...!!!

This is one of the few books by Anne McCaffery outside of the Pern series that I've read, and I like it the best. My fave character is Tirla, naturally. Her scruffy, capable attitude won me over right away. I didn't like Peter very much as the book progressed because he became really show-offy and arrogant. I hope Anne McCaffrey will write more books with heroines like Tirla (and Menolly) because they make for exciting and fun reading.