The Tower and the Hive (Rowan) (Paperback)

~ (Author) "By noon of the day after the destruction of the Number Three Hiver sphere, the newly promoted Admiral Ashiant was already giving orders to elements..." (more)
Key Phrases: weasel lovers, poll eye, message tube, Iota Aurigae, Earth Prime, Jeff Raven (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Anne McCaffrey concludes the saga of Angharad Gwyn, the Rowan, her husband Jeff Raven, and their family of powerful telepathically and telekinetically Talented offspring with The Tower and the Hive. ( The first four books in the series are: The Rowan, Damia, Damia's Children, and Lyon's Pride.) As usual, McCaffrey delivers vividly real characters struggling with personal, political, and ethical issues and finding humane solutions.

Federated Teleport and Telepath, dominated by the Gwyn-Raven clan, provides interstellar shipping and communications for the Star League of Humans and Mrdinis--weasel-like aliens. In following the aggressive, ant-like Hivers, whose "spheres" have repeatedly attacked League worlds, naval vessels have discovered many more habitable planets, including some occupied by Hivers. Who will get to colonize these planets, Humans or Mrdinis? Should all Hivers be destroyed, or is there some way to contain them? Where will more Talents to staff the vital Towers come from? And how best to defeat those whose resentment of the Gwyn-Raven family's powers and friendship with Mrdinis could lead to violence?

McCaffrey's protagonists are four Gwyn-Raven grandchildren, now young adults who find romance and mature while studying both alien races. Old and new fans alike can enjoy her masterful blending of scientific extrapolation and fantasy elements to produce a universe they'll leave regretfully. --Nona Vero --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

Heres a happy ending to McCaffreys futuristic Rowan (aka the Talent) series (Lyons Pride, etc.), as Humans, their allies, the Mrdini, and the insectoid Hivers, who menace both, find ways to coexist. The main heroes are the Talented members of Federation Teleport and Telepath, dominated by the family that began the organization, but increasingly including different blood lines. McCaffrey provides an introduction, What Has Gone On Before, but its nearly as confusing as it is helpful. Fortunately, the narrative offers bountiful explanations of salient events and relationships, so all becomes clear as the story progresses. Few surprises are on hand, but the relationships among the parapsychically gifted Humans at FT&T are particularly well drawn, including the romantic subplots. Indeed, procreation is key, as readers follow the family dynasty of FT&T, the search for a solution to Mrdini overpopulation and the link between the Hivers queens and their spread to new worlds. The novel lacks the profound imagination of alien minds thats a hallmark of much recent SF, but it also avoids the kill-the-bugs outlook of such SF as Starship Troopers. Readers looking for intelligent, heroic adventure will find it here, and Rowan fans will be especially pleased at this felicitous closing of a popular SF series.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Ace; 1st THUS edition (May 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0441007201
• ISBN-13: 978-0441007202
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (62 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #105,273 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good book but it could have been better., October 18, 1999

By	Michelle Cooper ([e-mail]) "fired... (Kennesaw, Georgia, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Tower and the Hive (Rowan) (Hardcover)

This was a wonderful story. Learning a little more about the Dini's was great but this book could have been better. When I first read the promo for this book I thought it would be about the threats that the Rowan and Raven would be receiving and the actual attack on them. To my disappointment the actual attack took less than a chapter. Plus the ending could really have used some help. I mean the idea was great but to have everything hinge on a man that has never been in any of the other books, that was a little hard to accept. The development of the relationship between Laria and Kincade was cool, but the rest of the odd characters and side stories would have to be explained and it was evident Anne wanted to move on to other stories. I liked this book, it answered some questions and brought some ending to sections of the story line but it also raised other questions and brought in new story lines that could be explored. Over all a good book, but it did not meet all expectations.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars I am a faithfull Mccaffrey reader, but this book is awful., September 15, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Tower and the Hive (Rowan) (Hardcover)

I have been engrossed in the lives of Anne McCaffery's various characters since I first read Dragon Song at the age of twelve. Fortunately, The Tower and the Hive is not the first book by her that I have read. The book lacks any sense of a cohesive plot and is filled with tedious narratives...I am not sure why I even bothered to finish the entire book!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Still worth a read., May 4, 2000

By	Liz (Oceanside, CA) - See all my reviews

I am an Anne McCaffrey fan and have all her books and although this won't be in my list of top ten books; it is still a good read. It does continue the story begun by Rowan and it does tie up some loose ends. Personally, I thought the pheromone solution was quite ingenious!