Acorna [Hardcover]

Acorna is different from other sci-fi novels I have read, because not many incorporate the ancient myth of unicorns. The innocence of Acorna made me laugh, for McCaffrey and Ball have created an original and likable character for me to relate to. I am looking forward to reading the two other books that are in print now (Acorna's Quest and Acorna's People). The miners that befriend the baby Acorna and eventually become her "uncles" are humourous and display realistic emotions towards an enigmatic Acorna. The exploits of Acorna on the planet filled with misery touched a cord for me, for IF only someone could exist in the universe today to care about all the "nameless" children. Acorna: The Unicorn Girl is a must-read for McCaffrey and Ball fans, but also for anyone who is touched by an innocence that is not really present in today's harsh world.

Most of my reading consists of classic sci-fi. I've practically been raised on Heilein, Herbert, Asimov, and others like them. I've heard of Anne McCaffrey (who hasn't?), but somehow I never got around to reading one of her books. Until now that is.

You can basically divide this book into three parts. Part one, the discovery and raising to young-adulthood of a unicorn-girl found floating in an escape pod by three miners. Part 2, a series of chases and escapes as various entities try to hunt down, capture, kill, or make trouble for the miners and their young charge. Part three, an aging mastermind with a heart of gold seeks to implement the young unicorn into his plan to free the child-slaves a hellish industrial world.

The first part of the story is a great deal of fun, as the young Acorna grows both mentally and physically far faster than expected, the miners try to cope with the complications of raising a "niece", and she amazes and amuses with her rapid learning and strange precociousness (to say nothing of compelling child-like innocence).

The second part of the story kind adds some edge, pushing you keep reading so you can find out how the protagonists are going to escape from the myriad of people who for some reason want them dead. I actually found myself somewhere at that point wondering to myself aloud if there was indeed anyone in the whole galaxy who wasn't after the heroes of our story.

The third part of the story though, is what adds that fifth star. The brillaint businessman Li is wonderful character because he is ruthless and crafty, sharp as a steel trap, and has a heart of gold and body that is failing him. We have the point driven home repeatedly that the situation on the planet Kezdet is in a homeless situation that only a miracle could solve. The girl Acorna turns out to be that miracle. Very quickly she and her companions find themselves allied with and protected by Li and his underground child-freedom fighters, and from there the story because most compelling, as Acorna repeated puts herself in dangerous situations because her compassion cannot allow her to simple watch children suffer. This very weakness becomes her greatest strength, as earning the trust of the children allows Li's long overdue (and magnificently grand) plans to come to fulfillment.

On a technical level this book may disappoint some, and certainly there is no flowery language or flowing descriptions. The language of this book is clear and easy to follow, and the characters are very clear-cut. Like a good anime epic though, the characters' struggles are metaphorical, emotionally clear, and cut straight to the heart. Truly the strength of the characters is what drives this book, much as Orson Scott Card's Ender series was driven by its characters. Acorna herself and Li in particular were two characters I absolutely loved. If this story reminds one of other sci-fi about a young savior who would free the slaves. There are echoes of Frank Herbert's Dune, Miyazaki's Naussicaa, and Neal Stephenson's Diamond Age (espeically the latter, which also features a young female protagonist, a world run by corporations, and a chinese man bent on saving children). Of course, this book is much less heart-wrenching than Nausicaa, less heady (or trippy) than Dune, and has FAR less swearing, abuse, and violence than Diamond age.

Anyone looking for a light read or fan of stories with female protagonists or world saviors will no doubt enjoy this book greatly. Now to read all the sequels...

It's always disappointing to read a lackluster collaboration between two wonderful authors. In this case, the story moves along reasonably well but Acorna herself is so perfect that she's boring. She is an angelically sweet little girl, the kind that only exists in fiction, without any personality flaws to give her character depth. After a while I began to wish she would throw a temper tantrum, badmouth her 'uncles', anything! The gritty and realistic depiction of the exploited slave children helps rescue the story from the nauseatingly saccharine beginning. If only some of that realism had rubbed off on Acorna herself. This book is worth picking up at the library, but not worth spending hard-earned money on.