Rating: 
Summary: Misadventures of a unicorn girl
Review: A trio of good-natured space miners picks up an errant escape pod which happens to contain an orphan girl of an unknown alien race. Her features are slightly equine, and she has a horn growing from her forehead. They name her Acorna and raise her as their own. Unfortunately, they have trouble keeping her under wraps, and they find themselves having to prevent her from falling into the hands of everyone from the scientists who want to study her, to a "collector" with an interest in rare creatures. Taking refuge on the planet Kezdet, they make the acquaintance of a wealthy businessman of Chinese descent, who recognizes Acorna as the Kirin of ancient mythology. He is on a mission to end Kezdet's underground child slave trade, and when Acorna gets involved, she makes her most dangerous enemies yet. I used to be a huge McCaffrey fan, and I've read a considerable portion of her work, including much of the Pern series, The Ireta Adventure, the Crystal Singer trilogy, and the original Ship and Pegasus novels. I've moved away from her work in recent years, but the beautiful cover on this one drew me in (Ignore the cheap CG background.) While not abysmal like Crystal Line was, Acorna is definitely one of her weaker efforts. The characters don't have much depth - the title character least of all - and any personality traits they are given are repeated to the point of cliché. (I lost count of how many times one character "blushed the color of his beard.") The story itself isn't particularly gripping. The confrontation with the book's chief villain towards the end is hugely anticlimactic. Even the reality of child slavery is watered down, though the thematic cries of "the children, the children!" did grow wearisome. This is safe SF, basically a comfort read. If you like a little edge in your reading, you may be bored, as I was at times. I didn't dislike it entirely, but it is highly unlikely that I will read the next book in the series. A mediocre effort from an author who is, perhaps, past her prime. Note: While there is no cliffhanger ending, and while the major conflicts are resolved by the last page, there are several threads left open for exploration in the books that follow. I am content to depart from the series after this first installment, but be aware that the overall story is not truly complete.
Rating: 
Summary: A Wonderful Escape
Review: When three asteroids miners were just beginning one of their long collection terms, they discovered an escape pod floating in space. Calum, Gill, and Rafik had no idea what lay inside, and were surprised to find a humanoid occupant. She wasn't human, though, the hooves, and single horn protruding from her forehead proved that. Acorna, as the miners took to calling their new ward, was a very special creature indeed.
The horn gave Acorna abilities that human mythology was fraught with. She could purify air, water, and even heal. She also grew from an infant to the equivalent of an adolescent girl in one year, with a maturity and intelligence that constantly surprised her guardians. These three gruff single men came to love Acorna as if she were their own, and refused to allow her to be taken for scientific purposes.
In order to protect Acorna from the ills and evils of the world the three end up taking her to perhaps the most dangerous place of all in the universe, Kezdet - the bandit planet. It is here that no questions are asked, and that four people on the run might perhaps go undetected by those who seek them. Acorna is a rare and beautiful prize, and there are collectors of the unique who would stop at nothing to have her in their collections.
Kezdet is a horrid place, a total affront to all the purity that Acorna stands for; it's prosperity coming from the blood and backs of children. Acorna ends up doing battle with the vile figure behind the slave labour, the mysterious Piper. If she wins, the children will go free and be safe, if she loses, then all is lost and everyone will pay the price.
Calum, Gill, and Rafik are torn between their desire to protect Acorna, and that of helping her to free the poor abused younglings of Kezdet. Darkness comes in many forms, and they must seek for help in the most unexpected of places, gambling everything and then some on the outcome.
This was a wonderful escape from reality, with enough fantasy elements blended with the science fiction to keep any reader content. The story is strong, the characters memorable and very appealing. I look forward to the next title in the series.
Review Originally Posted at LinearReflections.com
Rating: 
Summary: a splendid surprise
Review: When I first saw this book I though to myself, fast read & probably entertaining, based on the fact that I enjoy all of Anne McCaffrey's books. It was that and much more. It is a totally fantastic story written in a manner that sucks you in and keeps you interested chapter after chapter and novel after novel. I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: The best book of the series
Review: A sweet little waif, sent alone in an escape pod, finds a new home with three burly miners in the depths of space. She teaches them a few things while they teach her the basics of life, and watch her grow into a beautiful young lady faster then any human girl.
This was the best book in the entire series, with many points where I was reading as quickly as I could just to find out what happened on the next page. Acorna is one of McCaffery's most intriguing characters, filled with life and wonder, and a sense of innocence lacking in other pieces of her work. It's really a pity that later books in this series aren't as well written.
Rating:
Summary: Misadventures of a unicorn girl
Review: A trio of good-natured space miners picks up an errant escape pod which happens to contain an orphan girl of an unknown alien race. Her features are slightly equine, and she has a horn growing from her forehead. They name her Acorna and raise her as their own. Unfortunately, they have trouble keeping her under wraps, and they find themselves having to prevent her from falling into the hands of everyone from the scientists who want to study her, to a "collector" with an interest in rare creatures. Taking refuge on the planet Kezdet, they make the acquaintance of a wealthy businessman of Chinese descent, who recognizes Acorna as the Kirin of ancient mythology. He is on a mission to end Kezdet's underground child slave trade, and when Acorna gets involved, she makes her most dangerous enemies yet. I used to be a huge McCaffrey fan, and I've read a considerable portion of her work, including much of the Pern series, The Ireta Adventure, the Crystal Singer trilogy, and the original Ship and Pegasus novels. I've moved away from her work in recent years, but the beautiful cover on this one drew me in (Ignore the cheap CG background.) While not abysmal like Crystal Line was, Acorna is definitely one of her weaker efforts. The characters don't have much depth - the title character least of all - and any personality traits they are given are repeated to the point of cliché. (I lost count of how many times one character "blushed the color of his beard.") The story itself isn't particularly gripping. The confrontation with the book's chief villain towards the end is hugely anticlimactic. Even the reality of child slavery is watered down, though the thematic cries of "the children, the children!" did grow wearisome. This is safe SF, basically a comfort read. If you like a little edge in your reading, you may be bored, as I was at times. I didn't dislike it entirely, but it is highly unlikely that I will read the next book in the series. A mediocre effort from an author who is, perhaps, past her prime. Note: While there is no cliffhanger ending, and while the major conflicts are resolved by the last page, there are several threads left open for exploration in the books that follow. I am content to depart from the series after this first installment, but be aware that the overall story is not truly complete.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointed...
Review: I'm a devoted fan to Anne McCaffrey despite her tendency to skim over details that might make her fiction more substantial. She's fun, heart-warming, and tells a good tale. Plus, she lets the girls be the heroes of her stories. My favorite is still the Dragonriders of Pern (read it four times now), but this book was good enough to get me hooked on this series. Acorna is a light read, a sweet protagonist, a new world to explore.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: Acorna: The Unicorn Girl is the first in the Acorna series. Fleeing from the torture cells of the cruel Khevii, the couple had rigged their ship to explode when the pursuing ship is close enough. However, they also put their baby into a survival capsule and programmed it to eject just before the explosion so that the Khlevii would not be able to capture it. In this novel, Gill, Rafik and Calum are prospecting in an asteroid belt when they discover a metallic pod broadcasting a distress call. They bring it aboard the Khedive and find a baby within it. The youngling differs from human babies in that she has a large bump in the middle of her forehead, one fewer joint in her fingers, and larger and thicker toes. She also has silvery hair and eyes and teeth strong enough to mark the metal cup when she is given water. Although refusing to eat meat, she happily stuffs lettuce, chard, carrots, and radishes in her mouth and chews with her strong teeth. The men are busy mining an asteroid, so they postpone taking her back to the base until they have a full load. As Gill says, "How much trouble can one toddler be?" After she has disrupted hydroponics for the third time, they enclose it in netting to keep her out. She stays as close as possible to one or another of the men, which complicates the doing of their tasks. She is growing by the hour and then she learns to talk. Luckily, she learns how to draw and is content with drawing lines and squiggles on old printout sheets; she also learns the programming language on the front of the sheets. She loves baths and, when she drinks her bathwater, they discover that the water is no longer soapy and dirty, but crystal clear. Moreover, the air has been low in carbon dioxide despite her preference for broad leaf plants. The men have discovered that the bump on her forehead has become a horn and unicorns are supposed to purify water. That suggests a name, but they reject "Una"; then Calum proposes "Acorna" and this passes by acclamation. After some initial confusion, they baptize her Acorna and argue other who will be her godfather, finally agreeing that all three will accept the responsibility. Of course, that means that they have to discuss everything at the top of their lungs while Acorna is asleep (they have discovered that the only thing that awakens Acorna is an alarm hooter, which causes her to promptly flee her hammock and stand by her escape pod). Acorna is learning things at a fabulous rate and her godfathers are having a wonderful time, but then they return to the base. This novel is a pure romp af a tale. It is definitely not hard SF nor is it difficult reading, so it would be suitable for older children or young adults, but was also enjoyable to this more mature reader. The first volume is probably the best in the series, but the sequels are also pleasant reading. Recommended for McCaffrey and Ball fans and anyone else who enjoys light SF yarns with a touch of comedy.
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