Killashandra

Rating:
Summary: Too bad she ruined an otherwise great book.......
Review: I love this series. I read Crystal Singer first, then Crystal Line, but didn't read the 2nd book Killashandra till last. At first I couldn't put it down ....... BUT then I was appalled to discover a totally artificial, forced, unconvincing plot turn having to do with disguise and "love with the enemy" that took up the whole middle half of the book and was so bad it has totally cheapened my experience of reading Killashandra. I don't know how in the world McCaffrey could have allowed herself to so badly detract from an otherwise superb series by this segment of her novel - it is really appalling! However the rest of the book and the series are very worthwhile reads......

Rating:
Summary: Too bad she ruined an otherwise great book.......
Review: I love this series. I read Crystal Singer first, then Crystal Line, but didn't read the 2nd book Killashandra till last. At first I couldn't put it down ....... BUT then I was appalled to discover a totally artificial, forced, unconvincing plot turn having to do with disguise and "love with the enemy" that took up the whole middle half of the book and was so bad it has totally cheapened my experience of reading Killashandra. I don't know how in the world McCaffrey could have allowed herself to so badly detract from an otherwise superb series by this segment of her novel - it is really appalling! However the rest of the book and the series are very worthwhile reads......

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful
Review: I thought that this was the best of the Crystal Singer series. I love how Anne McCaffrey writes. I would recommend any of her books to anyone. They're wonderful!

Rating:
Summary: Enthralled...no pun intended.
Review: I was very impressed with the Crystal Singer trilogy - although I loved Pern etc, I always found them to be a little simplistic in terms of characterisation, motivation etc, a little lacking in maturity. I think Killashandra was a superb novel, but I think that all three of this series are best read as a trilogy...e.g. it's all very well to lay the warnings of memory loss in The Crystal Singer, and to feel the menace of such occupational hazards over the first two books, quite another to see (and experience, I guess) such crises in the third book. A unique trilogy, that made each element an essential element of the whole. Killashandra And Lars Dahl were extremely skillfully visualised characters (with a deftness in their creation I hadn't given Anne MaCaffrey credit for, shamefully) with very human strengths and weaknesses - never stereotyped in the sorrowful way of many sci/fi characters. Not to say they were always likeable! The singing trade was admirably conjured too....I'd appreciate response!

Rating:
Summary: History repeats itself. . . .
Review: No doubt about it. This is a book worth reading. I have all of this series of books and wish there were more like it. The action and intrigue are great. If you don't own it, you really should.

Rating:
Summary: Science fiction at its best
Review: The first Killashandra Crystal Singer stories were in a series of sci-fi books that serialized short stories. The Crystal Singer story was expanded and the first book, Crystal Singer, was put out in novel form. I recommend you read Crystal Singer first as it sets the stage for this, a continuation of the story.

Killashandra finishes her apprenticeship in the first novel as a Crystal Singer, a miner of crystal on the planet Ballybran. Crystal Singers are a special breed; they must possess perfect pitch and be able to adapt to the unique rigors of Ballybran. They mine the valuable crystal with its energy properties by singing in tune with a sonic cutter. The geometric crystal forms are sold through their Guild for high prices throughout the Galaxy to be used in power drives and many other types of equipment.

Singing is hazardous work, though it provides some unusual advantages. After one of Ballybran's gigantic Mach Storms ruins Killashandra's mine claim of valuable black crystal, she must take an assignment that, again, has much more under the surface that meets the eye. She must tear herself away from the Guildmaster, her love interest, but finds that even though she is destined to lose him, another awaits her on a far planet.

Fine reading and part of an excellent trilogy.

Rating:
Summary: The Adventures and Misadventures of Killashandra Ree
Review: This book's title is markedly different from the other two in the trilogy. Appropriately, I think, for this is not a book about Crystal Singers. No, this book is entirely about Killashandra Ree, as she discovers true love. There is also a conspiracy to be fought, but Killashandra seems too busy with her feelings to pay it much attention, and so does the book. :-)

At one point I rated it 4 because it simply did not deal with crystal singers, the story I had been looking for since the first book. That story I found in the trilogy's last book, and that enabled me to look back at this one as a satisfying book, with a sound story and a sense of completion at the end.

Rating:
Summary: Fly with Killa !
Review: This has got to be one of my all time favorite characters in SCI-FI.
Anne Mccaffrey has a fine sense of detail without smothering you in them.
This book is eclipsed only by one other similar book, it's predicessor Crystal Singer. Buy them, buy them all.
Crystal Singer, Killashandra, Crystal Line.
Read and thrill with Killa as I do.

Ramjet

Rating:
Summary: My First Anne McCaffrey Read, but Not My Last
Review: This is the first novel I have read by Anne McCaffrey, but I was so impressed that it will not be my last. Many of the other reviewers suggested that the Crystal Singer be read first, and although I may have gone into the reading of this book with a better understanding, I don't feel that I was at much of a loss as this book does well as a stand-alone novel.

Rating:
Summary: Killashandra (by stardustraven)
Review: Together with Helva and Menolly, Killashandra is one of Anne McCaffrey's unforgettable musical heroines. I would like to recommend to read first 'The Crystal Singer' in order to understand past events of Killashandra's life and The Heptite Guild of Crystal Singers to which she belongs. Nor have any of the aforementioned heroines ever disappointed me, because like Helva and Menolly Killashandra is remarkably strong, resourceful and intelligent and thus effortlessly won this reader's sympathy. Although Killashandra can be quite high handed, she is a gold hearted prima donna! How deftly Anne McCaffrey presents the characterization of Killashandra and the two great loves of her life, guild master Lanzecki and Lars Dahl of Optheria. With all their flaws and strengths, Anne McCaffrey provides the reader with truly memorable characters, whom the reader can love or hate. Like many of her other novels 'Killashandra' brims with fine McCaffrey humour and her poetic turns of phrase. In this second volume of the Crystal singer trilogy Killashandra accepts an assignment on the distant planet of Optheria. Dubious activities are rumoured to be going on there. On Optheria Killashandra will meet her new love the extremely, musically talented Lars Dahl and right from the beginning they enjoy a wonderful chemistry. With such a musical heroine as Killashandra, this book also features a lot of music.

In short an excellent, sparkling and very well written second installment.