From Publishers Weekly
McCaffrey (the Pern series) and Scarborough (The Healer's War) offer another readable, lightweight cross between fantasy and SF in their latest novel about Acorna, the Unicorn Girl. A member of the Linyaari, a humanoid race with horns in the middle of their foreheads, Acorna continues to hunt for her beloved life-mate, Aari, who disappeared in Acorna's Search (2002). She travels aboard the starship Condor to the planet Makahomia, which she finds in the grip of a plague killing the sacred Temple cats. Acorna fights a desperate rearguard action against the plague with her horn's healing power, but the mystery clearly lies deeper. With the aid of both Condor shipmates, who include the Temple cat Roadkill (aka RK), and local Makahomians, among them shape-changing priests who can turn into cats, Acorna strives to prevent disaster. She ends up somewhat closer to Aari's trail through space and time, but clearly with several books worth of adventures to go before she reaches him. While it's not up to the highest level of either author's work, this installment will certainly engage long-time readers of the series. And don't overlook its being a feast for cat lovers!Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
On her sixth outing, Acorna hunts for her life mate but instead finds conspiracy.Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
The seventh book about Acorna the unicorn girl follows Acorna's Search (2001) directly. She is still bereft over the disappearance of her life-mate, Aari, and to get her mind off of her troubles, Jonas Becker convinces her to accompany him and the large, telepathic cat Roadkill, aka RK, on his space ship, Condor. RK turns out to play a major role in their mission, which lands them unexpectedly on the isolated planet Makahomia, where a plague is decimating the animal populace, including the enigmatic Temple Cats. The intrigue and danger intensify when it is discovered that the plague has been deliberately caused to rid the planet of its cats and its priests to allow the creation of a new society that will enrich and empower the perpetrator. Intricate plot twists and fast-paced action should keep fans on the edges of their seats as the heroic unicorn girl delves into Makahomia's mysteries and finds a link to herself. The open-ended conclusion ensures yet another Acorna adventure. Sally Estes
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Book Description

Beloved by millions of readers, Anne McCaffrey is one of science fiction's favorite authors. Writing with Nebula Award-winning author Elizabeth Ann Scarborough, she has created the bestselling Acorna series featuring the adventures of the brave unicorn girl.

Acorna's people, the Linyaari, have started to reclaim their homeworld from the ravages of the brutal alien Khleevi. But the expedition has unlocked a larger mystery about the origins of the Linyaari people -- one that has led Aari, Acorna's beloved lifemate, into a dangerous journey through time and space. A journey from which Aari may never return.

Now acorna, joined by Captain Becker, Mac, Nadhari, and RK, sets off on a determined mission to save her beloved. But a forced crash landing brings the crew to the exotic jungle world of Makahomia, home of the mysterious Temple Cats. Beautiful and barbaric, Makahomia has been blockaded for years to protect itself -- and the Federation.

Racing to save the Temple Cats from a deadly disease, Acorna uncovers a sinister plot to destroy the sacred felines and exploit Makahomia's people, an evil scheme that reaches out into the very depths of space.

While Nadhari confronts the demons of her childhood, Acorna must lead a small band of determined rebels to stop the conspiracy and unravel a dangerous mystery, a quest that takes them into the secret temples and hidden sanctuaries of that world. But within one sacred shrine Acorna discovers shocking information that may lead to Aari ... or to disaster.


About the Author
Anne McCaffrey is considered one of the world's leading science-fiction writers. She has won the Hugo and Nebula awards as well as six Science Fiction Book Club awards for her novels. Brought up in the United States, she is now living in Ireland with her Maine coon cats, her piebald mare, and a silver weimaraner and declines to travel anymore. She is best known for her unique Dragonriders of Pern series.

FROM OUR EDITORS

In the sixth novel in Anne McCaffrey's classic series, Acorna travels far into space, searching for Aari, her beloved life-mate. Her quest leads her, however, into the tentacles of a far-flung conspiracy that threatens to thwart her plans and even destroy her.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

"Acorna's people, the Linyaari, have started to reclaim their homeworld from the ravages of the brutal alien Khleevi. But the expedition has unlocked a larger mystery about the origins of the Linyaari people - one that has led Aari, Acorna's beloved lifemate, into a dangerous journey through time and space. A journey from which Aari may never return." "Now Acorna, joined by Captain Becker, Mac, Nadhari, and RK, sets off on a determined mission to save her beloved. But a forced crash landing brings the crew to the exotic jungle world of Makahomia, home of the mysterious Temple Cats. Beautiful and barbaric, Makahomia has been blockaded for years to protect itself - and the Federation." "Racing to save the Temple Cats from a deadly disease, Acorna uncovers a sinister plot to destroy the sacred felines and exploit Makahomia's people, an evil scheme that reaches out into the very depths of space." While Nadhari confronts the demons of her childhood, Acorna must lead a small band of determined rebels to stop the conspiracy and unravel a dangerous mystery, a quest that takes them into the secret temples and hidden sanctuaries of that world. But within one sacred shrine Acorna discovers shocking information that may lead to Aari...or to disaster.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

McCaffrey (the Pern series) and Scarborough (The Healer's War) offer another readable, lightweight cross between fantasy and SF in their latest novel about Acorna, the Unicorn Girl. A member of the Linyaari, a humanoid race with horns in the middle of their foreheads, Acorna continues to hunt for her beloved life-mate, Aari, who disappeared in Acorna's Search (2002). She travels aboard the starship Condor to the planet Makahomia, which she finds in the grip of a plague killing the sacred Temple cats. Acorna fights a desperate rearguard action against the plague with her horn's healing power, but the mystery clearly lies deeper. With the aid of both Condor shipmates, who include the Temple cat Roadkill (aka RK), and local Makahomians, among them shape-changing priests who can turn into cats, Acorna strives to prevent disaster. She ends up somewhat closer to Aari's trail through space and time, but clearly with several books worth of adventures to go before she reaches him. While it's not up to the highest level of either author's work, this installment will certainly engage long-time readers of the series. And don't overlook its being a feast for cat lovers! (Feb. 1) FYI: Scarborough's The Healer's War won a Nebula award. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

VOYA - Snow Wildsmith

Unicorn girl Acorna, having just come from exploring the mysteries of her people's former home world, Vhiliinyar, where her lifemate, Aarie, was lost in the mists of time, now signs for another voyage with the scavenger captain Jonas Becker. This time they are journeying to the home world of bodyguard Nadhari Kando, trying to find a link between Makahomia's temple cats and the lost pahaaritiyirs of Vhiliinyar while also trying to locate the missing Aarie. When they reach Makahomia, they are forced to deal with Nadhari's cousin, a priest determined to force Makahomia out of its agrarian ways and into the technological universe by any means necessary, including killing the sacred cats. This sixth book in the Acorna series is the fourth that McCaffrey has cowritten with Scarborough. For a series with such an unlikely sounding premise-a humanoid girl with a unicorn's horn and hoofed feet who ends up using her healing powers to alter the fates of several worlds-the books about Acorna are beginning to develop into a well-fleshed-out universe. Although parts of the plot are too easily wrapped up, the book moves quickly. There is very little strong language, a few references to sexual abuse, and some mild violence. A good selection for a light, adventurous read, it is recommended for libraries with the rest of the series, although readers should be warned that some major plot issues are not resolved by the end, paving the way for book seven. VOYA CODES: 4Q 2P S A/YA (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; For the YA with a special interest in the subject; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12; Adult and Young Adult). 2003, Eos/HarperCollins, 308p,

Library Journal

On a quest for her missing lifemate, Aari, Acorna and her feline companion, the Temple cat known as RK, make an unscheduled stop on the tropical planet Makahomia, the home of the Temple cats. There, Acorna discovers a sinister plot against the sacred cats and the planet itself, as well as clues that could lead her to Aari-or to her death. Fans of the popular series by veterans McCaffrey ("Dragonriders of Pern" series) and Scarborough (The Healer's War) featuring the "unicorn-girl" Acorna should enjoy this fast-paced, well-plotted tale of a young woman's compassion and determination. Purchase where the series has a following. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 10/15/02.] Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

Alert for SF cat lovers: Acorna, the telepathic teen with the unicorn's horn, rescues a planet of felines and warring humans, both menaced by a plague. In the McCaffrey franchise fifth volume, Acorna busies herself with repairing Vhiliinyar, the planet of the unicorn people who are Acorna's ancestors. Vhiliinyar was almost destroyed by the bug-like Kleevi, but after the discovery of a subterranean city and its time machine (Acorna's Search, 2002, etc.), it will be easier to restore its fragile ecological balance. Some loose ends remain: While Aari, Acorna's heart-throb, has yet to emerge from the time machine, two Wats-crude unicorn-hunters urped up from the distant past-must be taken somewhere they won't cause harm. Acorna agrees to accompany the Wats, with Starship Condor's Captain Jonas Becker; the android MacKenZ; the female security guard Nadhari Kando; and the fiesty tomcat Roadkill to the planet Nirii, where telepathic inhabitants might help them adjust to life in the galactic Federation. But the ship founders and is rescued by a passing vessel that tows it to Makahomia, the homeworld of Nadhari and RoadKill. Populated by worshipped cats and warring humans, Makahomia is protected by the Federation: no new technologies may be introduced that will give any clan an advantage. Roadkill reveals that he sabotaged the ship in order to bring Acorna to Makahomia so that the seemingly magical powers of her horn could stop the plague that's been killing cats. As the cats inexplicably get better, Acorna finds herself a target of evil forces that want to kill off both cats and humans so as to rob one of the planet's religiously venerated natural resources. To save the world, Acorna must find away break the Federation's rules.