The Books
ACORNA'S CHILDREN
First Warning (book 1)
ISBN-13: 9780061808609 Harper Collins
Khorii, daughter of the near-mythic Acorna and her lifemate, Aari, must contend with an overwhelming legacy to forge a path of her own through a universe filled with new adversaries and adventures.
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A simple journey home to visit her parents turns into a race against time when Khorii happens upon a derelict spacecraft drifting in space, its crew dead in their seats. But this gruesome discovery is only a dread harbinger—a deadly plague is spreading across the universe and not even the healing powers of the Linyaari can slow its horrific advance. Khorii, one of the few unaffected by the outbreak, must find the nefarious perpetrators and a cure before the disease consumes all in its path—including her beloved parents.
Publishers Weekly
In bestsellers McCaffrey and Scarborough's charming first of a new trilogy, Khorii, the adolescent daughter of Acorna ("the unicorn girl"), has her share of problems while at school on an asteroid that serves as a refuge for war orphans after her parents go off to use their Linyaari healing powers against a deadly plague. Khorii's roommate doesn't like her feline companion; a bully doesn't care for her android foster brother, Elviiz; and she learns about human nudity taboos the hard way. Matters only get worse as Khorii has to use her powers to save some fellow students' home planet, then keep bureaucrats from quarantining the asteroid's supply ship and the aforementioned bully from hijacking it. Occasionally moving and often amusing, this light but never silly fantasy will particularly appeal to young adults. Agent, Trident Media Group. (Aug.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
Library Journal
As the daughter of the famous Linyari adventurer and ambassador Acorna, Khorii feels the pressure of living up to her illustrious mother. When she discovers a derelict spacecraft and decides to explore it, she finds the crew dead-and picks up a debilitating and, perhaps, fatal disease that may destroy her family if she doesn't find a cure. Veteran coauthors McCaffrey (the "Dragonriders of Pern" series) and Scarborough (Healer's War) combine their storytelling strengths in a new trilogy that deals with another generation of Linyari and traces the adventures of a new and engaging heroine. For most collections. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 4/15/05.] Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Available in mass-market paperback, e-book and audio book format
Second Wave (Book 2)
ISBN-13: 9780061829949 Harper Collins
It is difficult growing up in the shadow of heroes revered throughout the galaxy. But that is the lot of young Khorii—daughter of the legendary Acorna and her lifemate, Aari—who must now follow her own destiny through a fantastic universe of wonders and perils.
Khorii became a hero in her own right as she fought to save the universe from a mysterious, deadly plague that not even the healing powers of the Linyaari could stop.
Now, confined with the rest of the survivors on Paloduro, the home planet of the disease, it seems as if the danger may be fading, and Khorii and her friends may be able to stem the tide of death and disease . . . until ominous signs indicate that the perpetrators are near and that the epidemic is only beginning. As old enemies reemerge and a shocking family secret is revealed, Khorii must unlock the malevolent mysteries of the deadly pestilence with the aid of her android "brother" before their unknown foes complete their covert mission to cripple the entire star system.
Publishers Weekly
Unicorn girl Khorii of the Linyaari had a horn-full of curing to do in McCaffrey and Scarborough's first chronicle of the Acorna's Children series, First Warning (2005), about a deadly plague sweeping the universe. In this spirited second installment, the gifted young healer, her adopted android brother, Elviiz ("named for an ancient Terran king"), and human survivors of the planet Paloduro struggle to devise a vaccine. Khorii makes the connection between the plague and the new threat of devouring, wraithlike aliens. Meanwhile, Khorii's quarantined parents, Aari and Acorna, learn Khorii has a twin, Arriin, whose embroyo had been stolen from them long ago by the Ancestral Friends. As an adult, Arriin escapes via a stolen time-travel device. The twins' reunion, along with the punishment of the criminal Marl Fidd, is a highlight of this episode in the exploits of Khorii and her crew. Fantasy fans of all ages-but particularly girls 12 and up-should go for this one. (Aug.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
Library Journal
Khorii, the in-your-face daughter of the legendary Acorna and Aaari, is back in the second installment of the new "Acorna's Children" series. Now she must discover the source of the deadly plague that spread through First Warning. Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
School Library Journal
Adult/High School-In First Warning (Eos, 2005), a plague spread through the universe. Here, when unicorn girl Acorna (the protagonist of her own seven-book series) and her lifemate, Aari, are infected, Khorii, their Linyaari-unicorn daughter, steps up. She and her android "brother," Elviiz, continue to cleanse the Universe, looking for the reason for the mysterious plague. With their parents in quarantine, the already-fatigued siblings become the first and last line of defense when their old nemesis, Marl Fidd, breaks out of prison. If things weren't bad enough, it looks as though the plague dead are coming back as zombies. Fans of all Acorna books will be thrilled by the surprise addition of a new sibling for Khorii, a twin named Narhii, who was stolen out of the womb by the Creators and who Acorna didn't know existed. The next title is set up in the last chapters. Teens who like science fiction and fantasy will enjoy reading about the challenges and adventures of this heroine and how she balances her everyday problems of growing up with the responsibility of saving worlds.-Dana Cobern-Kullman, Luther Burbank Middle School, Burbank, CA Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Available in mass-market paperback, e-book and audio book format
Third Watch (book 3)
ISBN-13: 9780060525439 Harper Collins
The dramatic conclusion readers have been waiting for! -- at last, the finale to the exciting Acorna's Children series by bestselling authors Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Ann Scarborough.
Khorii, the rebellious daughter of the near-mythic Acorna and her lifemate, Aari, must contend with an overwhelming legacy to forge a path of her own through a universe filled with new adversaries and adventure. She's faced hardship and danger, discovered a sister she never knew, and journeyed to the stars. But now she risks everything, for the enigmatic, mysterious enemy that has devastated the universe through plague and sedition has now attacked for real. And there are other enemies even closer to home, waiting to strike at Khorii's family.
Booklist
"Entertaining fare indeed."
Publishers Weekly
At the start of this readable light entry in McCaffrey and Scarborough's popular Acorna series (Acorna's Rebels, etc.), Acorna's long-lost daughter, Korii, and Korii's twin, Ariin, travel through time and space in search of the secret of the plague that's endangering galactic civilization. With them is their faithful cat, Khiindi, who turns out to be a good deal more than he seems. After plenty of stirring adventures, the twins find that the secret of the plague lies in the elder race known as the Ancestral Friends, in particular in one not-so-friendly Lord Odus. The time traveling is almost too easy, and the book isn't for newcomers despite the comprehensive glossary and notes, but series fans will appreciate the authors' genuine feeling for their human characters as well as for cats and dragons. (Aug.)
Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information
Library Journal
Khorii, the independent-minded daughter of the legendary Acorna, takes to the stars along with her newfound twin sister Ariin, determined to find the source of the plague that has devastated the universe. Partnering at times with the shape-shifting Grimalkin, formerly trapped in the body of a small cat, the sisters embark on a journey through time and space in pursuit of their goal. Collaborators McCaffrey ("Dragonriders of Pern" series) and Scarborough (The Healer's War) bring the popular "Acorna's Children" series to a close with their characteristic humor and storytelling expertise while leaving room for further excursions into the world of the ever-intriguing unicorn-people. For most sf collections. [See Prepub Alert, LJ4/15/07.]
—Jackie Cassada
School Library Journal
Adult/High School
The wait is over: the last installment of the "Acorna" trilogy is here. Khorii, daughter of the legendary Acorna and her life-mate, Aari; Elviiz, her adopted, now fully organic brother; and her erstwhile cat, Khiindi (actually shape-shifter Grimalkin), are joined by Khorii's lost twin, Ariin, to find the cause of the plague ravaging the known worlds and stop it before it can end all life everywhere. For those readers not equipped with a LAANYE (a learning device invented by the Linyaari people that can, from a small sample of any foreign language, teach the wearer the new language overnight), the glossary of terms and proper names is essential. To solve the problems of the plague, extensive and sometimes overlapping time travel is necessary. Many long-lost characters, ships, cities, etc., appear and, as the saying goes, it's hard to tell the players without a scorecard. As intricate as the threads of the story are and have been, fans can rest assured that all plot and character lines are tied up and explained in a satisfying manner. Fans will find this every bit as entertaining, tightly paced, and enjoyable as the volumes preceding it.
—Dana Cobern-KullmanCopyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Booklist
"Entertaining fare indeed."
Publishers Weekly
At the start of this readable light entry in McCaffrey and Scarborough's popular Acorna series (Acorna's Rebels, etc.), Acorna's long-lost daughter, Korii, and Korii's twin, Ariin, travel through time and space in search of the secret of the plague that's endangering galactic civilization. With them is their faithful cat, Khiindi, who turns out to be a good deal more than he seems. After plenty of stirring adventures, the twins find that the secret of the plague lies in the elder race known as the Ancestral Friends, in particular in one not-so-friendly Lord Odus. The time traveling is almost too easy, and the book isn't for newcomers despite the comprehensive glossary and notes, but series fans will appreciate the authors' genuine feeling for their human characters as well as for cats and dragons. (Aug.)
Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information
Library Journal
Khorii, the independent-minded daughter of the legendary Acorna, takes to the stars along with her newfound twin sister Ariin, determined to find the source of the plague that has devastated the universe. Partnering at times with the shape-shifting Grimalkin, formerly trapped in the body of a small cat, the sisters embark on a journey through time and space in pursuit of their goal. Collaborators McCaffrey ("Dragonriders of Pern" series) and Scarborough (The Healer's War) bring the popular "Acorna's Children" series to a close with their characteristic humor and storytelling expertise while leaving room for further excursions into the world of the ever-intriguing unicorn-people. For most sf collections. [See Prepub Alert, LJ4/15/07.]
—Jackie Cassada
School Library Journal
Adult/High School
The wait is over: the last installment of the "Acorna" trilogy is here. Khorii, daughter of the legendary Acorna and her life-mate, Aari; Elviiz, her adopted, now fully organic brother; and her erstwhile cat, Khiindi (actually shape-shifter Grimalkin), are joined by Khorii's lost twin, Ariin, to find the cause of the plague ravaging the known worlds and stop it before it can end all life everywhere. For those readers not equipped with a LAANYE (a learning device invented by the Linyaari people that can, from a small sample of any foreign language, teach the wearer the new language overnight), the glossary of terms and proper names is essential. To solve the problems of the plague, extensive and sometimes overlapping time travel is necessary. Many long-lost characters, ships, cities, etc., appear and, as the saying goes, it's hard to tell the players without a scorecard. As intricate as the threads of the story are and have been, fans can rest assured that all plot and character lines are tied up and explained in a satisfying manner. Fans will find this every bit as entertaining, tightly paced, and enjoyable as the volumes preceding it.
—Dana Cobern-KullmanCopyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Available in mass-market paperback, e-book and audio book format
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