A review by thatfantasybookgirl
Damia by Anne McCaffrey

2.0

I feel like this book just goes nowhere. I have never read such a boring, pointless sci fi/fantasy series before. I feel like I grew up hearing about Anne McCaffrey and how she was such a classic fantasy writer, and maybe if I had read some of these books as a teen I would have enjoyed them more, but as it is, they're really just kind of boring. The characters are stiff and flat and pretty bratty and whiny, and nothing of any real interest ever seems to happen. I mean, really, what is the point of establishing a whole world around people whose "talent" is mostly focused on moving cargo around in space? I mean, really? This is what the important talent is all about? A glorified telepathic combination of Greyhound and UPS? Not to mention that a good chunk of this book is heavily focused on a group of bratty, nasty, spoiled children whose behavior makes little sense. Damia is what, three, when they send her to Deneb? And at the age of three, she's allowed to wander about riding a pony by herself? And she's allowed a year or so later to take her barely toddling baby brother out for pony rides unsupervised, as a preschooler? WTF? How does this book even make sense?

I admit - I got about two thirds of the way through and gave up. From reading some of the reviews and spoilers, I'm glad I did - I don't think my eyesockets would survive the intense eyerolling of the direction this book apparently ends up going as Damia ages.

It's a shame because I keep looking for a new (at least, new to me) fantasy series to dig into, and I just keep being disappointed. I'm really just running out of things to read... but this will clearly not be the right choice for me.