Crystal Line (Crystal Singer Trilogy Book 3)

Even at the end of a third time read, this book and the two others in the series are a delight and a series of adventures.

Amazing writers write amazing books. This is a wonderful series, tying in with singing ships, casting new memories and beautiful mental images to go hand in hand with exquisite storytelling.

MY RATING SYSTEM5 stars--WOW4 stars--would read again3 stars--was good, won't read again2 stars--read it, but didn't enjoy it1 star--didn't finish, it was so awfulDo I need to read books before this one: yesCliffhanger: noSUMMARYKilla and Lars get back from sailing around Ballybran's largest continent. Lanzecki immediately calls them in, wants them to take a B&B ship to investigate a new substance in a part of space that's being explored. They need crystal singers because the symbiont protects them. Also, Trag had detected a resonance from the stuff, similar to crystal in the Ranges. All members of the initial team died from exposure but Trag, who has since died of pneumonia. Killa doesn't remember that.They investigate with Brendan, the brain, while Boira, the brawn, recovers from an injury. Killa and Lars feel it's alive since it's grown and it pulses in patterns, so maybe sentient. They take a piece for lab study; that piece immediately stops reacting, and the rest of it withdraws. They feed it different stuff Brendan has, and watch it grow. They give back the piece they took. After a vacation on a non-water planet, they take a scrap piece of crystal back to Jewel Junk as a test; it eats it right away, and different caverns of it pulsate, too.When they get back to Ballybran, Lanzecki spends a lot of time with Lars. They all go to cut crystal. When a storm comes, Lanzecki's new assistant can't break him from crystal thrall. Killa recognizes the signals Lanzecki's been giving recently, knows he's choosing to die, won't let Lars respond to the mayday. They fight, she wants to forget, so cuts crystal without Lars. When she finally has enough to get off-planet, she goes to a water world, but doesn't know why.EVALUATIONThe mystery of Jewel Junk grabs my attention immediately. McCaffrey affirms that professionals aren't the only people who have good ideas.I love the different sciences McCaffrey toys with: life forms, B&B, regression, singing as an incising tool. She missed the mark on some things (Killa and Lars don't have portable video cameras, computer filming systems), but her imagination and writing more than make up for her seer skills.I wept multiple times. McCaffrey creates characters that are easy to relate to because they do human things, react in human ways. They experience victory and defeat, love and loss, yet McCaffrey's overall theme is hope.I feel McCaffrey left the world of crystal singing open if her collaborators wanted to pursue it, yet the story of Killa and Lars is resolved sufficiently, with hope for a better Guild in the near future. Killa definitely achieves an exit, triumphant, stage center.Now as for Jewel Junk…. RECOMMENDATIONEveryone who's read books 1 and 2POSSIBLE TRIGGERS (SPOILERS)Sex: all off pageLanguage: 0 F words, 1 Lord's name in vain, 1 S wordViolence: slapCRITIQUE (SPOILERS)Why must non-singers stay on Ballybran?

Story line seductively pulls you through each book. Making the next book in the series a must. Started well, ended perfectly.

I loved the human element, the fragility of life over time, and the story of love across time. Definitely recommend.

I love this series. I am a huge reader of McCaffrey's books. Get The Rowan on kindle please.I really enjoyed this book except one small error that bugs me everytime I read it. Yes I reread my favorite books and rewatch my favorite movies too.Possible spoiler.Killa's age compared to Lars. This book makes her out to be so much older than him. But in the 2nd book, Killa stated she was in her 3rd decade. She also had only cut crystal once before meeting Lars. She couldn't be that much older and damaged than him.Oh well, I still enjoyed it and recommend it if you've read the 1st two.

The trilogy as a whole was fantastic, but this third book is absolutely magnificent!Normally, the stories I like best are those populated by sympathetic characters, but I have to say that the protagonist, Killishandra Ree, isn’t really a sympathetic character at all. Through all 3 books she’s rather selfish and self-centered, but while that doesn’t make her particularly likable, she is certainly a character deeply rich in interest. In the end, she comes at last to responsible and even redemptive adulthood in a very satisfying close to the trilogy.For me, definitely one of McCaffrey’s most wonderful storylines, and well worth the read!

I first started reading Anne's books at age 12, I'm now 45! This is a series that I've read 11 times myself. All this authors stories are just amazing. They draw you right in, making you love the characters and live along with them through the twists and turn of such a well written series. I've always wished for a fourth book too tell the truth. Anne is now lost to us as her life has ended but forever she lives on in the stories she has written and the heart and minds of her readers. I was so blessed at 13 to write my first of many letters to Anne and get a reply which I never expected. She saw right away a young girl in love with reading and greatly encouraged me to keep reading and also writing my own poor stories just for the love of it. I have read every story she has ever written and have never once been disappointed. I hope you read this series and others she wrote in her life time and find the joy I have. Her son Todd McCaffrey has even taken up her Dragonriders of Pern series which he started to co write before her passing and does an excellent job which I know his mom is looking down on glowing with pride! This world is a sadder place with less joy of stories now she has passed. I found her to be such a kind and generous person through the letters I received as a kid I mourned greatly when she had to leave us all. So please join me in honoring her by reading her stories and holding them in your heart. Thanks so much! Heather

What can I say, loved the trilogy but this final book had me in tears of happiness in the final chapters. I have read and loved and bought all Anne McCaffrey's books which means each book has been read at least 3 times having now downloaded to my kindle. It does not matter what age you read her books and I started reading them in the 1970's.

I will pop the same review in for this series... because the first one enthralled me although the first paragraphs irritated me as Killashandra was not an immediately likeable person and I like to fall in love with my characters. I met Anne McCaffrey once at a book signing and wonder how one human can contain such creativity and on reading her life story I wonder even more but see the auto-biographical element in this book. Overall 'crystal singing' is a fascinating concept and in book one we have the introduction to the science. In book two Killa meets the love of her life and we meet the relationship stories that are characteristic of her books. Most like this book best of the three. The third book is arguably less exciting but I still enjoyed it with elements connecting to her other series, I enjoyed it even though it ends where I think the series could start over again. I have read the first book four times and the rest of the series three times which in itself says something as I discard books if they don't captivate me these days.

First read this series many years ago and despite it's critic's still find it to be an enjoyable read. Most space fantasy novels around at the moment are tales of space battles, galactic wars or invasion and it's a refreshing change to have what eventually what turns out to be a beautiful love story that triumphs over all the trials caused from the connection to the planet. A series for all.😀

Well written space fantasy. I throughly enjoyed reading this book again. There are highs and lows in the relationship of the main characters, as they discover new plant's and new life forms.

The story picks up where Killashandra left off and immediately draws you in. The imagery is amazing and the story so beautifully written. Nothing is predictable this the late, great Anne McCaffrey keeps her readers enthralled as though they were communing with Black Crystal themselves. May she rest in peace and rise in glory.