The Crystal Singer

I love this series so much that I now own it in HC, PB, and on Kindle.

The writing is fun, funny, imaginative, unexpected, and engaging -- everything good fantasy should be. This is a comfortable and relaxing rainy-weekend read.

As with all Anne McAffrey books this is a fine work. The Crystal Singers are a breed apart, the planet on which they work the crystal from has a deadly secret. One which both lenghten's their lifespans and can destroy them if they stay away to long.....

This series had interesting ideas, and I would have loved it if the author delivered on those ideas and concepts, but in the end, she really just wrote the whole series as romance novel disguised as a sci-fi book. I would recommend this book to romance novel lovers, but not to sci-fi/fantasy fans.

Although this book is far from the author's best, it does offer some mild entertainment. Unfortunately, the vast departure and "resetting" of the Killashandra story which was well crafted in the first book leaves this work a mild disappointment.

This is a reread for me after many years. Anne McCaffery's world's and characters will always hold a special place in my heart.

Whether you are new to the genre, or a fan, The Crystal Singer is definitely worth the read. It is an easy read and will have you captivated from the first chapter through to the end.

Brace your credit card for the sequels.

I bought this paper book quite a few years ago and enjoyed it. The lousy quality of the kindle edition makes it a real pain to read it in this form. Are you guys proofing the kindle editions before putting them on sale ?

this is one of my favorite books. the only thing I would like for you to do is to stop using the robot voice to read the words. if I didn't already know what the words were I couldn't have understood them. I am a senior citizen and I can't see to read words very good now. thank you

The book follows a woman named Killashandra Ree, a music student who abruptly has her dreams of being a famous intergalactic singer cut short when she fails her examinations. The strong minded Killashandra immediately cuts ties from her life at the school and sets out to figure out what to do with her life.

While at the planet’s space port, she meets a man named Carrik who is a member of the Heptite Guild on vactation and a Crystal Singer. They hit it off, and after his vacation must come to an end, Killashandra talks him into allowing her to return with him to apply for the Guild. When an accident renders Carrik unconscious Killashandra dutifully escorts him back to Ballybran where the guild is located. There she decides to apply for the guild despite numerous warnings that she should not want to be a crystal singer.

Despite full disclosure and lessons about Ballybran, Killashandra quickly learns that being a crystal singer is much more than what it appears to be. With the guidance of Lanzeki the Guild Master and Trag the deputy Guild Master, Killashandra sets out to meet her destiny and to become the top of her craft.

This book is very well written, and despite its publication date is a modern story that is easy to get into. The main character Killashandra is a strong willed woman who will not allow failure to hold her back. Anne McCaffrey has written a book where the characters all have a loose backstory, but the story pulls you in in such a way that the backstories really aren’t necessary, nor do they pertain to most of the plot. This book is the first in a series of three and while the ending leaves you satisfied, it also leaves you wanting to know where Killashandra goes from there.

I give this book 5/5 stars for its originality, its timless story, and a world that you can fully immerse yourself in.

EDIT TO REVIEW, POSTED 7/31/2014:

I originally read this book back in January of this year. Well, actually, I originally read it years and years ago, re-read it in 2012, re-read it in January 2014, and then I felt the urge to read the book again.

This is just one of my comfort books. In the beginning, Killa is caught between being a spoiled brat who thought that she had the world in her hands, to being a forlorn student who had that world stolen from her. She eventually finds her way in this book, and also in the second book, Killashandra.

I've mentioned it before, and I'll mention it again. Read Crystal Singer (Book 1) and Killashandra (Book 2) but DON'T read Crystal Line (Book 3). The first two books are written so that you can read Book 1 by itself and be happy with the ending. Or you can read both Books 1 & 2 and the ending is happy. Book 3 had a plot line that drags, whining characters, and (if you're like me) you'll probably end up hating Killashandra while reading the book. Yes, she's a Crystal Singer, but that doesn't mean that she has to go from a character that you enjoy reading about to wishing that you could stake her out in the ranges right before a Mach storm and watch her brain bleed from the sonics until she dies.
Or maybe that's just my opinion. ^_^

Either way, this first book, Crystal Singer, is my favorite of the three. If you enjoy McCaffrey's writing and haven't picked this one up yet, I highly recommend it.

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ORIGINAL REVIEW:

Crystal Singer is a wonderful book in a trilogy by Anne McCaffrey. It's in the same universe of the Brain Ships, though you don't really find that part out until the end of book two and then also in book 3, but it's worth noting.

Killashandra is a gifted singer, but her voice has a slight flaw in the upper registers. Doomed to be a chorus singer instead of a lead soprano, she ends up on Ballybran hoping for the chance to become a Crystal Singer. However, Killa discovers that just having a voice won't guarantee her a chance to Sing, and that the benefits of becoming a Singer may not be worth it.

From just looking at the cover of the book and reading the synopsis, you know that Killa will become a Crystal Singer. And she will sing Blacks, which are the most coveted crystals. But this book is the story of how Killa becomes that Crystal Singer. Her thoughts, her training, and even the smallest decisions - such as deciding to "forget" her failure as a singer on her home planet.

I highly recommend this book as well as the sequel, "Killashandra". I do NOT, however, recommend the third book in the series - by that point, Killashandra has become a Crystal Singer in full, complete with forgetting all of her friends and walking around with a huge attitude... I liked instead to remember as the Killa from the first two books.

Killashandra has been an unforgettable character that has somehow stuck with me more than any other of McCaffrey's heroes. Even that boy with the white dragon.

It surprised me to realize (at 63) that this is considered YA. I'm not sure that classification existed back when it was first published. IIRC it was shelved in the adult sifi section of the library.

In any case, still a wonderful read. I think the trilogy will be my granddaughters birthday present this year.

I miss you Anne.

(This is supposed to be a review of a paperback version, but I didn't realize that I was in the kindle store when I pulled the book up. And apparently it won't let me change it. Oops!)

Anne McCaffrey writes a great second book in the Killashandra series. However, I would suggest that readers stop with this book, and do NOT continue on to Crystal Line, as the third book is the weakest in the series and almost made me dislike the main character completely.

However, I'm reviewing the second book, not the third. So let's go on to a view details. I'm reviewing this because I recently re-read it. I don't remember if I originally purchased it from the store or from a book store, but I have a physical copy of it, and it's worth keeping. It continues the story of Killashandra, and how she becomes a Crystal Singer. At this point, she's only been a Crystal Singer for a couple of years, so she isn't starting to lose her memory yet (or apparently become obnoxious when going off planet like other Crystal Singers) and she luckily (for the plot) manages to bring in enough white crystal to replace a specialized organ on a planet that they also need someone to spy on. So of course, Killa has to go!

Honestly, I liked this book, but I didn't love it, because everything works out too nicely. Within a short enough time span that she doesn't feel pain from her symbiont, she manages to go far off-planet, disguise herself as a student on the final part of the journey so that she can meet the other person who is obviously a spy (though of course she isn't supported to know this either), and then when she gets to the planet she manages to get herself kidnapped within 24 hours by the guy who she eventually falls in love with, after she escapes the deserted island, blends in with the island folk, gets herself handfasted (to the guy who kidnapped her, without knowing that she get getting handfasted and he didn't know that she didn't know she was the Crystal Singer...) and then somehow convinces the leaders of the planet that her kidnapper actually was her savior, just so he can stay with her while they FINALLY get around to repairing the organ, which is why she was supposed to be there in the first place.

*sigh*

A bunch of really REALLY improbable events that make is so that everyone has a happy ending.

It's funny, it's worth reading, and if you liked the first book (Crystal Singer) than you will like the continuing adventures of Killa.

Prior to Anne McCaffrey's death in November 2011, I had heard only good things about the author's work--her ability to snare the reader with wonder and enrapture the reader in adventure. With her passing, I took advice from a number of posts on the store's Science Fiction forum and bought one of the author's novels: The Crystal Singer. The synopsis is obviously science fiction but the word "crystal" carries many fantasy connotations with it, a cousin of the science fiction genre which I scorn. When taking the rest of McCaffrey's bibliography into scope, words like "dragon", "unicorn" and "Pegasus" are notable, all of which instantly turn me off... but her popular Dragons of Pern series, often recommended by others, is a testament to her talent, so I assumed. Regardless, after two years of sitting on my shelf, the book found its way into my hands in December's to-read stack.

Rear cover synopsis:
"Killashandra thought her world had ended when she was told she would never become a concert singer. And then she met the stranger from off-world.

He said he was a Crystal Singer--one of the unique ones of the Galaxy--and when Killashandra tried to find out what a Crystal Singer was the answers were vague, obtuse. All she could discover was that they were special people, shrouded in mystery, and danger, and beauty--and something altogether incomprehensible.

It was then that she decided she too must try and become a Crystal Singer."

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A promising student of vocal talent for 10 years, the culmination of Killashandra's study ends with damning praise from Maestro Valdi: "You have the gift of perfect pitch, your musicality is faultless ... But there is that burr in your voice which becomes intolerable in the higher register" (10). Her dreams shattered by her one mentor, she dwells upon a life of unfulfilled dreams and pathetic careers when compared to her idealized ambition of becoming a top-rank concert singer. Sulking at the Fuertan spaceport restaurant and sipping wine for her jangled nerves, her talent is serendipitously recognized when the piercing whine of descending craft disturbs her extra-perceptive senses and an enigmatic Crystal Singer named Carrik enters himself into her life, her abating lonesomeness, and her future.

Given ample warning of a Crystal Singer's lifelong dedication to art and idiosyncratic solitude, Killashandra Ree (Killa) shrugs off the advice and follows a whimsy compulsion to attain the status of Crystal Singer. Her aspiration is multiplied by the luxurious lifestyle Carrik pours upon her and even more so by the unfortunate injuries he sustains when the faulty screech of an ascending craft predictably explodes, rendering Carrik unconscious and likely to never revive. Even with the Maestro's damning words of a Crystal Singer as a "silicate spider paralyzing its prey, a crystal cuckoo pushing the promising fledglings from their nests" (33), Killa follows the disabled Carrik to the home of Crystal Singers--Ballybran--where she will strive to learn to become a Crystal Singer like Carrik.

However, one does not simply become a Crystal Singer. One must be accepted by the Heptite Guild (with its 4,425 singer members and 20,007 support staff) and, most importantly, one must be exposed to the planet's crystal spore symbiote, a "carbon-silicate occurring in the unorthodox environmental economy of Ballybran" which improves human "visual acuity, tactile perceptions, nerve conduction and cellular adaptation" (72). The transition is not without its own peril, where some under its transition experience a failed change leading to sensual loss or even death; then there are others, a select few without any prerequisite for doing so, undergo a Milekey transition (named after one of the founders) where they exhibit no ill effects--only a greatly enhanced corporeal tactility. Killa, the envy of her fellow recruits, is lucky enough to experience a Milekey transition and is able to be first out in the field with crystals glimmering near her very eye: shards of pink, slivers of green and splinters of the most sought-after crystal in human space--the Black Quartz.

The crystals, some exclusive to Ballybran, are used in a variety of industries ranging from "integrated circuit substrates" to "musical instruments" and applied to "tachyon drive systems" (24). The legendary and outrageously expensive black crystal has its own specific function, a utilization which human space cannot live without: instantaneous communication across five hundred light years. When black quartz is segmented, the parts of the crystal are still "able to achieve simultaneous synchronization" (24) with its counterparts when subjected to "synchronized magnetic induction" (48), thus allowing for the "most effective and accurate communications network known in the galaxy" (121-122).

The cutting of crystal, whether the lowly pink or the resplendent black, is a solitary affair done by a singer in their own claimed tract on the planet. Killa already has the reputation of being resonant with Black Quartz having handled it from one singer's supply whose ship crashed onto the Guild's headquarters. With an uncanny inkling, Killa ventures out to stake her own claim on the planet of Ballybran where crystal could make her fortune or be her demise. Some of her former classmates steep in jealousy of her meteoric rise to minor singer fame; another more authoritative figure, Guild Master Lanzecki, first acts avuncularly towards the promising pupil but when her talents begin to develop, so too does their relationship.

Self-pressured by her quest for professional glory, clearly on the road to crystal fame, Killa does not indulge in childish temerarious acts of whim. Rather than openly socialize with her peers on a bonhomous plain, Killa is reserved, favoring her cultural sense of privacy, yet autonomously finds herself in submission to the electrifyingly erotic kisses of Lanzecki and the alluring captivation of the soulfully resonant Black Quartz. Her last prandial intemperance is Yarran beer. Frequently consuming the semi-narcotic brew, she doesn't allow herself to gormandize herself into inebriation; reservation defines her.

Her ascent to singer stardom peaks when she is guided under the tutelage of the experienced yet absent-minded Moksoon. His grace of cut and dexterity of handling gives Killa what she needs for her first jaunt on her own tract of land, the same tract where the Black Quartz originated. Armed with her cutter, a piezo-electirc device tuned by her perfect pitch, Killa is ready to unburden herself of the surmountable debt which the Guild places on all cadets; Killa's debt is soon to be absolved but her vernal duty to humanity nulls the bounty of her first crystal trove. Thence, after her debacle, Killa is called to duty during a time when all crystal singers are at their most vulnerable: Ballybran's epic planet-wide mach storm during the three-moon syzygy and spring equinox.

Will this reprieve be a blessing in disguise?

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According to Crystal Singer's Wikipedia page, the novel is partly autobiographical as Anne McCaffrey herself had also trained as a vocalist but eventually "suffered a crisis when she was informed that a flaw in her voice would limit her in that avocation"... much like Killasandra. So, it seems McCaffrey attempted to intertwine part of her life story and the mysticism of crystals with speculative crystal science. Regardless of my distaste for crystals, lutes, cloaks, and other figurative fantasy language, Crystal Singer is actually a solid through and through success with the only fault being repetitiveness.

According Google's Ngram Viewer, "crystal" was a more popular word in literature in the early 1960s but much less than the 1970s and 1980s. I have a friend of an older generation who adores crystals and all their mystical properties. He'll talk on and on about the benefits of using crystals and the auspiciousness of finding natural crystals. It really puts me off and I have no idea how he goes on about when I have nothing to add to the conversation without being rude and saying, "Jesus, that's all bull!" Typically, when crystals are used in science fiction I see it as a weak inclusion to any plot, like no other idea could have been thought up; prime irksome examples of such are:
* the "crystal nodes" in Pohl & Williamson's The Reefs of Space (1963),
* the "mysterious alien crystal" in Greenleaf's The Pandora Stone (1984), and
* the "crystal flute" in Van Scoyc's CloudCry (1977).

However, McCaffrey's inclusion of crystals in her plot is central rather that peripheral, occasionally returning to the science or use of the crystals in her fictional universe. Because of Killa's rapture singing and gazing at her crystals, because the Guild of singers is held almost sacrosanct, the mystical affiliation with crystal cannot be ignored. Not all applications of the crystal sound plausible, like the instantaneous transmission of data between sections of the same Black Quartz (quantum entanglement [Einstein's spooky action at a distance]?). Crystals aren't beyond the scope of our modern understanding of physics... I doubt any planet's geography could produce physics-bending materials. Also, the cutting device which is tonally linked to the perfect pitch vocalist cutter sounds a bit silly, but I tried to put it behind me and be immersed in the fine narrative.

The narrative is very easy to become lost in for two reasons: first, McCaffrey's writing is beautiful, engaging, emotive, and descriptive; last, McCaffrey is deft with her plot which has no notable crests or troughs in the "action". The 302 pages feel like seamless plateau, far from featureless but even and tempered (not in the musical sense). Each of the thirteen chapters, lasting 22 pages on average, continue on without pause until its end, but even then the chapter divisions are flawless... more of a pause in thought than a chronological gap. It's a breeze to read!

But her writing isn't all flowers, crystals, and verbose language. McCaffrey has one knick in her grammar armor which annoys me greatly: she over uses the emphatic did before simple present tense verbs (verb 1). A smattering of examples: "I did remember that all right" (26), "I did tap data retrieval" (47), "She did cast surreptitious glances" (55), "her nervous system tingled with the after effect, she did groan" (63), "The drink did clear the last miasma of the threshold test" (63), "I did hear her come out" (93), "She did skim along the first ridges" (99). Either McCaffrey is being overly emphatic or she has chosen to present past tense actions by using did + verb 1 rather than simply using verb 2 forms. Either way, it got under my skin.

Lastly, it seems as if Killasandra likes her beer; more specifically, she likes loves Yarran beer. How much does she like it? Well, it's mentioned 38 times (according to my count). Maybe the beer her more sociable, making Killa come out from her cocoon of privacy which she is used to thereby characterizing her as a butterfly. But 38 times? That's a bit overkill.

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If you're not distracted by the emphatic use of did and the over abundant Yarran beer, then The Crystal Singer should be an easy, breezy read full of wonderment and growth. Don't expect a crescendo, an escalation, a fitting conclusion, a chase scene or bodice ripping. McCaffrey sets the pace slow and steady, kind of like a placid boat ride with your grandparents... just shinier, more entertaining.

I read "Crystal Singer" close to when it was first released. Part of what I liked about it is that the universe and plot and characters are totally dissimilar to McCaffrey's Pern. This is a science fiction story, not fantasy. The main character (K--) is a woman with a strong personality. K-- is training to become a professional singer, and on graduation is told she is not good enough. What scum, her teachers, to not warn her earlier!

Outraged, K-- agrees to undertake a very risky career that depends upon singing. A certain planet has a special resource vital to their interspace community. The problem is twofold: singing skills are needed to mine this resource, and a biological addiction means that you can never quit.

I liked that the planet, company, and coworkers realistically portrayed as a balance of good and bad, selfish and generous. They weren't evil (the new "anti corporation" trend) but also weren't goody-two-shoes (equally stupid trend that giving away money leads to riches). There is plenty of action, and a nice minor romance plot. The whole novel was nicely creative and unique.

Stand alone book, no cliffhangers or objectionable topics. There is a sequel, but it isn't as good.

From my blog:

I read a lot of Anne McCaffrey when I was younger (who didn't, really?), including all of the Dragonrider books (yes, every single last one of them, including all the short stories), but this is not a Dragonrider shoutout; this is a shoutout to a different little world in the Federated Sentient Planets universe! I will be the first to admit that I don't know enough about music and physics to know if this plot is possible, but it seems cool from a layman's perspective! And it's got a strong (not perfect) female character, what else do you need? HA!

Title: Crystal Singer
Author: Anne McCaffrey
Pages: 311 (paperback)
Setting: A planet in the Federated Sentient Planets that has valuable and very sensitive crystals on it, as well as a nasty little parasite. The planet, Ballybran, has these crystals that are vital to space travel, but can only be mined by people with perfect pitch. Ballybran is generally a scary place (hurricane-force storms, parasite/symbiont that infects everyone) with great riches for those who are lucky enough to survive! Oh, and they have to have perfect pitch, doh.
Premise: Killashandra Ree does have perfect pitch, yey! And she's been working her butt off to become a crazy awesome singer person, but she's not quite perfect enough. Instead of spending her life in choirs (ie not in the spotlight), she decides to go to this mysterious planet that offers riches beyond imagining and for some reason requires the recruits to have perfect pitch. She doesn't know much beyond that and that not many people ever come back from the planet... awesome!

Strengths:

Unique premise! I've personally never heard this story premise before, and the little bits I know about physics and music didn't cringe when I read the book, so I think that McCaffrey pulls off this interesting premise fairly well
Strong female character, good role model for adolescent girls! And fun to read for everyone else
Good world-building. If there is something that McCaffrey is good at, it's coming up with interesting places to put her characters and fleshing the world out
Easy read :-) It's obviously written for teens, which might turn away some high-brow readers, but it makes it a nice ride for the rest!
I seem to recall an entertaining mentor figure, who doesn't love a good mentor, huh?

Weaknesses:

There is a distinct possibility that this strong female character is a little bit more whiny than your average.... I mean she didn't want to sing in the background and decided to go risk her life instead....
It is McCaffrey teen reading so the plot isn't all that twisty turny, in fact I recall it being quite straightforward
The downside to easy reading is that you are definitely not going to grow intellectually when you read this, double promise.
To people more edu-ma-cated in physics and music, there could be soul cringing details that ruin the story for you, I just don't know.

Summary: If you are able to take this book for what it is (a mildly entertaining teen sci-fi/fantasy), and aren't too sensitive to slightly spoiled characters, then it is great fun to read! I would highly recommend it as a during-the-term book just to take a break from all that learning that you are doing. And it is fun to deviate from standard sci-fi/fantasy themes with a little music related sci-fi :D.

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I haven't read these in a few years but remember really enjoying them. All in all this has everything I look for in a series: imaginative scenes with understandable explanations and interesting, likeable characters who you care what happens to. Also, it has an end. There are so many authors who keep a series alive long after they should have wrapped it up. If you enjoy sci-fi or fantasy with female leads, then give this series a try.
The first book opens us to the lead character, Killishandra Ree, and the very imaginative and detailed world of crystal singers. Killishandra was studying to be a professional stage singer on one planet, but when that lifelong dream is blown, she meets a crystal singer and decides to try to become one herself. Broken down, singers are basically miners of crystals used all over the galaxy for numerous things such as inter-galactic communications. Why they're called singers is that they have to be able to sing in perfect pitch in order to "tune in" to the crystal frequency so that it can be cut properly. This job is fraught with danger, the first of which is surviving the organism that invades their bodies as they land on the planet where the crystals are to be cut. The organism allows them to live on the planet and allows them a long life with a much slower ageing process (hundreds of years). Unfortunately, it cannot protect them from the memory-loss that all crystal singers suffer due to crystal exposure. They do get paid a ton, but of course, like a mining community of old, the "Guild" charges singers for all their equipment and multiple fees, making it hard for them to earn enough credits to get off planet and far enough away from the crystals' negative effects. Also, different crystals are worth different prices, depending on their color, cut and potential usefulness.
*** SPOILER ALERT ***
In the second book, we find Killishandra, now an established "singer", sent to another planet to install some type of crystal for producing musical sound (an enormous concert organ which is used by the planet's government in a diabolical way to control the citizenry). She's kidnapped by rebels on the planet and meets Lars Dahl, the series' primary love interest. I really don't remember all the book specifics on this one, but I remember really enjoying the book as well as the developing romance.
*** MAJOR SPOILER ALERT ***
In the last book Killishandra and Lars have been cutting crytals together for years (as in hundreds, I think). He has kept an electronic journal which reminds him of things so he can minimize the memory damage of the crystal. She has not. You think, "OMG! How sad! Oh no!", quite a bit throughout this book. It can be hokey at times, but also beautiful. I warned of spoilers, but I will not give away the ending.

The Crystal Singer series by Anne McCaffrey is my favorite set of McCaffrey's novels. The story is imaginative and truly is sci-fi (not fantasy.) The story revolves around Killashandra, a failed opera singer who runs off with a Crystal Singer after failing her final exams to qualify as a performer (book one.) She becomes a Crystal Singer, or miner of Ballybran quartz, a special mineral with many uses and properties only found on the secretive world of Ballybran that is run by the equally secretive and powerful Heptite Guild.

Book One centers on Killashandra's training and first success as a Crystal Singer. Book Two (Killashandra) continues her story and sends her to the world of Optheria. Optheria has a music festival once a year on their unique organ, a massive instrument powered by white crystal and that is found nowhere else in the universe. The main console of the organ, however, was destroyed and new crystals have to be installed. Killa has cut them and now is on the way to install them. But there is more to Optheria than just music. A complaint has been lodged against them, a serious one, and Killashandra is charged with the task to investigate what is going on there.

I won't put in any plot spoilers but a lot of things happen to Killashandra, with twists and turns in the story that are quite enjoyable. The surprises continue right up to the end and set up the story for the final book (Crystal Line.)

"Killashandra" also avoids what I call "middle of the trilogy syndrome" where the middle book of the three in a trilogy is the weakest one. This book vies with Crystal Singer for great plot and storyline. The entire series is excellent and one of my utter favorites.

A somewhat limpid followup to Crystal Singer, Killashandra focuses on the Crystal Singer Ree as she journeys to distant Optheria on an assignment to repair the Optherian organ-and spy on the planet.
The Optherian Elders are panicked- it seems that a musician named Comgail has shattered the main manual for the grand Organ, which is vital to the annual Summer Festival (which naturally brings in large revenues from the tourism). Killashandra, as an experienced pianist and crystal singer, must not only repair the organ but spy in Optheria.
Curiously, Optheria is a perfect world. It is the picture of prim and proper, a planet of chastity. But no one ever leaves Optheria, even though there are hundreds of other planets to see.

As Killashandra explores, she discovers new love and a dark, startling secret. Optheria's Elders are using the organs to subliminate and brainwash the populace, making them docile and ruthlessly suppressing any opposition from the rebel islands. Furthermore, Killashandra finds herself in a terrible dilemna: for to leave Optheria, she must consign the man she loves to trial...

Killashandra follows in the same style as its predecessor, Crystal Singer. Our heroine Killashandra Ree is a bratty, melodramatic soprano courting the audience with her flashy on-off stage dialogue and actions.

The story begins some time after Crystal Singer: it is here that the one value that should have been repeated appears. Killashandra is ruined: her black crystal claim has been destroyed, a sickness rages through her veins, and she must leave the man she loves to save him. But it is soon that her despair ends and an all-too perfect story begins.

Right off the bat Killashandra is the perfect heroine with no flaws except her self-centered personality (which is actually a good attribute in this story!). She sweeps into the scene, disrupts a dinner with the leaders of a foreign planet, and sweeps out to greet some delicacies that were placed in her room in the hopes they would satisfy her insatiable needs. Every move Killashandra makes is absolutely perfect and flawless, as are those of Lars Dahl. The rest of the cast, with few exceptions, is positively ludicrous.

With the exception of Killashandra's character (which, as a side note, was better in Crystal Singer but not by much and dramatically improves in Crystal Line) and the perfect plot line, there are quite a few "goodies" in here. McCaffrey's weaving is clear, and enjoyable to read. Though I didn't find the island scenes enjoyable to read, many others have. Furthermore, there is also the usual "dark secret to the perfect paradise" plot. Very good, but as a whole not as good as Crystal Singer was. Certainly there is room for improvement in this one.

This is the first book in the Crystal Singer series.

Killashandra Ree is a music student, who has just failed her vocal finals. For ten years she worked her butt off, learning a galactic repertoire, endlessly practicing her music, and dreaming of being an opera diva - only to learn in her finals that her voice is unsuitable.

Feeling betrayed and emotionally reeling she runs from the music center, wondering what to do with her life, and accidentally meets a Crystal Singer - a highly trained miner of precious communication crystals from the planet Ballybran. He is wealthy, charismatic, and finally - in need of her help. When she escorts him back to Ballybran she decides to sign up herself - for the most dangerous Guild in the entire galaxy.

Mining - singing - crystals is an incredibly dangerous occupation - if you even survive the transition to the planet itself! It can lead to wealth (if you are lucky) and centuries of health and life - but at the cost of always being tied to the planet, and eventually the price of your memory and personality.

Yet to this failed diva, it is a new start in a new life - and as always, she is bound and determined and willing to work her hardest to the best...

Anne McCaffrey first wrote about Killashandra in a serialized short story. She expanded the story in Crystal Singer,which is the first of a trilogy of novels.
Killashandra fails her final exam in music school and faces a life of second-billing as a choir soloist and not a top performer as she had dreamed. She will not settle for second place, and impetuously takes off with a mysterious companion for Ballybran, a forbidden planet with an alluring secret.
Ballybran is the home of Crystal, which is mined and used for vital starship drives, interplanetary communications systems and most other types of equipment. It is controlled by the powerful and secretive Heptite Guild. Killashandra applies for membership and is accepted. She goes through the intensive schooling and special adaptation to become a Crystal Singer.
But singing Crystal has not only its rewards (and they are many) but its heavy price. Killashandra learns about the price as she becomes a full-fledged member of the Heptite Guild and becomes involved with its enigmatic Guildmaster Lanzecki.
This is one of those wonderful kinds of sci-fi novels that can create an entirely new world, complete with its slang, customs and characteristics. It's sci-fi at its best.

Much like Anne McCaffrey, the main character in Crystal Singer, Killashandra Ree, also carries a flaw in her voice. Hurt by what she perceives as a betrayal by those in the music world, she flees her home planet to enter into the dangerous, but lucrative profession as a crystal singer (or cutter).
While the main character is a bit Mary-Sue and their are a few Deus-Ex-Machina moments in the series, I loved reading this as a kid. I still enjoy re-reading it. I can identify with musical characters who are a bit conceited. ;)
You can read the entire review on my website (see my profile for the link).

I haven't read these in a few years but remember really enjoying them. All in all this has everything I look for in a series: imaginative scenes with understandable explanations and interesting, likeable characters who you care what happens to. Also, it has an end. There are so many authors who keep a series alive long after they should have wrapped it up. If you enjoy sci-fi or fantasy with female leads, then give this series a try.
The first book opens us to the lead character, Killishandra Ree, and the very imaginative and detailed world of crystal singers. Killishandra was studying to be a professional stage singer on one planet, but when that lifelong dream is blown, she meets a crystal singer and decides to try to become one herself. Broken down, singers are basically miners of crystals used all over the galaxy for numerous things such as inter-galactic communications. Why they're called singers is that they have to be able to sing in perfect pitch in order to "tune in" to the crystal frequency so that it can be cut properly. This job is fraught with danger, the first of which is surviving the organism that invades their bodies as they land on the planet where the crystals are to be cut. The organism allows them to live on the planet and allows them a long life with a much slower ageing process (hundreds of years). Unfortunately, it cannot protect them from the memory-loss that all crystal singers suffer due to crystal exposure. They do get paid a ton, but of course, like a mining community of old, the "Guild" charges singers for all their equipment and multiple fees, making it hard for them to earn enough credits to get off planet and far enough away from the crystals' negative effects. Also, different crystals are worth different prices, depending on their color, cut and potential usefulness.
*** SPOILER ALERT ***
In the second book, we find Killishandra, now an established "singer", sent to another planet to install some type of crystal for producing musical sound (an enormous concert organ which is used by the planet's government in a diabolical way to control the citizenry). She's kidnapped by rebels on the planet and meets Lars Dahl, the series' primary love interest. I really don't remember all the book specifics on this one, but I remember really enjoying the book as well as the developing romance.
*** MAJOR SPOILER ALERT ***
In the last book Killishandra and Lars have been cutting crytals together for years (as in hundreds, I think). He has kept an electronic journal which reminds him of things so he can minimize the memory damage of the crystal. She has not. You think, "OMG! How sad! Oh no!", quite a bit throughout this book. It can be hokey at times, but also beautiful. I warned of spoilers, but I will not give away the ending.

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!

My first encounter with Anne McCaffrey may very well be the best. "Crystal Singer" is an engrossing book, with a very headstrong and admirable female character. By the time her new direction in life is setup and put into motion, I was totally entranced with the book and simply could not put it down. The characters, both male and female, are well fleshed out, and her rise from a rejected opera student to a full fledged crystal singer is a fascinating journey to embark on. The premise for the book - singing and cutting crystal - is unusual and well presented. There is a definite otherworldly flavor to the book as it has a strong sci fi theme that does not assault the reader with too much techno babble, thus its an enjoyable book for the diehards and the casual alike. As the first of a trilogy, its delightful, but also stands alone well with its satisfying conclusion. Highly recommended, but with a word of warning, its nearly impossible to break away from the lure of crystal.

You can always count on Anne Mccaffrey. Everything she writes is pure gold. Killashandra is a young woman that is a bit self centered and with talent enough to be justified in her ego.... she thinks. When she is disappointed with her final musical trials on her home world, she seeks her fortune in the wider universe. She is a strong character that struggles with her insecurities and triumphs. She may not be best friend material but she is definitely interesting!!!! Her adventures, failures and wins, would make her a person I would love to know and hangout with!!

I checked this book out from Overdrive after failing to find a lending copy of McCaffrey's Barque Cat novels.

I found the main character unappealing due to her being so self-centered. Plus some of the plot was hard to buy into; it's most definitely not hard science fiction. There's also an element of romance novel escapism, which can be a plus or minus depending on your tastes. If you're a fan of McCaffrey, then I recommend the book. Even if you're not a fan, it's still quite readable, as it is well written and has no plodding sections.

Anne McCaffrey is the easiest read in Science-Fantasy. She provides great story development and appealing characters. Her books are not weighed down by technical matters and any words she uses for out world items and locations are easily read and explained clearly. I fell in love with Anne McCaffrey at the age of 12 and still love her books 37 years later. Every copy I have is well worn from being read multiple times. One of my favorite authors.

Second of three books about the adventures of Killashandra Ree, ex voice student with the ego of a diva. She comes to perfect Optheria where everything and everyone is organized perfectly for the benefit of the planet. Or are they? Complaints have been lodged by the Stellars of repression of citizen rights; a very serious charge if it can be proved. Join Killa as she risks life and limb to find the necessary proof.
Very exciting and a total change from the Dragon riders series. Be sure to read the first book in the series "The Crystal Singer" where Kills finds out there are other options for a failed vocal major with perfect pitch. And don't miss the exciting culmination to Killa's story in the final book of the series. "Crystal Line"

I was given this book by a friend during summer break from college. I was desperate for something to read, and even though I didn't think I liked science fiction, I decided to read it. Thus began a life long love of science fiction and more notably, Anne McCaffrey, possibly the greatest (and most prolific) writer on the planet. The universe she creates in Crystal Singer is like those in all her books... not a perfect place to live, but certainly a bright light for the future of mankind. And also like most Anne books, the main character is a strong, vibrant, woman who has overcome adversities and made a wonderful life for herself. And although the book is not overly scientific, she always has enough interesting scientific concepts to make it a fun read. If you've never read an Anne McCaffrey book, buy one and enter the world of Anne. You won't be sorry.

Killashandra Ree doesn't know what she's getting herself into. Killashandra Ree doesn't care. After devoting ten long years of hard work and study, her dream of becoming a top-rank concert singer is yanked painfully from her grasp.

Now she is angry, frustrated and alone. So when a mysterious man from Ballybran enters her life she follows him without reservation.

So begins the adventures of Killashandra as she travels across the galaxy to the strange forbidden planet of Ballybran and it's darkly mysterious Heptite Guild. If she is found worthy she will have more than she ever dreamed of.

But those who come to Ballybran are forever altered and few ever leave. Those who do leave are always called back by the seductive lure of the fabled Crystal.

Killashandra Ree always wanted to be a singer. Now she has a chance to be a Singer.

The Crystal Singer series is a must read for anyone who loves imagining what the distant future might bring. The author creates fantasy future worlds that are so very believable - I feel I have been to the places she describes.
The additional treat is the characterizations - Anne McCaffery is a genius when it comes to creating strong characters with a variety of interesting traits.
Put these two things together and you end up with the very best of storytelling. The only complaint I have is that there's not an unending supply of this series!
One important note: I highly recommend that you read these books in order. (Crystal Singer, Killashanra, Crystal Line)

I borrowed my first copy over 15 years ago and immediately went out and bought it for myself. I have re-read this numerous times and just completed it again. This time I found myself wanting to squeeze very nuance out of the text and would back up several pages to read them over.
It is a story of a woman who lives her life with passion and gusto, searching for excellence her art form. Denied once, but not defeated she changes from a hopeful opera singer to a cutter of crystals and finds that joy is in feeling her soul experience a song that no human could ever sing.

One of my favorites by one of my favorites authors. An excellent series with lots of action, twist, and turns. I would recommend this series too anyone who enjoys reading well written science fiction. Enjoy reading

I would want it to be Killashandra Ree.

What a strong female character. Sure, she starts out as being a bit of a brat, but her character grows and matures throughout the series into a wonderfully strong, independent and competent person. This is still one of my favorite sci-fi collections. The concept of Ballybran Crystal and a job as a "cutter" was just so inspired. When I was younger I SO wanted to go to Ballybran.

Crystal Singer is one of my favorite books. So much so that I've had more than one copy over the years as some copies have suffered from me falling asleep with them, getting wet at the pool, etc. I re-read this book at least once a year. It's a sci-fi romance for lack of a better explanation, but I expect that I'll still be reading it once a year on Christmas holiday when I am old and grey.

I have read the Crystal Singer Trilogy more times than I can remember. It is one of my absolute favorites. Action, love and Killashandra Ree finding out who she is and where she belongs in the universe. Love it!

While McCaffrey is my favorite author and I have read almost ALL of her books, I was totally looking forward to having this book on my Kindle 2 so I could HEAR it again. My husband and I like to listen to books while we travel.

Having already read this book and truly enjoyed the read, we were looking forward to being able to enjoy it while we travel. So, I was very disappointed to find that the "text to speech" was not available for this book.

I know that 'text to speech" is supposed to be experimental, but every other book I've tried on Kindle I was able to hear except this one. If I had known ahead of purchase that I wouldn't be able to use the "text to speech" function, I would not have purchased this book.

It would be helpful if the store noted this on the blurb so folk wouldn't buy a book hoping to hear it and not be able to. I had no need to purchase this book for any other reason since I already own the hard copy.

The Crystal Singer is one of my top 10 favorite Sci-fi books of all time. The concept of Crystal Singing, the planet Ballybran (and all of it's unique characteristics), black crystal communications... are wonderful. I almost wish that I could be a Crystal Singer too. I re-read this book almost yearly and I love it every time.

The main character Killashandra is a very strong female character so I think that this book might appeal to women more than men.

If you love sci fi I would highly recommend this book.

I really enjoyed this book and the rest of this short anne maccaffrey series. I am a big fan of her dragon books but this was a very interesting read, with a real girl heroine/character. I enjoyed the story through all three books Anyone who likes a nice sci-fi read that isn't too deep but entertaining would enjoy these books. I did, and I have re-read them a couple of times now.

Strong female lead that is classically mccaffrey. A nice sci-fi setting that showcases singing and author's love of music. I also enjoyed the continuation of killashandra's story with the crystal singer trilogy.

This is a different kind of sci fic series. Well written, interesting, but mostly, its a romance so if that is not what you want, most of Ms McCaffreys' books are not for you. However this is as good as this kind of story gets, and has several unique concepts. An interestiong story about losing what you thought you wanted only to find what you really love. All three books in the series are comparable.

SPOILERS ALERT – SPOILERS ALERT – SPOILERS ALERT

Firstly let me state my deep admiration and respect for the author, Anne McCaffrey. Over the years of her career she has given me some of the most startling and awe inspiring novels that I first started to read back in the mid to late 1980’s and continues to the Present, and each time I read her novels I remember the joy and rapture I experienced as if it was the very first time.

This being said, I cannot fathom why Ms. McCaffrey would write a novel such as “Killashandra” given the depth of the writer’s passion and devotion to her characters. The first novel in this trilogy, “Crystal Singer” introduced us to our heroine, Killashandra Ree. A young woman disappointed and frustrated with her life and failure to obtain the Stellar career as a singer. However, given she has perfect pitch and a unwavering drive to succeed and be the Top of any group she’s a part of, she opts to join the mysterious Heptite Guild on the planet Ballybran after escorting home Crystal Singer Carrik whom she met and had an intimate relationship with on her home planet of Fuerte. Killashandra is head strong and more than just a bit immature but by the end of the first book you cannot help but love her tenacity, her fire, her spunk to be the best, and grows into her own as both a woman and a Crystal Singer.

Yet then we have the Second Novel, “Killashandra” and what you find in the first half of the story is she is still devoted and in love with the Guild Master Lanzeski, but is forced through that same devotion to go off world in order to give the Guild Master the ‘push’ needed to get back out into the Ranges to cut crystal before he damages his own symbiote, therefore, with the behest of Trag, that’s exactly what our heroine does, but then in the middle of the book you see our heroine, knocked unconscious, kidnapped, stranded on an Island, scared out of her mind, put in danger, and then by the end of the book, Killashandra is in love with her captor, Lars Dahl and pleading with the courts to find him not guilty of all charges, and I’m just aghast with this and completely blown away at the utter turn-around the author caused in her character. Lars Dahl should have never seen the light of day again after what he did to Killashandra, and most definitely our heroine should NOT have fallen in love with him and pleading with the Federated Courts. I mean, Oh My God, what is it with novels coming about the woman falling in love with the person who hurts her. What complete dribble!

I absolutely adored the First Novel. The Third Novel is very good if you take this Second book out of the equation and don’t even read it. Even back when I first read this trilogy I discounted this middle novel for these exact same reasons and skipped over it each time I went to re-read this series again. Stay with the first book Crystal Singer and the third book Crystal Line and you’ll have an enjoyable experience, but this middle novel, Killashandra belongs Out-of-Print and forgotten from history of an amazing author, Anne McCaffery to whom I shall always maintain a great and lasting admiration and respect for her and her stellar work as a writer.

Rest-In-Peace.
Anne Inez McCaffrey
Born: April 01, 1926
Died: November 21, 2011 (aged 85)

End of Line.

Altough this book does grab you in its clutches, it does take a while to get started. I thought it would be good right from the beginning because many other people that I know that have tried reading it said that it was slow starting. Apart from the beginning, an amazing read. Well worth the time it takes to read it.

I read this book (and the series) in high school fifteen years ago, and thanks to a generous gift voucher to my local book shop, I'm reading them again and it feels like visiting an old friend. It struck a chord (*facepalm* - sorry) with me as a teenager, but I think I have a deeper appreciation of the characters and story lines now. Not my favourite in the series, but a truly great read for fantasy fans.

For those that have seen my other reviews, you can find that I like Anne McCaffrey. The story was unique and fresh and I loved it. Killashanda was a character you would like to both love and hate at times. =)

Crystal Singer

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.

When I first picked this book, which was the very first Anne McCaffrey book I ever read, I could not put it down. I read it all the way and never stopped, unless for the daily necessary things. The character of Killashandra is amazingly detailed and very much enjoying. I liked it so very much and I recommend it... for sure... In my opinion, a masterpiece... and I am very happy I ever found Anne McCaffrey.

_Crystal Singer_ is one of the few books by this author that kept me reading, the only others being _Dragonsdawn_ and _Damia_. I was able to stomach her annoying style because of the sheer imagination and the strong character of Killashandra. I recommend this book if you enjoy McCaffrey's work. I also highly recommend it if you have never read any of her myriad books.

The problem with the whole crystal singing gig is that you can lose your mind. Here, the protagonist has other problems. After an accident mining on the planet with the good stuff she has to take a job off world.

She ends up uncovering an alien brainwashing plot, and finds someone to shag, with a few adventures along the way.

Not as good as the first book.

I love just about everything Anne McCaffrey wrote, especially this series, but the publishers need to provide better quality in their digital products. For the full price of a paperback I expected much better editing. Having read this book previously (and I own it in hard cover) I figured out what most of the typos were SUPPOSED to say but it took away from the story. Very amateur. Four stars only because of typos, the story deserves five.

Crystal Singer starts off with an immature, melodramatic perfectionist whose philosophy seems to be that if she can't be the star, then she won't even play the game. But her stubborness and ingenuity prove to be incredible assets when she discovers the opportunities and risks in the Heptite Guild.
Anne McCafferty has provided us with a true treasure. A dynamic character that we can actually feel for, in a situation that grabs the immagination and the dreams of the reader. A true five star story.

Contrived. Child level mentality but with allusions to adult situations that take the book out of consideration for young adults.
Only way I can justify the authors attempt at writing this is that they, or one of their children, just started music lessons.

The way she writes the book, the thoughts that she shares with you, all make this book a brilliant read. The way in which she describes the love between Lars Dahl and Killashandra makes it very hard to pit the book down.

This book has everything relationships, knowledge, suspense, great story line. I started this back in the early 90's. I could not find the second book so I guess I lost interest I am on disability now and have a lot of time on my hands. Here I am back to where I started.

I love Anne McCaffrey because she is a wonderfully imaginative writer, and this book is no exception. You can identify with the characters and dream about the world they inhabit. I would highly recommend this book along with the other two in the series. Killashandra Ree is definitely the kind of woman we need to see more of in fiction.

The Crystal Singer Trilogy is probably my favorite non-Pern adventure by Anne McCaffrey. I highly recommend it to readers of David Eddings, Mercedes Lackey and Guy Gavriel Kay, as well as Ms. McCaffrey's own fans.

If I could give this book zero stars, I would. Believe me. Crystal Singer is filled with an anti-climatic plot, one dimensional characters, and predictability. Killashandra has no personality - she just is because McCaffrey willed her to be - and neither do any of the other putrid characters that step across the stage in this book. The plot has a beginning...but no middle...and no end. McCaffrey attempts some climax - in the Crystal Ranges, the installion of Crystal - but the story is just so predictable (of course we ALL know she's going to become a Crystal Singer. That's what ALWAYS happens in this type of plot) that any attempt at writing something exciting or worthwhile or even profound falls short of even McCaffrey (and she certainly is an excellent writer, don't get me wrong. But her dragon books are better)All in all, this book is a labor to get through, and not a worthwhile read at all.

I'll admit right now that I went about reading this book the wrong way. First off, I learned the plot from a sanitized comic-book version when I was 12. Then I read _Kilshandra_, a book I considered ridiculous, but fun to read. Only then did I start in on _The_Crystal_Singers_. I didn't finish.
Not only was the science vague and nonsensical-- forgiveable for storytellers-- but the characters reacted like badly-sculpted high-school automatons in a soap opera. Kilshandra's characterization was ludicrous as the perfect heroine, and everyone else just acted silly and stupid. Bad, bad, bad. I don't have anything against McCaffrey, but if she put out other books like this, I soon will.

This is a great book. One of my favorites. It's a switch from dragons but the main character is well presented and the reader really becomes involved in her outcome. Not a great number of surprises. This book is clearly about the 'how' and not the 'what'. I recommend it highly.

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

It's worth reading but not at the Kindle price. No paper, no ink, no glue, no fuel costs, no Text-to-speech. Do yourself a favor buy a used paperback. Don't support the "Publishers" price gouging. No TTS, $3.99. with TTS $5.99 max.

A woman is a talented singer, however she is not good enough to be the best there is, so she gets a bit grumpy.

So, she goes and takes a job as a crystal miner on another planet, where, for some reason, the ability to sing in perfect pitch is a very useful ability.

The book really isn't as dumb as that sounds, though.

The crystal they mine is a valued and important technological resources.

It's worth reading but not at the Kindle price. No paper, no ink, no glue, no fuel costs, no Text-to-speech. Do yourself a favor buy a used paperback. Don't support the "Publishers" price gouging. No TTS, $3.99. with TTS $5.99 max.