It was a world of ice and snow - a planet that just supported life and that had been terraformed from frozen uninhabitable rock.The people of Petaybee were hardy, self-reliant, friendly - and also very secretive. Major Yana Maddock, medically discharged from the service, was shipped to Petaybee in the hope that her burnt-out lungs might just recover in the icy air.And at the last moment, she was given a special commission.Unauthorized life-forms had been seen on the planet and, more seriously, geologic survey teams had ...
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It was a world of ice and snow - a planet that just supported life and that had been terraformed from frozen uninhabitable rock.The people of Petaybee were hardy, self-reliant, friendly - and also very secretive. Major Yana Maddock, medically discharged from the service, was shipped to Petaybee in the hope that her burnt-out lungs might just recover in the icy air.And at the last moment, she was given a special commission.Unauthorized life-forms had been seen on the planet and, more seriously, geologic survey teams had vanished into nowhere, the odd survivor being discovered abandoned and insane.It was Yana's task to infiltrate Petaybee society and find out who - or what - was causing the eerie events on the planet. She discovered a primitive ice-bound community of extraordinary people - people who possessed some mysterious quality of surviving - and people who Yana discovered she both liked and revered as she found herself becoming one of them.
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Add this copy of Powers That Be to cart. $0.99, good condition, Sold by BookHolders rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Gambrills, MD, UNITED STATES, published 1993 by Del Rey Books.
Add this copy of Powers That Be (Petaybee, Book 1) to cart. $1.14, fair condition, Sold by Gulf Coast Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Memphis, TN, UNITED STATES, published 1994 by Del Rey.
Add this copy of Powers That Be (Petaybee, Book 1) to cart. $1.16, good condition, Sold by Once Upon A Time Books rated 3.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Tontitown, AR, UNITED STATES, published 1994 by Del Rey.
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This is a used book in good condition and may show some signs of use or wear. This is a used book in good condition and may show some signs of use or wear.
Add this copy of Powers That Be to cart. $1.22, good condition, Sold by Gulf Coast Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Memphis, TN, UNITED STATES, published 1993 by Del Rey.
Add this copy of Powers That Be to cart. $1.25, good condition, Sold by Once Upon A Time Books rated 3.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Tontitown, AR, UNITED STATES, published 1993 by Del Rey.
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Good in good dust jacket. This is a used book in good condition and may show some signs of use or wear. This is a used book in good condition and may show some signs of use or wear.
Add this copy of Powers That Be to cart. $2.02, very good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Dallas rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1994 by Del Rey Books.
Add this copy of Powers That Be to cart. $2.50, very good condition, Sold by Jeff Stark rated 3.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Barstow, CA, UNITED STATES, published 1994 by Del Rey Books.
Add this copy of Powers That Be (Petaybee, Book 1) to cart. $2.59, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Movies rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1994 by Del Rey.
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Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of Powers That Be (Petaybee, Book 1) to cart. $2.59, good condition, Sold by HPB-Movies rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1994 by Del Rey.
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Good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of Powers That Be (Petaybee, Book 1) to cart. $2.59, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Emerald rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1994 by Del Rey.
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Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
I wanted to enjoy this book. I bought the whole trilogy before even reading this first story purely on the pedigree of its authors. I was expecting to be as engrossed as I had been by the `Catteni Sequence' by Anne McCaffrey, or one of the handful of short stories I'd previously sampled by Elizabeth Anne Scarborough. But while there are positive attributes, which I'll go into later, sadly `Powers That Be' makes for a surprisingly shallow and disappointing read and one that I'm surprised has spawned so many sequels.
I expected that the pooling of the talents of these two highly regarded fantasy writers would result in an enthralling and original space-faring epic, but while the planet of Petaybee can be described as exhibiting life-signs, none of the characters, or indeed the linear plot offer anything beyond a lifeless experience for the reader. The central protagonist is the prime example- Yabana `Yana' Maddock is totally unappealing. Her skills as an investigator (the reason for which her superiors ordered her to settle on Petaybee) are laughably non-existent and her suspicion of the residents of the planet dissipates in a very unconvincingly short space of time. There's also no depth to any of the characters beyond what takes place within the narrow confines of the plot and because they're awarded so little back-story it's very difficult to empathise with of them.
I would say, however that this story is worth reading for the solid prose alone, especially if you're a fan of either contributor whose eager to read something, anything by one of these successful authors. But be aware that with such astonishingly two-dimensional characters and an undeniably tepid plot, it's not a novel to become so enthused over that you rush to read the next installment.
John100847
May 25, 2007
Another Hit Series From Anne McCaffrey
The writing team of Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Ann Scarborough have another hit series. You are a disabled (corporate) military officer sent to spy on a people and find that you have become not only one of the family but the proponent for the sentient planet Petaybee. The first of A series that includes "Power Lines, Power Play, Changlings and Maelstrom" Dynamic, fast paced scifi adventure from a pair of the best in the business
