Damia

In this second volume of the trilogy begun with The Rowan , McCaffrey introduces Damia Raven, brilliant and willful daughter of Angharad Gwyn (the Rowan) and Jeff Raven, leaders of the psionic Talents of Federal Telepath & Teleport, who make interstellar commerce possible. The precocious Damia's difficult childhood is made tolerable by the care and solicitude of Afra Lyon, her parents' valued friend and assistant, who secretly loves the child as much as he did her mother. Maturing as a Prime--the most powerful of the orders of psis--Damia is sent to run the FT&T Tower on the new colony of Iota Aurigae. She lives there in petulant loneliness, having rejected or alienated all Talented potential mates, until she touches the alien mind of Sodan, many light-years away. Concerned about an alien invasion like the one suffered a generation previously, her family sends Afra to evaluate the dangers of Damia's infatuation. In a forceful resolution, Damia suffers a deep loss but finds her salvation. McCaffrey interweaves an engrossing romance with a coming-of-age story as she examines the issue of responsibility in a society where survival depends on the abilities of a gifted few. (July)