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This review does not represent the opinions of the general public. It reflects my personal thoughts and opinions on the book.
That said, on to the review!
Of all the Rowan's children, Damia Gwyn-Raven has long proven the most problematic, most likely because she of all her siblings is most like her mother. Gifted with an extraordinarily powerful Talent that manifests itself early on, she grows up on Deneb, the homeworld of her father, where she can mature into her Talent without worrying too many people with her precociousness, especially when her Talent is so powerful so young. But time proves that her particular strength is a necessity as she encounters a threat deadlier than the Beetles that had once threatened Deneb and a possibility brighter than even the realization that the one she's longed for has always been there waiting for her to fully mature. But the question of the hour is this: will Damia ever be patient and cautious enough to think before she acts, especially when in a Talent's case thinking might very well be acting?
Damia is an enjoyable sequel to The Rowan. It actually starts a few years after the Rowan's chronicle does, and it doesn't even mention Damia until almost a third of the way into the book. On the other hand, it does a good job of bringing new readers up to date on events in the Talent books and establishes more firmly a character that will play a huge and important role in Damia's life.
I'm not certain what part of this book I found most interesting. Certainly Damia's life and times are interesting, what with the momentous events in her life: her first use of telepathy, her first separation from those she loved, her first Talent/non-Talent encounter, her first sexual encounter, and more. On the other hand, however, finding out more about Afra Lyon, the T-4 who was the Rowan's chief assistant, was very welcome. Especially since we watch him maturing from young boy to accomplished Tower personnel, and then watch him watching Damia grow from infant to fully-developed young Prime. Of course, the most interesting part might be watching as the Rowan's one-time companion, the barquecat Rascal, suddenly reappears in her life!
Damia is the next installment in the Talent saga, and it's a welcome addition. Besides taking the Talent/Beetle storyline farther, it also tells the story of a Talent growing up comfortable with her Talent mostly from her viewpoint instead of primarily those of her guardians. So go ahead and read this book; it has several great storylines continuing through it so you'll never want for interesting reading!
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