Crystal Singer - Anne McCaffrey

She's better known for her series on Pern but I like her non-Dragon series better. Anne McCaffrey was one of the first female sci-fi writers. This book is originally a series of stories from Science Fiction Magazine and published in the 1960s. Love. It.

In the future, humankind is scattered throughout galaxies after having figure out space travel. On one of the planets that they were hoping to transform into suitable living for people, they find a crystalline substance that will change virtually everything. It can be used for communication, data storage, transportation, and so much more. The shards and slivers can be used for artwork and jewelry as well. It is to this planet (named Ballybran) that Killashandra Ree comes looking for a fresh start and a new career.

She was in training to become an operatic singer. There were planets to explore, arias to sing, people to visit, and accolades to collect. It was all she had ever wanted from the time she was a little girl. However, her dreams were shattered when the judges noticed a slight flaw in her voice that hadn't been trained out. On the day she received the devastating blow, she met the man who would change her life.

He was a Crystal Singer and it seemed that everyone deferred to him, especially when he heard a shuttle at the spaceport that was ready to explode from improperly tuned crystal. Killashandra heard it too. They spent several months together until Carrick had to start back to the Heptite Guild. She wanted to go with him but never expected it to be by his bedside. As they were explaining to authorities that she was in her right mind and not been twisted by the Singer, a shuttle exploded. Carrick, having superhuman senses, was rendered unconscious in the blast and returned to Ballybran where he was in a coma for the rest of his days.

The rest of the story deals with Killashandra going through the training upon reaching Ballybran and the trials and tribulations of starting out in a career. There are secrets to be discovered in this first of the trilogy and Killa is one of my favorite characters. I go back again and again.