Anne McCaffrey is probably best known for her fantasy series Dragonriders of Pern series, but she’s written many more wonderful books based on other worlds. Restoree came out in in 1967 and was McCafffrey’s first published book. McCaffrey changed the field of science fiction and fantasy with her strong female characters.
In Restoree, Sara is a twenty-one year old woman who recently left home for New York City. In Central Park she is abducted by an alien race, the Mil. The Mil skin their captures alive. Other than traces of light, inexplicable things, and nightmare, that’s all she remembers for some time. She gradually comes back to her herself only to find herself completely changed. Gone are her scars, her huge nose and her hairy arms. Instead of homely, she is beautiful. She is also an attendant for a man in a mental institution. She comes to understand that Harlon is being drugged, and is an important political prisoner. He is the Regent of this world, which means he should be in charge of most everything.
They escape together. And have to find their way to those who are loyal to Harlon, and a way to outsmart Harlon’s enemies and restore him to power. There’s quite a bit of political intrigue. They also have to fight off a huge invasion of the Mil. Everything is complicated by the growing realization that Sara must be a “restoree”, a person who has been skinned by the Mil, but “restored” with surgeries. “Restoring” is not only a crime, but considered abhorrent. And she and Harlon are falling in love. A stranger to the culture of this world, Sara makes quite a few blunders, and finds herself unwittingly practically married to him.
Sara is a strong character, especially for science fiction in 1967 – even though the culture she finds herself in values women the most for their breeding potential. She shows intelligence, wit, and resourcefulness. The book has a couple of sexual scenes, a lot of romance, and a lot of innuendo. Some of the story seems a bit dated; Earth technology has changed a little since 1967! Still, it’s a worthwhile read for science fiction lovers and Anne McCaffrey fans.
It’s also available for the Kindle.
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