About this ebook
A new hero emerges in a divided world as one of sci-fi’s most beloved series—Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern—relaunches with this original adventure from Anne’s daughter, Gigi McCaffrey.
In honor of the fiftieth anniversary of the Dragonriders of Pern series, Gigi does her mother proud, adding to the family tradition of spinning unputdownable tales that recount the adventures of the brave inhabitants of a distant planet who battle the pitiless adversary known as Thread.
The last time Thread attacked Pern, the world was unprepared for the fight—until the Oldtimers appeared. These courageous dragonriders arrived from the past, traveling four hundred years to help their descendants survive. But the collision of past and present took its toll. While most of the displaced rescuers adapted to their new reality, others could not abide the jarring change and found themselves in soul-crushing exile, where unhappiness and resentment seethed.
Piemur, a journeyman harper, also feels displaced, cast adrift by the loss of his spectacular boyhood voice and uncertain of his future. But when the Masterharper of Pern sees promise in the young man and sends him undercover among the exiled Oldtimers, Piemur senses the looming catastrophe that threatens the balance of power between the Weyrs and Holds of Pern.
When the unthinkable happens, Piemur must rise to the challenge to avert disaster and restore honor to the dragons and dragonriders of Pern. Because now, in a world already beset by Thread, another, more insidious danger looms: For the first time in living memory, dragons may be on the verge of fighting dragons.
In honor of the fiftieth anniversary of the Dragonriders of Pern series, Gigi does her mother proud, adding to the family tradition of spinning unputdownable tales that recount the adventures of the brave inhabitants of a distant planet who battle the pitiless adversary known as Thread.
The last time Thread attacked Pern, the world was unprepared for the fight—until the Oldtimers appeared. These courageous dragonriders arrived from the past, traveling four hundred years to help their descendants survive. But the collision of past and present took its toll. While most of the displaced rescuers adapted to their new reality, others could not abide the jarring change and found themselves in soul-crushing exile, where unhappiness and resentment seethed.
Piemur, a journeyman harper, also feels displaced, cast adrift by the loss of his spectacular boyhood voice and uncertain of his future. But when the Masterharper of Pern sees promise in the young man and sends him undercover among the exiled Oldtimers, Piemur senses the looming catastrophe that threatens the balance of power between the Weyrs and Holds of Pern.
When the unthinkable happens, Piemur must rise to the challenge to avert disaster and restore honor to the dragons and dragonriders of Pern. Because now, in a world already beset by Thread, another, more insidious danger looms: For the first time in living memory, dragons may be on the verge of fighting dragons.
Ratings and reviews
4.7
26 reviews
A Google user
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October 9, 2018
I received a free copy of this book and opted to post a review. I was over the moon to read a new perspective of the Southern Continent and Piemur's activities after Dragondrums. McCaffrey did an excellent job of reminding those of us who haven't visited Pern in a while of the events leading up to Piemur's assignment on the Southern Continent. In the past, we've read about the current Weyrleaders' perspective of the Oldtimers. It was slanted to favor the current Weyrleaders and their decisions; however, this book presents a different approach to the schism between the current Weyrleaders and the Oldtimers. It is a slightly more impartial view than before and it's easy to see the fundamental flaws in both parties' logic. We also see another side to some of other "beloved" characters, and how these characters we loved to laud in the past aren't as perfect as they were made out to be. As great as this unique and fresh point of view is, there are a couple of areas where the book could be improved upon. The author took great pains to make the setting rich and vibrant, but I felt that she "told" more about it than "showed." I also thought that the relationships between the secondary characters and Piemur were understated. Piemur has a pretty extensive history with many of the secondary characters that appear in the book and many of the deep, abiding friendships came across as "casual acquaintances." These friendships played a big part in Piemur's evolution from an impetuous, young boy to a fine young man, and I feel that the author's decision to overlook them will make it difficult for Pern fans to connect with Piemur's story. Even though I disagree with the author's decisions in a couple of areas, I think McCaffrey did a wonderful job of maintaining the timeline's integrity while providing readers with a different take on Pern society and inner political strife. I was absolutely enchanted by Piemur's story and I will happily read other books Gigi McCaffrey decides to contribute to the series!
2 people found this review helpful
candace frazier
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November 12, 2018
Not bad for a first foray into the Pern "sandbox". I first read the trilogy when I was on bedrest, pregnant with my first child. I've reread it many times since because I laughed and I cried with the inhabitants of Pern! I was anticipating the same joy in this book. It fell flat. It did not embrace my heart nor touch my soul. It did retell a story instead of creating a new one. It did beat me over the head with its messages. It did lecture me with morality. It barely entertained because of that. And the dragons' witty remarks and delightful humor was entirely missing.
1 person found this review helpful
Jay Jones
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October 11, 2019
It is a good read, but if you are a true fan and know the series in detail, you will notice many glaring issues that included. It's sad they were allowed to be included, but overall the story is good and if you ignore then you can almost feel Anne in the writing similarities.
1 person found this review helpful
About the author
Gigi McCaffrey collaborated with her late mother, Anne McCaffrey, on three short stories collected in the anthologies Great Writers & Kids Write Spooky Stories and Mothers & Daughters. She also contributed an essay to Dragonwriter: A Tribute to Anne McCaffrey and Pern, edited by her brother Todd McCaffrey. She lives in the Devil’s Glen, in Ireland’s Wicklow County, with her husband, their son, and their infamous hound, Sidney.
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