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A new novel of Pern.
Anne McCaffrey was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She graduated
cum laude from Radcliffe College, majoring in Slavonic Languages
and Literatures. A prolific bestselling author, she is best known
for her handling of broad themes and the worlds of her imagination,
particularly in her tales of the Talents and the novels about the
Dragonriders of Pern. Anne McCaffrey lives in a house of her own
design, Dragonhold-Underhill, in County Wicklow, Ireland.
Visit the author's website at www.annemccaffrey.net
Todd McCaffrey, Anne's son, is a computer engineer living in Los
Angeles. The approved heir to Pern, his first solo Dragonriders of
Pern novel, Dragonsblood, will be published by Bantam Press in
2005. Visit his website on www.toddmccaffrey.org
These fabled dragons still cast a spell
*Publishers Weekly*
As in Dragon's Kin, only the Pern's young people seem to be motivated enough to find solutions to problems surrounding the deadly space confetti called "Thread." Though colonists are anxious to fuel Pern's dragons with firestone (which they then use to destroy Thread), mining for the hazardous substance comes to a standstill after a devastating collapse. A meandering plot eventually finds Apprentice Harper Pellar drawing back outcasts (the "Shunned") into civilization to survive the looming Threadfall; meanwhile, Cristov, son of a shunned miner, starts a new mine. Batches of dragons, fire lizards, and whers for which the series is known are here; unfortunately, so is shallow characterization and crass dispatching of Shunned children. Though narrator Dick Hill's voice lends amiability, nothing can overcome the deadly dullness of the story. Listeners unfamiliar with the fantasy realm of Pern will quickly tire of the slow pace and lack of action; order on request only. Douglas C. Lord, Connecticut State Lib., Middletown Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
The McCaffreys' second fire-breathing collaboration (after 2003's Dragon's Kin) again proves why these fabled dragons still cast a spell. Pellar, a mute Apprentice Harper; Halla, a homeless girl; and Cristov, a miner's son, learn invaluable life lessons as the planet Pern prepares for the return of the deadly Red Star and its annihilating "Thread," which can only be destroyed by firestone-fueled dragonfire. But mining firestone is dangerous work, often carried out by children of disenfranchised criminals called the Shunned. Accompanied by his new fire-lizard Chitter, Pellar joins Masterharper Zist in a search for Moran, a missing Journeyman Harper who's involved with the Shunned. Pellar finds his fate intertwined with Halla, but his tangle with Tenim, a ruthless thief, almost keeps them apart. Their friend Cristov learns about the Shunned firsthand after a terrible mine explosion. Fortunately, events lead to dragon-riding wish fulfillment and a remarkable discovery. While it allegorizes the risks of mining fossil fuels and the horrors of slave labor, this coming-of-age fantasy offers suitable dragon play for all ages. (July) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
These fabled dragons still cast a spell * Publishers Weekly *
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