About the Author

Anne McCaffrey, one of the world’s most popular authors, is best known for her Dragonriders of Pern® series. She was the first woman to win the two top prizes for science fiction writing, the Hugo and Nebula awards. She was also given the American Library Association’s Margaret A. Edwards Award for Lifetime Literary Achievement in Young Adult Fiction, was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame, and was named a Science Fiction Writers of America Nebula Grand Master. Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1926, McCaffrey relocated to Ireland in the 1970s, where she lived in a house of her own design, named Dragonhold-Underhill. She died in 2011.

Todd McCaffrey, Anne’s son, is a computer engineer living in Los Angeles. He is currently working on a solo Dragonriders of Pern novel, Dragonsblood.

Reviews

“Personable characters and superb storytelling make this an excellent choice. . . . Essential for Pern fans of all ages.”—Library Journal (starred review) 

“A guaranteed pleaser [in] one of SF’s most splendid and longest-lived sagas.”—Booklist 

“Another delightful entry in the Pern series.”—Publishers Weekly

Beloved bestseller McCaffrey has joined forces with her son, Todd, to produce another delightful entry in the Pern series, which began with Dragonflight in 1968. The action here centers on Camp Natalon, the site of a coal mine. Now that the surface seams of coal have begun to run dry on Pern, it's imperative to start extracting coal from deep underground, despite the increased danger. Some of the miners rely on the expertise of the watch-whers, smaller versions of dragons, to help keep them safe in the mines. As Kindan, blind Nuella and master harper Zist puzzle out the lore, habits and abilities of these nocturnal creatures, they find out more about the watch-whers (and themselves) than they thought possible. Fans who have become comfortable with McCaffrey's smooth trademark style over the years will notice no seams-which bodes well for any solo novels her coauthor, the heir apparent, may contribute to the Dragonriders saga. (Dec.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

"Personable characters and superb storytelling make this an excellent choice. . . . Essential for Pern fans of all ages."-Library Journal (starred review)

"A guaranteed pleaser [in] one of SF's most splendid and longest-lived sagas."-Booklist

"Another delightful entry in the Pern series."-Publishers Weekly