Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern (The Dragonriders of Pern)

I have loved all of the Pern stories, but Dragonheart is the first one that I wish I hadn't bought! The conversations are disjointed, the characters don't act in understandable ways; in short, this book is NOTHING like the books that came before! I was too annoyed by the poor quality of the writing to sink into this story at all... Get some help, Todd (or a new editor); or sell the storyline to someone with some ideas!

I absolutely love Pern books. I have read most of them at least 3 times. I had missed this one and found it answered a lot of questions I have about the last book Sky Dragons. I love that the books show everyone loving each other and working together to the good of all. The love between Dragon and rider is really special. I love the way the Dragons develop a personality of their own and are often wiser than their riders.

I've enjoyed Todd McCaffrey's stories about the third pass, as it explains some of the things (like why were the dragonriders unfamiliar with fire lizards in Lessa and F'lar's time). I also like that it shows teens and preteens as capable, if young, of rising to a challenge and having skills. One really has to read the whole cycle to understand everything, and that feels like a cheat.

No wonder there is a seamless change from mother to son authors. They seemed to work together very nicely in this story. I've read all of the books that Anne wrote and am happy to see the sorties continue through Tod.

When I first started reading this, I unknowingly compared the author's writing style to his mother, the great Anne McCaffrey. There was a slight difference, but the story swept me off my feet. Todd does, and will continue to - I hope, continue the Pern stories for new and old readers alike.
Thank you Todd

What is the matter with the weyrlings? This has, no doubt, been a common complaint for exasperated Weyrlingmasters the past 500 Turns or so, but in this instance there really IS something wrong with the youngsters -- a number of them are frequently inattentive, lack energy, and want to sleep a lot. A handful of the older dragonriders also suffer from this mysterious malady to a degree. Even the newly hatched dragons are sleepier than they ought to be.

Thus begins Todd McCaffrey's "Dragonheart", set at the very start of Pern's Third Pass, in the year (or "Turn") 507 After Landing. At age 13, Fiona, the only surviving child of Bemin, Lord Holder of Fort Hold, has unexpectedly Impressed gold dragon Talenth. As a junior Weyrwoman she has much to learn with little time to spare. Not only does she have to care for her rapidly growing young dragon, she has to learn all about managing a Weyr populated by hundreds of dragons, their riders, and the support staff.

To make things worse, Harper Kindan's fire-lizard dies of a serious lung ailment, and all fire-lizards are banished to the Southern Continent. Given how closely related these creatures are to dragons, no one can risk cross-species infection. Not with Thread so close to falling. Without dragons to flame this ancient menace from the sky, Pern would rapidly be rendered uninhabitable.

Alas, dragons begin to fall ill and then to die, and Thread begins to fall for the first time in 200 Turns. The ranks of the inexperienced dragonriders are decimated by injury from threadscoring. The situation is even worse when they're forced to fight Thread at night, when they can't see what they're fighting. Unexpected allies prevent utter catastrophe, but still the situation is getting more dire by the moment.

Given how many of Todd's Pern novels have dealt with plague, either among humans or among dragons, I should by all rights be completely fed up with yet another plague novel. Yet, as always, I've enjoyed reading this one.

One difference between this story and "Dragonsblood", a parallel novel taking place at roughly the same time, is the scope of the story. While in "Dragonsblood" the focus is on the likes of Kindan and Lorana, of Benden Weyr, desperately trying to find a cure for the dragon plague, in "Dragonheart" the focus is mainly on Fiona at Fort Weyr, and how she copes with growing up in a time of disaster and upheaval. She remarks at one point to Cisca, another Weyrwoman, that she's never really had a childhood, given how her mother and all her siblings had succumbed to another plague, described in the book "Dragon Harper". As a likely future Lady Holder she has always had to set an example for the underlings -- it's no different now, being a Weyrwoman.

Thankfully, about halfway through the book we get a respite from the dragon plague as the Fort Weyr leadership implements a daring plan for giving the injured dragons and their riders, plus the weyrlings, some breathing space to recover from their injuries, or grow up, before the next threadfall.

I guessed the cause of the mysterious muzzy-headedness almost immediately, but no matter. The main attraction of this book is in seeing sides of Weyr life we haven't seen before in such detail:

- How do young riders and their dragons train for flying and going "between" one place and another?

- What's the most efficient way of delivering firestone to dragonriders in the middle of fighting thread?

- How do dragonriders resolve their differences when the traditional Pernese sword duel is too dangerous, given how the dragon commits suicide if its rider dies?

- What happens if a young green dragon has her first mating flight before she has started chewing firestone?

Carrying on from Todd's earlier books, he also goes into more details about the Watch-whers, nocturnal cousins of the dragons long thought to be of dubious use, but now proving to be most valuable indeed.

There are lots of unanswered questions at the end of "Dragonheart", which will likely be covered in a future story. First and foremost, who is this mysterious queen dragon rider who can communicate with Fiona telepathically, and leads her and her fellow weyrlings to undertake a very dangerous journey at such a young age, only to disappear right afterward? Fiona and T'mar, a bronze dragonrider, have their suspicions, but they don't know for sure.

Also, what will become of Xhinna, a young virtually outcast girl whom Fiona befriends near the beginning of the book, but ends up having to leave behind for a number of Turns? It seems likely that Todd has something in mind for her, along with another girl named Terin. Only time will tell.

There's also a prophesy of sorts uttered by one of the desert traders encountered later in the story. This was one of the things that gave me a bit of a pause: a bit of mysticism that is traditionally absent from Pern books. Todd's mother, Anne, has always been adamant that the Pernese are non-religious, though they have a form of spirituality.

Also, while I can't think of any physical reason why Thread couldn't fall at night, it does seem like something Anne's characters two thousand Turns in the future would have encountered in the Ninth Pass, yet no mention was ever made of it.

My main concern with Todd's work is that, in a few places, I found myself a bit confused as to what time of the Turn it was. Some of those later chapters span weeks or months at a time, and I found it hard to keep track. Also, it seems like characters repeat themselves more than they ought. Todd probably could have tightened up the plot a bit by getting rid of some needlessly redundant conversations and observations.

So, should you read this story? If you're new to Pern, you're going to want to start with Anne's early works, such as "Dragonflight" and "Dragonquest". If you're new to Todd's books, you'll likely want to start with his earlier works as well -- a number of characters, like Harper Kindan, Lorana and Nuella the WherMaster, are introduced elsewhere.

Ultimately, if you like Todd's earlier works, I can't think of any reason why you wouldn't like this one as well. But, given the cost of hardcover novels, you might want to check some of the other reviews first.

It's so wonderful that Todd is following his Mum. Anne has given we so many great hours of reading, and now Todd is also giving me that pleasure. I'm 80 yars old and am now on secand and third reading. Hooray for the McCaffrey family.

The book arrived with approximately 50 pages dogeared. I was asked to give feedback on how the order was packaged but received no reply. I did not want to pay S&H to return the book and again to get a replacement book. The book was a gift to my son whose books look like new when he finishes reading them. I was not happy to give this book as a gift.

4.5 stars rounded up.

Dragonheart by Todd McCaffrey is the 21st book in the Dragonriders of Pern series.

I've been a fan of the series since I discovered them in the late 1990's. I must admit that I was a bit leary when I heard that her son, Todd, was starting to take over the series. I wasn't a huge fan of the first couple of books that came out under his name, but this one I really love. Fiona and T'mar have become two of my all-time favorite Pern characters and this book really showcases their characters and their development.

In this book, we see Fiona go from a Lord Holder's daughter to a Weyrwoman. We see her develop through her early teen years trying to adjust not only to the changes in her own body and feelings but also the changes in her life brought on by impressing a dragon. T'mar is an older bronze rider whose path crosses with Fiona's many times after she first becomes a weyrwoman. Then, they both find themselves back in time at an abandoned weyr which allows their relationship to grow and develop in new ways.

I highly recommend this installment of Pern's story.

Todd is a much better writer than his mother. Unfortunately, he's still verbose in odd ways. I actually had a clearer idea of what was going on in this book, and I learned a bit about appearances of some of the characters. Maybe I missed it, but it seemed that the illness was never really defined nor the cure ever really discussed: man and dragon alike just sort of get over it. Xhinna, a non-rider, is a girl who can telepathically communicate with the dragons. This is never explained, then she's forgotten about for ten chapters, and just sort of mentioned in the last two. Again there are time skips, though nowhere near as egregious as the last Dragonriders book I read. I get that the Pernese are re-learning things from Earth, but it's just so forced. Some of the additional words, e.g, "by way of introduction" were already implied by what the speaking character said. Do I really need to read about Fiona almost peeing her pants because she rode a dragon without going potty first? Speaking of which, way too much mention of her toilet habits. OK, if she were incontinent or something, fine, but we really don't need it.

I will not be reading another Dragonriders of Pern book. Bestseller just means a lot of people bought it, not that it's actually good.

Dragonheart needs to be read with a strong pot of Klah close at hand. Todd has a morose way of infecting all his books with some kind of deadly plague. Every time Todd takes us to Pern, there is nothing new to discover,no move forward,no expansion of their world or characters and the hope filled themes that life on this planet will get better with time are gone with the change of authors.
I caution the fans who have devoured Anne McCaffrey's books for decades that this book has not much in the way of exciting newly found information left by the 'ancients' that help anyone do anything to save the dragons and their riders in the prime of life from going between forever.
The time line in this book almost sent me 'between' trying to keep track of WHEN I was and what was going on.
The story doesn't GO anywhere! After slogging through the first 2/3rd's of the book you still feel like Todd has too many more books to write before this storyline that started in Dragon's Blood is over.
Todd needs to go back and re-read his mother's earlier novels, they do and say much more in a short amount of time to involve the reader than his do in a multi-book series.
I had figured out the disorientation of the new weyrlings as soon as it was mentioned in the story. Any dragonrider would. This between times travel has been hard on dragonriders since Lessa and Moreta did it way back in long past books.
When Kitti Ping bioengineered the Dragons, they were a super lifeform,immune to sickness and affording their riders a long mostly disease free life.The Pernese people have a dominant spirit and will to live that is missing here.
In the earlier books the diversity of the things they eat like wherrys (not chicken!),herdbeasts and runnerbeasts, tubers, etc. made it a fun planet to visit where there was always something new to delight the reader. Discovering new types of plants with ingenious ways of surviving the climates and conditions on Pern. Not ordinary spices with names that we can find at the local supermarket on Earth is what made going to Pern fun. The clothing they wear is earthbound, and rituals he writes of smack of too much of Earth religon for the Pernese society.He needs to read the Original Charter of the Pernese colonists...
I have hope that when Todd writes more about Pern he will learn to cut to the chase,stop making these people so sickly and paranoid and not bore us 'BETWEEN' before anymore devoted fans go looking for other new worlds to conquer. Any true fan of Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders books will be frustrated to read this newest addition to tale.I'd rather re-read one of the original books for the umpteenth time again, before trying this one ever again.

Dragonheart: Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern I took a week after reading this book to make sure I was not overreacting. Besides the fact that this book was a crappy fill-in story attempting to tie together two different Anne Mccaffrey novels (Dragonsblood and Nuellas story) and the plot went NOWHERE in 500 pages; my main objection is the lingering stench of justifiable pedophilia that runs throughout the novel. The main characters are 10 and 12 years old girls to start - and there is a comment every three pages about how their "more mature because they can handle their responsibilities". Even the dragons' voices are creepy. I thought perhaps it was because it was a male author vs female. But no - just lecherous. The main character Fiona is 12 when she impresses her gold - and we are constantly reminded that when her dragon rises to mate (in three years when Fiona's 15) she will be READY. Not to mention that 300 pages of the book are foreshadowing of the fact that her "mate" will be the 28 -30 year old dragon rider who has feelings for her as he tucks the 12 year old into bed. Her friend - Terin - has sex the week after her 13th birthday with an 18 -20 year old rider and the only thing that is thought by Fiona is "I am so glad she has someone to share with." SERIOUSLY??? And the fact is - there is no justifiable reason for giving them those ages. It would have been the crappy fill-in whether they were 12 or 17 - THERE is absolutely NO REASON other than the nasty - hopefully - subconscious thoughts of the author that the main characters should have been so young. I love Anne McCaffrey novels but I will never read another book by Todd.

I'm barely halfway through this book, but am finding it hard to remain interested enough to push through to the end. The narratives are so tedious that I catch myself skimming whole paragraphs. Even worse, the dialogue is cryptic, disjointed, full of non-sequitors and half-veiled references to things McCaffrey never actually explains. (I might find them important, as the author seems to -- if only I knew what they were!) It's almost as though he wrote lengthy dialogues and then, finding the chapter too long, snipped away pertinent lines & paragraphs to save page-space... Segues are graceless, obvious.

The unexplained or half-expressed references leave me lost, groping for meaning on a Pern I thought I knew (after reading all his mother's books). Pg 163: T'mar, in his weyr/cave, turns to see a "fresh tray being carried in by the current." The current WHAT? I read this over and over, trying to find mention of a river running through this upper-level cavern -- or something. Still a mystery. I know I must've missed something important here; just can't find it.

And the author's willingness to use terms like dog, YEAR, wolves, and cattle, shows that he is more firmly rooted on Earth than on Pern.

Conversations between the women & girls are trite, uneven, unbelievable. Like many male authors, this one has no idea how females speak or relate to each other -- not only in the presence of men, but in private. And while I agree that children can be heroic, he seems to have NO idea of the maturity level, intransigence, or inconsistencies inherent in young teenage girls FULL of raging hormones. He writes these characters like a man who HAS no teens in the house...

In fact, lengthy conversations between ANY characters are so disjointed as to be un-followable. I've never read dialogue which stopped me so often in my tracks, thinking, "Huh? What did she say? What did he mean by that?" Reading this, I actually felt as though I had Alzheimers -- unable to follow the twists & turns of dialogue, or the writer's train of thought.

Also: The idea of a 13-year old girl (new to weyr-life, new to her dragon) taking CONTROL of an entire weyr, and bossing grown dragonriders around, was simply not believable. But this may have been because the character HERSELF, as written, was inconsistent and unbelievable. Likewise, the idea of a ten-year-old "headwoman," running something the size of the Ritz Hotel & anticipating everybody's needs, was laughable. Has the author ever actually MET any ten-year-olds?

And the image of naked, oily young teens snuggling down together -- trying to make that seem everyday-normal and wholesome -- told me more about this author than I think I want to know. 'Nuff said.

Most importantly: Like a previous reviewer, I miss the very real and majestic presence of Todd's mother's dragons. He can't seem to describe them in any sort of rich detail (which his mother used, and the reader craves) -- even through the eyes of delighted new weyrlings, whose observations & comparisons ought to have been sparkling.

In this book, their occasional telepathic interjections, in italics, do NOT a dragon make. They seem no brighter than dogs, just more articulate; passive/reactive, not proactive. And I simply cannot buy that they would "forget" a dragon-friend who'd gone between! These are creatures, after all, whose powers of memory enable them to go between, not only from place to place but from time to time; so a dragon's memory is not only photographic, but 3-D and chronological! Mr. McCaffrey, even my DOG can remember people he hasn't seen for a year! The author seems to have no clear VISION of Pern's dragons.

And he kills them off in droves -- by the dozens, by the HUNDREDS -- yet disposing of them (and their riders) causes other characters only the most perfunctory & superficial "sorrow."

His lack of clarity in this throws a sort of film over everything the reader is trying to see THROUGH him, as the author. Writing is a full-contact sport -- and he keeps the reader safely distanced from anything important in this story. He's done this before, and I was hoping he'd outgrown the habit; in an earlier book, much was centered around waiting for the egg of a watch-wher (I think) to hatch; real suspense, but at the end he robbed the reader of any glimpse of the process or its result.] His half-veiled references, cryptic hints, and meandering narrative create not suspense, but frustration.

And yet, other copious, less-desirable details ARE provided. We could do with MORE dragon-related details, and far LESS about the nutritional value of, for example, lentils. LENTILS?!? And the art of making TUNNEL STIR-FRY! IN A WORLD FULL OF DRAGONS, WHY MUST HE IMMERSE ME IN THE MUNDANE? (By the First Egg, Todd, if those subjects are so fascinating to you, go write a cookbook -- ELSEWHERE. But not on Pern.)

On page 278, he expects us to believe that the dragonriders will sit around the weyrs KNITTING SWEATERS in their spare time! (Instead of oiling their dragons, hunting, or repairing tack, for example.) And where would this ill-provisioned group of weyrfolk get yarn -- from those well-known Pernese WOOLLY dragons?!? And they'll offer these sweaters to traders there in the BURNING DESERT! At this point, I actually threw the book down in disgust.

In another chapter, contentious dragonriders are forced to don straw-stuffed poofy-suits, so that can safely "beat the stuffing out of each other." And this, at the command of the VERY young queen-rider. Really? Are you KIDDING me? Dragonriders are warriors; they are essentially SOLDIERS, facing life and death on a daily basis. They are (unlike Todd, apparently) GROWN-UPS. Would you subject soldiers, returning from the war in Iraq, to such idiocy?!? The indignity of this one episode shows an appalling, basic lack of understanding of the riders, and human nature in general. And once again, like Fiona's early blow-up with her father, we are NEVER TOLD what the argument was about!

This is like the worst sort of fanzine writing. "Dragonheart" should never have made it into print. Plainly this wasn't about whether it was GOOD; only about whether it would SELL. Anne McCaffrey's name on the cover sells it (to the unwary first-time buyer), but that's a cheat. NO editor who'd read/worked with Anne McCaffrey's series, could have thought this book was any good.

I wish Todd had "cut his teeth" on a fantasy series of his own, gaining his writing skills there, BEFORE venturing into the Pernese universe I had so enjoyed. I'm not sure I'll finish this; I know I won't buy his future books. (Coming soon: "Dragonliver" and "Dragonpancreas.")

P.S. (Next day) - Page 367: I don't believe it! He managed to rob the reader of witnessing ANOTHER watch-wher hatching! After risking her life to obtain a queen egg, Fiona SLEEPS THROUGH the subsequent hatching! Well, I wish I had slept through this book. I can't finish it -- not for Talenth's first rising, or any money!

This starts 12 turns after the events of the previous book, Dragon Harper. Fiona, the only plague-surviving child of Fort Lord Holder Bemis, unexpectedly impresses a queen dragon and becomes a junior Weyrwoman at Fort Weyr. The crisis she faces is a plague similar to what decimated the population in her past - only this time, it's a plague killing the dragons, and just as they face Threadfall. With the dragons' numbers dwindling from fighting losses as well as illness, a plan is hatched to take a small group of injured riders and dragons back in time to give them the leisure to heal.

This started out as a solid 3 stars, and as it progressed I was all ready to give it 4 stars - until it started slowing in pace and bogging down in detail towards the middle, limping to flat finish in the end that did not resolve any of the original issues that I felt the story was supposed to be about. It felt like the author digressed and never got back to the point. If this was supposed to be part of a trilogy, then it's excusable, but it hasn't been marketed as such, so it just seems unfinished and unsatisfying. It cannot stand on its own as a story, so a sequel must be planned, or so I hope. I also found it irritating how easily they seemed to tell every stranger they met about being from the future, when it's supposed to be such a big secret of dragonriders, then refusing to give certain details with the excuse that it's dangerous to know too much about the future. The effect is Fiona coming across like a coy, teasing teenager. Characterization has much improved from the previous book, however, and I felt much more sympathy for the characters, so it shows promise for Todd McCaffrey's writing, but he has a long way to go before he reaches the high bar his mother has set.

Todd McCaffrey has some skill at creating believable Pern characters, especially Fiona and Nuella... I don't like the recurring theme of plague, and killing the dragons off the way he does isn't effective and borders on Pern Heresy! The story is not built with strong scientific foundation and one fact building on another the way Anne's books were built. It seems very scattered and there are way too many loose ends. I don't mind the similarity to the other stories, and enjoy the Watch Weyr side of the story. I just wish his story was more connected. I also feel a lack of connection between the dragons and their mates. I wanted to have more connection between Fiona and her queen. Her character vacillates between a young child and a woman too much, and the adults around her can't seem to make up there mind which she should be either...at one point saying she should enjoy her childhood and the next second berating her and dressing her down for being a child...The story might have worked a little better if she started out age 16 and went to 20.

I have been reading about Pern for over 15 years. I love Pern and I will always.
I do not mind Todd's additions to Pern. I liked to see a new side. I haven't loved the changes and inconstancies in the books. His last couple with his mom were passable.. this one not so much. Too much was just not 'Pern'
Everything was predictable and half way through the book I felt I started a new book.
The plague just suddenly stops, not really but no more mention of it at all.. Umm didn't they take sick riders? Time changes in the middle of a chapter. More then once I had to go back to see if I missed a page. Towards the end, there were misspellings gallore.

I want to love this book but I just couldn't due to so many inconstancies.

I just finished this book and having read all previous books I can say I agree with both those who disliked the book as well as those who did. In order to get the most out of this book you need to have read all of his other books or at very least "Dragonsblood". This book starts off in the same time period pre-fall as "Dragonsblood" just another weyr's point of view. If you have read "Dragon's Kin", Dragon's Fire", and "Dragon Harper" you will defiantly understand a lot of the references used in the book. Over all the story is enjoyable and I agree there are parts that were dragged out for seemingly no reason, but since this is the first book in a three part series ("Dragongirl" and "Dragonrider") I will chalk up some up that to what is to come. This is not a book to get into the series with by any means and I would not recommend starting with any of Todd's books. I agree he is not Anne but no one will ever be and over all he isn't doing a bad job and his style is improving.

A little more than halfway through the book, and I'm not sure I want to finish it. (And I have loved Pern novels since I was 10. There are spoilers in this review.

My biggest problem with this book is the unbelievable idea that a 13 year old girl can run a weyr, and a 10 year old girl can be a successful headwoman. As someone who has been both a 10 and a 13 year old girl, the characters of both Fiona and what's-her-name (I'm not even going to bother looking it up) are dubious at best, and the disconnect between the actual and perceived maturity jars me every page. This doesn't even include the sexuality of Fiona, and I am so creeped out by her attraction to much, much older men. And that they seem to be reciprocating. Would it have been so difficult to age them four or five years at the start of the book? At least then the sexuality component wouldn't feel so much like child abuse.

The timeline is difficult to follow as well. We spend chapters on one day, and then it is suddenly weeks later. Oh, and a lot of dragons died during that time, but it doesn't matter because the dragons don't remember anything anyways. Umm..what? I kept thinking, the dragons had to evolve quite a bit over the next 2000 years, because Ruth had an awesome memory.

The dragons have become beasts of burden, and the Pernese beasts of burden aren't actually found on Pern anymore. The *only* non-earth lifeforms reference are dragons, fire lizards, and tunnel snakes. In this book, Pern isn't Pern, it's an alternate Earth. There are also cultural divides similar to Earth.

The editing is horrible too. I spend so much time trying to find things that have been referenced from earlier pages, and it's not there. Page 355 (hardcover edition):: "Who flew the queen?" Arella asked. "Nu-the woman to whom I want to give this egg," Fiona replied. "That's the second time you started with Nu.":: No, actually, it was the first time "Nu" was mentioned. I checked, three times. And stuff like this happens throughout to book.

Apparently, going back in time is supposed to be a big secret, but they tell everyone they encounter, and some people can see into the future.

And there's a powerful beacon...who controls Pern...and is the beginning and the end...who is Fiona. If I wanted to read bad MarySue fanfic, I'd read bad MarySue fanfic.

The Dragonriders of Pern series, associated novellas and accompanying extras (does anyone remember the beautiful book of artwork?) have been a staple in my literary life for a quarter of a century. I consider myself an avid fan and was happy to read Todd's continuation of the storyline, entrusting Anne's wisdom and Todd's abilities to tell a great story in a familiar land.

Though the plotline re-covered ideas and concepts that have long been drawn from in the Pern universe, there was enough of an immersion into Weyrlife to make the story enjoyable, like greeting an old friend.

The phrase "old friend" helps me move into my first real criticism. The heroine of the story is a 13 year old girl. Not a problem, many stories are told from a child's perspective. (Ender's Game being a great example.) My issue is that this girl is like a 20 year old with a 13 year old's Birth Certificate. Now, I don't know if the author has met any 13 year old girls, however they simply aren't that mature. They have mature moments, sure, and that would be more apt to show with Holder training, which the heroine had, but leaving a 13 year old girl in charge of a Weyr is just plain ridiculous. The fact that this 13 year old girl is flirting her head off and conveniently waits until her 16th birthday before she finally goes through with said flirting was just... uncomfortable for me to read through. That and the driving need for her to sleep with other girls... a point made once too often. Lessa, in the original Dragonriders series, was around 20 when she became Weyrwoman and she still had some growing up to do. If the author could have replaced "13" with "17" in the novels, there would have been no other text change, because indeed the character is written as much older, just with the jailbait age attached. I don't think the author has any daughters, because frankly no man with a 13 year old daughter could write any of that without alternately laughing and gasping in horror.
If you think I'm exaggerating, in this book a 10 year old (again female) child serves as one of the main heads of the household.

My second criticism is that throughout the entire book, I found myself truly missing the DRAGONS. There were no true Dragon voices; they were simply used as the occasional voice of a conscience, but in italics. Mr. Mccaffery, putting quotes in italics does not make it dragon-worthy. Please re-read your mother's novels, not for the plots or the tempo, but for the voice of the Dragons. It is not a Dragonrider novel if the Dragons are simply plot-puppets with wings thrown into the 'verse.

Read The White Dragon. Ruth had a clear voice that was very discernable from his rider and other dragons.

My final verdict is that the Dragonriders series is continuing in capable hands and written by a talented author well versed in the Pern world and lore, but without a true understanding and love of the actual Dragon half of the Draonriders series. Oh, and a unnerving and slightly off fixation on very young female children who behave like experienced adults.

I LOVE the Pern books and was soooooo looking forward to go back to the planet, people, and dragons that captured my immagination long ago. Dragonheart was my first Todd McCaffrey book and I was left...well flat. The story had potential but failed to live up to the character development and depth of the Anne McCaffrey novels. I feel like there were significant events looming that were casually left unresolved. More focus seemed to be on an implausible 12-16 year old Fiona her improbable leadership skills and her inevidable sexual relationship with a man more than twice her age...did anyone have a problem with that?? Maybe it's because I'm more grown up but this seems to send pretty unsavory signals. Somehow the Anne McCaffry characters were so much more believable and easier to value. Sorry Todd, I'm not getting the same vibe.

I just finished the longest drawn out Prelogue to whatever is coming up next in this series, which I will probably NOT read at this point. I felt like I was walking through mud throughout most of the book...there was too much talk, not enough action. Huge sections where I think I totally missed something.
It just ends...no wrapping up, no urge to read on. It just ENDS.
The hair cutting scene made me laugh out loud. (If you read it, you know what I mean) Not from amusement, but from hysterical 'you've got to be kidding me!' emotion. HORRIBLE. What a stereotype...could it be any worse...I dont' think so!
Todd is not Anne, in any light.
I love Dragonriders. I love Pern. I love Anne McCaffrey. I am not a fan of Todd McCaffrey, or this series.
This book is too squeaky, written for an extremely young crowd, and just obnoxious to read. Fiona is annoying. Terin is annoying. Still can't figure out Xihanna's role.
I do not recommend to any fans that are familiar with Anne's work. Just stick with the old books, don't bother picking this one up.
I am soooo disappointed!

I'm a longtime fan of the Dragonriders series and have followed Todd's progress into the world of Pern with interest. I appreciate the exploration of a new chunk of timeline, and have really enjoyed reading more about Watchwhers. The plague themes have been interesting. I really enjoyed following Kindan's story in Todd's earlier books.

However, in "Dragonheart" the dialogue and character development leave much to be desired. Even granting that children can grow up very quickly in a harsh environment Fiona is not a believable character. It isn't just that she is put in a position of great authority at a young age. That could have made sense if she actually acted like a 13-year-old, especially with her dragon to help her. But Fiona doesn't act anything like a 13-year-old. She speaks in odd, stilted language. She rarely speaks with her dragon. Her motivations are not always made clear - I often re-read paragraphs trying to understand why she reacted to things the way she did. Of course teenagers make silly mistakes and aren't always sensible. But well-written novels about teens always have a clear insight into why the teen reacts insensibly. This novel leaves the reader confused. The strong emphasis on sexuality at these young ages seemed a bit odd as well, especially in 10-year-old Terin. Teenage sexuality is not a new theme to the series but it is poorly played out in this novel. The entire novel shows Fiona oscillating between two love interests, but does not give clear insight into why she resolves the internal conflict in the manner that she does.

Todd's earlier novels showed hints of this tendency toward uneven characterization. I kept reading because I was interested to see how the new stories resolved. After reading this book I feel less confident that the quirks in the character writing will be worked out in future novels. Rather than evening out, the inconsistencies are getting worse. If this trend continues in the next installment I will be done with this series.

Mr. McCaffrey writes almost exactly like his mother Anne McCaffrey, only a faint difference. The Pern books are uniformly pleasant adventure on another human world; engaging, entertaining, sometimes moving; comfortable reading for all.

This book has a convoluted, incomprehensible story with character names that are difficult to keep track of and writing that should be banned.

Adjectives! Adverbs! Trite and lazy; that is how I characterize this book. Horrible would the the other word. It was like being incredibly thirsty, hoping for a drink of cool water, and getting to lick a damp, sweaty palm instead.

Ususlly I never crit books that are this bad. Normally, it is better to sweep it under the rug and forget about it, but this book (auther??) is one that made me want to express my distaste.

Do not buy this book. I am making mine into a doorstop.

This book is beyond bad. For a second, lets ignore the terrible storytelling that plagued his previous attempts. In this book he uses phrases that include, "French braid", "Pretty lame", and he rips off one of the most recognizable bits of dialogue from The Empire Strikes Back, "I love you." "I know." Seriously? Were these characters from Los Angeles, because they sure sounded like it.

His writing suffers from extensive exposition sourced from irrelevant conversations between characters. His attempts at character develop really do suck. He actually spent PAGES describing a haircut given by a (gay) rider, having the main character worrying about how fat she is, and having the main character whine about kissing boys. The most disturbing bit of the book for me was the 12 or 13 year old (implicitly) starting a sexual relationship. Also the 30+ year old rider sleeping with a 15/16 year old a few pages later didn't help. Utterly creepy. I can't recall Anne doing that very much in her book, but if she did, she didn't dwell on it as a major plot theme. Again, creepy.

I'm really sick of the "End of the World" scenarios. Anne didn't overdo it and she did use it, she did it better. Also, EVERYONE gets along. Oh, they'll have a few arguments here and there, but all the characters are la-dee-da friends. How is that compelling? How is that even reasonable? Hold, hall, and Weyr all have aligning interests with absolutely NO resentments that bleed into the day-to-day dealings? Dealings that are harmoniously negotiated by a 13 year old? What?! A Weyr TRADES? Sex before a queen dragon's mating flight is acceptable? He doesn't even follow some of the basic rules that Anne has been set up for this world! There's no consistency.

At least this is actually about a dragonrider. The title matched the story, unlike "Dragon Harper". I like that he gave the dragons more of a voice. Too bad they have nothing worthwhile to say or contribute because the dragon/rider relationship has been so marginalized, it's become an after thought in the series since Todd took over.

I've read better fan fiction.

I read Dragonflight when it was first published, and have followed the series since. Some books have been better than others, of course, but even the less good ones always closed off plot points if they were abandoned. Even when planning a sequel Anne always provided a complete story.
NOT SO TODD!
This book, while telling a compelling story in parts, is a miserable mish-mash of jumping around from story to story throughout the book, brought absolutely NOTHING to a conclusion and was badly overwritten. So much so that for the first time in reading the Pern books I stopped reading about halfway through, bored out of my mind. I picked it up again after a while and, this being the point where they go back in time, enjoyed the story that the back half provided. Even though the characters were often inconsistent to the point of asking myself "what's wrong with him or her? That's not what he/she's like..."
His mother should disown him and find a competent writer to continue her work.

I have been a Dragonriders fan since before klah was invented and though I was beyond ecstatic at there being more books about Pern, I was woefully disappointed in this book. I am in agreement with the other reviewers wanting Todd to write on something other than plague. It's a big planet; something more than sickness must be happening on it. Overall, I was frustrated by the lack of any real plot. The book just seemed to go on and on in a long sales pitch about how great and mature and able this 13 year old girl is. And the truth of the matter is that I could not like Fiona.

I found myself missing the dragons. Sure there was the presence of them, but where were their personalities? If a Pern book is going to be about dragons, then they should be prominent in the book, not some piece of set dressing.

The youth of the (main) characters was disturbing. We have a 13 year old and a 10 year old not only bossing everyone about and being freaking brilliant in a way that adults never are but that they get interested in sex very young as well. Good grief! Lessa was well past 20 before F'lar's Mnementh flew Ramoth. Why is that not OK anymore? T'mar is pushing 30 when he sleeps with Fiona at 16 and they "love" each other? Not happening! It was creepy to read it and I just did not buy it as anything other than lust given free reign which is never advisable, especially in two characters who are constantly reminding each other of being the best example.

And lastly (the rant is winding down), what about all the loose ends? In a book with paper-thin characterization not to mention their unlikability, that was maddening. Who is the phantom Weyrwoman? What's with the New Age sudden never-before-present spirituality? Ability to see the future? Prophecy? Clearly, we are dealing with an alternate-reality Pern, not the beloved Pern of Anne McCaffrey.

I am going to hang in here. Todd has time and certainly reason to fix these egregious errors. I hope that he does.

This book has a convoluted, incomprehensible story with character names that are difficult to keep track of and writing that should be banned.

Adjectives! Adverbs! Trite and lazy; that is how I characterize this book. Horrible would the the other word. It was like being incredibly thirsty, hoping for a drink of cool water, and getting to lick a damp, sweaty palm instead.

Ususlly I never crit books that are this bad. Normally, it is better to sweep it under the rug and forget about it, but this book (auther??) is one that made me want to express my distaste.

Do not buy this book. I am making mine into a doorstop.

This book is beyond bad. For a second, lets ignore the terrible storytelling that plagued his previous attempts. In this book he uses phrases that include, "French braid", "Pretty lame", and he rips off one of the most recognizable bits of dialogue from The Empire Strikes Back, "I love you." "I know." Seriously? Were these characters from Los Angeles, because they sure sounded like it.

His writing suffers from extensive exposition sourced from irrelevant conversations between characters. His attempts at character develop really do suck. He actually spent PAGES describing a haircut given by a (gay) rider, having the main character worrying about how fat she is, and having the main character whine about kissing boys. The most disturbing bit of the book for me was the 12 or 13 year old (implicitly) starting a sexual relationship. Also the 30+ year old rider sleeping with a 15/16 year old a few pages later didn't help. Utterly creepy. I can't recall Anne doing that very much in her book, but if she did, she didn't dwell on it as a major plot theme. Again, creepy.

I'm really sick of the "End of the World" scenarios. Anne didn't overdo it and she did use it, she did it better. Also, EVERYONE gets along. Oh, they'll have a few arguments here and there, but all the characters are la-dee-da friends. How is that compelling? How is that even reasonable? Hold, hall, and Weyr all have aligning interests with absolutely NO resentments that bleed into the day-to-day dealings? Dealings that are harmoniously negotiated by a 13 year old? What?! A Weyr TRADES? Sex before a queen dragon's mating flight is acceptable? He doesn't even follow some of the basic rules that Anne has been set up for this world! There's no consistency.

At least this is actually about a dragonrider. The title matched the story, unlike "Dragon Harper". I like that he gave the dragons more of a voice. Too bad they have nothing worthwhile to say or contribute because the dragon/rider relationship has been so marginalized, it's become an after thought in the series since Todd took over.

I've read better fan fiction.

I read Dragonflight when it was first published, and have followed the series since. Some books have been better than others, of course, but even the less good ones always closed off plot points if they were abandoned. Even when planning a sequel Anne always provided a complete story.
NOT SO TODD!
This book, while telling a compelling story in parts, is a miserable mish-mash of jumping around from story to story throughout the book, brought absolutely NOTHING to a conclusion and was badly overwritten. So much so that for the first time in reading the Pern books I stopped reading about halfway through, bored out of my mind. I picked it up again after a while and, this being the point where they go back in time, enjoyed the story that the back half provided. Even though the characters were often inconsistent to the point of asking myself "what's wrong with him or her? That's not what he/she's like..."
His mother should disown him and find a competent writer to continue her work.

I have been a Dragonriders fan since before klah was invented and though I was beyond ecstatic at there being more books about Pern, I was woefully disappointed in this book. I am in agreement with the other reviewers wanting Todd to write on something other than plague. It's a big planet; something more than sickness must be happening on it. Overall, I was frustrated by the lack of any real plot. The book just seemed to go on and on in a long sales pitch about how great and mature and able this 13 year old girl is. And the truth of the matter is that I could not like Fiona.

I found myself missing the dragons. Sure there was the presence of them, but where were their personalities? If a Pern book is going to be about dragons, then they should be prominent in the book, not some piece of set dressing.

The youth of the (main) characters was disturbing. We have a 13 year old and a 10 year old not only bossing everyone about and being freaking brilliant in a way that adults never are but that they get interested in sex very young as well. Good grief! Lessa was well past 20 before F'lar's Mnementh flew Ramoth. Why is that not OK anymore? T'mar is pushing 30 when he sleeps with Fiona at 16 and they "love" each other? Not happening! It was creepy to read it and I just did not buy it as anything other than lust given free reign which is never advisable, especially in two characters who are constantly reminding each other of being the best example.

And lastly (the rant is winding down), what about all the loose ends? In a book with paper-thin characterization not to mention their unlikability, that was maddening. Who is the phantom Weyrwoman? What's with the New Age sudden never-before-present spirituality? Ability to see the future? Prophecy? Clearly, we are dealing with an alternate-reality Pern, not the beloved Pern of Anne McCaffrey.

I am going to hang in here. Todd has time and certainly reason to fix these egregious errors. I hope that he does.

Written by Anthony's wife, Dallas

Ok, I've read all the Todd McCaffrey books now, & I just can't believe a publisher let this out on an unsuspecting public. I really have to wonder about an author that is consistently concerned with young teen sexuality- this is a common theme in the books I've read; while I do indeed understand 13,14, & 15 year old's being *curious*, the characters actually come across as more obsessed then anything (seriously, even the TEN YEAR OLD mentions mating flights).

Last rant: when did Thread start falling at night?! I'm pretty sure I distinctly remember reading that Thread NEVER falls at night! Even if I'm wrong about the Thread never falls at night thing, I will say that I can't remember ever reading about a night time Threadfall in any of the other books. For the record, I'm reserving the right to be wrong about that- I'm not always the sharpest tack in the drawer.

So, in conclusion- Todd's books are kind of like Pern, but an alternate Pern- one where the young children think with their hormones, thread falls whenever, and pretty much, most everyone dies. I don't recommend these books at all, sorry- they're too depressing, and just too *not* Pern to be enjoyable to me. Thanks for the opportunity to vent.

I am currently half way through this book. I will continue to read it, but begrudgingly. The easiest way to describe my dissapointment with this book is to say that never before in a Pern book did I have an issue remembering who the characters were. Anne McCaffrey developed wonderful, dynamic characters who were their own people. In my minds eye I knew every one of them, I could relate to them, and so their story, their planet and their plight mattered to me. Todd is not accomplishing that with this story. 200 pages into this book and honestly, _nothing_ has happened. It is whiney, and melodramatic.

While I began with high hopes invested for the character Fionna, all interest in her is whithering as nothing is going on. Honestly, "how will the dragons fight thread at night"????? 500 turns and this is an issue were are going to look at? How are we going to get firestone to the dragons? While a little more of the day to day perhaps could be interesting, its pretty much all its been. Melanwy's up to something, oh wait, its nothing except what we already knew it was. Its infuriating, i'm sorry. Don't read this book, or any of his others, save your image and memories of Pern. Do not taint them with this rubbish!

I have loved the Dragonrider books forever. I was so happy when Todd brought new stories and ideas to the series. While searching for the next in the series, I found the reviews of Dragonheart. Overall, the story is a great addition to the Pern saga. I had no trouble immersing myself in Fiona's story. This story is not the place to introduce yourself to Pern, but to continue your interest in it. I will agree with the reviews that say the girls; Fiona, Terin, and even Xhinna, should have been older. Fiona at 13 is a bit young for all she goes through. She could have been older and still dealt with the issues of leadership at such a young age. But remember, several centuries ago it was common place for a 13 year old female to marry and lead a household. So the concept is not to far fetched, it just doesn't ring true for our times. With all the trouble that occurs with timing it and needing to learn the stars to guide themselves back to the proper time, it would have been interesting to see how they figured out getting back in time 10 years. Comments have been made that the reader knew right away that the dizziness and over tiredness of the wyerlings was due to timing it. They seem to imply that the characters should have known too. No! If you read the cover flap or back of the book, you already knew that they would go back in time. If you have read all the Pern books, knowing it was due to timing was easy. The point is that the characters didn't know and it worried them. It was another case of knowledge being lost and how they dealt with it and rediscovered it. I think Todd McCaffrey does an excellent job of writting about Pern in a very similar style to his mother, yet adding his own ideas. His books are not, and never can be, about the ultimate victory over thread, but they are about the fighting spirit of the people and creatures of Pern.

Todd McCaffrey is doing a disservice to his mother's talent and legacy with his Pern books. They are childish and poorly conceptualized and lack the magic inherent in his mother's creations. I wish I had not sullied my Pern experience with his additional works. PErn should be allowed to rest in peace!

On the planet Pern, Fort Hold Lord Holder Bemin and his daughter Fiona sit in the audience observing the young candidates trying to impress the newborn dragons. However everyone is stunned when Talenth leaves the staging area to enter the audience as that has never occurred before. The dragon chooses Fiona as his future rider in the fight against thread which periodically falls, destroying organic matter.

However, due to a Plague, the dragon-rider teams are way below the battle strength numbers needed to win. Thread is coming soon while the pandemic infection is killing the dragons. At Fort Weyr a mysterious weyrwoman convinces Fiona to take the injured into the past so they can heal and spend years training before returning to the present to fight thread. Heeding the advice, Fiona takes them back one decade to Iser Weyr so they can heal and train under the tutelage of experience dragon riders with the goal to come home to fight thread.

Continuing the tradition of his mother, the great Anne McCaffrey, Todd McCaffrey provides an exciting Pern thriller (his second - see DRAGONSBLOOD) starring a feisty female who will remind the audience of Lessa (see DRAGONFLIGHT). However the enjoyment is in watching how a weyr functions; especially insightful is the class distinctions between Traders and Riders, etc. Talenth like all fledgling dragons owns the book as he innocently charms his rider and readers. DRAGONHEART is an entertaining Pern fantasy.

Harriet Klausner

Mr. McCaffrey writes almost exactly like his mother Anne McCaffrey, only a faint difference. The Pern books are uniformly pleasant adventure on another human world; engaging, entertaining, sometimes moving; comfortable reading for all.

Dragonheart (2008) is the second solo SF novel in this subseries of the Pern series, following Dragonsblood. However, this work continues the story told in Dragon Harper. In the previous volume, Kindan becomes the only available healer within Fort Hold. He saved many lives, but lost his sweetheart Korianna. Lord Holder Bemis was left only with Fionna, his youngest child.

In this novel, Fionna is now almost old enough to marry. She only has her father Lord Bemis and Fire, a gold fire-lizard. She barely remembers her mother, but still recalls her older sister. Fionna also has a childish love for Kindan.

F'lior is the Weyrleader at Fort Weyr. He flies Rineth, a bronze dragon.

Casca is the senior Weyrwoman at Fort Weyr. She flies Melirth, a gold dragon.

Tannaz is a Weyrwoman at Fort Weyr. She flies Kelsanth, a gold dragon.

Xhinna and Terin are orphans. Their parents had died from the plague, so the girls were taken in by Fort Weyr. Xhinna is impulsive and often takes matters into her own hands. Terin is good at arithmetic.

In this story, Fionna has been raised as a Holder lady. She attends the Hatching of Melirth's latest clutch at Fort Weyr and Talenth -- a gold hatchling -- is Impressed by her. Suddenly her life is changed drastically. Now she is a Weyrwoman, although a very ignorant one.

Casca becomes the mentor for Fionna. Later, Casca encourages Tannaz to befriend Fionna. They teach Fionna the rudiments of weyr life.

Fionna is tired all of the time. She is constantly feeding, scratching, and oiling her hatchling queen. Talenth sleeps much of the time, but Fionna can't seem to get enough for herself.

Then Fionna meets Xhinna, who had been among the candidates trying to get Talenth's attention. Although Xhinna is envious of Fionna, they quickly become friends and share the work of keeping Talenth healthy and contented. Soon Fionna and Xhinna are always together.

But all is not well on Pern. The fire-lizards catch a pulmonary infection and F'lior expels them from the Weyr to protect the dragons. Yet the disease soon appears among these great creatures. Then sick dragons start taking their riders Between to never be seen again..

This tale burdens the Weyrs with sick and lost dragons just as the next Pass arrives. All are desperately short of healthy dragons to fight the Thread. Then F'lior thinks of a way around their problems. Fionna and Terin become a major part of the effort.

Recommended for McCaffrey fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of flying dragons, deadly disease, and a spunky heroine. For anyone who has not previously read this series, the initial volume is Dragonflight.

-Arthur W. Jordin

The characters have no character and the plot has no zing. What's with the author's obsession with plagues? And then there's the patently obvious time travel device (oh whatever can be wrong with the young people?). This novel is a long, drawn out regurgitation of all that was bright and beautiful in the early novels.You can tell that Todd's mom, the real author, hasn't had much to do with this plod-fest. Even though I was reading a library copy, I dumped it in the first 1/3 of the book. The problem is......Todd can't write. Nope, no gift at all.