Dragonquest (Dragonriders of Pern #2)

The multitude of typos in the Kindle edition is extremely annoying. If I wasn't already familiar with the book, and re-reading it, I might not be so willing to keep reading. Four stars for Dragonquest, negative stars for whomever botched the Kindle edition.

Meah, Too many names, to little plot, too slow, not really interesting. Loved killashandra ree series. Wanted to read more. Researched to find Pern series recommended but am greatly disappointed. Did read Dragonflight - the first book (this one is the second in the series) Was not excited about the first one but thought now that characters are established second book will have more plot / be more engaging. Nope. Forget about the money - I lost time!

This is the second book in this trilogy. Like most sequels, the first book should be read first.

F'lar and Lessa are still fighting thread with the wyerleaders they brought forward in time. The holders and crafters believe thread can be destroyed at its origin, the red star. F'lar found grubs in Southern that eat thread. Beside these projects, thread is falling at times and places it isn't expected. The dragonriders of Pern have a lot to do.

F'nor is injured and spends time in Brekke's care at Southern wyer. Berkeley is a highly responsible, hard working but withdrawn rider of a junior queen about to make her first mating flight. This is the beginning of their love story.

Add to this all the fire lizards impressing with wyerfolk, holders and craftsmen alike. Everyone wants their own miniature dragon.

This is a continuation of The Dragonriders of Pern. I didn't have the money for the Kindle version so I managed to listen to this Audible version while attempting to decypher the book with its tiny font. Because of the narrator's wonderful voice and character depictions I was able to keep track of where I was in the story even when my eyes refused to read any more.

I loved this book the first time I read it nearly two decades ago and found it equally exciting this time. Other books in this series are about the dragons and their riders and the fight against thread. This books challenged us to look at traditions and even break them to see if there might be a better way to do things. New sciences were discovered or recovered in this book. These kept me involved wondering if our own descendants may run into similar discoveries should we let go of our tightly held concepts. Who know, maybe gravity will cease to be so grave!

Anyway, I am lucky to have the next of the Dragonrider books in Audible form and have already cheated ahead. I remember White Dragon as one of my favorites, so I'm getting back to my 'reading' um, listening. ;-)

While the first Dragonriders of Pern book (Dragonflight) was fun, it was also somewhat predictable. I had the solution to the problem long before it was introduced by Anne McCaffrey. In Dragonquest, there was no such deus ex machina plot device to figure out. The book is largely a complex character study, during which we are introduced to myriad Lords of Holds, Dragonflight Leaders, Masters of Craft Guilds, and several other interesting characters. McCaffrey really put herself to the test in creating unique characters both in cooperation and conflict. She also introduced new fauna, with her Fire Lizards a surprising element both for their "cool factor" and for the ultimate impact on the story.

She wasn't afraid to put some of her characters into difficult and tragic situations. In a lesser author's hands this might put off some readers. McCaffrey brought it off with great skill. She even left a very interesting story arc in play for the next book, without leaving a cliff hanger to make readers want to continue the series. Her heroes aren't perfect, in fact at times they are very flawed. I think that is one reason they come to life so vividly and become so well known to the reader.

Although I had somehow avoided reading this series for some decades now, I finally decided a few weeks ago that I should give it a try. That turned out to be a very good decision.

Highly recommended.

Very rarely is the second book of a series better than the first, but as good as DRAGONFLIGHT is, DRAGONQUEST is more exciting. This book is packed with great scenes: the duel of the Weyrleaders, the battle of the queen dragons, the discovery of fire lizards and that barely touches the surface of this dramatic book, packed with action and romance.

Nothing less than the future of Pern is at stake. Although the Oldtimers have come forward in time to fight Pern's ancient nemesis of Thread, they are stunned by the changes in Pern's society. With Thread, a ghastly kind of interstellar rain that kills everything it touches, falling out of pattern, the Oldtimers are essential to Pern's defense. However, the Oldtimers cling to outmoded traditions that allow no room for Pern's expansion. Only one man, Benden's Weyrleader F'lar sees what needs to be done to keep Pern united in this time of crisis.

I would argue that this book is the one that truly launches the Drangonriders of Pern series, because here the idea is first proposed to free Pern from the menace of Thread by eliminating it at its source. In book after wonderful book, Anne McCaffrey explores Pern and serves up wonderful stories of a society moving from a Dark Age to forging a future based on true knowledge of the past. Many of the characters who make it happen are in this book.

Anne McCaffrey's dragon books ring true because of how she envisions the human/dragon bonding. Her concept of this has proved hugely inspirational to the generation of fantasy writers who followed her. From Paolini's Eragon to Novik's Temeraire series, writers have created other worlds where humans Impress dragons at hatching in stories that soar to new heights. This book is the "grandmother" of them all. Absolutely not to be missed.

In this second book of the Dragonriders of Pern series, F'lar, Weyrleader of Benden Weyr, and his Weyrwoman, Lessa, struggle with the Oldtimers, the five weyrs brought forward from 400 years previous to fight Thread. The Oldtimers come from a much more hidebound, traditional era when Thread had been an omnipresent threat and dragonriders had commanded unquestioning respect. In the current era, an absence of Threadfall for 400 years had allowed more land to be cultivated (which must now be protected from Thread), the population to expand, and customs to change. The demands of the Oldtimers now seem unreasonable and their attitude, overbearing and obnoxious. They are out of sync with current thought and customs, and not cooperative with Benden, the only weyr that had continued to be occupied during the long Interval between Threadfalls. F'lar must find a way to smooth over the conflicts between the Oldtimers, Benden, and the current Holders and Crafters of Pern, while obtaining the cooperation needed to effectively fight Thread.

Meanwhile, the accidental find of a sealed room full of artifacts from the long-distant founders of Pern yields a "distance viewer" that reveals that the so-called "Red Star", the source of Thread, is actually a small planet with an erratic orbit that periodically brings it close to Pern. Once the Lords Holder see this planet, they begin demanding that the dragonriders go there and destroy Thread at its source. But, of course, they are all unaware of the dangers of any space flight, let alone one to such a hostile planet. Will F'lar, or his half brother, F'mor, yield to the Holders' pressure? And if they do, will the rider who makes the trip survive?

This is an excellent and exciting sequel to the first book in the series.

It is seven turns after the events of DRAGONFLIGHT, as this, the second book in the DRAGONRIDERS OF PERN series. Lessa's desperate efforts to save her planet have solved the short term problem. The Oldtimer dragons and riders have come forward to save the planet from the ravages of Thread but their entry into modern day Pernese society has caused problems of a different sort. F'Lar, as the only present day Weyr Leader is in the unenviable position of mediating between the two faction. His wife, Lessa has problems of her own. When she left her family's Hold in the hands of the infant Jaxom she did not realize how torn the decision would leave her but what choice did she have? It would not be possible to be both a Dragonrider and a Lord Holder would it? Young Jaxom was doing well under the diligent care of his guardian and would someday make an excellent Lord Holder, regardless of what his own inclinations might be. Meanwhile there was Thread to fight, and an ever growing population straining Pernese society to its limits.

This is the second book in the series. Those new to these stories should begin at the beginning (DRAGONFLIGHT). McCaffery has crafted an intricate set of stories with a strong overall story arc of interlocking tales involving a vast array of characters that will only truly appreciate if the novels are read in order.

With a believable origin for this world, the strength of this book lies in the strong characters and the well laid out plot. While you should probably read the first book in this trilogy for context, I think you could read this on its own (though in hindsight if you weren't already deeply involved in the world it may seem hopelessly complicated). The story structure is great and I liked the characters.

DragonQuest There are not many excellent books in the world, especially in the science fiction/fantasy area. But, in my opinion, DragonQuest by Anne McAffrey is as close to one of those books as you can get. Set in the colonized world of Pern, DragonQuest takes you on an unforgettable ride into politics, adventure, and heroism. Pern is a fantastic land governed by three different groups of people: the lord holders, the craft masters, and the dragonmen. As in the real world, the politics of this world are harsh, as all three groups disfavor each other but need each other for survival. The lords govern the lands, the masters produce food and equipment, and the dragonmen protect Pern. Pern is threatened by an astral substance known as Thread. This Thread eats organic material to pieces. In order to keep Pern safe, the dragonmen breed dragons which destroy Thread. This is their role in life. Everything in Pern is peaceful until Thread falls out of rhythm, politics crumble, and fire lizards are introduced. Things start to heat up in Pern, and F'lar, undecided leader of Pern, is having trouble keeping things intact. Soon Pern is in trouble. This book provides marvelous detail, and I began to feel as if I was part of Pern. The book is incredibly vivid and very realistic. The story was also top-notch, keeping me guessing all of the time. The story was a little shy on action however, but that's okay, as it's made up for in detail. Overall I would say this book would be fun to read for anyone who is imaginative, likes science fiction, or isn't afraid to dream. DragonQuest will be a favorite of mine for years to come.

Almost everyone knows about Pern, even those who aren't generally interested in fantasy or science fiction novels. I'm surprised that no one has tried to take this series and make it into a movie. At the very least, a Sci-Fi channel original series or an anime treatment of it is due. I've included this as part of the classics because I believe that McCaffrey's ability to create a world and tell a story with lots of layers of conflict is far above and beyond that of most fantasy and science fiction writers. She doesn't just rely on the fantasy and tension of the storyline as a crutch, but creates realistic characters who are fighting real battles, whether that be against the threads, other people, or even time itself. She's also so intricately created the politics of Pern that it seems like a real place. A quick warning, though, there are elements of sexuality and murder throughout the text, so it may skew a little higher in age. I recommend this book to readers 14+.

-Lindsey Miller, lindseyslibrary

When Thread begins to fall out of schedule Pern is thrown into high agitation, aggravating troubled political relationships and sending dragonriders on a new quest: to stop the threat of Thread for good. For such a bold aim, Dragonquest is markedly undirected. It discards the flawed but compelling POVs of Dragonflight and replaces them with an ensemble cast, headhopping, and a pair of inspired minor protagonists. While largely political the plot lacks politicking (McCaffrey's antagonists are problematically characterized--there's a disgusting amount of slut-shaming--and blatantly wrong), the pacing is poor, and there's almost no "quest" to speak of: characters themselves admit that the solution to their problem is uninspiring and disappointingly mundane. At times, Pern is an interesting place--the lingering impact of the technologically advanced society that founded it is especially intriguing, and the dragons remain appealing although their newly-introduced miniature cousins bring little to the story. But McCaffrey's worldbuilding is heavyhanded, her writing clunky, and what little good the book has fails to save it from its plentiful flaws. I didn't enjoy Dragonquest and don't recommend it.

Dragonquest begins seven Turns after Dragonflight and the reader is immediately plunged back into the complex world of Pern. F'lar and Lessa are still Weyrleaders at Benden and are struggling to unite all of Pern to fight the deadly Thread. It is true that the 5 weyrs who jumped through time to come forward to aid Benden were there in Pern's time of need, but they are set in their ways and not willing to change. F'lar has heard too many complaints from Holds and Crafthalls under the protection of the Oldtimers' Weyrs to disregard them any longer. When the Weyrleaders even go so far as to keep other Weyrs uninformed of irregular Threadfall, F'lar has no choice but to take action. He immediately starts looking for alternative ways of fighting Thread and easing relations between the dragonmen and the rest of the Pernese, but it is an uphill battle all the way. Meantime, there are other problems brewing inside the Weyrs themselves. Kylara, Weyrwoman of the Southern Weyr, has caused much dissent and no end of headaches for the Weryleaders. Brekke, a new queen, is desperately afraid of what will happen when her queen rises to mate. F'nor is trying to support his half-brother F'lar in all of his endeavors, but he has many problems of his own. Outside of the Werys, the Lord Holders cannot understand why the dragonmen simply do not go to the Red Star and kill the Thread there, before it falls on Pern. Emotions are running high and F'lar and Lessa have their hands full trying to keep everything tied together, but will they be able to unite Pern?
This is the second book in The Dragonriders of Pern book and is just as good as the first one in the series. I felt that this book was a little more complex than the first because the author could spend more time on intertwining people's lives since the reader is more familiar with the world of Pern. This will make it a little more difficult for those who have not read Dragonflight, however. I simply love Anne McCaffrey's characters so it is wonderful to have a series where you get to see the characters grow and change. Even McCaffrey's supporting characters are well-fleshed out and fun to read about. If you enjoy fantasy or science fiction or dragons, do not miss out on this series!

"How to begin?" mused Robimton, the Masterharper of Pern. How to begin this most dazzling and wonderfully imaginative and well written novel done by the much apraised author, Anne McCaffery? Well, how about we add some new and exciting characters (and not to mention the adorable 'miniture' dragons, fire-lizards.) But of course the story wouldn't be nearly as complete without F'lar, the Weyrleader, and Lessa, the Weyrwoman, and don't forget the never-ending thread. Oh, and of course F'lar can't resist but get into another life and death threatning duel.
Their are a lot of suprises in here that you don't want to miss! It's definetly as good as The first book in the trilogy, Dragonflight. I still can't decide which one I enjoyed more. No questions asked, you have to check this book out! You'll find yourself staying up at night under your blankets with your flashlight on all night long waiting to see what happens next. So make sure you have plenty of batteries in your flashlight because this will keep you up all night. I reccomend reading the first book in this series, Dragonflight, before this one so you have a better understanding of this book. (Also check out the reprinted cover version of "Dragonquest" at a local bookstore near you.)

I am reading this series in the order recommended by Anne McCaffrey, by order of publication. This is book 2 in that sequence. I am in love with F'lar who is a great leader and a man ahead of his time.

It's a fascinating series of a civilization on the rise and I look forward to continuing!

By the way, there are some typos as noted in another review but this did not ruin the book for me at all. It would be nice for the publisher to take note and correct this.

I love this series. I stumbled upon Pern with the sequel to this one, White Dragon, way back when I was in the 7th grade (back in the 1980's) and I went back and found the first two and then devoured all the rest.. I love this series to the point where I seriously HAVE to read the whole thing from start to finish every year.
The series is complex, lots of overlapping action from book to book so you get to see events from multiple perspectives. The world is rich and full and the characters come across as real people, with all their faults and idiosyncrasies. And it really is hard sci-fi disguised as fantasy

Before you read this book, you should read Dragonflight to get to know background info and characters, but it isn't extremely necessary.
This book starts seven turns after Dragonflight.
Lessa and F'lar (the Weyrwoman and Weyrleader of Benden Weyr)are having difficulties with the Oldtimers. A lot has changed in four hundred years and some of the Oldtimers won't accept that change. Most of the Oldtimers don't want to have anything to do with the modern world and try to isolate themselves. Some even try to pick fights with Benden Weyr and take things that are not part of the tithing of the Holds.
Fire lizards are rediscovered in this book and F'nor and Brekke both Impress.
The Dragonriders must unite together to save Pern from the deadly Thread. The Thread is falling out of pattern thus becomes unpredictable. None of the Oldtimers are telling the other Weyrs about unpredictable Threadfall in their Hold and Weyr areas.
F'lar knows he must do something before Pern is destroyed.
Some events in this book lead to other key events in other books such as The White Dragon and all the Weyrs of Pern.

"Dragonflight" was a grand adventure which introduced readers to one of sci-fi's strongest heroines, the indomitable Weyrwoman Lessa. "Dragonquest" continues the story 7 years after Lessa made her spectacular flight...and all is not well on Pern. "Dragonquest" is more a series of inter-related episodes than "Dragonflight," but in this format the novel introduces new characters such as Jaxom and the Oldtimers, and really gives room for characters like F'lar, F'nor, Robinton, Kylara, and others, to become more fully-realized characters. Very exciting (is it just me or does F'lar get into a duel to the death in EVERY book?--not that I'm complaining!), insightful, and the world of Pern and it's inhabitants (yea! for the fire-lizards...gosh, are they cute!) becomes even more real than in the previous book. REALLY good stuff here.

Dragonquest is an excellent book, but since it is part of a series, the plot is not totally complete. This book can be really confusing at first if you haven't read the book before this one in the series. The story is very unique. There are people on the planet of Pern. Adeadly tread rains down on the planet for long periods of time. Dragons are raised to battle the thread. When not repelling thread, the dragon riders are trying to get rid of for ever. They constuct several plans to do this. They plan to attack the red star, raise fire lizzards, and even rely on grubs. I'll recommend this book to any one. Everything in ths book is original. It contains a fresh perspective. Being able to write books like this why Anne McCaffery is my favorite author.

I love after the passing of many years revisiting books. I read most of the Pern novels as they were being published, and it seems, I still enjoy them. The second of the Dragonflight trilogy is a favorite, lots of action, hints about the origins of Pernese society, and, of course dragons, because dragons are awesome. I love the way Ms. McCartney writes ... warm and inviting, and full of emotion.

So I'm reading the Kindle edition. The editing of this was absolutely atrocious. I'm 3/4 of the way through it, I love it so far, but I'm just fed up with typos. I just got to page that's missing most of the end of a sentence. There's just a large space where an entire line should be. In some places it's barely intelligible. I kept wondering what some of these strange words were, I like to think I have a pretty decent vocabulary but when the kindle's dictionary has no idea what a word is, I can guess it's a typo (I had to assume "acerbating" was "exacerbating").

I mean really, come on. I should probably have tried the 3 book trilogy edition but I can't complain too much since I got it from the library. If I had actually paid for it, I'd be pretty pissed.

[Edit] I finished reading it and the story was fun, loved it. I recommend reading Dragonflight first as the story is a continuation of that. The Kindle edition is definitely a mess though.

This second entry in the Pern series is yet another great attachment to my bookshelves. In this we are introduced to the fire lizards, flying lizards that can breathe fire/attach themselves to Pernesians just as the dragons do/annoyances in some cases, and we begin to see the downfall of the "united" feeling among Dragonriders. Greed and tradition take over for some of the oldtimers, and then things begin to heat up for a controling figure.
Only one complaint... the names. At some times (like at 3am) its somewhat hard to differentiate F'lar and F'nor and such... but that complaint isn't worth taking away anything from the well deserved rating!

Dragonquest is one of the three great books I read. I enjoyed these books and I always like to read the book over again. In this book Thread starts to fall in unpredictable patterns due to the orbit of the Red Star. F'nor is injured in a fight where he is placed in the expert care of Brekke. F'nor goes to a cove in southern and finds a fire-lizard clutch. Brekke and F'nor both impressed fire-lizards while wild wherries killed most of them. F'nor impressed a gold lizard and Brekke impressed a bronze. The reason why I liked this series is the dialog and the detail is great. I recommend for everyone to read this book and series.

If you're familiar with Pern, you've undoubtably read this book, or else you don't need to read a review to help you decide to read this one. If you haven't visited Pern, here's your chance! This is the second book in the series. It's helpful to have read Dragonflight, but not essential. All but two of the books (Dragonsong and Dragonsinger)are standalones.
This book starts seven years after Dragonflight. Lessa's attempt to bring almost 2000 dragons and their riders forward in time to defend the people of Pern from the Thread that falls from the sky, devouring everything organic it touches has been successful...
Despite a real thread - I mean threat -- to every living thing on Pern, people manuver for political power, often running over whoever is in their way. F'lar (hero of the first book) ignores stories of abuses of power until his brother is assaulted when he gets in the way of an "oldtimer" dragonrider who is trying to extort goods from a smith.
To make matters worse, Thread, which has been perfectly predictable for the last seven yearsm has started deviating from its set pattern, making it even more dangerous.
F'lar hatches a plan to go to the source of Thread (the Red Star) and destroy it there...
McCaffrey's characters are believable and likable. In Pern, she has created a world so complete, that you feel if you could go there, you would know who the people were, recognize the colors of the various Holds, Weyrs and Halls, know what food you were being served. Not only is this book a great read, it's a must for any aspiring writer who wants to create worlds of his/her own.

This is the 2nd novel of Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern series.
It is written so that it can be read not only in the series, but also stand alone.

Our local library classifies these novels as "Science Fiction" and/or "Fantasy". I classify them as "Great Reading". Anne McCaffrey is one of the best authors I have read. Her other works are very good also.

If you want to start with the first in the series, read "Dragonflight".
After that "Dragonquest". Then "The White Dragon".

Get all three! They may even have them as a set.

After that - you'll be back to find out what else she has written.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

Dragonquest is the only book in the Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne McCaffrey that I would not give five stars, but in this case, that isn't a bad thing.

This book is a continuation of the story begun in Dragonflight (I request you read Dragonflight before Dragonquest to save yourself endless trouble). Lessa, F'lar, F'nor, and the others have returned to continue in their endless quest to guard Pern from the deadly Thread. This time, new, interesting characters are introduced, and many surprising events occur. Dragonquest also brings the return of the legendary firelizards, 'miniature dragons' that the dragons of Pern were supposedly evolved from. The firelizards lead our Pernese friends on even more adventures that are thrilling, romantic, and suspenseful.

As I said, I did not give this book a five for a good reason. The ending of Dragonquest leaves much suspense, taking it a point down, but gives you an excellent reason to read the next book, The White Dragon.

I have read everything that Anne McCaffrey has written, as has my mother and brother. Now my daughter is starting to read them and thoroughly enjoys them. We read them whenever the mood strikes and I have read each one several times. Kudos to Ms. McCaffrey on a job well done. I love her characters and feel like they are all a part of the family. Wonderful reading for both men and women, no matter what their age !!!

I read this series first about twenty-five years ago. I loved it as a youth, and have enjoyed going back to Pern now that I have introduced this series to my teens. My son finished the first book in a day, and insisting on each subsequent novel.
Thank goodness for the Kindle and libraries.

I have read all of Anne McCaffery's wonderful Pern books. They are five star books. I checked out this Kindle edition from the Public Library. It contains so many typos, grammatical errors, and incorrect words, that reading it was definitely less enjoyable than reading the printed book. For example, one sentence said that a dragonrider "mourned" his dragon when it should have said he "mounted" his dragon. I had been considering purchasing Kindle books, but given the shoddy proofreading of this and other kindle books I've read, I think I'll stick with printed books or see if Nook books are better.

I love the style of Anne McCaffrey's books. Holding my interest while intertaining.
I have read everyone of her books even reread them. I have also gave some as Christmas gifts to my grandchildren, who loved them also.
You can never go wrong with these books!!!

This is probably of my favorite books. It had fantasy, intrigue, action, and romance. The characters were believable and well rounded. The plot was equally as compelling as the characters. It's very rare for me to say but I don't have single critique to make. I recommend this book and this series 100%