The Masterharper of Pern

If you loved the Dragon trilogy and the Harper trilogy, then you will LOVE this book! McCaffery knows how to create a world and take you there. Robinson had a rough childhood in many ways and your heart breaks for missed opportunities. I love love LOVE this book! Highly recommend this book. It deserves 10 stars!

I found this history of Masterharper Robinton to be interesting, although some of it seemed contrived (the last chapter). It does fill in many of "the blanks" that we had about the Masterharper, and it explains some of Sebell's background as well.

Overall, I liked it. It is a great addition to the Pern series.

There is much about this book that is enjoyable. Robinton is a central figure in the first 6 Pern books and it is only fitting that he get his own story. It had the potential to be a 5 star read. But discontinuities and writing issues distract from the reader's enjoyment. Anybody who is a fan of the earlier books might find them irritating. I did.

The story begins with Robinton's birth in the Harper Hall to Master Singer Merelan and Master Composer Petiron. It follows through his childhood, precocious entry into the craft, journeyman assignments, his first love and its tragic end, election to Masterharper, and concludes with Flar's search that results in Fax's death and the discovery of Lessa's survival. His association with Benden Hold and Weyr is thoroughly developed. There are parallels between Robinton's young wife and Menolly that help to explain his bond with her. So far so good. Here are some of the problems:

Petiron bears almost no resemblance to the kindly old harper who nurtures Menolly's talent in Dragonsong. Moreover, as the spouse of a Master Singer, he would have known that gender was no barrier to entry to the Harper Hall. The entire premise of Dragonsong/singer is thus undone by this characterization. Moreover this Petiron is a real jerk, a reluctant father who is jealous of the attention his spouse devotes to their son. He becomes downright hostile when he discovers that his son's talents might exceed his own.

This leads to quibble number two - How many times does the reader need to hear characters editorializing gleefully that Robinton's talents exceed those of his egotistical father? Yeah, we got the joke the first time around. Repetition does not improve it. Yes, we know that Robinton's tunes are catchy and easy to sing and play. In a similar vein, we know that Weyrwoman Jora is obese and afraid of heights. This is repeated ad nauseum as the story unfolds. Yes, we know that Robinton prefers Benden wine. In previous books this preference was portrayed with a light, playful touch. Here it just seems tiresome and fussy. And so on.

Continuity issues: Sebell's character is introduced far too early. If I did the math right, according to this book he would be at least 35 when he first encounters Menolly as opposed to a brand new journeyman just a a bit older than her 15. In this book Robinton can speak to multiple dragons, a gift that dates to early childhood. Not so in the earlier books.

The conclusion seems a bit contrived. Robinton manages to sneak into Ruatha Hold to witness a pivotal moment in Pernese history. The episode is derivative of Dragonflight and doesn't add much except for some closure for Robinton as he witnesses the death of a long time enemy.

I mostly like this book and I have recently reread it. However, it is hard to suspend your disbelief and enter a fantasy world when there are continuity issues and writing flaws that should have been caught during the editorial process.

McCaffrey's beloved Dragonrider's of Pern series has been blessed with yet another novel. For as many of these novels that she has written, one might suspect that there would be at least one dud among them, yet every time I get my hands on one, I am pleasantly surprised - and find I don't really want to put it down.

Chronologically, this novel perfectly segues into Dragonflight, one of the primary Dragonrider novels. The last chapter introduces us to Lessa and the events at the beginning of that novel. But Masterharper is actually about Robington, a Mozart of Pern, if you will. A musical genius who masters all instruments his fingers touch, Robington strives to find his identity and person despite his father's lack of acceptance. Through his various adventures and training and teaching Robington realizes the dangerous lack of regard for the danger of the future fall of thread and begins to try and somehow fight this fading belief in thread.

If the previous paragraph makes little to no sense, don't sweat it. This is an excellent novel, moving quickly and developing some very interesting and intriguing characters. Most of these novels could be categorized as Fantasy due to the element of dragons, but in reading other books of the series, it is actually realized that this series is more science fiction than fantasy. All in all, it should be a fun read to fans of either genre.

If you've never read a Dragonrider's novel, this is an excellent example of one, though, personally, I would hold Dragonflight (Dragonriders of Pern) or even The The White Dragon (Dragonriders of Pern Vol 3) to be a few of the best Dragonrider's novels.

Deadly Thread has not fallen on Pern for centuries and there are many who believe that it will never fall again. Those who believe and teach the old ways, such as the Harpers of Pern, are mocked and largely ignored. Robinton is born during this trying time to Petiron and Merelan. Merelan, blessed with a gorgeous soprano voice, had always wanted a child, but Petiron, arguably the most technically advanced composer in Harper Hall, did not. When Robinton turns out to be a musical prodigy and is rapidly surpassing those far older than he, Merelan is careful to keep his gift hidden from Petiron and his jealousy. Even though Robinton is not close to his father, he still has a relatively happy childhood, full of music and small joys. He discovers that he can hear dragons, for one, and enjoys befriending the dragonriders who come to call. Still, it is not without some relief that Robinton is able to start his career as a Harper Journeyman and travel to other holds.
Robinton quickly discovers that, although he believes Thread will return, most Pern residents do not share his assurance. Benden Weyr is isolated and the holds do not send their tithes as faithfully as they used to. There is also the insidious shadow of a threat from the self-titled Lord Fax, who has been slowly taking over holds and areas around his original land. Robinton is there to witness Fax's clever assassination of F'lar and F'nor's father, the Benden Weyrleader and watches helplessly as Benden withdraws from the people of Pern more and more. But he is distracted by the love of his life - Kasia. He is overjoyed when they get married and envisions a whole new life and future for them. So Robinton is devastated when his beloved Kasia is taken from him after only a few months of marriage. He throws himself into his work, composing, traveling, trying to soothe people and convince them that the dragons are necessary to kill Thread. Much to Robinton's surprise, but no one else's, Robinton is named Masterharper when the previous one starts losing his good health. Robinton immediately sets out to support the dragonriders and do all that he can to keep an eye on Pern so he starts sending out spies and keeping track of Lord Fax...
I think that The Masterharper of Pern is one of McCaffrey's finest in the Pern series. Of course, much of that is because I have always loved Robinton as a character and was just thrilled to read his story at last. This book answered so many of my questions about Robinton - such as why he never married. It also explained his close ties to the dragonriders and why so many people knew and loved him on Pern. It is also an amazing story of a very talented man who refused to give up and become discouraged. He had a difficult childhood, his father all but hating him and his talents, his mother passed away when he was still quite young, his wife was taken from him precipitously, and his only child, Camo (seen in the Harper Hall Trilogy, as is Petiron), is born a half-wit and will never be able to do anything musically. Even though Robinton's life was difficult and full of tragedy, he spent all of his considerable effort and persuasion to keep Pern from ruin, insofar as he was able. Readers who are familiar with the Pern series will be delighted with this book. Readers who have not read anything in the Pern series will also be delighted with this book and will understand everything that is happening, although they may miss some of the subtle implications and nuances. A must have for any fantasy fan!

Anne Mc Caffrey has proven once again that she is not only a master storyteller, but a highly skilled author. In MasterHarper of Pern she takes elements of previous Pern books back since before Dragonflight and weaves them together to create a full background for Robinton, the beloved MasterHarper. The approach seemed odd at first; we already know the character, what more could we possibly learn about him? Much more, as it turns out. The story is completely true to the "present day" Robinton and in fact I found myself nodding my head often, recognizing how he got to where he did. I was most impressed with the way the Mc Caffery handled different details from several different books. The tie-ins were flawless, and I have to admit, having read all her Pern books, I was looking for discrepancies. Not only were there none, the strings attatching Robinton to each other story were completely believable. Never once did I feel that she had "stretched" to tie Robinton in to a particular scene previously written in another novel. I was enormously pleased with the results. For those of you who prefer the dragon aspect of the Pern books (i.e. tales told from the dragonriders' point of view] do not hesitate to try this novel. Through Robinton's encounters with dragons and the respectful relationship he develops with them from a small boy, your dragon-need will more than adequately be filled. The MasterHarper of Pern is a testament to Mc Caffrey at her best.

Perhaps the most popular of the major "regulars" in the Pern series is Robinton, the rich-voiced Masterharper who can hear and be heard by every dragon on the planet. Many readers grieved with the Pernese when he was killed off. Now, at last, we have a book that explains how this pivotal character came to be who he was. From his birth (which nearly kills his mother), through his childhood as a prodigy (loved by his vocalist-mother but cold-shouldered by his composer-father), his first meeting with Falloner (later the Dragonrider F'lon, father of F'lar and F'nor) and their developing friendship, his two great loves and the tragedies to which they led, and his clandestine (and hitherto untold) work among the Holders, up through the opening scenes (told from his viewpoint) of "Dragonflight," we watch as his character and gifts develop and he becomes, inevitably, the man who will help lead Pern into its as-yet-unsuspected future. McCaffrey also, as in every Pern book, sprinkles a few new tidbits about her planet through the story. You need to have read at least the first two books in the series to understand what's going on, and the story is a bit slow to start, although once Robinton is writing music it grows more interesting. Definitely an indispensable read for McCaffrey's legion of fans.

I thought this was a really good book. There wasn't much action, but it didn't need action to make it good. It isn't a groundbreaking novel in terms of new events on Pern, but it fills in a lot of detail. Robinton is one of the most complex and interesting characters I've seen in ANY book, and all Pern fans MUST read this book.
I feel very strongly on this one point. Masterharper of Pern NEEDS a sequel. I mean, this book only goes up to Fax's death! Menolly hasn't made an appearance, F'lar isn't Weyrleader yet, Lessa hasn't even impressed!!!!! Robinton hasn't even got Zair yet, for Pete's sake! I'd love to see a sequel that covers the time from Lessa's Impression up to around Robinton's death.
As for Robinton's age, I've figured it around to be 82 when he died. He was nine years old when he and his mother went to Benden Hold, and I think he was ten when he sang the Question Song for the Weyrleaders at Benden Weyr. At that same meeting, S'loner says that they have a! nother 50 years until the next Pass, which would make him 60 when the Ninth Pass started. In Dolphins, it says Robinton died in the 22nd year of the Pass. Add 60 and 22 and you get 82.

I sort of enjoyed "Masterharper" but in the end its timeline and consistency issues took a big toll. In trying to wrap up storylines too tightly, McCaffrey writes scenes that are totally implausible, given what we know from books written earlier.

Masterharper asks way too much of a reader to suspend his or her sense of disbelief. To accept its narrative, one would have to completely discount the events as portrayed in her first -- and vastly superior -- book, Dragonflight. The two books just don't match.

Some slight timeline and consistencies would be acceptable, but big, huge, hairy ones are not. I've thought for a long time that McCaffrey's editors did her no favors by allowing a myriad of inconsistencies to appear in her books. Is anyone in charge of 'fact-checking' from book to book?

This book is cautiously recommended, but buyer beware. If you're at all familiar with the events as portrayed in Dragonflight, you're going to be mighty confused when you reach the conclusion.

. . . on a very popular character from the "Pern" novels.

From the original "Dragonriders" trilogy to the "Harper Hall" trilogy and through "Renegades" and "Weyrs" and "Dolphins" novels, one character shines forth as the model of probity, consistent leadership, judge and peacemaker, MasterHarper Extraordinare -- and, of course, expert on Benden Wines!

I refer, of course, to MasterHarper Robinton.

This novel provides "deep background" to the triumphs and tragedies (an abundance of each) to the life of Master Robinton, concluding with where "Dragonflight" begins.

Other reviewers have noted minor inconsistencies between this novel and the other Pern stories -- such inconsistencies exist throughout the Pern canon -- and that can't be helped.

Four stars rather than five -- because I thought that the ending was somewhat weak. Overall, though, a good and thought-provoking look at one of Pern's most beloved characters.

This story is generally about the life of Masterharper Robinton, prior to Threadfall, with additional details about Petiron, Fax, and others. The book does not entirely stand alone, as it is necessary to have read other books about Pern to establish the setting. It does not always mesh correctly with other books in the Pern series (for example, the gratuitous mention of Thella in Chapter XVIII does not match the details in "Renegades of Pern"). The book is fast paced at some points, and a little slow in others, with side digressions into different segments of Robinton's personal life. It is a good story if you want to fill in additional details about Pern, including some of the inter-relationships between people, and the development of some characters or incidents that show up in other books which are later chronologically (although published earlier). Overall, the characters are well developed, including the relationship between Robinton and his parents, and the various sub-plots wind together well.

At the time _Masterharper of Pern_ came out, I was rueing the decline of the Dragonriders of Pern series. After _Dragonsdawn_, the books seemed to lose a lot of their original magic and appeal; even _Dragonseye_, while certainly better than _Dolphins of Pern_, didn't quite live up to standard.

The good news is that _Masterharper of Pern_ *does*. This is a wonderful, vivid, emotional book, clear in detail, strong in character, and with settings one can easily get into. It's a delight to get to meet the father of F'lar and F'nor; likewise, the insight on Fax and his ambitions is welcome. Pern fans and non-Pern fans alike should be able to enjoy this one--it's not just another installment in the series, but a welcome and well-written tale in its own right.

That brings me to the bad news. While _Masterharper_ has all of the virtues I've named above, it has two major faults: consistency and suspension of disbelief. This book just doesn't match up with the earlier ones in some respects. The character of Petiron here doesn't seem like the Petiron Menolly knew in _Dragonsinger_ (granted, age changes a man, but still...). F'lon, while a fine man, does not seem to inspire the sense of respect and even awe that one can pick up about him in _Dragonflight_. Robinton can hear dragons; why, then, was he so surprised to hear them again in _Dragonquest_?

Which leads right into the suspension of disbelief: Robinton, much as I admire his character, is *too good* here. Not only is he a musical genius, not only is he polite and courteous and perfect in every way, but he hears dragons too? Goodness, can't the poor man be allowed any flaws/lackings? That's not the worst part, though: I found that the ending scenes stretched my ability to believe beyond the breaking point, and this marred the book somewhat for me. In fact, the last fifth or so of the pages seemed a cut below the rest; AM did her best work when she was showing us the history we hadn't already seen, rather than history we knew from a new perspective.

Still, when all is said and done, this is still a fine book that tells an excellent story. Just be prepared to blink at it a few times if you're a long-time Pern fan... and if you're new to the series and more fond of flawed heroes than darned near perfect ones, you might want to pass this one up until you've read a few of its predecessors.