The Dragonriders of Pern

This was a great read! I was intrigued from the very beginning, which started with a very science fiction-like prologue that quickly turned into a more fantasy-type read for the rest of the book (at least in my opinion–I know many people consider this scifi with all the time traveling and star gazing and whatnot, and that's fine with me).

The Dragonriders of Pern starts with Volume I: Dragonflight, which I think was my favorite part of this book because, as a reader, this is where you first get introduced to the world of Pern and the (awesome!) dragons while you follow Lessa and F'lar on their journey as they become principle leaders of Pern. I have to say that I instantly related to Lessa; however, the evolution and growth of her character was a bit disappointing to me. She starts off as a very resourceful, independent woman harboring this revenge for Fax, a tyrant who murders her family for control over Ruatha Hold. As the last member of the Ruathan bloodline, she is able to survive on her own for years under Fax's rule without being caught.. But when she gets to Benden Weyr and becomes Weyrwoman by impressing Ramoth her character changes in response to how the male characters treat her. They constantly blame her for her poor choices while they continue to keep her ignorant. It was extremely annoying to read how caged-in she was, but things start to look up. The society slowly starts to change andLessa eventually gets to ride Ramoth, fight thread, and save the day, so it's not too bad...

Volume II: Dragonquest focuses on the aftermath and consequences of bringing the Oldtimers forward and the impact it makes on present Pern society. You get to follow more secondary characters from Vol I, like F'nor and Masterharper Robinton. One complaint I have is that we never get to hear what happens to Kylara after her queen dies. As a reader, I feel a little cheated regarding this character because there are a few chapters where we get to view the story from Kylara's point of view. Because of this, I developed an understanding for her. I didn't like her, but I was interested in seeing what happens to her because I invested some time into understanding her character. However, after that tragic incident involving Brekke and the queens, we never hear from Kylara again. Not even in Volume III: The White Dragon, where we follow Jaxom and Ruth. This part of the book is very much a coming of age story. It ends with a very cute scene between Lessa and F'lar that made the book feel like it came full circle for me. However, I would have felt even more satisfied if they would have been able to rid Pern of thread completely (much like F'lar), but we can't have everything. Overall, a 4 star, solid read.

I must admit the first volume kept me interested because of the world and I had to turn a blind eye to a small amount of awkwardness and even some rather dates relationship dynamics. However by the third volume, The White Dragon all of it is worth it and I've fallen in love with Pern. It's clear that McCaffrey knew the world and its history.mit suffuses through everything that happens. I also like that its a world not a series. I don't feel pressure to keep going but instead know that whenever I need a pleasant respite from other worlds, I can easily visit Pern.