Dragonsblood (Dragonriders of Pern)

List Price: $36.95 Discount Price: $37.26

Customer Reviews:

Pern for Grownups [Posted on 2008-01-28]
I just finished reading Dragonsblood last night. Having been a fan since the early 1970s, I've grown up with dragons. The series lost some of its appeal for me when the primary protagonists tended to be 10 to 15 years of age, and the main story line seemed to be how do nice kids deal with bullies while saving the world.

Dragonsblood made Pern real again for me. I could smell the dragons and feel the cold stone and warm sands of the Weyr once more. The characters' motivations were real. D'gan's megalomania was well intentioned but caused no end of trouble. Lorana's emphathy was intense but balanced. And Wind Blossom's emotional baggage and relationship with Emorra was spot on.

Don't read this book without reading Kindan's previous adventures (Dragon's Kin and Dragon Harper, especially) and keep in mind what these fictional folk have recently gone through. I don't want to give away details, but I think Todd McCaffrey does quite a credible job with Anne McCaffrey's Pern, the construction of complex characters, and a well-executed plot cluster. I look forward to his next.

Returning to Pern is a joy [Posted on 2008-02-27]
I very much enjoyed returning to Pern with this new book by "the son".
The story is complex, a lot of jumping thru time (not just for the dragons) for the reader, and some knowledge of Pern is needed to understand and fully appreciate this story. I found it a gripping read. Only at the end i got inpatient to know if every one in the story was well.
I know some of the reviewers have fallen over inconsistencies in the story, but hey..it is fiction...and it is a good read definately!

Good, but not great [Posted on 2008-04-07]
Briefly... as other reviewers have covered this in much more detail...

I always enjoy checking out a new Pern novel, and I thought this one started out with promise. All too soon, however, the same old plot devices start to take shape. ANOTHER woman who can speak to all the dragons, ANOTHER plague, ANOTHER consuming search through Records. (If people were forced to search through those tedious records so often, you'd think they'd do a better job of keeping them legible... you know, in case someone in the future needs to look something up.) It seemed like this book was geared for young adults. I think Todd McCaffrey shows promise but still needs to work on certain areas, give the characters a little more depth & come up with some ORIGINAL stories. No more plagues, records, 'Question' songs, and no more acting as though 'timing it' was some big secret discovery (when it's been 'discovered' in several novels to date). Here's hoping that Todd does not give up but DOES go back and re-read the first books in the series.

A disappointment [Posted on 2008-07-20]
I started reading Anne McCaffery when I was 12 when I picked up The White Dragon, and fell in love. I've read and re-read the series and have never lost my enjoyment or love for what she's created. When I heard that her son had continued the series I decided to give it a go and picked up Dragonsblood. The main character is a classic Mary Sue. She has no faults, amazing powers, and what not. The deaths of the dragons are treated in an offhand manner. It bends the rules and plot lines made by Anne McCaffery, it's poorly written in my opinion with the same phrases used and reused constantly. I actually couldn't finish it, and trust me I've read a LOT of horrible things before, but I couldn't. If you love Anne McCaffery's series, then read it and reread it. Don't pick these books up, they're not only a waste of money it genuinely makes me wince when compared to his mother's works.

Dragons Blood [Posted on 2008-08-20]
I was so thrilled that Todd McCaffrey wrote yet again another wonderful story of Pern. I thoroughly enjoyed his previous effort Dragon Harper that continued the story of Kinden. Todd is a worthy torch bearer for his mother's wonderful planet of Pern and it's beloved Dragon's. This particular installment in the Pern story was wonderful. I often wondered what had happened to Wind Blossom after Kitti Ping's death. I know Wing Blossom became vilified as the creator of the stunted watch wheres. This breed was no where near the graceful counterparts of the dragons. I had always wondered how thread was fought at night. It couldn't only fall during the day but, we were never told of any treacherous falls at night. These watch whers became more useful as fighers and not just as the family hold's "watch dog". This was a wonderful story and well worth the addition to the stories of our beloved series. Keep up the fabulous work Todd. I feel you have become a worthy bearer of your mother's torch in carrying on Pern's story. There are still other stories of this marvelous planet and it's dragons to tell us. I look forward to each and every consequently written book from Todd. Thank you for many hours of absolutely wonderful reads. I have all your mother's Pern novels in print and in electric form and as many in audible form as I can find. They are a favored series in our house. My husband does not like to read but, he read this series with alacrity which was totally unusual and only told of the superb writing of the books. Long may Pern and her dragons reign!

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