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jeni_dean's review against another edition
2.0
Good lord… What a struggle this was…
I’ve started re-reading all the Pern books in chronological order because it’s my favourite series and Anne is my favourite author. I was kind of dreading reaching the books written by Todd because of what I had heard about them, and I was right to be full of dread.
Firstly… since when did all these young kids get so damn rude? Talking back to Dragonriders and the Master Harper. Good grief…
Also the writing is just so lackluster in comparison to Anne… it’s like Young Adult Pern. So bad…
Now on to the many mistakes. I’m rusty on my lore, so some of this could be accurate, but to me this all seems wrong… happy to be proven wrong, but so much stood out to me as incorrect.
• Time travel
I didn’t think was a known thing until the time of Lessa and later Ruth? Now suddenly everyone knows about it?
• Watch whers/dragons/Fire lizards
Watch whers can fly, Talk to people and other dragons, see heat and can go between… ummm since when? Is this all new information that Todd just decided to slip in? I don’t remember any of this in previous books.
Dragons can talk to anyone they like? I thought it was only certain Queen riders that could speak to all the dragons? Specifically Lessa and I believe Moreta?
Didn’t Fire lizards disappear after the eruptions at the first landing sites? And were only rediscovered later in the Harperhall trilogy by menolly?
How can Nuella talk to dragons and watch whers when she hadn’t impressed either of them? Considering how particular dragons are, why would they talk to some random girl?
There was a mention of dolphins… I thought these were also unknown of after the eruptions?
Again, a lot of this I could be forgetting and am wrong on but it all seemed so out of place and like Todd was trying way too hard to insert lore of his own and failing at it in the process.
I could only stomach giving this a 2 because it’s Pern, otherwise it would have gotten a 1.
Lord help me as I move on to more Todd books…
I’ve started re-reading all the Pern books in chronological order because it’s my favourite series and Anne is my favourite author. I was kind of dreading reaching the books written by Todd because of what I had heard about them, and I was right to be full of dread.
Firstly… since when did all these young kids get so damn rude? Talking back to Dragonriders and the Master Harper. Good grief…
Also the writing is just so lackluster in comparison to Anne… it’s like Young Adult Pern. So bad…
Now on to the many mistakes. I’m rusty on my lore, so some of this could be accurate, but to me this all seems wrong… happy to be proven wrong, but so much stood out to me as incorrect.
• Time travel
I didn’t think was a known thing until the time of Lessa and later Ruth? Now suddenly everyone knows about it?
• Watch whers/dragons/Fire lizards
Watch whers can fly, Talk to people and other dragons, see heat and can go between… ummm since when? Is this all new information that Todd just decided to slip in? I don’t remember any of this in previous books.
Dragons can talk to anyone they like? I thought it was only certain Queen riders that could speak to all the dragons? Specifically Lessa and I believe Moreta?
Didn’t Fire lizards disappear after the eruptions at the first landing sites? And were only rediscovered later in the Harperhall trilogy by menolly?
How can Nuella talk to dragons and watch whers when she hadn’t impressed either of them? Considering how particular dragons are, why would they talk to some random girl?
There was a mention of dolphins… I thought these were also unknown of after the eruptions?
Again, a lot of this I could be forgetting and am wrong on but it all seemed so out of place and like Todd was trying way too hard to insert lore of his own and failing at it in the process.
I could only stomach giving this a 2 because it’s Pern, otherwise it would have gotten a 1.
Lord help me as I move on to more Todd books…
jackirenee's review against another edition
4.0
Kindan's family has recently moved to a new miner camp in the hopes of establishing a new hold. But tragdey strikes, leaving Kindan an orphan and the camp without a watch-wher. But the dramatic events place Kindan in new paths never imagined and he must make the choice to pursue his dream or save the camp.
It has been many, many years since I have picked up a Dragonriders of Pern book, and I was immediately reminded of why this series alone fills up a good portion of my bookshelves. Written by both Anne McCaffrey and her son Todd, Dragon's Kin is true to the series and the world of Pern. All the Pern books are such that I can't wait to finish them and then when I do, I regret it because I fill as though I must say good-bye to friends I have come to love.
I was a bit skeptical about having someone take-over the series, but having grown up with these stories like myself, Todd accomplished the task with passion and loyalty to Pern and his mother. I have no hestitations in reading any future work.
This book was given 4 stars because it reignited a passion for Pern and now I cannot wait to read more. However, this is not on par with the stories of Lessa and F'lar. It is however, and enjoyable read and worth picking up for fans of Pern.
It has been many, many years since I have picked up a Dragonriders of Pern book, and I was immediately reminded of why this series alone fills up a good portion of my bookshelves. Written by both Anne McCaffrey and her son Todd, Dragon's Kin is true to the series and the world of Pern. All the Pern books are such that I can't wait to finish them and then when I do, I regret it because I fill as though I must say good-bye to friends I have come to love.
I was a bit skeptical about having someone take-over the series, but having grown up with these stories like myself, Todd accomplished the task with passion and loyalty to Pern and his mother. I have no hestitations in reading any future work.
This book was given 4 stars because it reignited a passion for Pern and now I cannot wait to read more. However, this is not on par with the stories of Lessa and F'lar. It is however, and enjoyable read and worth picking up for fans of Pern.
javamamanc's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
rainbow_grace's review against another edition
3.0
I laughed and cried. The story is amazing and the characters are compelling. The actual writing is often awkward and tell-y. Overall, a decent book.
fantasy_with_me's review against another edition
5.0
Refreshing! A change in style of writing from the older books, possibly due to her son? But there was way more in the way of descriptions of people, places, how's, and why's. Loved the beginning summary too!
I also loved the focus being on the watch-whers, a creature I've always wanted to know more about since the first book I read, Dragonflight.
I also loved the focus being on the watch-whers, a creature I've always wanted to know more about since the first book I read, Dragonflight.
iviarelle's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
2.5
I have a great nostalgia for Pern, I read every book my library had when I was a teen, at least once a year. But they never had all of them, and so somehow this is the first time I've read this particular instalment. I can't say I'm very impressed.
The watchwher lore is neat, but... there's a concept called the "idiot ball" (for lack of a better term, this is what I still use to describe it) where a character has to be the one to "hold the idiot ball" and ask the questions that should be obvious to the other characters so that someone can explain, or conveniently forget whatever needs to be forgotten for the scene to work. Unfortunately, that concept is implemented pretty strongly in this book, and it's not pretty. In the most blatant instance, Kindan sees his father's watchwher go Between, then bemoans to a dragon rider that it sucks they can't go Between, then remembers they can go Between just in time to save the day at the end. It's not a great look.
And even beside that, a lot of things about the timeline are REALLY wibbly. Like, Natalon is supposed to be 26 turns old, but his eldest kids are 10? I didn't think Pern was given to teen pregnancies being all that common. And time seems to vary between the book taking place across about six months or two years, and Kindan is mentioned as still being 10 even in the same chapter as the two-year figure is offered.
And the fact that Nuella is barred from being a gold dragon rider because she's blind... She dreams in images, she can conceive of mental images given the developments with "seeing" with the watchwhers, but what, it would be too much trouble to have images sent to her potential dragon instead of her seeing them for herself? I don't like it. I just don't.
I've still got a fondness for Pern stories, but this is never going to be a favourite for me.
The watchwher lore is neat, but... there's a concept called the "idiot ball" (for lack of a better term, this is what I still use to describe it) where a character has to be the one to "hold the idiot ball" and ask the questions that should be obvious to the other characters so that someone can explain, or conveniently forget whatever needs to be forgotten for the scene to work. Unfortunately, that concept is implemented pretty strongly in this book, and it's not pretty. In the most blatant instance, Kindan sees his father's watchwher go Between, then bemoans to a dragon rider that it sucks they can't go Between, then remembers they can go Between just in time to save the day at the end. It's not a great look.
And even beside that, a lot of things about the timeline are REALLY wibbly. Like, Natalon is supposed to be 26 turns old, but his eldest kids are 10? I didn't think Pern was given to teen pregnancies being all that common. And time seems to vary between the book taking place across about six months or two years, and Kindan is mentioned as still being 10 even in the same chapter as the two-year figure is offered.
And the fact that Nuella is barred from being a gold dragon rider because she's blind... She dreams in images, she can conceive of mental images given the developments with "seeing" with the watchwhers, but what, it would be too much trouble to have images sent to her potential dragon instead of her seeing them for herself? I don't like it. I just don't.
I've still got a fondness for Pern stories, but this is never going to be a favourite for me.
roklobster's review against another edition
3.0
Again with just needing some comfort reading. I discovered this on my shelf and realized I'd never read it.
About half way through the book I figured out the ending - where the characters would go - but oddly I didn't MIND since Anne seems to make you care so damn much about these people of Pern.
About half way through the book I figured out the ending - where the characters would go - but oddly I didn't MIND since Anne seems to make you care so damn much about these people of Pern.
rgreatreader's review against another edition
3.0
Meh. Not nearly as charming as those written by Anne McCaffrey, but not horrible either.
vaderbird's review against another edition
3.0
5 star - Perfect
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish