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4.15 AVERAGE
4.15 AVERAGE
This has to be my most favorite book. It was the book that truly got me crazy about books and sifi and fantasy. I retread this book when I need to find strength in myself because the main character goes through so much hardship but everything seems to work out for her. Love this hole series and this author.
This was my most favorite book in middle school. I was honestly a little hesitant to pick it up again fearing that it wouldn't hold up well after so many years; I was in a much different stage of life then. Within the first two pages I was all wrapped up again. I still love this book. I love it dearly. Yes, I'm aware that the fact that it has "Dragon" in the title will turn a lot of people off automatically, but this is a light sort of fantasy (really, when you get deeper into the series, it has more sci-fi elements than fantasy) that draws you in with characters, rather than beating you over the head with crazy nonsense right off the bat. Originally I had planned to read just this one, but the second I started, I knew I'd be going through at least this trilogy in its entirety.
*re-read it again. Still my favorite. 10/11/17
*2020 quarantine read. What I need right now is comfort. This series does that for me.
*re-read it again. Still my favorite. 10/11/17
*2020 quarantine read. What I need right now is comfort. This series does that for me.
This was the first Pern book I read. I stumbled upon it in my English textbook back in my freshman year of high school (unabridged thank God) and almost immedietly fell in love. But then, who can resist a combination of a sweet and sympathetic protagonist (Menolly remains one of my favorites even though she is somewhat of a Mary Sue), music, fantasy worlds, dragons and fire-lizards? I wanted a fire-lizard so much after reading that book. If you're interested in seeing a different side of Pern, introducing someone to a fantasy world I have really come to love, or just escaping into an excellent story for a few hours, check out this book.
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This should be considered a prequel to the rest of the Harper Hall series because the vast majority of it was spent hashing out the main character's terrible childhood as an OP character in a backwoods, close-minded town. I had hopes for this story, but the main character was not endearing and the extreme spectrum of supporting characters (either "We're evil bigots who hate the MC" or "We love the MC and accept and support everything she does!") was kind of a letdown. It was only at the very end of the novel that things started to pick up , i.e. when she gets accepted into Harper Hall but then the book ended, and I was left with an extreme feeling of dissatisfaction.
I'm not the biggest fan of the Pern series to begin with, but I definitely didn't hate this book... I just felt there was something majorly lacking that prevented me from liking it completely. I may return to the series in the future, although I never seem to go above 2.5 stars for any of McCaffrey's novels, so it may be a while before I decide to pick one up again.
I'm not the biggest fan of the Pern series to begin with, but I definitely didn't hate this book... I just felt there was something majorly lacking that prevented me from liking it completely. I may return to the series in the future, although I never seem to go above 2.5 stars for any of McCaffrey's novels, so it may be a while before I decide to pick one up again.
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Since I was thirteen, people have been recommending The Dragonriders of Pern series to me. I've resisted so long because I knew, I knew, that as soon as I picked it up, I'd become obsessed. And here we are at the start of that, oh no.
Dragonsong begins the story of Menolly, who is a fifteen year old teen girl in love with music. Ever since she was small, she has followed around her community's Harper (think traditional Druid bard) and, at his side, learned all the stories of her people. When her mentor dies, Menolly is heartbroken. That heartbreak is made worse when her parents insist it is high time for her to give up her musical aspirations and "settle down as a proper woman." In her despair, Menolly runs away from home and encounters fire lizards, the ancestral evolutionary root of Pern's dragons. All sadness is forgot when Menolly discovers that fire lizards vibrate in tune to melodies.
According to the Girlfriend, Harper Hall is a good place to start for beginners to the universe. We listened on audiobook, and there was a helpful, quick guide to the broader world to catch me up. I was most impressed by McCaffrey's flexible ability to write different types of stories. Previous series are time-hopping space opera, with an entire civilization in the balance, but Dragonsong never felt unimportant or without stakes for being a more intimate, individual tale. There was a great sense of patriarchy creating its own problems: very "cutting off its own nose to spite its face." Menolly's arrival in more feminist spaces was a satisfying victory. The simple, accessible language belied an engaging storycraft, making Dragonsong a brilliant choice for young YA readers.
I want to read the next one! Also: a fire lizard. Please and thank you.
Dragonsong begins the story of Menolly, who is a fifteen year old teen girl in love with music. Ever since she was small, she has followed around her community's Harper (think traditional Druid bard) and, at his side, learned all the stories of her people. When her mentor dies, Menolly is heartbroken. That heartbreak is made worse when her parents insist it is high time for her to give up her musical aspirations and "settle down as a proper woman." In her despair, Menolly runs away from home and encounters fire lizards, the ancestral evolutionary root of Pern's dragons. All sadness is forgot when Menolly discovers that fire lizards vibrate in tune to melodies.
According to the Girlfriend, Harper Hall is a good place to start for beginners to the universe. We listened on audiobook, and there was a helpful, quick guide to the broader world to catch me up. I was most impressed by McCaffrey's flexible ability to write different types of stories. Previous series are time-hopping space opera, with an entire civilization in the balance, but Dragonsong never felt unimportant or without stakes for being a more intimate, individual tale. There was a great sense of patriarchy creating its own problems: very "cutting off its own nose to spite its face." Menolly's arrival in more feminist spaces was a satisfying victory. The simple, accessible language belied an engaging storycraft, making Dragonsong a brilliant choice for young YA readers.
I want to read the next one! Also: a fire lizard. Please and thank you.
Since I read this book originally something like five years ago, I figured that it was high-time I read it again. The world of Pern that [a:Anne McCaffrey|26|Anne McCaffrey|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1323715139p2/26.jpg] has created is so vibrant and wonderful, and her characters are also thoroughly enjoyable. I'm a sucker for dragons, and this book doesn't disappoint.
My main complaints are these: some of the writing/grammar is awkward, and a few of the names are tricky/cumbersome to pronounce. However, these are the only reasons that could possibly dock a star from this rating.
This story, a fantasy/sci-fi novel with feminism and individualism at its core, is a great read.
I look forward to rereading its sequels, [b:Dragonsinger|28547|Dragonsinger (Harper Hall, #2)|Anne McCaffrey|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347235702s/28547.jpg|2971170] and [b:Dragondrums|28553|Dragondrums (Harper Hall, #3)|Anne McCaffrey|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1283736366s/28553.jpg|1592020]!
My main complaints are these: some of the writing/grammar is awkward, and a few of the names are tricky/cumbersome to pronounce. However, these are the only reasons that could possibly dock a star from this rating.
This story, a fantasy/sci-fi novel with feminism and individualism at its core, is a great read.
I look forward to rereading its sequels, [b:Dragonsinger|28547|Dragonsinger (Harper Hall, #2)|Anne McCaffrey|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347235702s/28547.jpg|2971170] and [b:Dragondrums|28553|Dragondrums (Harper Hall, #3)|Anne McCaffrey|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1283736366s/28553.jpg|1592020]!
Loved this as a kid. Am appalled at the new covers they put on them.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes