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A review by tjwallace04
Dragonquest by Anne McCaffrey
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Ugh, I still just don't quite know what to make of Pern.
Likes:
-I like the very imaginative world and strong world-building. The politics of Pern (divisions between the Weyrs, Crafthalls, and Lord Holders) are really interesting.
-I love the dragons and the way they communicate telepathically with their riders and other dragons. Oh, and the fire lizards! Adorbs.
-I like the mix of fantasy and sci-fi.
-I mostly like McCaffrey's riding. It is very crisp, solid, and doesn't pander.
Dislikes:
-It feels so dated, particularly the sexual politics. There's another scene that is basically a rape in this book that is treated so nonchalantly 🥴🤢. And even though the Weyrs are supposed to be these very sexually liberated places, it is telling how the two "heroine" female characters (Lessa and Brekke) are both purely devoted to one dragonrider, while the villain female character Kylara is promiscuous.
-The plot of Dragonquest in particular seemed very convoluted. There were so many storylines, and I felt bogged down by all the characters.
-Speaking of characters, none of them are super likable or easy to connect to. I know I am supposed to like F'lar, Lessa, F'nor, Brekke, and Robinton, but they're all pretty flat, and I just can't really care that much about them.
So. Here we are. I don't think I will be reading more in the Pern series. EXCEPT...maybe the Harper Hall trilogy? Because people have told me it has a more YA feel (so less gross dragonrider sex stuff I assume).
Likes:
-I like the very imaginative world and strong world-building. The politics of Pern (divisions between the Weyrs, Crafthalls, and Lord Holders) are really interesting.
-I love the dragons and the way they communicate telepathically with their riders and other dragons. Oh, and the fire lizards! Adorbs.
-I like the mix of fantasy and sci-fi.
-I mostly like McCaffrey's riding. It is very crisp, solid, and doesn't pander.
Dislikes:
-It feels so dated, particularly the sexual politics. There's another scene that is basically a rape in this book that is treated so nonchalantly 🥴🤢. And even though the Weyrs are supposed to be these very sexually liberated places, it is telling how the two "heroine" female characters (Lessa and Brekke) are both purely devoted to one dragonrider, while the villain female character Kylara is promiscuous.
-The plot of Dragonquest in particular seemed very convoluted. There were so many storylines, and I felt bogged down by all the characters.
-Speaking of characters, none of them are super likable or easy to connect to. I know I am supposed to like F'lar, Lessa, F'nor, Brekke, and Robinton, but they're all pretty flat, and I just can't really care that much about them.
So. Here we are. I don't think I will be reading more in the Pern series. EXCEPT...maybe the Harper Hall trilogy? Because people have told me it has a more YA feel (so less gross dragonrider sex stuff I assume).