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Pern #24
Dragon's Code: Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern
A new hero emerges in a divided world as one of sci-fi's most beloved series--Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern--relaunches with this original adventure from Anne's daughter, Gigi McCaffrey.
In honor of the fiftieth anniversary of the Dragonriders of Pern series, Gigi does her mother proud, adding to the family tradition of spinning unputdownable tales that recount the adventures of the brave inhabitants of a distant planet who battle the pitiless adversary known as Thread.
The last time Thread attacked Pern, the world was unprepared for the fight--until the Oldtimers appeared. These courageous dragonriders arrived from the past, traveling four hundred years to help their descendants survive. But the collision of past and present took its toll. While most of the displaced rescuers adapted to their new reality, others could not abide the jarring change and found themselves in soul-crushing exile, where unhappiness and resentment seethed.
Piemur, a journeyman harper, also feels displaced, cast adrift by the loss of his spectacular boyhood voice and uncertain of his future. But when the Masterharper of Pern sees promise in the young man and sends him undercover among the exiled Oldtimers, Piemur senses the looming catastrophe that threatens the balance of power between the Weyrs and Holds of Pern.
When the unthinkable happens, Piemur must rise to the challenge to avert disaster and restore honor to the dragons and dragonriders of Pern. Because now, in a world already beset by Thread, another, more insidious danger For the first time in living memory, dragons may be on the verge of fighting dragons.
In honor of the fiftieth anniversary of the Dragonriders of Pern series, Gigi does her mother proud, adding to the family tradition of spinning unputdownable tales that recount the adventures of the brave inhabitants of a distant planet who battle the pitiless adversary known as Thread.
The last time Thread attacked Pern, the world was unprepared for the fight--until the Oldtimers appeared. These courageous dragonriders arrived from the past, traveling four hundred years to help their descendants survive. But the collision of past and present took its toll. While most of the displaced rescuers adapted to their new reality, others could not abide the jarring change and found themselves in soul-crushing exile, where unhappiness and resentment seethed.
Piemur, a journeyman harper, also feels displaced, cast adrift by the loss of his spectacular boyhood voice and uncertain of his future. But when the Masterharper of Pern sees promise in the young man and sends him undercover among the exiled Oldtimers, Piemur senses the looming catastrophe that threatens the balance of power between the Weyrs and Holds of Pern.
When the unthinkable happens, Piemur must rise to the challenge to avert disaster and restore honor to the dragons and dragonriders of Pern. Because now, in a world already beset by Thread, another, more insidious danger For the first time in living memory, dragons may be on the verge of fighting dragons.
254 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 2, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 427 reviews
June 19, 2018
I am sympathetic towards taking up the mantle of a science fiction great, up to an extent. The legacy Anne McCaffrey left behind is immense- one of the first women to write science fiction, she created a rich world that readers have returned to again and again. On a purely personal note, I have many fond memories of reading the books as I went from middle school to high school and then beyond, up until McCaffrey’s death. There are so many tales that could still be told using that framework already established, and unfortunately, Anne McCaffrey’s daughter Gigi fails to live up to that sense of keen teenage nostalgia I hold.
The most glaring issue was one of canon. I believe Gigi wanted to make her mother’s world her own, which is fair. Again, big shoes to fill etc etc. Unfortunately, in doing so, she completely neglects the established canon, something that established fans of the series aren’t going to be happy with. It’s not little changes either- it’s adding extra limbs to horses, it’s changing the titles that are used in dozens of books before. And it’s taking beloved characters and rendering them flat and two-dimensional, so unlike her mother’s creations.
It’s a shame, because the story Gigi wants to tell is one that has a great deal of potential. The Oldtimers have leapt forward from the past to rescue the world of Pern, only to find themselves lacking as strong of a purpose as they thought they would hold. Once regarded as the rescuers, they and their dragons are now fading into a kind of twilight obscurity and they aren’t content to live out their lives that way. Were the story to create entirely new characters, I may have been on board, despite Gigi McCaffrey’s clumsy prose and tendency to tell, and not show details in long-winded paragraphs that stretch on for what seems like pages and pages.
In taking Robinton and Piemur as significant characters, she’s taking perhaps two of the most beloved characters in the series and not doing them any sense of justice. As I said above, they’re flat, lacking everything that made them so memorable before. It almost feels disrespectful to Anne’s memory.
That being said, I’m willing to read another book by Gigi if she’s willing to write her own characters and if the editors are willing to make her stick to the canon. There’s potential there, but extracting the full degree of it may be a difficult process. Time will tell, and I can only hope that Pern still has some tales left in it.
Thank you to NetGalley and to RandomHouse for giving me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
The most glaring issue was one of canon. I believe Gigi wanted to make her mother’s world her own, which is fair. Again, big shoes to fill etc etc. Unfortunately, in doing so, she completely neglects the established canon, something that established fans of the series aren’t going to be happy with. It’s not little changes either- it’s adding extra limbs to horses, it’s changing the titles that are used in dozens of books before. And it’s taking beloved characters and rendering them flat and two-dimensional, so unlike her mother’s creations.
It’s a shame, because the story Gigi wants to tell is one that has a great deal of potential. The Oldtimers have leapt forward from the past to rescue the world of Pern, only to find themselves lacking as strong of a purpose as they thought they would hold. Once regarded as the rescuers, they and their dragons are now fading into a kind of twilight obscurity and they aren’t content to live out their lives that way. Were the story to create entirely new characters, I may have been on board, despite Gigi McCaffrey’s clumsy prose and tendency to tell, and not show details in long-winded paragraphs that stretch on for what seems like pages and pages.
In taking Robinton and Piemur as significant characters, she’s taking perhaps two of the most beloved characters in the series and not doing them any sense of justice. As I said above, they’re flat, lacking everything that made them so memorable before. It almost feels disrespectful to Anne’s memory.
That being said, I’m willing to read another book by Gigi if she’s willing to write her own characters and if the editors are willing to make her stick to the canon. There’s potential there, but extracting the full degree of it may be a difficult process. Time will tell, and I can only hope that Pern still has some tales left in it.
Thank you to NetGalley and to RandomHouse for giving me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
December 11, 2018
When Todd started writing with his mom, I was cautiously optimistic. I grew up on Pern, loved Pern, and re-read the series every couple years. I knew Anne was aging, and I was hopeful that Todd, having grown up with her and writing with her, would be able to take over and continue to tell stories in a world I loved. Like I said, I was optimistic. Right up until I read the first few books. Todd made radical changes to the canon, used the same repetitive plots over and over, and wrote the flattest, most Mary Sue-ish characters in the series.
Now I realize I was perhaps too hard on Todd. Gigi is by far the weaker of the two and Anne made do with what she had.
Todd played pretty much in his own timeline, picking a pass that wasn't used in his mother's stories. This gave him a lot of freedom while writing - freedom to make his own characters, plots, small adjustments to geography, etc. I thought that was respectful of his mother's creation. Don't get me wrong - he still fucked up canon in ways that didn't make sense (as opposed to the small errs that Anne made, which were largely typos in dragon names or colors), but it was at least temporally isolated from the rest of Pern.
Gigi just dives into some of the most popular, most well-established and well-loved characters of the series to reprise one of the biggest stories in the series. Its a super ballsy move that would take a lot of knowledge and skill to pull off, and Gigi, sadly, does not have either. There's multiple small issues with the canon. For example, Gigi seems to mistake the Terran horses for the Pandoran direhorse. Horses have 4 legs, not 6.
But I can almost, almost ignore those. Like I said, Anne made small typos too. Here, Gigi is writing about Piemur, Sebell, Menolly, and Robinton. None of their personality is captured. The dialogue is stilted and without any character voice (plenty of painful fake accents, though). There is no plot to speak of and what little plot there is is recycled from other Pern books and underdeveloped. Oh no, the dragons are sick again, oh wait here's a convenient, ancient cure. Oh no, we don't have enough dragons to fight Thread oh wait we convinced some to do a time jump. Todd overused these plots to death and Gigi appears to follow the trend.
Piemur lacks any real agency - he just wanders place to place as he's told reporting information people either already knew or don't care about. His biggest contribution is a half-page speech at the end that was painfully cliched and the resulting success doesn't feel earned.
At this point I think I'm done hoping that Pern will continue. Anne gave us over a dozen solid Pern stories. We should be content with that.
TL;DR: This is the Pern equivalent of Star Wars prequels, or the Twilight book Life and Death - a story that could be told, but didn't need to be told, wasn't told well, and contributed nothing to the established story/setting.
Now I realize I was perhaps too hard on Todd. Gigi is by far the weaker of the two and Anne made do with what she had.
Todd played pretty much in his own timeline, picking a pass that wasn't used in his mother's stories. This gave him a lot of freedom while writing - freedom to make his own characters, plots, small adjustments to geography, etc. I thought that was respectful of his mother's creation. Don't get me wrong - he still fucked up canon in ways that didn't make sense (as opposed to the small errs that Anne made, which were largely typos in dragon names or colors), but it was at least temporally isolated from the rest of Pern.
Gigi just dives into some of the most popular, most well-established and well-loved characters of the series to reprise one of the biggest stories in the series. Its a super ballsy move that would take a lot of knowledge and skill to pull off, and Gigi, sadly, does not have either. There's multiple small issues with the canon. For example, Gigi seems to mistake the Terran horses for the Pandoran direhorse. Horses have 4 legs, not 6.
But I can almost, almost ignore those. Like I said, Anne made small typos too. Here, Gigi is writing about Piemur, Sebell, Menolly, and Robinton. None of their personality is captured. The dialogue is stilted and without any character voice (plenty of painful fake accents, though). There is no plot to speak of and what little plot there is is recycled from other Pern books and underdeveloped. Oh no, the dragons are sick again, oh wait here's a convenient, ancient cure. Oh no, we don't have enough dragons to fight Thread oh wait we convinced some to do a time jump. Todd overused these plots to death and Gigi appears to follow the trend.
Piemur lacks any real agency - he just wanders place to place as he's told reporting information people either already knew or don't care about. His biggest contribution is a half-page speech at the end that was painfully cliched and the resulting success doesn't feel earned.
At this point I think I'm done hoping that Pern will continue. Anne gave us over a dozen solid Pern stories. We should be content with that.
TL;DR: This is the Pern equivalent of Star Wars prequels, or the Twilight book Life and Death - a story that could be told, but didn't need to be told, wasn't told well, and contributed nothing to the established story/setting.
July 28, 2018
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine - Del Rey for a digital galley of this novel.
I am proof that it can be done...….I have never read any of the Dragonriders of Pern novels, started with this book written by Anne McCaffrey's daughter Gigi and survived. Not just survived, but actually thrived and understood what was happening. If you are like me, in the evidently small group of fantasy novel readers who have never dipped their toe into a Pern book, take heart and start reading this one. Yes, there is a huge amount of backstory material but I prefer to look on that as an opportunity to read more about this interesting world instead of treating it as an impediment to enjoying this specific book.
I cannot compare the writing skills or fantasy world development skills of Gigi McCaffrey to Anne McCaffrey so I will dispense with that problem altogether. I definitely enjoyed the story of Piemur as he tries to find his place in this society since his voice has broken leaving him without the wonderful singing talent he had. Now Piemur is seeking his place by filling in time exploring and mapping the lands of Southern Weyr. At seventeen Turns and unable to continue his apprenticeship as a Harper he has no idea in what direction his future may go. This book has a Prologue which effectively encapsulates the main points of the world of Pern along with valuable information about the connections between dragons and humans as well as Thread and what dangers it poses. This was a very helpful section.
I enjoyed this book quite a lot. I would have liked to read more about the interactions between dragonriders and their dragons but with a main character not a dragonrider himself, that wasn't a focus of this book. I would quite like to read another book in this series written by Gigi McCaffrey because she has heightened my interest in the whole Pern subject.
I am proof that it can be done...….I have never read any of the Dragonriders of Pern novels, started with this book written by Anne McCaffrey's daughter Gigi and survived. Not just survived, but actually thrived and understood what was happening. If you are like me, in the evidently small group of fantasy novel readers who have never dipped their toe into a Pern book, take heart and start reading this one. Yes, there is a huge amount of backstory material but I prefer to look on that as an opportunity to read more about this interesting world instead of treating it as an impediment to enjoying this specific book.
I cannot compare the writing skills or fantasy world development skills of Gigi McCaffrey to Anne McCaffrey so I will dispense with that problem altogether. I definitely enjoyed the story of Piemur as he tries to find his place in this society since his voice has broken leaving him without the wonderful singing talent he had. Now Piemur is seeking his place by filling in time exploring and mapping the lands of Southern Weyr. At seventeen Turns and unable to continue his apprenticeship as a Harper he has no idea in what direction his future may go. This book has a Prologue which effectively encapsulates the main points of the world of Pern along with valuable information about the connections between dragons and humans as well as Thread and what dangers it poses. This was a very helpful section.
I enjoyed this book quite a lot. I would have liked to read more about the interactions between dragonriders and their dragons but with a main character not a dragonrider himself, that wasn't a focus of this book. I would quite like to read another book in this series written by Gigi McCaffrey because she has heightened my interest in the whole Pern subject.
August 21, 2021
The purpose for this book published in 2018, IMHO, is t0 make the Dragonrider of Pern series eligible for the Hugo award for best series in 2019. So let's do that! The series certainly deserves it. Unfortunately, this book does not deserve much praise otherwise.
The events in Dragon's Code occur concurrently with the events in The White Dragon. You don't really need to read this book to enjoy the series. Just read The White Dragon and you'll be fine.
Despite revisiting some of my favorite Harper Hall characters (and the 2 stars are for that), this book has many discrepancies between it and other books in the series, and also internally. These discrepancies prevented me from enjoying this book despite a fairly decent beginning. I have read those first books, the ones that this book is near to in time (Dragonflight, Dragonquest, The White Dragon, Dragonsong, Dragonsinger and Dragondrums) many times over the years, and this book just did not line up very well, factually. I feel that I know the books better than the author does.
Just a few examples (which multiplied as I wrote this review): .
Also, the plotting is not particularly well thought out as the story progresses. Characters do things that make no sense. Examples in just one small area of the story:
It continues being stupid after this, too.
One of the silliest discrepancies was after
OK, enough. There are more.
Acrually, the writing itself was not bad. Try again, please, Gigi.
So yes, this book qualifies the Pern books for "Best Series" this year. Let's just award the series the Hugo, and not bother to read this book. We don't need it. Just read The White Dragon.
The events in Dragon's Code occur concurrently with the events in The White Dragon. You don't really need to read this book to enjoy the series. Just read The White Dragon and you'll be fine.
Despite revisiting some of my favorite Harper Hall characters (and the 2 stars are for that), this book has many discrepancies between it and other books in the series, and also internally. These discrepancies prevented me from enjoying this book despite a fairly decent beginning. I have read those first books, the ones that this book is near to in time (Dragonflight, Dragonquest, The White Dragon, Dragonsong, Dragonsinger and Dragondrums) many times over the years, and this book just did not line up very well, factually. I feel that I know the books better than the author does.
Just a few examples (which multiplied as I wrote this review): .
Also, the plotting is not particularly well thought out as the story progresses. Characters do things that make no sense. Examples in just one small area of the story:
It continues being stupid after this, too.
One of the silliest discrepancies was after
OK, enough. There are more.
Acrually, the writing itself was not bad. Try again, please, Gigi.
So yes, this book qualifies the Pern books for "Best Series" this year. Let's just award the series the Hugo, and not bother to read this book. We don't need it. Just read The White Dragon.
October 3, 2018
If you haven’t read any of Anne McCaffrey’s Pern series, you really need to start at the beginning. But don’t worry, you don’t have to read all 20-something titles before you get to this one! Just six: Dragonflight, Dragonquest, Dragonsong, Dragonsinger, The White Dragon, and Dragondrums. (Links at the end of the full blog post.) There’s a bit of plot overlap between Gigi McCaffrey’s new one and the last couple, but if you’ve read the others, that’s part of the charm.
For those of you who have loved this series since it first came out (I’m not old enough to make that claim, but I’ve loved it since I first discovered it), you’ll feel the same way about this one that I do.
5 stars, for bringing me back home.
Those six books are actually two different trilogies. My all-time favorites in the history of ever are Dragonflight, Dragonquest, and The White Dragon, which make up The Dragonriders of Pern series. Read them. Read them all. They started me on the road to becoming a fantasy author. (The Dragonflight ebook is just $2.99, by the way.)
My second all-time favorites in the history of ever are Dragonsong, Dragonsinger, and Dragondrums, which make up the Harper Hall of Pern series. They’re set in the same world, but there’s more contact with fire lizards than dragons. Still, I’d gladly take a fire lizard pet if I managed to Impress one. (That’s a Pern thing.) And any excuse to visit Pern is a worthwhile venture.
Go read them all. Yes, right now. The review will still be here, I promise.
[The blog post has a gif here for waiting.]
Great! You’re back! BEST BOOKS EVER, RIGHT???
Now that you’re as big a fan of the series as I am, you’ll understand me when I say (without any spoilers) that Dragon’s Code is like coming back home. The book follows one of the harpers, and while I personally prefer the dragonrider books, I admit I screamed a little every time I saw a familiar name. Reading about these characters was like returning to that one perfect summer from your childhood and seeing all your old friends again.
The story is less traditional than you might expect, in that several scenes are more like side ventures that don’t really move the plot along. Normally, I’d dock a star for that, but in this case, they often involved a dragonrider fighting Thread, which made them my favorite chapters!!!! There are also several elements that rely on explanations found in those first six books, but since I’ve already mentioned that you should read them all because they’re amazing, that falls in the plus column, too (for avoiding unnecessary infodumping.)
Like most of the harper series, Dragon’s Code is about a character’s internal journey, and it left me profoundly satisfied (and a little teary-eyed.) I hated having to say goodbye all over again, but, hopefully, it won’t be too long before the next one. Maybe even about dragons?
Bottom line: Fans of the Harper Hall of Pern series will be delighted by the return of beloved characters in this paradoxically nostalgic story about the importance of letting go.
My thanks to Random House for sending a galley. Receiving an advance copy did not in any way influence my review.
For those of you who have loved this series since it first came out (I’m not old enough to make that claim, but I’ve loved it since I first discovered it), you’ll feel the same way about this one that I do.
5 stars, for bringing me back home.
Those six books are actually two different trilogies. My all-time favorites in the history of ever are Dragonflight, Dragonquest, and The White Dragon, which make up The Dragonriders of Pern series. Read them. Read them all. They started me on the road to becoming a fantasy author. (The Dragonflight ebook is just $2.99, by the way.)
My second all-time favorites in the history of ever are Dragonsong, Dragonsinger, and Dragondrums, which make up the Harper Hall of Pern series. They’re set in the same world, but there’s more contact with fire lizards than dragons. Still, I’d gladly take a fire lizard pet if I managed to Impress one. (That’s a Pern thing.) And any excuse to visit Pern is a worthwhile venture.
Go read them all. Yes, right now. The review will still be here, I promise.
[The blog post has a gif here for waiting.]
Great! You’re back! BEST BOOKS EVER, RIGHT???
Now that you’re as big a fan of the series as I am, you’ll understand me when I say (without any spoilers) that Dragon’s Code is like coming back home. The book follows one of the harpers, and while I personally prefer the dragonrider books, I admit I screamed a little every time I saw a familiar name. Reading about these characters was like returning to that one perfect summer from your childhood and seeing all your old friends again.
The story is less traditional than you might expect, in that several scenes are more like side ventures that don’t really move the plot along. Normally, I’d dock a star for that, but in this case, they often involved a dragonrider fighting Thread, which made them my favorite chapters!!!! There are also several elements that rely on explanations found in those first six books, but since I’ve already mentioned that you should read them all because they’re amazing, that falls in the plus column, too (for avoiding unnecessary infodumping.)
Like most of the harper series, Dragon’s Code is about a character’s internal journey, and it left me profoundly satisfied (and a little teary-eyed.) I hated having to say goodbye all over again, but, hopefully, it won’t be too long before the next one. Maybe even about dragons?
Bottom line: Fans of the Harper Hall of Pern series will be delighted by the return of beloved characters in this paradoxically nostalgic story about the importance of letting go.
My thanks to Random House for sending a galley. Receiving an advance copy did not in any way influence my review.
November 30, 2018
Having grown up reading about the dragons of Pern, Dragon's Code wasn't a tough sell. However, despite my familiarity with the characters and the background of the world, this book turned out to be one of perhaps 20 books in my life (I read between 200-300 books every year and have done so for the last 25 years) that I did not finish. The writing was so incredibly poor that I simply could not stand to read it after fighting through the first half. Honestly, it deserves less than a star and the publisher should be embarrassed to have this on their lists. Having an author for a mother does not an author make. The characterizations were half-formed at best and the plotting was absolutely plodding. It all comes back to poor writing skills. It felt like I was reading something written for a middle school or high school assignment. Completely missing soul and skill, Dragon's Code falls flat on all counts, and would need a complete overhaul by an exceptionally skilled editor (or even a ghost writer) to be at all worthy of the paper it's printed on.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC.
October 4, 2018
I am having difficulty rating this book. I am a longtime fan of the Pern series. Rereading Anne's books are my book version of eating macaroni and cheese - comfort food. Reading Dragon's Code, I was frustrated and angry at the things that did not follow Anne's iconic series. I actually gained a new found appreciation of Todd's books in the series (despite his books being too sexualized IMO). Gigi giving nicknames of Pie and Lolly to two characters, Piemur and Menolly, that were so much a part of so many of the Pern books grated on me constantly.
The writing was ok. The 2nd half of the book was better story-telling, as to content, than the first. There was definitely too much information dump. The characters were flat. There was no emotional connection for me.
Reviews of this book were mixed from hated it to 5 stars. Therefore, I bought it in hard cover with hopes that the reality would be somewhere in the middle at a minimum. It wasn't. Anne's death made me sad that there would be no more Pern books. This book says that if there are more, they should be written by someone other than Gigi. It feels so rude to say that, but she doesn't have the depth of understanding of the history of the series and the characters. I am surprisingly wishing that Todd would write another Pern story. My hardcover copy will sit on my shelf with my collection, but I doubt I will ever read it again.
The writing was ok. The 2nd half of the book was better story-telling, as to content, than the first. There was definitely too much information dump. The characters were flat. There was no emotional connection for me.
Reviews of this book were mixed from hated it to 5 stars. Therefore, I bought it in hard cover with hopes that the reality would be somewhere in the middle at a minimum. It wasn't. Anne's death made me sad that there would be no more Pern books. This book says that if there are more, they should be written by someone other than Gigi. It feels so rude to say that, but she doesn't have the depth of understanding of the history of the series and the characters. I am surprisingly wishing that Todd would write another Pern story. My hardcover copy will sit on my shelf with my collection, but I doubt I will ever read it again.
November 13, 2018
I was hopeful....but that hope died a slow, painful death by utter boredom and despair as I attempted to make my way through this bland and unoriginal attempt at resurrecting the world of Pern once again. If you absolutely must read it- because Pern (and I totally get that)- check it out of your local public library so at least you don't spend any of your own hard earned money on what is but a half-hearted attempt.
What really bothered me about this book (besides that it was so boring) was that the author had an entire planet full of people and dragons. Surely there are all sorts of new storylines that could be developed while keeping faith with her mother's creations. Instead, we revisit old ground and resolve situations with a lucky discovery made because one of the main characters just happens to be in the right place at the right time- but it reads like the author really didn't know how to finish the story, so hey, let's just find a tonic from the past and lo! problem solved! Stop it! If someone tries this again, I suggest one rule: No more sick dragons. Find something else.
About the only thing interesting was the twins presented at the Impression of the queen egg. That could be a little strange, seeing your identical twin sister Impress a queen dragon. But the dragon made another choice. So should you, unless you are an insomniac and your preferred remedy is reading boring things before bedtime.
What really bothered me about this book (besides that it was so boring) was that the author had an entire planet full of people and dragons. Surely there are all sorts of new storylines that could be developed while keeping faith with her mother's creations. Instead, we revisit old ground and resolve situations with a lucky discovery made because one of the main characters just happens to be in the right place at the right time- but it reads like the author really didn't know how to finish the story, so hey, let's just find a tonic from the past and lo! problem solved! Stop it! If someone tries this again, I suggest one rule: No more sick dragons. Find something else.
About the only thing interesting was the twins presented at the Impression of the queen egg. That could be a little strange, seeing your identical twin sister Impress a queen dragon. But the dragon made another choice. So should you, unless you are an insomniac and your preferred remedy is reading boring things before bedtime.
October 7, 2018
I was surprised to come across this book at the library. Unfortunately, the author has nowhere near the talent of her mother, and the book comes over as badly-written fanfiction. The characters were flat, the dialogue stilted, and the prose awkward. I finished the book but only with great effort. If Anne McCaffrey's Pern books are a happy childhood memory for you, give this book a pass.
October 1, 2018
It wouldn't be fair to compare Gigi McCaffrey with her mother and I will not be doing that. Of course there are little things that you could argue are not canon or should have been caught by a few good and knwoledgeable Pern fans. I would have been surprised if there hadn't been. But that isn't what a book review is about, shouldn't be about. Fact is, Dragon's Code is a good and finely crafted Pern book. And I, for one, loved being "back in Ninth Pass Pern". Gigi does her mother's legacy proud.
The book belongs right there with the other Pern books and the fact it touches something that has happened and been written about in an earlier Pern book should also furnish admiration for the courage to tackle that particular subject. But not even that is enough recommendation.
This book is about Piemur. Piemur coming of age. From more or less wallowing in self pity to finding his place in life and as a harper on Pern. And a darn good tale it is.
I've read the reviews people put in after reading the advanced readers copy and none of them mentioned the scene about the death and funeral of Piemur's foster mother, Ama. Yeah, Ama... Not ashamed to tell you I cried and I wondered. I wondered how much of it was based on a certain real passing of a loved one. Anne McCaffrey always used her life experiences in her books, obvious if you read about her life. And her daughter clearly has the ability to do the same and spin a a good Pernese yarn.
Bottom line: would I recommend this book. Oh yes, I would! I know some Pern fans will be irritated by small things but overall this is a good Pern book and a worthwhile read. Thank you Gigi for giving Ninth Pass Pern a deserved chance. You did well.
The book belongs right there with the other Pern books and the fact it touches something that has happened and been written about in an earlier Pern book should also furnish admiration for the courage to tackle that particular subject. But not even that is enough recommendation.
This book is about Piemur. Piemur coming of age. From more or less wallowing in self pity to finding his place in life and as a harper on Pern. And a darn good tale it is.
I've read the reviews people put in after reading the advanced readers copy and none of them mentioned the scene about the death and funeral of Piemur's foster mother, Ama. Yeah, Ama... Not ashamed to tell you I cried and I wondered. I wondered how much of it was based on a certain real passing of a loved one. Anne McCaffrey always used her life experiences in her books, obvious if you read about her life. And her daughter clearly has the ability to do the same and spin a a good Pernese yarn.
Bottom line: would I recommend this book. Oh yes, I would! I know some Pern fans will be irritated by small things but overall this is a good Pern book and a worthwhile read. Thank you Gigi for giving Ninth Pass Pern a deserved chance. You did well.
January 17, 2019
So... extended fan-fiction, anyone?
Take an incident from The White Dragon, and give us an alternate point of view about what happened at the same time.
It's a nice story, it really is. It was nice to see Piemur again (since when do people call him Pie?) and Mennoly (Lolly???) again, and Masterharper Robinton is clever as usual.
Got to page 75 without any women but the old Weyrwoman, crazy about not having babies. Um. That never happened in the main books. Then Silvina is happy to have her wandering children come home to her table, hungry as ever. OK, that's 2 stereotypes until Menolly shows up again.
Way, way to many adjectives and doubled words, this book needed editing.
But I still enjoyed the story more than the series that focused on the watch-whers.
Take an incident from The White Dragon, and give us an alternate point of view about what happened at the same time.
It's a nice story, it really is. It was nice to see Piemur again (since when do people call him Pie?) and Mennoly (Lolly???) again, and Masterharper Robinton is clever as usual.
Got to page 75 without any women but the old Weyrwoman, crazy about not having babies. Um. That never happened in the main books. Then Silvina is happy to have her wandering children come home to her table, hungry as ever. OK, that's 2 stereotypes until Menolly shows up again.
Way, way to many adjectives and doubled words, this book needed editing.
But I still enjoyed the story more than the series that focused on the watch-whers.
September 23, 2018
Let me start out by saying that I have every book of Pern written by both Anne and Todd McCaffrey and have read the first 10 so many times that I had to replace my copy of Dragonriders of Pern because it fell to pieces from being read so many times. Yes, I am a huge fan!
It felt so good to be back in Anne McCaffrey’s world of the dragons, riders, and harpers of Pern.
In Dragon’s Code, Anne’s daughter Gigi takes over the reins from Anne’s son, Todd, and brings us Piemur’s story during the time of The White Dragon. We even get to see where Piemur came from and meet his family.
I fell back into Pern immediately and at times forgot this book was not written by Anne. (I mourned her passing greatly.) I found myself once again enthralled and teary eyed at an Impression, holding my breath during a journey Between, and on the edge of my seat when Thread fell.
I was so happy to be back with Piemur, Menolly, Masterharper Robinton, and their firelizards. I hope Gigi continues to give us more stories of Pern and the beloved characters I have loved for decades!
*Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey Books for the advance copy!*
It felt so good to be back in Anne McCaffrey’s world of the dragons, riders, and harpers of Pern.
In Dragon’s Code, Anne’s daughter Gigi takes over the reins from Anne’s son, Todd, and brings us Piemur’s story during the time of The White Dragon. We even get to see where Piemur came from and meet his family.
I fell back into Pern immediately and at times forgot this book was not written by Anne. (I mourned her passing greatly.) I found myself once again enthralled and teary eyed at an Impression, holding my breath during a journey Between, and on the edge of my seat when Thread fell.
I was so happy to be back with Piemur, Menolly, Masterharper Robinton, and their firelizards. I hope Gigi continues to give us more stories of Pern and the beloved characters I have loved for decades!
*Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey Books for the advance copy!*
February 9, 2019
It's been years since I read the original Pern books by Anne McCaffrey. I never really got into the ones written by her son, and I was completely unaware that her daughter was now continuing the family legacy. I read some other reviews that commented on how she didn't live up to her mother's reputation, but I decided to give Dragon's Code a go, anyway. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. Granted, it has been so long since I read the originals that if Gigi did take liberties with the characters, I probably wouldn't realize it. I did recognize the names, so it was nice to make their reacquaintance. And while the storyline maybe wasn't quite as polished as her mother's work, I think she shows some real potential here if given a chance. A couple of the scenes which I particularly enjoyed were the impressing of the dragon's egg and the musical gatherings in the evening. It was sad, but probably realistic that the "Oldtimers" would be feeling out of place, so I was pleased that she addressed that in her story and offered some redemption for them. All in all, I look forward to another book about Pern and the continuation of the weyrs and their stories!
September 26, 2022
Very nice addition to the Pern book series. Ann McCaffrey's daughter does a nice job of filling in the gaps between books with this story. Recommended
October 8, 2018
What to say. Disappointed. So very deeply disappointed by this novel. I had such excitement when I learned a new Pern novel was on the way. I preordered it in eager anticipation of its arrival and couldn’t wait to settle down and open the cover, and let its pages take me back to Pern.
The book description begins with these words:
“A new hero emerges in a divided world as one of sci-if’s most beloved series — Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern — relaunches with this original adventure from Anne’s daughter, Gigi McCaffrey.”
This was not ‘original’ at all.
This novel expands on events first told in Anne’s novel “The White Dragon”.
I find myself wondering if Gigi didn’t use edited pages cut from first drafts of The White Dragon to put this story together. Like others I found some things off-putting, since when do Runners have 6-legs? Characterization of characters such as Master Robinton and Piemur were off as well, they didn’t behave or act as I knew them from previous novels and while true, people change with the passing of time this novel is set and deals with the events well covered and familiar from The White Dragon.
The theft of Ramoth’s egg by the Old Timers and it’s safe return by Jaxom and Ruth - preventing the possible horror of dragon against dragon was not “original” at all!
Don’t get me wrong. It’s a decent addition to those well known and long written story events.
But it was promoted as a new, original story and this novel is anything but.
I expected and was anticipating new story. New events.
This just rehashes and expands on what has already been told.
I finished reading it with such a sense of disappointment it took me a few days to even be able to write this review.
I still feel deeply let down by the misleading book description and by the author. It was a good expansion on those events, so I’m giving it 2 stars rather than 1.
I really wanted to give it 5 stars before I read it, and I’m sad that I just can’t.
The book description begins with these words:
“A new hero emerges in a divided world as one of sci-if’s most beloved series — Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern — relaunches with this original adventure from Anne’s daughter, Gigi McCaffrey.”
This was not ‘original’ at all.
This novel expands on events first told in Anne’s novel “The White Dragon”.
I find myself wondering if Gigi didn’t use edited pages cut from first drafts of The White Dragon to put this story together. Like others I found some things off-putting, since when do Runners have 6-legs? Characterization of characters such as Master Robinton and Piemur were off as well, they didn’t behave or act as I knew them from previous novels and while true, people change with the passing of time this novel is set and deals with the events well covered and familiar from The White Dragon.
The theft of Ramoth’s egg by the Old Timers and it’s safe return by Jaxom and Ruth - preventing the possible horror of dragon against dragon was not “original” at all!
Don’t get me wrong. It’s a decent addition to those well known and long written story events.
But it was promoted as a new, original story and this novel is anything but.
I expected and was anticipating new story. New events.
This just rehashes and expands on what has already been told.
I finished reading it with such a sense of disappointment it took me a few days to even be able to write this review.
I still feel deeply let down by the misleading book description and by the author. It was a good expansion on those events, so I’m giving it 2 stars rather than 1.
I really wanted to give it 5 stars before I read it, and I’m sad that I just can’t.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 20, 2018
Dragon's Code: Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern
by Gigi McCaffrey
By fortunes providence I spent my birthday reading through this book. What a gift. When we Lost our Dear Anne McCaffrey in November of 2011, I mourned the loss of these stories. Although I read and enjoyed Todd McCaffrey's time in the sandbox, I also mourned the loss of his books when he stopped publishing. Anne McCaffrey has always been my favorite since I was in seventh grade and was given Dragonsinger to try. I have and own all her books in all her series, and her books have gotten me through some pretty hard times. I told Anne McCaffrey her importance in my life and her children have heard in my reviews over the years how this continues with these stories.
Gigi, has followed in her mother's footsteps bring a book not only from Pern but from that first series I read The Harper Hall series to life again. You find life lessons in this book like you do in all her mothers books. You find acceptance, love, compassion and remarkable understanding of the human spirit. Like her mother the reader will walk away with bits of advice, and profound compassion. I can see some differences between her style of writing and her mothers, but like Todd I don't mind the differences. The characters are still genuine to the original characters and the action sequence of events do not change the stories, just open up doors never seen before. This story like Masterharper of Pern Looks into more of the characters background that we knew before. It fleshes out part of the story we did not know and brings things to the forefront that we as fans and avid readers wish we had always know. Three cheers, Please keep writing, and tell Todd to get back in the sand box. Oh and if Rose is still willing, please help her get a chance to play. YOur mother was phenomenal, and her books made up the character of my life, not only by inspiriting me, but by teaching me. I have missed her voice most of all. Thank you .
by Gigi McCaffrey
By fortunes providence I spent my birthday reading through this book. What a gift. When we Lost our Dear Anne McCaffrey in November of 2011, I mourned the loss of these stories. Although I read and enjoyed Todd McCaffrey's time in the sandbox, I also mourned the loss of his books when he stopped publishing. Anne McCaffrey has always been my favorite since I was in seventh grade and was given Dragonsinger to try. I have and own all her books in all her series, and her books have gotten me through some pretty hard times. I told Anne McCaffrey her importance in my life and her children have heard in my reviews over the years how this continues with these stories.
Gigi, has followed in her mother's footsteps bring a book not only from Pern but from that first series I read The Harper Hall series to life again. You find life lessons in this book like you do in all her mothers books. You find acceptance, love, compassion and remarkable understanding of the human spirit. Like her mother the reader will walk away with bits of advice, and profound compassion. I can see some differences between her style of writing and her mothers, but like Todd I don't mind the differences. The characters are still genuine to the original characters and the action sequence of events do not change the stories, just open up doors never seen before. This story like Masterharper of Pern Looks into more of the characters background that we knew before. It fleshes out part of the story we did not know and brings things to the forefront that we as fans and avid readers wish we had always know. Three cheers, Please keep writing, and tell Todd to get back in the sand box. Oh and if Rose is still willing, please help her get a chance to play. YOur mother was phenomenal, and her books made up the character of my life, not only by inspiriting me, but by teaching me. I have missed her voice most of all. Thank you .
August 21, 2018
First of all, I've read many of the Pern books several times. And this one did connect with me; I was able to return to Pern and enjoy new details of one of my favorite places. I thought the author successfully struck a similar tone to her mother's writing, which allowed me to really relax into the world. The story focuses on Piemur and takes place during the events of the White Dragon. I don't really think of it as a stand-alone book. It is a real Pern book, though, and very entertaining if you remember White Dragon.
I couldn't put in down... until about 5/6 of the way through, when it suddenly started having characters lecture about not pursing revenge and forgiving. For pages and pages. I started skimming at the end. Also, the author made a serious error - she consolidates Fort Hold and the Harper Hall, which were separate entities in the original books. In Dragon's Code, she makes Silvinia headwoman of Fort Hold, and the students take meals in the same hall as Lord Groghe. Since Harper Hall was a loud academy with tons of running, yelling kids, I thought this was a strange error.
I'll continue to watch and follow this author and her Pern. I hope she grows in confidence and continues to write!
Thanks to Netgalley for an advance copy.
I couldn't put in down... until about 5/6 of the way through, when it suddenly started having characters lecture about not pursing revenge and forgiving. For pages and pages. I started skimming at the end. Also, the author made a serious error - she consolidates Fort Hold and the Harper Hall, which were separate entities in the original books. In Dragon's Code, she makes Silvinia headwoman of Fort Hold, and the students take meals in the same hall as Lord Groghe. Since Harper Hall was a loud academy with tons of running, yelling kids, I thought this was a strange error.
I'll continue to watch and follow this author and her Pern. I hope she grows in confidence and continues to write!
Thanks to Netgalley for an advance copy.
November 23, 2018
Dragons continue!
Seamless was the word that occurred to me. An avid reader of McCaffrey from when Dragonflight burst onto the scene I was so surprised and delighted by another Pern story told from the perspective of the once singer Piemur. His readjustment to life with the changes to his voice, his disappointments and quest to find a different place within the dragon halls form the background from which the action springs.
The time is in the now but the challenges face date back to the oldtimers living on the Southern continent. A situation is set in motion that could have dragon fighting dragon. Plots are hatched that arise from old situations.
We meet old friends and come more into step with the most recent characters and their doings on Pern. Masterharpers, singers, dragon riders are all represented.
Gigi McCaffrey has certainly echoes the voices of Pern without a hitch.
A pleasurable homecoming indeed!
A NetGalley ARC
Seamless was the word that occurred to me. An avid reader of McCaffrey from when Dragonflight burst onto the scene I was so surprised and delighted by another Pern story told from the perspective of the once singer Piemur. His readjustment to life with the changes to his voice, his disappointments and quest to find a different place within the dragon halls form the background from which the action springs.
The time is in the now but the challenges face date back to the oldtimers living on the Southern continent. A situation is set in motion that could have dragon fighting dragon. Plots are hatched that arise from old situations.
We meet old friends and come more into step with the most recent characters and their doings on Pern. Masterharpers, singers, dragon riders are all represented.
Gigi McCaffrey has certainly echoes the voices of Pern without a hitch.
A pleasurable homecoming indeed!
A NetGalley ARC
August 20, 2021
ReedIII Quick Review: Good, not great, novel allowing old fans back into the wonderful world of PERN created by the author's mother Anne McCaffrey. New fans should start with any of the original PERN novels.
August 23, 2018
I really enjoyed this addition to the Pern collection written by Anne McCaffrey's daughter Gigi McCaffrey. I have read six Pern books: the first three, and the Harper Hall trilogy. This book fits right in with those. We see Menolly, Sebell, and Robinton going about business—but this book is all about Piemur, and what he does after his voice breaks, and how he finds a new footing for himself in the world. I'm so glad that I got to follow him a little longer because he's one of my favorite characters in the series.
The backstory in this book is explained SO MUCH BETTER than all the other Pern books I've read. The other books can be hard to get into because the explanations are sketchy. I didn't fully understand them until I had read them twice and was able to fill in the details gleaned in all the different books. You could pick up this book first and be okay, even though there is a lot of story behind it in the other Pern books.
The backstory in this book is explained SO MUCH BETTER than all the other Pern books I've read. The other books can be hard to get into because the explanations are sketchy. I didn't fully understand them until I had read them twice and was able to fill in the details gleaned in all the different books. You could pick up this book first and be okay, even though there is a lot of story behind it in the other Pern books.
October 10, 2018
It has been some time since I have last been to Pern. I enjoyed this book despite some differences in characters and cannon. I miss Pern so much that I am embracing Gigi's voice which describes her vision. I am grateful for her writing and timing me to a well loved place and people. Gigi is not her Mother and has her own voice. Continue on Gigi, keep writing. And tell Todd I need a Todd fix too. #76 of 2018
January 2, 2019
There were some slow points that had me wondering if she was as great as a writer as her mother, but she pulled it off. Great book, Good ending. A lot of thought put into the Harper's roles. Some of the messages that were put on display in this book would be good for Earth to take under advisement.
LOVE LOVE LOVE!!! Thank you Todd for letting Gigi, "play in the sandbox."
Can not wait to read more.
LOVE LOVE LOVE!!! Thank you Todd for letting Gigi, "play in the sandbox."
Can not wait to read more.
December 6, 2018
הסיבה היחידה שלא נטשתי את הספר הזה באמצע הוא ההערכה הרבה שיש לי לאמא של הסופרת והאהבה הרבה לעולם. כתיבה נוראית ועריכה נוראית.
היא לקחה דמויות מוכרות ומרתקות ושיטחה אותן לקרטון. כתיבה גרועה וסיפור לא מעניין. ממליצה לשמור מרחק, במיוחד אם אתם קוראי פרן וותיקים. בתור פיצוי הולכת לקרוא קצת פאנפיקים בעולם. בנתיים ממה שדגמתי, הם כתובים הרבה יותר טוב מהספר הזה
היא לקחה דמויות מוכרות ומרתקות ושיטחה אותן לקרטון. כתיבה גרועה וסיפור לא מעניין. ממליצה לשמור מרחק, במיוחד אם אתם קוראי פרן וותיקים. בתור פיצוי הולכת לקרוא קצת פאנפיקים בעולם. בנתיים ממה שדגמתי, הם כתובים הרבה יותר טוב מהספר הזה
May 10, 2021
Lovers of the young adult trilogy, Harper Hall will enjoy this new perspective from Piemur. This book should be read after reading the original trilogy by Anne McCaffrey to fully appreciate this tale. When I read the original trilogy, I loved the first two books, Dragonsong and Dragonsinger. When it suddenly shifted to Piemur in Dragondrums, I was severely disappointed. Primarily because I didn't care for Piemur and didn't want to read about a "boy". There were so many stories already with boy leads. As a strong willed twelve year old girl three decades ago, this was a letdown. Returning as an adult to see another perspective from Piemur I am nostalgic for my younger more innocent years.
Piemur is in a tough situation where he is no longer a child yet not quite an adult. Anne McCaffrey's daughter, Gigi gives a slight different flavour than her mother. Gigi's writing is less emotional. As in, Piemur comes across as just a mini adult. Whilst Anne wrote him with child like antics and behaviours to be expected from a pre-teen young adult. It is hard to exactly point my finger on the subtle difference, but as an avid fan of the Original Ms. McCaffrey, there is a little bit of spark that is missing for me.
Still, this story brings back good memories of the original series. It takes us back to a time where there is turmoil and hard feelings. Feelings of resentment that are shown from the losing side. I enjoyed seeing from the other side because it is not so black and white when it comes to the Old timers. They were lauded as saviours and then within a book or two, they became horrid villains. That extreme always troubled me when I read this as a child. I couldn't understand how someone could go so bad and become so evil so quickly. Seeing the old timer's side from Gigi McCaffrey's perspective helped balance the story and made me a bit sad for these people. These people who sacrificed so much to do what they do best. And they are displaced in a modern time where the norm is drastically different then what they are accustomed to living.
Is this a commentary for those who grew up in a different time and now have to adjust to a world they can no longer understand? Where their value is no longer appreciated and instead, they previous benefits are ripped away and labeled as arrogant privilege? And yet not all the Oldtimers have difficult integrating into this new world. Those who can accept change and adopt new practices are thriving. But at what cost? Because now they are considered traitors. It is a quandary which Ms. McCaffrey does a nice job of setting up and letting the reader decide which side they fall on. I think as a teenager, I would have been outraged and sided with the current dragon rider regime. In my older jaded age, I can understand and empathize with the old timers. This is a tough call as there are no winners in this scenario, only losers. It will be interesting to see if Ms. McCaffrey will continue to revisit the old world and reminisce with beloved characters or if she will start fresh and begin where her mother left off. I had hoped for the later and I'm still optimistic we might learn what happens to this world after thread was finally defeated.
*provided by NetGalley
Piemur is in a tough situation where he is no longer a child yet not quite an adult. Anne McCaffrey's daughter, Gigi gives a slight different flavour than her mother. Gigi's writing is less emotional. As in, Piemur comes across as just a mini adult. Whilst Anne wrote him with child like antics and behaviours to be expected from a pre-teen young adult. It is hard to exactly point my finger on the subtle difference, but as an avid fan of the Original Ms. McCaffrey, there is a little bit of spark that is missing for me.
Still, this story brings back good memories of the original series. It takes us back to a time where there is turmoil and hard feelings. Feelings of resentment that are shown from the losing side. I enjoyed seeing from the other side because it is not so black and white when it comes to the Old timers. They were lauded as saviours and then within a book or two, they became horrid villains. That extreme always troubled me when I read this as a child. I couldn't understand how someone could go so bad and become so evil so quickly. Seeing the old timer's side from Gigi McCaffrey's perspective helped balance the story and made me a bit sad for these people. These people who sacrificed so much to do what they do best. And they are displaced in a modern time where the norm is drastically different then what they are accustomed to living.
Is this a commentary for those who grew up in a different time and now have to adjust to a world they can no longer understand? Where their value is no longer appreciated and instead, they previous benefits are ripped away and labeled as arrogant privilege? And yet not all the Oldtimers have difficult integrating into this new world. Those who can accept change and adopt new practices are thriving. But at what cost? Because now they are considered traitors. It is a quandary which Ms. McCaffrey does a nice job of setting up and letting the reader decide which side they fall on. I think as a teenager, I would have been outraged and sided with the current dragon rider regime. In my older jaded age, I can understand and empathize with the old timers. This is a tough call as there are no winners in this scenario, only losers. It will be interesting to see if Ms. McCaffrey will continue to revisit the old world and reminisce with beloved characters or if she will start fresh and begin where her mother left off. I had hoped for the later and I'm still optimistic we might learn what happens to this world after thread was finally defeated.
*provided by NetGalley
June 27, 2019
I received a digital copy of Dragon's Code from NetGalley.
Piemur has always been one of my favorite characters, in this we have his side of things when Southern dragonriders plot to take a queen egg and would be holder ambition upon the lands of Ruatha Hold meet. Piemur's anxiety over his changing voice and urgency to prove his value to Harper Hall as something of a spy, map maker and teacher amidst it all too.
Through Piemur's eyes we see Benden's queen egg was stolen and mysteriously returned. Piemur unravels this mystery and sees the Dragon queen hatch and impress, it's nice to put that small mystery their names to rest when I don't believe we knew them before. Perhaps we'll see Nimath and Mikay again in the future?
Piemur, with Menolly, Sebell, N'ton, his dragon Lioth, and J'hon and his dragon Mirth help keep a eye on Jaxom. It gets Sebell badly hurt so Piemur takes his found family home to meet his foster family in Crom. Home to Ama, his foster mother, her death and the likeness to her name with Anne's made my heart ache for Gigi and her family. I seem to read McCaffrey when I find loss in my own life, my own mother's passing just at the end of July is still a fresh wound in my heart only a few months old.
Piemur finds the strength to use his changed voice to sing his foster mother on, her death brings into focus his will to live for something - to bring the Old Timers of Southern Weyr into the present Pass, to offer to use his voice for them, so they can come to accept how time changes people, even if they are blinded by perceived faults.
I hope that Gigi McCaffrey does again soon write in the "sandbox" of Pern (which I can't help but think of as Weyr hatching grounds).
Piemur has always been one of my favorite characters, in this we have his side of things when Southern dragonriders plot to take a queen egg and would be holder ambition upon the lands of Ruatha Hold meet. Piemur's anxiety over his changing voice and urgency to prove his value to Harper Hall as something of a spy, map maker and teacher amidst it all too.
Through Piemur's eyes we see Benden's queen egg was stolen and mysteriously returned. Piemur unravels this mystery and sees the Dragon queen hatch and impress, it's nice to put that small mystery their names to rest when I don't believe we knew them before. Perhaps we'll see Nimath and Mikay again in the future?
Piemur, with Menolly, Sebell, N'ton, his dragon Lioth, and J'hon and his dragon Mirth help keep a eye on Jaxom. It gets Sebell badly hurt so Piemur takes his found family home to meet his foster family in Crom. Home to Ama, his foster mother, her death and the likeness to her name with Anne's made my heart ache for Gigi and her family. I seem to read McCaffrey when I find loss in my own life, my own mother's passing just at the end of July is still a fresh wound in my heart only a few months old.
Piemur finds the strength to use his changed voice to sing his foster mother on, her death brings into focus his will to live for something - to bring the Old Timers of Southern Weyr into the present Pass, to offer to use his voice for them, so they can come to accept how time changes people, even if they are blinded by perceived faults.
I hope that Gigi McCaffrey does again soon write in the "sandbox" of Pern (which I can't help but think of as Weyr hatching grounds).
July 31, 2022
Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern (DRoP) books were a huge part of my teen and young adult years, and have been a massive influence on my writing (to the point where I've been told that my fanfiction is almost indistinguishable from the source material in style – a fact that made me purr). I've lost count of how many times I've read the books, and each time I am transported in vivid detail to Pern. And I can understand the appeal. I mean, who wouldn't want to feel special enough to have a dragon bond with you? The DRoP books, in my opinion, blur the lines between fantasy and science fiction somewhat, and to sum up for those who've not read any of the books: colonists arrive on a planet and end up genetically modifying the native fauna (fire lizards) into large 'dragons' that can be ridden and used to burn a nasty 'thread' (alien spore that eats all organic material) that falls at certain times when a red star is visible in the sky. The riders share a telepathic bond with their highly intelligent dragons, and Anne wrote an entire series of books for this setting that have been perennially popular. In fact, it would not surprise me in the least if we eventually see them being produced for film. There certainly is more than enough fodder to mine.
But alas, Anne passed away in 2011, and her children have since stepped up to the plate to add to her body of work. Gigi, Anne's daughter, penned Dragon's Code, which is a sort of 'lower deck' story surrounding the events that occur in Anne's The White Dragon. We follow the doings of Piemur, the 'failed' harper as he's sent around the southern continent to do mapping. What Piemur is a tad bit too dim to understand is that he's really the eyes and ears of the famed Masterharper Robinton, who has placed him in a perfect position to keep an eye on a rogue band of dragonriders known as the "Oldtimers" who had been brought forward in time (yes, the dragons can time travel, in addition to teleport). Piemur uncovers a plot to steal a queen dragon egg, and although he's not pivotal in its return, he does play a part in the events that unfold.
One of the criticisms that is levelled at this work is that it doesn't cover any new ground. Gigi plays it safe by writing the connective tissue that plays out in the background of another work. My other criticism is that the writing itself could have used more rigorous editing – in terms of development and general technical considerations. The dialogue alone was enough to make me weep, with many 'as you know, Bob' type situations, where characters were clearly only talking about certain topics for readers' benefit. Not just that, but there was so much exposition, I wanted to tear out my eyes. I still need to go back to Anne's original writing to see how I feel about it after all the intervening years, but I don't recall her indulging in so. Much. Exposition.
There were instances of voices 'raised several octaves' which made me giggle uncontrollably, because clearly she meant the voices must've raised in volume and not pitch, and this is a common error non-musicians make that the editor *should* have caught.
Gigi also plays rather loose and fast with official canon. In my understanding of Anne's setting, her 'runner beasts' were horses that had been originally imported from Earth by the colonists. Gigi turns them into native, six-legged species with horse-like attributes, which made me want to crawl up the walls. In terms of characterisation, she totally misrepresented Masterharper Robinton. In Anne's works, he's shrewd and observant, but Gigi portrays him as being aloof, authoritarian and bumbling, especially in how he treats Piemur in such a patronising manner. This. Is. Not. Robinton. Nope. Nope. Nope. Also, Journeyman Sebell gets a whole new title when in Anne's books he's clearly a journeyman and not the fancy title Gigi gifts him.
Then Gigi commits one of the cardinal sins: that of writing an entire scene from the viewpoint from a third-person character while deliberately and oh-so-mysteriously not telling us who this person is, despite us having a perfectly good idea of what they're thinking, feeling. Gah! If you're writing a viewpoint character, DON'T DO THIS. This is a rookie move. This should never have flown in a traditionally published book. It's lazy, ham-fisted writing in a vague attempt to build tension. (Kinda like a murderer as viewpoint character in a whodunnit who conveniently doesn't mention that they're the darned bleeding murderer.)
Anyhow, that's my take on the matter, based on years of editing, being edited, and writing book reviews. Yeah, yeah, argument from authority and all that, but I'll stand by my opinion about viewpoint glitches such as the aforementioned because they truly grind my gears.
I'm glad that I listened to the audiobook capably narrated by Ryan Burke rather than read this book. I maintain that audio is a far more forgiving and engaging medium if the text is subpar, with many of the gremlins becoming somewhat less 'visible', so to speak. If anything, Dragon's Code has made me want to revisit Anne's work again, and perhaps even start writing a new fic in the setting, because the DRoP books occupy a special place in my heart. And if you do decide to give Dragon's Code a spin, perhaps if you view it as officially accepted fanfiction rather than canon, it's probably going to be perfectly all right to read (if you can get past the dialogue, characterisation, and viewpoint issues).
While it's perfectly possible to enjoy Dragon's Code without having read any of the other books set on Pern, I do suspect that much of what happens may go over your head. It's a big, sprawling world, with a lot of history, so I suspect Dragon's Code is very much aimed at the hardcore lore enthusiasts. Although those who are serious about lore and characterisation, will most likely be as disappointed as I was in the execution of what could have been a really good story. What I did enjoy was the glimpse into Piemur's past and upbringing before he studied in the Harper Hall. So there was that. Make of it what you will.
But alas, Anne passed away in 2011, and her children have since stepped up to the plate to add to her body of work. Gigi, Anne's daughter, penned Dragon's Code, which is a sort of 'lower deck' story surrounding the events that occur in Anne's The White Dragon. We follow the doings of Piemur, the 'failed' harper as he's sent around the southern continent to do mapping. What Piemur is a tad bit too dim to understand is that he's really the eyes and ears of the famed Masterharper Robinton, who has placed him in a perfect position to keep an eye on a rogue band of dragonriders known as the "Oldtimers" who had been brought forward in time (yes, the dragons can time travel, in addition to teleport). Piemur uncovers a plot to steal a queen dragon egg, and although he's not pivotal in its return, he does play a part in the events that unfold.
One of the criticisms that is levelled at this work is that it doesn't cover any new ground. Gigi plays it safe by writing the connective tissue that plays out in the background of another work. My other criticism is that the writing itself could have used more rigorous editing – in terms of development and general technical considerations. The dialogue alone was enough to make me weep, with many 'as you know, Bob' type situations, where characters were clearly only talking about certain topics for readers' benefit. Not just that, but there was so much exposition, I wanted to tear out my eyes. I still need to go back to Anne's original writing to see how I feel about it after all the intervening years, but I don't recall her indulging in so. Much. Exposition.
There were instances of voices 'raised several octaves' which made me giggle uncontrollably, because clearly she meant the voices must've raised in volume and not pitch, and this is a common error non-musicians make that the editor *should* have caught.
Gigi also plays rather loose and fast with official canon. In my understanding of Anne's setting, her 'runner beasts' were horses that had been originally imported from Earth by the colonists. Gigi turns them into native, six-legged species with horse-like attributes, which made me want to crawl up the walls. In terms of characterisation, she totally misrepresented Masterharper Robinton. In Anne's works, he's shrewd and observant, but Gigi portrays him as being aloof, authoritarian and bumbling, especially in how he treats Piemur in such a patronising manner. This. Is. Not. Robinton. Nope. Nope. Nope. Also, Journeyman Sebell gets a whole new title when in Anne's books he's clearly a journeyman and not the fancy title Gigi gifts him.
Then Gigi commits one of the cardinal sins: that of writing an entire scene from the viewpoint from a third-person character while deliberately and oh-so-mysteriously not telling us who this person is, despite us having a perfectly good idea of what they're thinking, feeling. Gah! If you're writing a viewpoint character, DON'T DO THIS. This is a rookie move. This should never have flown in a traditionally published book. It's lazy, ham-fisted writing in a vague attempt to build tension. (Kinda like a murderer as viewpoint character in a whodunnit who conveniently doesn't mention that they're the darned bleeding murderer.)
Anyhow, that's my take on the matter, based on years of editing, being edited, and writing book reviews. Yeah, yeah, argument from authority and all that, but I'll stand by my opinion about viewpoint glitches such as the aforementioned because they truly grind my gears.
I'm glad that I listened to the audiobook capably narrated by Ryan Burke rather than read this book. I maintain that audio is a far more forgiving and engaging medium if the text is subpar, with many of the gremlins becoming somewhat less 'visible', so to speak. If anything, Dragon's Code has made me want to revisit Anne's work again, and perhaps even start writing a new fic in the setting, because the DRoP books occupy a special place in my heart. And if you do decide to give Dragon's Code a spin, perhaps if you view it as officially accepted fanfiction rather than canon, it's probably going to be perfectly all right to read (if you can get past the dialogue, characterisation, and viewpoint issues).
While it's perfectly possible to enjoy Dragon's Code without having read any of the other books set on Pern, I do suspect that much of what happens may go over your head. It's a big, sprawling world, with a lot of history, so I suspect Dragon's Code is very much aimed at the hardcore lore enthusiasts. Although those who are serious about lore and characterisation, will most likely be as disappointed as I was in the execution of what could have been a really good story. What I did enjoy was the glimpse into Piemur's past and upbringing before he studied in the Harper Hall. So there was that. Make of it what you will.
October 28, 2018
It has been 5 years since the last 'Pern' book, so it was interesting to revisit the world, and see if there remains anything in the mine for the McCaffrey clan to extract. Sadly, the lode seems pretty much worked out, and 'Dragon's Code' merely fleshes out some details of events with which readers of the series would already be familiar. None of the extra insights are particularly surprising nor take the narrative anywhere significant.
In this instance, the major events surround the theft by recalcitrant 'Oldtimers' of Ramoth's queen egg, the rescue of the egg by Ruth and Jaxom, and the struggles of harper Piemur to find purpose in life after the loss of his youthful singing voice.
I guess readers will have to wait too see whether 'After the Fall is Over', if ever completed can give some insight to how dragonfolk may cope with a future in which the reason for their creation no longer exists. My personal hope is that, given that dragons can teleport, a rather novel method of spaceflight can be imagined and perhaps perfected!
In this instance, the major events surround the theft by recalcitrant 'Oldtimers' of Ramoth's queen egg, the rescue of the egg by Ruth and Jaxom, and the struggles of harper Piemur to find purpose in life after the loss of his youthful singing voice.
I guess readers will have to wait too see whether 'After the Fall is Over', if ever completed can give some insight to how dragonfolk may cope with a future in which the reason for their creation no longer exists. My personal hope is that, given that dragons can teleport, a rather novel method of spaceflight can be imagined and perhaps perfected!
October 4, 2018
This book was a waste of 13.00. I have been a fan of Anne MacCaffrey's Dragon books since the early 60's where her first story appeared in Analog magazine.
This book was supposed to be about a new character/hero in the Anne's Dragon world. Instead, her daughter took this book from Anne's book, The White Dragon, changed the events and made it appear to be her vision of Pern.
Anne's Son Todd, wrote many books in his Mother's world, and stayed true to the story line, not completely change what happened as his Sister Gigi did. I doubt I will buy any more her books relating to Pern.
Anne was writing her final book of the original series when she she passed away. This was supposed to tell us all what Lessa, Fla'r and the rest of the Dragon riders were going to do now that the threat of Thread was finally gone. It was supposed to be the premise for many more stories, and I keep waiting and hoping that Todd will finish that book.
Dragon's Code was a waste of money.
This book was supposed to be about a new character/hero in the Anne's Dragon world. Instead, her daughter took this book from Anne's book, The White Dragon, changed the events and made it appear to be her vision of Pern.
Anne's Son Todd, wrote many books in his Mother's world, and stayed true to the story line, not completely change what happened as his Sister Gigi did. I doubt I will buy any more her books relating to Pern.
Anne was writing her final book of the original series when she she passed away. This was supposed to tell us all what Lessa, Fla'r and the rest of the Dragon riders were going to do now that the threat of Thread was finally gone. It was supposed to be the premise for many more stories, and I keep waiting and hoping that Todd will finish that book.
Dragon's Code was a waste of money.
January 8, 2020
After a long hiatus, I'm back in Pern, at the story's present time, and at long last we have a decent story! Gigi McCaffrey's writing is a vast improvement over her brother's, and I hope she won't stop here. She's not quite as good as her mother, and this first dip into writing has shown that she can handle the world and the characters her mother created. They feel right, as these events happen in the midst of the story The White Dragon, giving us Piemur's point of view and fleshing out his involvement in the events. We see his character develop more, and although at times his introspection gets a little too long, it never becomes overly tedious.
My only beef was the ending - she resorted to a "grand gesture" that came off as a bit forced and kinda corny. But that was one minor blip in an otherwise solid offering, and it was nice to see familiar characters come to life again. My rating is 3.5 stars, but I'll round up.
My only beef was the ending - she resorted to a "grand gesture" that came off as a bit forced and kinda corny. But that was one minor blip in an otherwise solid offering, and it was nice to see familiar characters come to life again. My rating is 3.5 stars, but I'll round up.
July 2, 2025
I'm trying to decide between 4 (4.5) stars and 5 (4.5) stars.
I think if you are not thinking you want to read the Pern series this book can easily function as a standalone. It was very enjoyable and the writing was solid, the storytelling top-notch, and there was so much wonderful vocabulary!
The story is very relatable to current times, and had thoughtful messages about community, friendships, and societal effects on a person's actions. Proving books can be enjoyable and insightful at the same time.
Young Adult readers will like this book.
I think if you are not thinking you want to read the Pern series this book can easily function as a standalone. It was very enjoyable and the writing was solid, the storytelling top-notch, and there was so much wonderful vocabulary!
The story is very relatable to current times, and had thoughtful messages about community, friendships, and societal effects on a person's actions. Proving books can be enjoyable and insightful at the same time.
Young Adult readers will like this book.
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