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Pern #18
Dragon's Fire
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “A richly detailed story on a par with the rest of the Pern canon . . . another successful McCaffrey mother-and-son collaboration.”—Booklist At Natalon’s mining camp, Pellar embarks on a secret mission to discover whether the condemned criminals known as the Shunned are stealing coal. But the gifted tracker discovers that a far more treacherous plot is unfolding. A heartless thief named Tenim has realized there is profit to be made from firestone, the volatile mineral that enables the dragons of Pern to burn the lethal Thread out of the sky. When the last remaining firestone mine explodes, a desperate race begins to find a new deposit of the deadly but essential mineral. Sure enough, Tenim has a murderous plan to turn tragedy to his own advantage. Now Pellar and his new friends—the kind and gentle Halla, a child of the Shunned, and Cristov, the son of a corrupt miner—must stop Tenim. If they fail, it will mean the end for Pern and its dragonriders. “Grittier than the early parts of the series; Todd’s apparently brought a wider, more current worldview to Pern.”—The San Diego Union-Tribune “These fabled dragons still cast a spell.”—Publishers Weekly
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2006
241 people are currently reading
5146 people want to read
About the author
Anne McCaffrey
478 books7,755 followersAnne Inez McCaffrey was an American writer known for the Dragonriders of Pern science fiction series. She was the first woman to win a Hugo Award for fiction (Best Novella, Weyr Search, 1968) and the first to win a Nebula Award (Best Novella, Dragonrider, 1969). Her 1978 novel The White Dragon became one of the first science-fiction books to appear on the New York Times Best Seller list.
In 2005 the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America named McCaffrey its 22nd Grand Master, an annual award to living writers of fantasy and science fiction. She was inducted by the Science Fiction Hall of Fame on 17 June 2006. She also received the Robert A. Heinlein Award for her work in 2007.
In 2005 the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America named McCaffrey its 22nd Grand Master, an annual award to living writers of fantasy and science fiction. She was inducted by the Science Fiction Hall of Fame on 17 June 2006. She also received the Robert A. Heinlein Award for her work in 2007.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 277 reviews
February 25, 2009
Someone needs to sit Todd down and explain the virtues of continuity to him.
November 8, 2018
Another fantastic book. And another book that I had not read the first couple of times I read this series. These were not out yet. I had not read any of the books that she had done with her son, Todd.
I find it really interesting to get into new characters and other sides of Pern. I never would have thought I would get attached to miners and shunned, but that is exactly what happened. I knew about Firestone, but never really knew about it in depth. It was a great story full of interesting history of Firestone and great characters. There was plenty of drama and twists and turns.
The ending couldn't have been better. The miner gets what he deserves in the end. And the mute harper has love. It's a beautiful story of survival and life and love.
I find it really interesting to get into new characters and other sides of Pern. I never would have thought I would get attached to miners and shunned, but that is exactly what happened. I knew about Firestone, but never really knew about it in depth. It was a great story full of interesting history of Firestone and great characters. There was plenty of drama and twists and turns.
The ending couldn't have been better. The miner gets what he deserves in the end. And the mute harper has love. It's a beautiful story of survival and life and love.
February 14, 2009
Todd is really grasping to find problems for Pern to deal with that don't involve some form of lord holder misbehavior. This time it's firestone that explodes when it touches any amount of water (sweat included, yet the moisture in dragons' mouths doesn't make it erupt somehow). So they have to solve this problem somehow. That seems like a stretch to me, but I'm not prepared to reject this book on that reason alone.
The worse problem in my opinion is that none of the characters in this book seem to have any reason for the things they do or feel. Why does the main male lead take a liking to the girl he does, for instance? He has a fine speech about it at the end of the book but the words are coming from a place that doesn't exist on this plane of reality.
This is where I decided to stop reading novels of Pern, and from what I've seen on the shelves I'm not regretting it. The chief problem in the next two novels I saw was a plague. We had a plague in the last novel. That's three plagues in 4 books. Come on.
The worse problem in my opinion is that none of the characters in this book seem to have any reason for the things they do or feel. Why does the main male lead take a liking to the girl he does, for instance? He has a fine speech about it at the end of the book but the words are coming from a place that doesn't exist on this plane of reality.
This is where I decided to stop reading novels of Pern, and from what I've seen on the shelves I'm not regretting it. The chief problem in the next two novels I saw was a plague. We had a plague in the last novel. That's three plagues in 4 books. Come on.
April 22, 2013
Can I give this book 0 stars? It rambles from place to place like something undead. Characters move and interact, but there's no point in the interaction because nobody grows. There is sex but no desire, there are personalities but they don't come into play. After 3 hours of listening I found myself banging my head against the window praying something would happen that I could care about.
Note that I loved Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders books. But this book was written by Todd, and he's not Anne by any stretch.
Note that I loved Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders books. But this book was written by Todd, and he's not Anne by any stretch.
October 11, 2017
Todd McCaffrey did okay with his first novel Dragon's Kin, but this offering is the beginning of a disappointing journey.
Dragon's Fire has some good qualities thought I suspect not ones that the author intended. I actually enjoyed reading about Master Zist. The character protrayal was at such odds with other characters previously associated with Harperhall (which are usually either the epitome of wisdom and purity or grumpy old professors). Master Zist is the first character in all of the Pern novels to have serious flaws, however I must reiterate that I don't actually believe the author had this in mind.
Master Zist is a bitter and slightly insane man set on solving the problem of the Shunned (exiled people with big blue 'S' tattooed onto there foreheads). He first sends an apprentice, Moran, (presumably barely more than a child) to go find them. Moran becomes what he set out to find. A thief happy to sway and be swayed by a sexual mother and daughter all while trying to care for a band of children. His reasoning for not taking the children to the nearest hold or Harper only serves to show how truly lost the young man was.
Zist then attempts to find the Shunned himself. The sad result of this is his wife and baby die while trying to cure a fever amongst the Shunned. Zist is left with only his mute foster son who he finally agrees to apprentice. Zist is shipped of to a remote mining hold (Camp Natalon from Dragon's Kin) and thus begins an attempt to add Pellar as a main character in a previously written story. This is achieved by having the twelve year old boy camp by himself in the forest and being rarely allowed to visit Zist (and in doing so have a good meal and a comfy bed). Zist displays no paternal care, hunting Pellar out the hut in the middle of the night, flaunting his new apprentice and talking about gatherings in which Pellar cannot attend.
I find his character to have many layers and his lack of care for his apprentices, his stupidity in sending boys out alone was a refreshing change from such perfect and wise Harperhall residents as Menolly, Sebell and Robington.
This is the first book in which it becomes obvious that the author has a thing for prepubescent and barely adult main characters. It worked in his first novel Dragons Kin but in this book it becomes difficult to relate to an eight year old girl galavanting around the forest chasing trails and surviving on her own, let alone being encouraged to do such by her new Lord Holder (*spoiler* At one stage the girl seeks refuge in a hold, she is willing accepted but quickly sent back out by the Lord Holder to find the Shunned).
Later when a romance and bonding occurs between two children, barely adults, it becomes difficult to swallow. Likewise when three children discover and establish three firestone mines I am left wondering where are all the adults in this book? Towards the end of the book the author stages a conversation between the three main characters, all of which must be under fifteen, in which they explain to each other, presumably to satisfy the reader, why they are so mature and ready to form lifelong partnerships. It is difficult to swallow.
2.5 stars
Dragon's Fire has some good qualities thought I suspect not ones that the author intended. I actually enjoyed reading about Master Zist. The character protrayal was at such odds with other characters previously associated with Harperhall (which are usually either the epitome of wisdom and purity or grumpy old professors). Master Zist is the first character in all of the Pern novels to have serious flaws, however I must reiterate that I don't actually believe the author had this in mind.
Master Zist is a bitter and slightly insane man set on solving the problem of the Shunned (exiled people with big blue 'S' tattooed onto there foreheads). He first sends an apprentice, Moran, (presumably barely more than a child) to go find them. Moran becomes what he set out to find. A thief happy to sway and be swayed by a sexual mother and daughter all while trying to care for a band of children. His reasoning for not taking the children to the nearest hold or Harper only serves to show how truly lost the young man was.
Zist then attempts to find the Shunned himself. The sad result of this is his wife and baby die while trying to cure a fever amongst the Shunned. Zist is left with only his mute foster son who he finally agrees to apprentice. Zist is shipped of to a remote mining hold (Camp Natalon from Dragon's Kin) and thus begins an attempt to add Pellar as a main character in a previously written story. This is achieved by having the twelve year old boy camp by himself in the forest and being rarely allowed to visit Zist (and in doing so have a good meal and a comfy bed). Zist displays no paternal care, hunting Pellar out the hut in the middle of the night, flaunting his new apprentice and talking about gatherings in which Pellar cannot attend.
I find his character to have many layers and his lack of care for his apprentices, his stupidity in sending boys out alone was a refreshing change from such perfect and wise Harperhall residents as Menolly, Sebell and Robington.
This is the first book in which it becomes obvious that the author has a thing for prepubescent and barely adult main characters. It worked in his first novel Dragons Kin but in this book it becomes difficult to relate to an eight year old girl galavanting around the forest chasing trails and surviving on her own, let alone being encouraged to do such by her new Lord Holder (*spoiler* At one stage the girl seeks refuge in a hold, she is willing accepted but quickly sent back out by the Lord Holder to find the Shunned).
Later when a romance and bonding occurs between two children, barely adults, it becomes difficult to swallow. Likewise when three children discover and establish three firestone mines I am left wondering where are all the adults in this book? Towards the end of the book the author stages a conversation between the three main characters, all of which must be under fifteen, in which they explain to each other, presumably to satisfy the reader, why they are so mature and ready to form lifelong partnerships. It is difficult to swallow.
2.5 stars
August 16, 2008
Ok, so I know it's frowned upon to write a review on a book that you didn't actually read the whole way through, but I honestly did try.
I'm a big Anne McCaffrey fan, the Pern series being my favourite of hers. But unfortunately, writing doesn't seem to be a skill that was passed from Mother to Son, because Todd McCaffrey is not all that great.
The characters were dull and uninteresting, their motivations were often confusing or just plain stupid, the story rambled and by the time I'd reached about the half-way mark (which is where I gave up), I was still unsure as to what the actual point of the story was.
Also, it seems quite removed from the Pern of other books. For one thing, loosing a dragon is supposed to be a tragic event (see Brekke in Dragonquest and Lytol in Dragonflight) and yet here one character acts completely normal save for the occassional 'painful' pause when something blatantly reminds him of his loss.
These issues wouldn't have been quite so offputting were it not for the writing style - I can put up with plenty of deficiencies in plot and characterisation if the book is written in a pleasing style (Memoirs of a Geisha is a good example. No real depth but very pretty and an enjoyable escapism read). But the writing in this book was the main thing that made me put it down in the first place. There's little descriptive text, nothing to draw the reader in.
For fans of the Pern series, this might be worth a read simply to continue the saga, but if you're anything like me you'll probably be disgusted at the poor quality. My advise would be to borrow, not buy.
I'm a big Anne McCaffrey fan, the Pern series being my favourite of hers. But unfortunately, writing doesn't seem to be a skill that was passed from Mother to Son, because Todd McCaffrey is not all that great.
The characters were dull and uninteresting, their motivations were often confusing or just plain stupid, the story rambled and by the time I'd reached about the half-way mark (which is where I gave up), I was still unsure as to what the actual point of the story was.
Also, it seems quite removed from the Pern of other books. For one thing, loosing a dragon is supposed to be a tragic event (see Brekke in Dragonquest and Lytol in Dragonflight) and yet here one character acts completely normal save for the occassional 'painful' pause when something blatantly reminds him of his loss.
These issues wouldn't have been quite so offputting were it not for the writing style - I can put up with plenty of deficiencies in plot and characterisation if the book is written in a pleasing style (Memoirs of a Geisha is a good example. No real depth but very pretty and an enjoyable escapism read). But the writing in this book was the main thing that made me put it down in the first place. There's little descriptive text, nothing to draw the reader in.
For fans of the Pern series, this might be worth a read simply to continue the saga, but if you're anything like me you'll probably be disgusted at the poor quality. My advise would be to borrow, not buy.
March 22, 2022
Very nice read. These early books in the history of Pern are awesome for revealing much on the things only hinted at in the original stories. Very recommended
January 9, 2009
Well, it's not really fair to judge Todd McCaffrey against his mama. Just because Anne McCaffrey is his mama doesn't mean he will write like her. And he doesn't, which is fine, really. If he tried and failed, it would be really disappointing. So that's why I think it's probably a good thing that he is writing about a different time in Pern history than Anne does, and his focus tends to be on the whers and the "civilians" rather than the dragonriders and the ruling class.
So with that reminder to myself, I can honestly say that I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was pretty complex plot-wise overall. I liked the story of the Shunned and how they might be dealt with once Thread started to fall again. I also liked the little spin that maybe not *everyone* on Pern would jump at the chance to Impress a dragon. I thought it was really cool, actually, the way Cristov put his duty as he perceived it before his own desires. Of course, he got the bronze in the end, but it was almost an afterthought. We weren't even there for the Hatching. That's all right, though. I don't think anyone can write an Impression scene a fraction as well as Anne, so I'm a little relieved Todd didn't try.
I liked the plot of the firestone as well, which is good since it is the theme of the book overall. I was so confused when they were discussing how dangerous firestone was and how it explodes on contact with water. I didn't remember any of that from Anne's Pern books. Just that it was somewhat tummy-upsetting for the dragons. But I thought it was a rather unique and clever twist to make it a different kind. There was the added tension of knowing that the dangerous firestone seemed to be running out, and without it, the dragons can't flame Thread. So when the not!dangerous firestone was found, it was a relief, partly since no more dragons would get blown up from wet firestones and since the nicer firestone was implied to be much more plentiful.
One thing I noticed that I did NOT like was that the editing on this one was fairly shoddy. There was a Gather scene near the middle that was nearly verbatim of the Gather scene in the beginning. So much so that it gave me some major cognitive dissonance for a moment and I went back to the first Gather scene to review it. For a minute, I thought I got a defective copy that had been bound with a partial story, then the beginning bound again or something.
I also didn't care much for some of the slang he used. It seemed too out of place. I know that these Pernese are much older, closer to the actual colonists, than the original Pern of Anne's creation with F'lar and Lessa. But it still was sort of jarring when, some slang or expression was used that would sound proper in a teen today, not a Lord holder on Pern.
Overall, I give this one 3 stars because I liked it very well, but nnot loved it, and I doubt that a Todd McCaffrey book will ever earn 5 stars like Anne's. I remain hopeful, though, that I will prove myself wrong. I'd give it 3.5, if that was an option. 3 is a little too low but 4's too many.
So with that reminder to myself, I can honestly say that I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was pretty complex plot-wise overall. I liked the story of the Shunned and how they might be dealt with once Thread started to fall again. I also liked the little spin that maybe not *everyone* on Pern would jump at the chance to Impress a dragon. I thought it was really cool, actually, the way Cristov put his duty as he perceived it before his own desires. Of course, he got the bronze in the end, but it was almost an afterthought. We weren't even there for the Hatching. That's all right, though. I don't think anyone can write an Impression scene a fraction as well as Anne, so I'm a little relieved Todd didn't try.
I liked the plot of the firestone as well, which is good since it is the theme of the book overall. I was so confused when they were discussing how dangerous firestone was and how it explodes on contact with water. I didn't remember any of that from Anne's Pern books. Just that it was somewhat tummy-upsetting for the dragons. But I thought it was a rather unique and clever twist to make it a different kind. There was the added tension of knowing that the dangerous firestone seemed to be running out, and without it, the dragons can't flame Thread. So when the not!dangerous firestone was found, it was a relief, partly since no more dragons would get blown up from wet firestones and since the nicer firestone was implied to be much more plentiful.
One thing I noticed that I did NOT like was that the editing on this one was fairly shoddy. There was a Gather scene near the middle that was nearly verbatim of the Gather scene in the beginning. So much so that it gave me some major cognitive dissonance for a moment and I went back to the first Gather scene to review it. For a minute, I thought I got a defective copy that had been bound with a partial story, then the beginning bound again or something.
I also didn't care much for some of the slang he used. It seemed too out of place. I know that these Pernese are much older, closer to the actual colonists, than the original Pern of Anne's creation with F'lar and Lessa. But it still was sort of jarring when, some slang or expression was used that would sound proper in a teen today, not a Lord holder on Pern.
Overall, I give this one 3 stars because I liked it very well, but nnot loved it, and I doubt that a Todd McCaffrey book will ever earn 5 stars like Anne's. I remain hopeful, though, that I will prove myself wrong. I'd give it 3.5, if that was an option. 3 is a little too low but 4's too many.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 8, 2009
Blech.
Either I'm getting too old for these or this book wasn't up to par. Too much exposition. I had difficulty differentiating characters (miners and bad guys). I didn't really care for any of them. It'd been so long since I read the previous book that it took me a while to figure out they were dealing with the same set of circumstances. I realize they wanted to make the one Weyr's second gathering flight the same as last time, but it's just plain laziness to cut and paste the description from the first part of the book. And the last line is so cheesy I actually groaned.
As I closed the book, I said, "Well, that was a horrible book." Not horrible enough for me not to finish it, however. I don't know if it was optimism or nostalgia that kept me going. I'll probably even read the next one just because I want to know what happens in the story.
Either I'm getting too old for these or this book wasn't up to par. Too much exposition. I had difficulty differentiating characters (miners and bad guys). I didn't really care for any of them. It'd been so long since I read the previous book that it took me a while to figure out they were dealing with the same set of circumstances. I realize they wanted to make the one Weyr's second gathering flight the same as last time, but it's just plain laziness to cut and paste the description from the first part of the book. And the last line is so cheesy I actually groaned.
As I closed the book, I said, "Well, that was a horrible book." Not horrible enough for me not to finish it, however. I don't know if it was optimism or nostalgia that kept me going. I'll probably even read the next one just because I want to know what happens in the story.
June 27, 2022
More history of Pern--the discovery of the mines, of fire-rock, of friends and the age old good vs evil. I'll say one thing, when McCaffrey creates the evil, they are really, really evil. Most of the book I kept awaiting the moment when the evil characters were destroyed, or ...
People who had committed any crime against Pern or the Hold could be shunned. Once shunned they were unable to work, unable to ask for help, unable to get medical care, became victims of prejudice and scorn. Their one alternative--to steal and use knavery and trickery. Now they are more of a danger to Pern than ever. Sounds familiar?
Many interesting characters here, and of course more dragons and watch-wehrs and dragonriders. I can't wait for my next Pern book.
People who had committed any crime against Pern or the Hold could be shunned. Once shunned they were unable to work, unable to ask for help, unable to get medical care, became victims of prejudice and scorn. Their one alternative--to steal and use knavery and trickery. Now they are more of a danger to Pern than ever. Sounds familiar?
Many interesting characters here, and of course more dragons and watch-wehrs and dragonriders. I can't wait for my next Pern book.
September 11, 2023
Note: My partner and I are reading the Pern series in chronological order using this list: https://www.howtoread.me/dragonriders...
Previously: Dragon's Kin
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I hypothesize that Anne McCaffrey had more to do with this one. There's all the logistics going into setting up the mines, and the book has more of that feel that these are just people going around doing their lives.
So, we're seeing the events from Dragon's Kin play out from a different perspective. We've got a couple of new pretty flat asshole characters, Tenim and D'gan, but we're also introduced to Moran who does have some complexity, and Tarik gains a bit of depth as well.
I don't know how D'gan even impressed a dragon at all. Even though I didn't care for Sean (early colonizer and one of the first dragon riders) at all, he at least gave a shit about other people besides himself.
Pellar, Halla, and Cristov were pretty interesting to follow as the drama of explosions, disappearances, trying to get a grip on slippery Tenim, and their final triumphant discovery unfolds.
There's also some complicated commentary on the shunned: how they've been treated and how to safely integrate them back into society.
We follow a similar vein with the watchwher community, as well.
But holy f*ck, there's more kids having sex in this than I would've preferred (which is none at all but thankfully it's not graphic). A 13 year old with a 16 year old, a 14 ish year old with an 18 ish year old, the 18 ish year old with old guys, older women hitting on 13 year old. Child marriage is totally normal. An adult forces a hug on an unwilling child in possibly the creepiest scene in the whole book. Someone just tell me what the f*ck and why?
Also, there's this pretty intense vibe that women are flesh bags with holes in them that wear out after awhile. Halla is respected because she's "Pellar's voice." They couldn't find enough lads to impress dragons (they aren't even giving lip service to female dragonriders anymore).
I could hardly even focus on the story sometimes.
Oh, and also why did the trader specifically point out that Halla was swarthy. That gives me "this is outside the norm" vibes. What happened to that diverse group of colonizers? Did they just become either white or swarthy.
Y'all, I think I gotta go with 2 stars.
Next: Dragon Harper
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Previously: Dragon's Kin
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I hypothesize that Anne McCaffrey had more to do with this one. There's all the logistics going into setting up the mines, and the book has more of that feel that these are just people going around doing their lives.
So, we're seeing the events from Dragon's Kin play out from a different perspective. We've got a couple of new pretty flat asshole characters, Tenim and D'gan, but we're also introduced to Moran who does have some complexity, and Tarik gains a bit of depth as well.
I don't know how D'gan even impressed a dragon at all. Even though I didn't care for Sean (early colonizer and one of the first dragon riders) at all, he at least gave a shit about other people besides himself.
Pellar, Halla, and Cristov were pretty interesting to follow as the drama of explosions, disappearances, trying to get a grip on slippery Tenim, and their final triumphant discovery unfolds.
There's also some complicated commentary on the shunned: how they've been treated and how to safely integrate them back into society.
We follow a similar vein with the watchwher community, as well.
But holy f*ck, there's more kids having sex in this than I would've preferred (which is none at all but thankfully it's not graphic). A 13 year old with a 16 year old, a 14 ish year old with an 18 ish year old, the 18 ish year old with old guys, older women hitting on 13 year old. Child marriage is totally normal. An adult forces a hug on an unwilling child in possibly the creepiest scene in the whole book. Someone just tell me what the f*ck and why?
Also, there's this pretty intense vibe that women are flesh bags with holes in them that wear out after awhile. Halla is respected because she's "Pellar's voice." They couldn't find enough lads to impress dragons (they aren't even giving lip service to female dragonriders anymore).
I could hardly even focus on the story sometimes.
Oh, and also why did the trader specifically point out that Halla was swarthy. That gives me "this is outside the norm" vibes. What happened to that diverse group of colonizers? Did they just become either white or swarthy.
Y'all, I think I gotta go with 2 stars.
Next: Dragon Harper
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
January 1, 2016
Pern is going through some growing pains 490 years After Landing. The common punishment for lawbreaking is Shunning of the lawbreaker and his or her family leaving roving bands of lawbreakers wandering Pern. In many cases, this means roving bands of children who have committed no crime but who are in danger of starvation.
It is also a time when mining for the firestone that the dragons need when Thread falls is at a low point. Any contact with water means the firestone explodes. When the story begins there is only one working mine.
There are quite a few viewpoint characters. All of them are quite young and are all about 10 to 12 when the story begins. Pellar is a mute orphan taken in by Harpers and trained to gather information. He is a gifted tracker and has great survival skills. Halla is a child of the Shunned is is busy caring for other young orphans. Cristov is a young miner whose father has been Shunned because he was stealing from the mine for his own profit. His father's thefts and corner-cutting caused the deaths of a number of miners. Cristov is determined to make up for his father's crimes. We also see Kindan again though his role in this story is relatively minor.
This story, along with many of the rest co-authored by Todd McCaffrey, takes place around the time of the Third Pass. The characters know that Threadfall is coming but it is still a number of years away.
The main villain of this story is Tenim who was also the child of Shunned parents and who is living up to their evil. He is a thief and murderer. His major plot in this story is to gain great wealth by cornering the market on firestone. He is willing to destroy mines and kill miners to further his plans.
I enjoyed the way the various plot threads were woven together in this one. I liked that a better solution for the Shunned was finally found because it never seemed fair to me that children should be punished for crimes their parents committed. I liked that all the Weyrleaders were not the same though I do wonder how D'gan of Telgar managed to impress his dragon. D'gan makes a fine secondary villain in this story because of his mistreatment of the Shunned and his single-minded pursuit of firestone no matter what it cost in lives.
This was another great entry into the long-running Pern series. In the internal chronology of the series this is probably book five. Published in 2006, it appears 38 years after the first published Pern book.
It is also a time when mining for the firestone that the dragons need when Thread falls is at a low point. Any contact with water means the firestone explodes. When the story begins there is only one working mine.
There are quite a few viewpoint characters. All of them are quite young and are all about 10 to 12 when the story begins. Pellar is a mute orphan taken in by Harpers and trained to gather information. He is a gifted tracker and has great survival skills. Halla is a child of the Shunned is is busy caring for other young orphans. Cristov is a young miner whose father has been Shunned because he was stealing from the mine for his own profit. His father's thefts and corner-cutting caused the deaths of a number of miners. Cristov is determined to make up for his father's crimes. We also see Kindan again though his role in this story is relatively minor.
This story, along with many of the rest co-authored by Todd McCaffrey, takes place around the time of the Third Pass. The characters know that Threadfall is coming but it is still a number of years away.
The main villain of this story is Tenim who was also the child of Shunned parents and who is living up to their evil. He is a thief and murderer. His major plot in this story is to gain great wealth by cornering the market on firestone. He is willing to destroy mines and kill miners to further his plans.
I enjoyed the way the various plot threads were woven together in this one. I liked that a better solution for the Shunned was finally found because it never seemed fair to me that children should be punished for crimes their parents committed. I liked that all the Weyrleaders were not the same though I do wonder how D'gan of Telgar managed to impress his dragon. D'gan makes a fine secondary villain in this story because of his mistreatment of the Shunned and his single-minded pursuit of firestone no matter what it cost in lives.
This was another great entry into the long-running Pern series. In the internal chronology of the series this is probably book five. Published in 2006, it appears 38 years after the first published Pern book.
May 9, 2015
I read the Pern books long ago. Decided to re-read in "chronological order". Then I got to the ones Todd McCaffrey wrote, both in conjunction with his mother and on his own. I made it through the first, Dragon's Kin, which wasn't TOO bad, and the second, Dragon Harper, which was okay, then got through about half of Dragon's Fire, and now a quarter of the way into Dragon Heart, I just can't go on. When I look at the ratings, I'm astonished to see his books rated as high as hers...is it just loyalty? Why can't people see the vast, gigantic difference between her most excellent writing and his pathetic attempts?
His books are pedantic, fluff-filled, stilted and downright boring. There is no life to them, the ones I've read are all about plagues, there's no humor, there are so many characters thrown in, I can't keep track of who's who, or even who's a dragon and who's a human. The dialog is terrible, the "plots" ramble around in circles...I am totally mystified as to why they get such high ratings. I hope that people READ the 1 and 2 star reviews and don't just assume from the star count that they're as good as the REAL Pern books. I wasted some money, won't read the rest of what he's written.
His books are pedantic, fluff-filled, stilted and downright boring. There is no life to them, the ones I've read are all about plagues, there's no humor, there are so many characters thrown in, I can't keep track of who's who, or even who's a dragon and who's a human. The dialog is terrible, the "plots" ramble around in circles...I am totally mystified as to why they get such high ratings. I hope that people READ the 1 and 2 star reviews and don't just assume from the star count that they're as good as the REAL Pern books. I wasted some money, won't read the rest of what he's written.
December 16, 2013
I have to say that Pellar is definitely unusual for a harper, but I loved him all the more for it. It's always fun to see other characters popping up from earlier in the series, and Master Zist is one of my favorites. Grumpy old man with a heart of gold! But Pellar is amazing as well, and I love his abilities and how he never gives up, despite his inability to speak.
This book is definitely a lot darker than some of the others in this series, and I did enjoy it for that. It talked about the Shunned, those who have been expelled from Holds for various crimes and live as best they can without the protection of the Holds. But with Thread coming soon, what will these desperates do to keep themselves alive? Overwhelm a Hold? Worse?
It was interesting to see another way of dealing with crime and the problems it holds as well. I appreciate the social commentary, even on an alien world with dragons.
This book is definitely a lot darker than some of the others in this series, and I did enjoy it for that. It talked about the Shunned, those who have been expelled from Holds for various crimes and live as best they can without the protection of the Holds. But with Thread coming soon, what will these desperates do to keep themselves alive? Overwhelm a Hold? Worse?
It was interesting to see another way of dealing with crime and the problems it holds as well. I appreciate the social commentary, even on an alien world with dragons.
April 3, 2009
A well written book in the series, this book does a good job in filling out some of the details and background of the events that happen prior to, during, and after Dragon's Kin. The first half of the book directly overlaps with Dragon's kin, while the second half picks up where it left off and refers to the lives and plights of The Shunned. Those who've been exiled from teh holds for certain crimes and the dangers of the occupation of mining firestone. The dragonriders and miners must discover a new source of firestone as the last mine had blown up due to firestone's volatility and fast as they have only a couple of years before the next threadfall begins.
February 6, 2019
Dragon's Fire (2006) by Todd and Anne McCaffrey is a forgettable waste of time. It adds nothing of worth to Pern canon, features bland and unmemorable characters, clunkly plotlines, and retreads of events that we saw in other books. While the retread of events by itself isn't a bad thing, their implementation added nothing but word count. This book didn't need more words.
I had to force myself to skim until the end. I couldn't skim fast enough. Fortunately, the plot was so shallow that most of it didn't matter.
Good Things: This books doesn't feature a plague.
Bad Things: Everything else.
I normally write longer reviews, but this book doesn't deserve such kind treatment.
I had to force myself to skim until the end. I couldn't skim fast enough. Fortunately, the plot was so shallow that most of it didn't matter.
Good Things: This books doesn't feature a plague.
Bad Things: Everything else.
I normally write longer reviews, but this book doesn't deserve such kind treatment.
November 22, 2009
I should've remembered that Dragonsblood made me cry. I should've remembered that Todd McCaffrey's writing is decent fanfic at best. But no, I had to give him the benefit of the doubt and make an attempt at Dragonsfire. Well, I only got up to about Chapter 2 before closing the book in disgust. There shouldn't be any more books set in the 3rd Pass (I'm not even going to consider reading the two that've been published since this one) and I really, really, really miss Anne. Even the latest of her solo works were better than this.
March 3, 2010
• This was an interesting book because it showed another side of the events that happened in Dragon’s Kin. It also introduced some interesting characters, and told the story behind Fire Hold. Like with some of the other T.M. books, he seems to go overboard with the deferential treatment that the dragon riders get. It’s not as bad in this book as it is in some of the other books. I do like the themes that T.M. goes into, like redemption and tolerance. I also like that some of the protagonists are people instead of just the mindless thread
December 13, 2017
Love this series of books. It's one of my all time favourites. I decided to re-read the entire Dragonriders of Pern series and over the past couple of months, I have been working my way through them all. Anne McCaffrey has such a wonderful, boundless imagination and such a vivid and descriptive style, her stories transport the reader into the fantastic world that she created and sweeps you up on the breathtaking adventures. Spellbinding!
September 12, 2011
I thoroughly enjoyed this book of Anne McCaffrey and her son. They work well as a team. I had read all of her Dragons of Pern series when I was young so this was a revisit to the world of Dragons and thread falling. I have encouraged each of my grandchilren to read this book and the world she has created.
August 19, 2010
It has been so long since I read McCaffrey that it was so much fun to "visit Pern" again. The character development was not quite what it used to be, I think Todd is more into adventure than inner feelings that motivate people, but all in all I liked it a lot.
August 31, 2020
At a mining camp Pellar is on a secret mission investigated suspected coal thefts by condemned criminals sentenced there. A firestone mine's explosion causes a search for a search for a new source of the vital substance.
July 15, 2011
I approached the book with two authors with a little trepidation, I needn't have worried, the story was brilliant and I failed to notice two different styles. This was one of those books I couldn't put down. Loved the image of the dragons chewing the firestones.
February 21, 2017
We return to the mine hold where Kindon lost all his family and Christoph showed he was a better man than his father. But we are learning more of the story from an alternate perspective, Harper Master Zist's apprentice who happens to be mute. Interesting perspective, a mute harper.
November 7, 2024
Centers again on the 2nd interval. Uses several characters who were minor players in the previous books from the same time period to ad depth to the story of the interplay between mine, holder & rider.
January 20, 2022
This story goes over the events slightly parallel to the book The Dragon’s Kin in that we meet Pellar and go into Master Cist’s past. We learn more about the shunned on Pern. We see Pellar’s instrumental in helping Cist get the Wher egg for the other book.
Then it switches to another POV and see how Christoph is instrumental in helping Pern despite his father who stole and was shunned. Even so, his father didn’t deserve the horrible situation he landed in, or did he? The one dragon leader/ rider hold person is so ugh!!!
I’m hoping we get another gold for the Wher’s in a future book! We don’t want them to go extinct.
And Christoph along with Kindan solve the problem of mining for fire stone that hurts the dragons and is harmful to those who mine it by finding an older better fire stone that the fire lizards would even eat.
Then it switches to another POV and see how Christoph is instrumental in helping Pern despite his father who stole and was shunned. Even so, his father didn’t deserve the horrible situation he landed in, or did he? The one dragon leader/ rider hold person is so ugh!!!
I’m hoping we get another gold for the Wher’s in a future book! We don’t want them to go extinct.
And Christoph along with Kindan solve the problem of mining for fire stone that hurts the dragons and is harmful to those who mine it by finding an older better fire stone that the fire lizards would even eat.
August 6, 2025
Good entry in the Pern series. I liked how it delved (no pun intended) into the lives of the miners and how dangerous their work is, yet necessary for the production of coal for heating and for firestone. The intertwined story of the "Shunned," a class of people previously not mentioned in any of the other books that I can recall, added a depth to the society by tackling the problem of what to do with people who break the law.
At times the plot seemed a bit disjointed but I enjoyed the characters and the overall vibe. It's always a pleasure to return to Pern!
At times the plot seemed a bit disjointed but I enjoyed the characters and the overall vibe. It's always a pleasure to return to Pern!
April 6, 2017
Reread
September 10, 2022
this book rates Very low on the Anne McCaffrey Problematic Writing scale. unfortunately it is also not as good as the more problematic ones...?
February 15, 2022
I liked this better than his last one. Kept my interest, and I liked the charachters.
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