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kat_sanford's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
bioniclib's review against another edition
4.0
I love talking animals. Stories that feature animals that talk, any animal and not just dragons (though dragons make it even cooler), "confirm" my thinking that my dog can understand me and if he could he'd talk to me. This book (or books, since it's 3-in-1) does characterization and relationships so, so, well.
The world she created, the Thread raining down from a passing planet can only be fought off by dragons who chew firestone and then belch flame, is vibrant. The twist on the mythic dragon is a great one; they can travel through space and time nigh-instantly.
She also creates an iconic character in F'lar. He's the strong proud man who sticks by his belief that he knows what's best for Pern even when everyone mocks him, and tries to kill him. He reliably fights a duel in each of the three books. Since these were written in the late 60s and early 70s, I think the audience came to expect such a thing. The third time, I did kinda roll my eyes. I wished she'd given the duel to someone else.
One character the author did break from convension with, is Lessa. A strong-willed woman who, sure needed to be rescued once but after than was as strong as her Weyrmate, F'Lar.
My favorite character is the protagonist of the third book, Jaxon. He and his runt of the litter white dragon Ruth (who's a dude dragon, which I kept forgetting in the beginning which made for some confusing sentences) have the best character arcs in the volume. They change and grow, they make mistakes. Something neither F'lar nor Lessa did.
All that said, I was a bit disappointed. The main conflicts were resolved but unsatisfactorily. The lack of climax did bug me but the characters and the world was so engrossing that it only bothered me when I got near the end of the book and realized only minor conflicts had happened.
There weren't many women Sci-Fi writers in the 60s and 70s. So the fact that McCaffrey was able to get these books published was monumental. There are more and more women getting into the Sci-Fi genre. And, while it has it's issues, these books paved the way for those women. This book is worth a read for its historical significance.
The world she created, the Thread raining down from a passing planet can only be fought off by dragons who chew firestone and then belch flame, is vibrant. The twist on the mythic dragon is a great one; they can travel through space and time nigh-instantly.
She also creates an iconic character in F'lar. He's the strong proud man who sticks by his belief that he knows what's best for Pern even when everyone mocks him, and tries to kill him. He reliably fights a duel in each of the three books. Since these were written in the late 60s and early 70s, I think the audience came to expect such a thing. The third time, I did kinda roll my eyes. I wished she'd given the duel to someone else.
One character the author did break from convension with, is Lessa. A strong-willed woman who, sure needed to be rescued once but after than was as strong as her Weyrmate, F'Lar.
Spoiler
She even is the one that finds out dragons can travel back in time and then goes 400 turns (read: years) to bring more dragonriders forward in time to help fight the Thread that only F'lar believes coming after a long break.My favorite character is the protagonist of the third book, Jaxon. He and his runt of the litter white dragon Ruth (who's a dude dragon, which I kept forgetting in the beginning which made for some confusing sentences) have the best character arcs in the volume. They change and grow, they make mistakes. Something neither F'lar nor Lessa did.
All that said, I was a bit disappointed. The main conflicts were resolved but unsatisfactorily.
Spoiler
In the first book, Lessa brings forward the dragonrides to fight thread, then the book ends. We don't get to see the battle. In the second book, F'nor, F'lar's half-brother takes his dragon to the Red Star and nearly sacrifies their lives proving that dragonriders can't go there and destroy the Thread at the source. While there was a few paragraphs of opaque action where the duo is seared within an in of their lives, it's not too clear and the book ends after they fall back to Pern. The third book is even less of a climax; they dig up and get into the spaceships their ancestors landed in. They volcano that buried them answers the question that I didn't realize was asked; why did their ancestors move to The North continent.There weren't many women Sci-Fi writers in the 60s and 70s. So the fact that McCaffrey was able to get these books published was monumental. There are more and more women getting into the Sci-Fi genre. And, while it has it's issues, these books paved the way for those women. This book is worth a read for its historical significance.
strigine's review against another edition
3.0
I first read this compilation decades ago, as an SF Book Club 3-in-1 owned by my parents. I probably would have rated it 4 stars as a preteen, and I still have an enormous amount of affection for it. I just acquired the ebook version because it was on sale, and now I'll always have them handy to reread. :D
griffinthief's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
ninanic's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
bookcasey's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
These books may have been progressive for their time, and there were considerable chunks of world-building and adventuring that could have been published today and I enjoyed. Then there will suddenly be a throwaway line about one of the major male characters raping one of the women (often enough this isn’t even a spoiler).
The intimate partner and sexual violence could easily be removed or rewritten without impacting the plot, which makes their inclusion all the more jarring.
There are also plenty of harmful tropes, especially among the female characters, includingfat = bad/lazy, slutty = wicked/greedy, and women with slimmer figures and fewer curves being intellectually and otherwise superior to curvier women .
So while I enjoyed large chunks of these books, I would hesitate to actually recommend them to anyone.
The intimate partner and sexual violence could easily be removed or rewritten without impacting the plot, which makes their inclusion all the more jarring.
There are also plenty of harmful tropes, especially among the female characters, including
So while I enjoyed large chunks of these books, I would hesitate to actually recommend them to anyone.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Classism
Minor: Animal death, Bullying, Death, Fatphobia, Infertility, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Medical content, Abortion, Acephobia/Arophobia, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
These books may have been progressive for their time, but most sexual references involve questionable consent or stated resistance, often by and between major characters. Crying women are shaken violently or slapped.selenajean's review against another edition
I read these as a kid. I remember liking them but I can't remember enough to rate it.
kebreads's review against another edition
4.0
It was great to reread these books. There are great characters in a great world.
Content: a few swear words, innuendo, Promiscuity, some violence, allusion to homosexual relations
Content: a few swear words, innuendo, Promiscuity, some violence, allusion to homosexual relations
teanahk's review against another edition
Read the first of 3 books. No interest in finishing the series.
failureofstars's review against another edition
Not my type of book unfortunately, I decided it wasn't worth trying to skim read it just to finish it. I wasn't comprehending much of the plot or world overall.