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inkyinsanity's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, and Sexism
Moderate: Death, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment
keelirae113's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Animal death, Child death, Kidnapping, and Grief
uranaishi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
Minor: Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Infidelity, Rape, Blood, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
erebus53's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Set on Pern, a planet that is an abandoned human colony, we have a moderately low-tech setting with its own distinct flora and fauna. Having read the Dragonsong, Dragonsinger, Dragondrums books I'm now wondering which order I should read the other titles in! Despite being first published in 1968, I was interested to see that the language used in the writing was still pretty modern in feel. I wonder if this is because of the setting being pseudo-medieval; it's a lot easier to age "modern" and "futuristic" settings by how prominent cigarettes are and how clunky the tech and attitudes toward it feel.
I enjoyed the story of a woman who has had hardships but is no saint. She can be impulsive and messes up frequently and is very stubborn, in ways that male characters in fantasy have often been allowed to get away with unchallenged. It's refreshing to see someone powerful and self-directed, and interesting to see her being sneaky and under-handed while still basically likeable. She is powerful but gets overwhelmed in utterly overwhelming situations, and this humanises her quite a bit.
I can see how Anne McCaffrey has been really influential in fantasy writing. Her basic sci-fi sensibilities underpin a fantasy that is immersive and believable. The magic of it is mysterious and we get a sense that we are experiencing something that is not what we know, but only because we haven't learned enough yet. This is key to magical realism that really grabs me.. (and thinking on that I can see why books like Thief's Magic by Trudi Canavan really caught my attention). It's internally consistent.
Looking forward to reading more of these as I get hold of them!
Graphic: Death, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Bullying, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, and Classism