messica's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
relaxing
3.0
I’m only giving this lower stars because the rape theme is completely unnecessary. Thank God we aren’t living in the 60s anymore.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault
polarbbp's review
adventurous
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia, Rape, Sexism, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, and Pregnancy
erebus53's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-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
4.25
My mother put me onto these books and I knew the premise of the world but had never actually got around to reading them for myself until recently. I got the "searing spore-threads fall from the sky and need to be cleared by dragon mounted riders before the spores land and carnage ensues".. but now I understand why this series is known for having a convoluted timeline. Timespace teleporting dragons.
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!
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!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Gore, Sexual assault, Classism, Death of parent, Grief, Blood, Colonisation, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Violence, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexism
Moderate: Classism, Mental illness, Kidnapping, Bullying, and Toxic relationship
mikariah's review
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
0.5
Too much not-good treatment of people perpetrated largely unchallenged by characters we are supposed to consider 'good.' The general content warnings should give you a good enough idea of what I mean. Also, it's just a bit of a grind in general and not the fun kind.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Rape
Minor: Sexual assault
zogg's review
2.0
I bet I would have liked this more if I'd read it when I was younger. Characters were thin, and the "romance" is sexual assault.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual violence
trillingconclusion's review
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Violence, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Sexual content, Sexual assault, Rape, Infidelity, and Fatphobia
cossty's review
The beginning of the book piqued my interest.
The first few chapters were fantastic.
Everything took a nosedive once Lessa was raped.
You are deluded if you believe that MC was not raped or that they raped each other because they couldn't control themselves.
She had undoubtedly been raped.
Everyone knew what was going to happen, but no one said anything to her.
I wonder why.
Following that, her toxic relationship with F'lar was really frustrating to read, and I put the book down.
Yes, I didn't complete it.
That doesn't prevent me from having an opinion about it.
Dragons are sapient in this narrative.
That implies Mnementh also raped Ramoth.
While she was following another dragon, Mnementh leapt out onto her.
I have no objections to rape being depicted in literature.
What I despise is when it's written in a conciliatory tone.
"Because of this and that, it wasn't truly rape."
Because of the "culture," it wasn't a rape.
Because they aren't humans, it wasn't a rape.
Because he is a male, it was not a rape.
The first few chapters were fantastic.
Everything took a nosedive once Lessa was raped.
You are deluded if you believe that MC was not raped or that they raped each other because they couldn't control themselves.
She had undoubtedly been raped.
Everyone knew what was going to happen, but no one said anything to her.
I wonder why.
Following that, her toxic relationship with F'lar was really frustrating to read, and I put the book down.
Yes, I didn't complete it.
That doesn't prevent me from having an opinion about it.
Dragons are sapient in this narrative.
That implies Mnementh also raped Ramoth.
While she was following another dragon, Mnementh leapt out onto her.
I have no objections to rape being depicted in literature.
What I despise is when it's written in a conciliatory tone.
"Because of this and that, it wasn't truly rape."
Because of the "culture," it wasn't a rape.
Because they aren't humans, it wasn't a rape.
Because he is a male, it was not a rape.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, and Toxic relationship
astropova's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism
Minor: Fatphobia and Sexual assault
spacebornfew's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia and Misogyny
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexism, and Sexual assault
Minor: Domestic abuse
mirtlifthewise's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault and Rape
Minor: Toxic relationship and Violence
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