A review by sarahdm
Dragondrums by Anne McCaffrey

3.0

Here's my no nostalgia review. First time reading this book in 2023.

TL;DR: Worth the read if you like Piemur. This book is short enough that getting through the first boring half really isn't that much of a push to enjoy the rest of this delightful read.

In a lot of way, this is very much like the first two book in the Harper Hall series. Its just Piemur instead of Menolly. The biggest difference is that Piemur isn't a Mary-Sue. Unlike Menolly, Piemur actually has to practice and struggle, he is not just instantly good at things. He's talented but its not instantly like Menolly.

Its unfortunate that this book is a story we have already seen in Menolly, because it makes the first half of the book really boring. But about half way through Piemur starts his own unique journey kind of acting as a spy and adventurer. We get a peak into the interesting stuff that Piemur spoke about in White Dragon which is what really make me interested in this book.

Sebell also gets some spot light in this book, which is a character I really enjoyed learning more about. I almost wish Sebell had his own book where we could dive more deeply into his thoughts and feelings, because in Dragondrums you are kind of just guessing. While Sebell's romance in this book is sweet, it feels shallow. It really needed a little more breathing room in my opinion for it to feel natural.

We learn a lot more about the south in his book but the world building here is honestly thin. It was disappointing.