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A review by mal_eficent
The White Dragon by Anne McCaffrey
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I really shouldn't have put off reading this for over a decade.
Of the original trilogy I think this might be the best written. The pacing, characterisation, and even the intricacy of the politics are all an improvement - especially from Dragonquest. I'll always love Dragonflight the most, but I can't deny McCaffrey's writing ability improved dramatically over the ten years she wrote these stories.
There is a strong plot, but the focus on Jaxom as the perspective character makes the story feel almost like a slice of life story instead - you get everything from world changing reveals and exploration, to him figuring out girls are attractive, and those smaller moments make this a much more interesting narrative to me than just the main story beats. I put off reading this as a kid because I was under the impression this was the book the sci fi elements really came to the forefront. I'm still not the biggest fan of sci-fantasy elements blending together too much (she writes, when the series is about genetically engineered dragons on an alien planet) but McCaffrey did a great job of easing in and describing these new discoveries and I didn't mind at all.
If you've read Dragonflight and didn't enjoy it, but want to know if the rest of the series is worth it, I really do recommend reading on to at least here!
Of the original trilogy I think this might be the best written. The pacing, characterisation, and even the intricacy of the politics are all an improvement - especially from Dragonquest. I'll always love Dragonflight the most, but I can't deny McCaffrey's writing ability improved dramatically over the ten years she wrote these stories.
There is a strong plot, but the focus on Jaxom as the perspective character makes the story feel almost like a slice of life story instead - you get everything from world changing reveals and exploration, to him figuring out girls are attractive, and those smaller moments make this a much more interesting narrative to me than just the main story beats. I put off reading this as a kid because I was under the impression this was the book the sci fi elements really came to the forefront. I'm still not the biggest fan of sci-fantasy elements blending together too much (she writes, when the series is about genetically engineered dragons on an alien planet) but McCaffrey did a great job of easing in and describing these new discoveries and I didn't mind at all.
If you've read Dragonflight and didn't enjoy it, but want to know if the rest of the series is worth it, I really do recommend reading on to at least here!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual violence and Death of parent