Dragonsinger by Anne McCaffrey

As I'm sure is just going to be a thing with this trilogy, due to when I purchased them, I will start my review by commenting on the cover. I have the latest batch with covers by Stephan Martinière. Dragonsinger features an iguana with wings. Pretty sure it's supposed to be a fire lizard, but it's honestly way too big and ugly. Thanks. I hate it.

So, largely, Dragonsinger is your bog-standard new-special-student-of-exclusive-school story. Menolly arrives at Harper Hall basically with nothing but loads of talent and her fire lizards and gets thrown into the thick of things immediately. She even encounters the annoyances of a bully and an apparently jealous adult. Piemur and Camo are her new bestest friends, which is good. I like both of them. Though I will note that Camo is definitely autistic and/or has Downs Syndrome, it is not clear. McCaffrey refers to him as a "lackwit" mostly. So, ya know, just be warned about that. Dragonsinger was written in the 1970s.

I found Menolly's first couple of days at Harper Hall to be interesting. It makes sense that she needed to be assessed, so being shuffled around to the different Masters made sense. What made somewhat less sense was that none of the adults in charge of Menolly decided to tell her where she needed to be after all that. Technically, Dunca was supposed to have relayed a message, but Silvina or Domick really should have, I dunno, hunted Menolly down to make sure she was where she was supposed to be. Made me think a little less of them, to be honest.

Speaking of Dunca... I hate her. I knew I was going to hate her from the moment Silvina opened those shutters. Dunca is clearly intimidated by Menolly and afraid of the fire lizards... among a myriad of other things, I'm sure. It's probably not a good idea to have her in charge of the fostered girls when she fosters such petty environment for them. I wish we could have "seen" Silvina's dressing down of her. I would have loved it.

I honestly felt as though I were being dragged through the story at such a quick pace. It does take place over a week and it was a whirlwind of Menolly, so I suppose that's fair. Menolly doesn't really have much time to rest, so the reader doesn't really get that either. That said, the characters are vibrant and the story is well-crafted within that whirlwind. The really important thing is Menolly finally receiving the explicit support she needs to thrive.

Death Vigil Vol. 1 by Stjepan Šejić

Essentially, if you like eldritch horrors and a more human “Death” figure, you’ll like Death Vigil. There’s a good amount of action and mythology with a dash of X-Men-style power mixing. Even a fun mystery to boot. Sejic’s art, as usual, is very good.

I think most of the character work is well done. I do feel like Clara’s fairly generic, though, as a POV-ish character goes. I am looking forward to seeing that Sejic does with her, in the event we ever get more Death Vigil. I love Mia to death. Snarky teen girls with big power-ups are my jam. I’m also definitely in favor of Sam and Bernie actually being a couple, rather than this “we only kiss when there’s trouble” thing they’ve got going.

But yeah, Death Vigil is fun and definitely worth a read.

In Other News

I just finished another OviPets Project! This one was based on the Armor Digimon: Pipismon. Pipismon took me about 5 months to complete.

Dragonsong by Anne McCaffrey

2025 Reread

First, I must complain about these Simon & Schuster re-release covers by Stephan Martinière. I find them quite dreary and the dragons are straight-up ugly. I know everyone has their own way of depicting dragons, but the Pernese ones are rather distinctive around the head shape... which these dragons don't have. I don't like them at all.

Secondly, there is overt emotional and at least once instance of physical abuse contained within these pages. Menolly's family is less than enthused about her playing and musical talent. Her father, Yanus, is a curmudgeon through and through. Her mother and sister are basically encouraged to bully Menolly. It's all very distressing and no wonder Menolly ends up running away from home. I can't help but thinking, though, that Petrion could have mentioned, at least to Menolly, that his wife had been Mastersinger (as seen in The Masterharper of Pern ). Perhaps if he'd mentioned Merelan to Yanus, Menolly would have had a better time of it. Menolly definitely would have had more hope... But then there's the Publication Order to consider... Merelan might not have been conceived of until that full 2 decades later. *le sigh

That said, although Menolly's story is depressing at times, Dragonsong is very good. Menolly is an awesome protagonist who never quite gives in to the adversity she faces. It's also not too much of spoiler to add that fire lizards abound. Menolly really comes into her own when surrounded by her fair.

I liked getting more Mirriam. She was mostly in the background of Dragonquest, being Brekke's fosterling and all. But here we get to see her becoming friends with Menolly. I think they'd be very fun as a pair, if given more time together.

Dragonsong is a very good follow up to Dragonquest. It expands Pern's world beyond the Weyr, giving us a glimpse of life in a very different arena. So far, one of my favorite Pern novels.

Dragonquest by Anne McCaffrey

2025 Reread Review

Dragonquest is one of those sequels that expertly expands the world in which it takes place. It's also one where a lot happens. I'd forgotten just how much, really. I think it's all done quite well, with nothing feeling out of place or there just for the sake of being there. The groundwork is well laid for each event well before it happens.

There is a time-jump between Dragonflight and Dragonquest, which I think is handled quite nicely. Mostly done through characters expositing at each other, but not in a jarring, info-dump-y way.

In addition to story beats, I feel the character work here is really well done. We get to know several characters very well and add to our knowledge of others. Of note, there's Kylara, Lord Meron, and Brekke. Kylara is truly the worst. She was set up in Dragonflight as a promising Queen rider, which she is, though it is very clear Prideth is the only creature she truly cares about outside of herself. Even then, it does feel like a bit of a stretch and therefore not really surprising when she neglects her poor dragon. Lord Meron, connected to Kylara, is definitely the worst among the Lord Holders. He's greedy and gross. Brekke, we get to know the best, I think. She's attached to F'nor and quite sweet and capable as a Weyrwoman. I would expound upon her story here, but I do think that would venture into the spoiler territory I'm trying to stay out of. Suffice to say, the poor woman suffers the worst trauma any dragonrider could and seems to come out alright on the other side... eventually.

I also absolutely loved getting more with Masterharper Robinton and Mastersmith Fandarel. Robinton is a delight, as always. Fandarel is actually my favorite new character. I just love him to bits. He's definitely of a single mind and funny to boot, even though I'm sure he doesn't always mean to be. He's just a big teddy bear at heart.

F'lar and F'nor get a lot of character work here as well. F'lar's care for the entire planet of Pern is shown in great detail. F'nor is shown to be incredibly caring in his relationship with Brekke.

There's also a good deal with Lord Jaxom, the kiddo Lessa "allowed" to take over Ruatha when she left for Bendon Weyr. He's a sweet kid. His Impression of Ruth had me in tears this time around. Not the only moment to make me cry, but definitely a notable one.

I honestly love Dragonquest. It moves Pern's story forward in understandable leaps, just given the stuff left behind by the "ancients" and rediscovered over the course of the book. I think it's all integrated well with Pern's current tech level. I also think saying much more is going to catapult my review into spoiler territory, so I'm gonna stop here.

Favorite Lines

"It's easier to flatter a man than fight him." - F'lar

"Is age a prerequisite for a loving heart? Does maturity always bring compassion?" - Brekke

Musical Recommendation

I meant to add this at the end of my Dragonflight review, but forgot.😅

I'm not sure how common this knowledge is, but some of the music of Pern has actually been recorded. The music is collected in two albums: The Masterharper of Pern and Sunset's Gold. This reread I decided to go ahead and purchase both albums and am very happy with that purchase. They remind me a lot of the music one might hear at a Renaissance Festival, which makes sense given the general time period-ish of Pern... at least musically speaking. They were produced by Tania Opland and Mike Freeman in collaboration with Anne McCaffrey.

The Masterharper of Pern is mostly comprised of songs from the actual series. The little song/poetry snippets at the beginning of chapters in Dragonflight. I actually found it really neat to be able to listen to how McCaffrey intended the songs to sound. Apparently supposed to be the work of Robinton.

Sunset's Gold seems to be more general Pernese music, but is still really nice to listen to. According to the Dragonriders of Pern Wikipedia page, these songs were "pertaining mainly to the work another Pernese harper, Menolly."

I highly recommend giving both albums a listen. If you don't want to (or can't) buy them, some fans have the music uploaded to YouTube. I think they really help bring Pern more to life than simply reading the books.

Call of the Bone Ships by R.J. Barker

Hooo boy, this one is action-packed. Not only that, but Joron has largely come into his own, despite his multiple injuries. It honestly feels as though this were several books, rather than just one. Just so much to digest. And so good, on top of it.

I find it really interesting that war is apparently the only thing keeping The Hundred Isles and the Gaunt Isles going. They appear to not have the resources to keep it going, though, since we really have no idea what happens on land, I can’t really be sure of it. Just seems like the sea doesn’t provide enough to go around. This society is just odd to me. Even a hint of peace is taken as the worst and something to be destroyed. Maybe it’s a power thing, just seems crazy pants to me.

Call of the Bone Ships definitely highlights the pirate-y nature of The Tide Child series. There’s a lot more actual pirate-ing happening here. A bit more magic at play, too. The foreshadow of the end really being THE END of The Hundred & Gaunt Isles.

I really enjoyed this, I just don’t have a lot of thoughts about it. Looking forward to the next one.

Fancast Corner

Okay, I don't normally do this and I'm not sure how often I will be doing it but... I had an idea for who should play Meas Gilbryn if this series ever gets a live-action adaptation. In my head, I see Abigail Thorn, the actress who plays Sharako Lohar in House of the Dragon. I think she'd make a great Meas.

Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey

2025 Reread Review

This read marks at least my fourth reread of Dragonflight. I enjoyed it this time just as much as I’ve enjoyed it in the past. Dragons and well-done time travel, gotta love it.

This is a very small bit in the grand scheme of things, but I think it’s kind of funny that F’lar apparently doesn’t know you can check for a pulse at the neck or wrist. Instead: “The dragonman laid a hand, trembling in spite of an effort to control himself, on the woman’s breast to feel for a heartbeat…” This amuses me, because you can’t tell me there haven’t been other riders knocked unconscious during the Games or something. F’lar’s a Wingleader, he should know this shit.

I am very much of the same mind as Lessa, before Ramoth’s first mating flight. No one really tells her anything or lets her do anything, so how is she to know when she’s messing up F’lar’s plans? I know this is the first of the Pern books in publication order, so I do kind of forgive things like Lessa not being expected or allowed to take control of the Weyr’s inner workings. I do find it a little weird that Jora’s behavior was what R’gul and S’lel based Weyerwoman behavior on… surely they knew the woman before Jora? Or someone had to have… C’gan, maybe? Just seems odd.

Robinton’s dressing down of the Holders and Craftmasters was inspired and a long time coming. Pretty sure this scene, his first in the publication-order, was where I fell in love with Robinton. Same with Fandarel. My two favorite Craftmasters.

I very much dislike F’lar’s tendency to shake Lessa. It’s passed off as an endearing thing, especially when he does it at the end of the book, but… no. Feels icky overall.

I still really like the time travel bits here. Reading/rereading chronologically has given me a bit of time travel fatigue, but the way this is done quickly rather than being discussed to death just works. It does work really, really well.

Dragonflight does a fantastic job fleshing out F’lar and Lessa as characters. They’re both clearly their own people with thoughts and opinions and ways of doing things. Just top-notch character work for a relatively short book.

I love Dragonflight. It’s a great introduction to the world of Pern, as it should be.

Random chronological continuity error silliness:

• If the Greens aren’t drilling with Firestone, how’re they preventing them from getting pregnant and laying eggs? Or are we allowing the Greens to chew firestone a few times specifically to prevent this?
• Why weren’t the dragon eggs at Southern Weyr plagued by Tunnel Snakes? That bit’s probably not been thought of until the later published books and I wouldn’t even mention it except that it was a huge plot point in Sky Dragons.

Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear by Seanan McGuire

Slight spoiler warning in the second paragraph if you aren't familiar with how the Wayward Children books usually end up working out.

As usual, I enjoyed this latest installment of the Wayward Children series. I don’t really have a lot of thoughts about it. I quite enjoyed Nadya's introduction, though her characterization is mostly told and not shown. That's not to say it wasn't done well, just that we don't really get a chance to "see" how Nadya does any of the things she does from her perspective until later in the book.

I did have a feeling of impending dread as the book went on, especially considering it’s one where the main character is going to fall out of her chosen world at some point… which Nadya does. Wayward Children hasn't yet introduced a character who gets to live out their "Happily Ever After" in their chosen world in their introductory book. Honestly that part reminds me heavily of the end of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, with Nadya’s true age being stripped away from her. I honestly find this kind of de-aging horrifying, which is usually the point. I can't imagine having to go through puberty again, especially while also having to navigate being a literal child in the eyes of everyone around you when you've been an adult for... however long it was.

I liked the concepts of different densities of water being breathable or not and sitting atop each other. The turtles were neat. I feel like I could have used some more characterization of Alexei. He was just kind of a “blah” character who I definitely didn’t attach to.

The parenting styles of Carl and Pansy were kind of interesting to look at. It's very clear Pansy is the driving force of that relationship, and not in the greatest way. Her need to both conform and control gave me the "ick."

Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear was another solid entry to the Wayward Children series. I can't wait to see how Nadya factors into the rest of the story line.

Favorite Line

"But things weren’t love." - Narration

The Masterharper of Pern by Anne McCaffrey

First Read of 2025!

I'm really, honestly not sure how I feel about The Masterharper of Pern. It was quite good and enjoyable. Didn't feel quite like a ticking off of events that needed to happen, although there was definitely a fair amount of that, but it didn't not feel that way either. I was aware of those events, but wasn't sitting there, just waiting for things to happen. The story around them was engaging.

I was honestly mostly struck by the relatively rapid (although it had about 200-odd Turns to get there) rejection of "common knowledge" across Pern. Or knowledge at all, in some cases. More distant Holds just rejecting any kind of teaching and Fax straight up barring Harpers to prevent knowledge getting to "his" people. That whole bit feels really prescient here at the beginning of 2025, when we have this unfettered access to knowledge, both true and not... I've been saying as I've been reading Pern chronologically how the plague stuff hits differently these days than on my first read... well this rejection of knowledge and truth hit harder. This isn't a reread for me, but as Fax appeared at the beginning of Dragonflight, he wasn't an unknown. But where he was basically a first antagonist for Lessa in Dragonflight, here Fax looms about Pern in an unsettling manner, especially given a reading through the 2025 lens.

Outside of Fax, I did enjoy getting to know Robinton as he grew up. Robinton's always been one of my favorite Pernese characters. I felt his heartbreak, even though I figured it was coming. Such is the fun of a chronological first-read/reread journey. I was definitely less impressed with Petiron, as we're supposed to be. His relationship with his son was just... gross. I knew I wasn't going to like him from the moment Robinton was born. I'm glad the entirety of Harper Hall was on the same page.

For some reason, I'd always imagined Robinton to be about F'lar's age, though that was clearly wrong. Getting used to Robinton actually being a contemporary of F'lon was a fun thing to wrap my head around.

The Masterharper of Pern is definitely one of those books that deepens the context around the earlier books in the publishing order. I was kind of expecting the ending to be where it was, chronologically speaking, but I wasn't expecting it to be exactly what it was. Getting another perspective on that was a bit of fun. Took care of the overall, looming conflict that was Fax, without adding something ridiculous for Robinton himself to overcome. That's actually another thing I liked about The Masterharper of Pern: Robinton didn't have his own "Chosen One" story, really. Not in the way, say Lessa, does later. I mean, given the book title and former knowledge of who Robinton becomes, it was a forgone conclusion from the beginning. It wasn't surrounded by pomp and circumstance or Robinton doing anything especially daring or specific to get the job of Masterharper. He went about his life and just kind of fell into the position. Suited to it, of course, but... yeah. The story of how, without any wild craziness tacked on.

Favorite Line

"That's what I especially love about you, Rob. Your perceptions and understanding. Merdine... was not an understanding man. Not the way you are. And I think -- on balance -- that's very important in creating a good harmony for a long life together." - Kasia

Nerilka's Story by Anne McCaffrey

First and foremost: I am in love with the Appendix of this book. I've never had a proper image of the Holds in my head -- I always imagined them to look like castles -- until looking at this Appendix. My mind is honestly blown at how much the outside portions look like factories. Not exactly the most beautiful illustrations, but I love them anyway.

Secondly, the whole "Rill" mystery at the end of Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern... solved. It felt weirdly tacked on at the end of that book and I think the inclusion of Nerilka's name was either a typo or someone missed changing it in the edit. But anyway...

Finally, Nerilka's Story was a quick, fresh read. I finished it in a few hours. Getting a first-person viewpoint made a nice change. I also quite like Nerilka. She's the kind of person I'd like to think I would be in her situation. Hard-working and more likely to do what is right rather than sit by while people suffer. I also enjoyed getting a Holder viewpoint of Pern in crisis and one that, though colored by tragedy, isn't seeped in it. Nerilka does seem detached from the death of her mother and siblings, but it also feels as though her tale was written through the lens of hindsight. Either that, or she just wasn't actually close with her mother or those particular siblings.

Anyway, I enjoyed Nerilka's Story. Not sure exactly what I was expecting, but it was definitely worth a read and a good addition to any Pern read-through.

This Dragonet CANNOT be to scale. There's no way she'd be injuring anyone on her way to Impress. That size disparity made me laugh.

Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern by Anne McCaffrey

Well, I had barely remembered anything from Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern from when I read it at 12… I think I was 12, anyway. The librarian who recommended it to me was a little apprehensive because of the absolute nothing of a sex scene. Speaking of, the thing I did remember was Moreta and Alessan being a thing. The rest… not a lick of memory.

Oooofffff, this epidemic storyline hits differently now. I find it really interesting that Pern manages to do such a better job at getting everyone vaccinated than we seem to be able to do with much more advanced tech. I mean, this was Sci-fi from the 80s, so McCaffrey was clearly more hopeful and hadn’t experienced the ridiculousness that was COVID, but still… This is also the third storyline of the Pern chronology to deal with an epidemic. The last two were written well after this, but it is worth noting.

The speed at which this disease jumped species, even if they’re all Earth-ancestry species is super concerning… not that anyone has brought that up at all. Though maybe it was something the Colonists brought with them, jumped species to the cats, then was able to jump back fairly quickly… still really concerning and not talked about at all. Just waved away with a “it’s zoonosis.” Okay then.

First time in the chronology there’s actually a queen’s wing. That was fun to see. Actually, getting more with the queens was fun. I don’t remember Lessa, for example, having to sleep off the Hatching Grounds due to Ramoth clutching. So that was neat. I love Orlith.

I actually quite liked getting more info on Falls and the aftermath. Taking care of injured dragons is more interesting than Plagued ones or humans. Very glad Moreta was able to pass some of her dragon healing knowledge on.

What is it with Fort Weyr producing surly Weyrleaders?? Sh’gall, D’gan… wtf. Although the real curmudgeon of this book was M’tani of Telgar, so that’s a bit of a difference.

Not sure this late-introduced mystery of Rill needed to be a thing. Although what might have been a typo already gave away who it is… if it’s relevant in later books, chronologically speaking.

Anyway, Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern was a lot of fun. The characters were engaging, the pacing was good, and the ending was surprising.

Surprise Baby Review!

Adulthood Is a Myth by Sarah Andersen

I knew this collection was going to be 99% relatable and it was. I’m gonna go hide in a blanket pile with my books now. 

GoodReads Reading Goal

Happy New Year! Just wanted to note that, as it is January 1st, I have set my Reading Goal at 100 books. the last couple of years, I've read well over 100 books, so I feel this goal is achiveable, even without an injection of 20 anthologies. 😜

Also, my reviews for today and tomorrow are from 2024 and don't count toward this year's goal. ✌