Dragonquest (Dragonriders of Pern #2)
On Pern, men breed and train great fire-breathing dragons to help them fight the deadly silver Threads that fall from the sky, destroying all life-forms, whenever the Red Star passes near.
Paperback, 330 pages
Published
October 13th 1986
by Del Rey
(first published 1971)
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When Thread begins to fall out of schedule Pern is thrown into high agitation, aggravating troubled political relationships and sending dragonriders on a new quest: to stop the threat of Thread for good. For such a bold aim, Dragonquest is markedly undirected. It discards the flawed but compelling POVs of Dragonflight and replaces them with an ensemble cast, headhopping, and a pair of inspired minor protagonists. While largely political the plot lacks politicking (McCaffrey's antagonists are pro...more
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The silver Threads began falling again. The dragonriders took to the skies and their flying dragons swirled in space, belching flames that destroyed the strands before they reached the ground. But F'lar knew he had to find it before the rebellious Oldtimers could breed any more dissent - and before his brother launched another suicide mission.
From the PublisherThere are dragons all over Anne McCaffrey's house. Some she's bought, but many have been made for her by adoring
Dragonquest is an improvement upon Dragonflight. There is now an ensemble cast, which adds more complexity, and interesting minor plot points.
Is there a quest that involves dragons? Questing generally involves a long search for something. Most notably a journey of some sorts with lots of characters and events. Does this happen in Dragonquest? No, not at all, so I have no idea why this is named Dragonquest. It sounds cool, though. Dragons and Grubs Forever? That would sum of the major finding of...more
Is there a quest that involves dragons? Questing generally involves a long search for something. Most notably a journey of some sorts with lots of characters and events. Does this happen in Dragonquest? No, not at all, so I have no idea why this is named Dragonquest. It sounds cool, though. Dragons and Grubs Forever? That would sum of the major finding of...more
I'm re-reading a bit of Anne McCaffrey. While I appreciated more about Dragonflight after going back to it after some time, I was surprised to find that this book had aged a bit more. I remember liking it better than Dragonflight, but upon a re-read I think I've changed my mind.
What I remember liking: I liked F'nor better than F'lar, and I liked the idea of him having a romance. I also really liked the fire lizard concept, and how they could be there for all of the Pernese, not just the privile...more
What I remember liking: I liked F'nor better than F'lar, and I liked the idea of him having a romance. I also really liked the fire lizard concept, and how they could be there for all of the Pernese, not just the privile...more
Jumping ahead 7 Turns, I felt like this book settled me into the continued plot very comfortably. She became a bit longer-winded in this volume, spending a bit more time with character’s thoughts and reflections of events, but only once or twice did I feel distracted from the story and the danger of the Threadfall. F’nor takes a centerpiece in this novel, and it felt natural, being totally separate from the first book, which centered on F’lar and Lessa (both of whom appear in this book), who hav...more
The second of the Pern books McCaffrey wrote, it both improves on the original and falters in places.
On the negative side, it's less of a unified epic. The first novel was the tale of Lessa and F'lar and the desperate attempt to ensure Pern's safety once Thread begins to fall again. This novel wanders amongst many more character, diluting the narration. Its antagonists are much more clearly bad (either conniving or weak or stubborn in their ways). And it introduces Fire Lizards, which are occasi...more
On the negative side, it's less of a unified epic. The first novel was the tale of Lessa and F'lar and the desperate attempt to ensure Pern's safety once Thread begins to fall again. This novel wanders amongst many more character, diluting the narration. Its antagonists are much more clearly bad (either conniving or weak or stubborn in their ways). And it introduces Fire Lizards, which are occasi...more
For those who missed it, I reviewed book one of the Dragonriders of Pern last week.
What I didn't mention was that I predicted the ending. This happens a lot with me, and I don't actually hold it against a book. Quite the contrary. Often if I guess an ending, I'm thrilled to find out just how the author gets from the current point in the story to the ending.
Dragonquest, however, did surprise me at several points. I'm going to give it another 4 (since goodreads doesn't do 3.5 and there's not a fli...more
What I didn't mention was that I predicted the ending. This happens a lot with me, and I don't actually hold it against a book. Quite the contrary. Often if I guess an ending, I'm thrilled to find out just how the author gets from the current point in the story to the ending.
Dragonquest, however, did surprise me at several points. I'm going to give it another 4 (since goodreads doesn't do 3.5 and there's not a fli...more
If there were half stars, this would get three and a half... this is the last McCaffrey book in the re-reading binge I've been doing ever since my Mom gave me all her old copies, and of all of them I liked it best.
I feel like this book is a little more nuanced than the others, with slightly better characterization. Some of the antagonists are actually admitted to have good reasons for the way they think & act, and the one real Bad Person causes tragedy not through an Evil Plan but by being s...more
I feel like this book is a little more nuanced than the others, with slightly better characterization. Some of the antagonists are actually admitted to have good reasons for the way they think & act, and the one real Bad Person causes tragedy not through an Evil Plan but by being s...more
I feel like reading this book was a lot like wading through muck, and that there are times when it's easier and times when you're so bogged down it makes going really tough. I grew rather bored with various characters and very few of them really interested me. It doesn't help that I dislike ever shifting POV changes. It definitely didn't help when (view spoiler)...more
I went back and forth between giving it two or three stars, but since I like to stick to the goodreads definitions of stars I felt like saying I liked it was going a tad too far.
I enjoyed Dragonquest a lot more then Dragonflight, it was told better. The thing that is really killing this series for me though is that the bad guys are always idiots. Seriously? If you don't agree with Lessa and F'nor you obviously must be crazy? I also found the work to be somewhat illogical and self-indulgent.
On a...more
I enjoyed Dragonquest a lot more then Dragonflight, it was told better. The thing that is really killing this series for me though is that the bad guys are always idiots. Seriously? If you don't agree with Lessa and F'nor you obviously must be crazy? I also found the work to be somewhat illogical and self-indulgent.
On a...more
The Pern books are technically science fiction, set on a lost colony of Earth, but it's often found on fantasy lists, for here be dragons. Although I lost interest in the series with its later books the original trilogy and the Harper Hall trilogy set in the same universe remain favorites I've reread more than once. (If you haven't already, you should read the first book, Dragonflight, before reading Dragonquest.)
Part of the reason I love the early Pern novels is that McCaffrey sets up an intri...more
Part of the reason I love the early Pern novels is that McCaffrey sets up an intri...more
Much improved from the first book in the series, Dragonflight. I would probably give this one 3.5 stars.
The writing was probably the most obvious improvement from the first book, and considerably less annoying. The dragon and rider dynamic is more developed and descriptive and therefore more interesting. The always entertaining fire lizards are first introduced in this book, and they are still one of my favorite elements in these stories. Seriously, who wouldn't want one for a pet?
The constant t...more
The writing was probably the most obvious improvement from the first book, and considerably less annoying. The dragon and rider dynamic is more developed and descriptive and therefore more interesting. The always entertaining fire lizards are first introduced in this book, and they are still one of my favorite elements in these stories. Seriously, who wouldn't want one for a pet?
The constant t...more
Whenever I find that I can't get 'into' any of the books I brought home from the library, or any I have been waiting to read,I find certain series to be cathartic. Certain writers (sometimes it's a series, sometimes it's the built in rhythm that is inherent in whatever way that person chooses to communicate.)have that chicken soup, warm cuddly blanket feel and are able to help when no other books do. Anne McCaffrey is one of these. I find I am able to turn to the world of Pern or one of her othe...more
I thought this book was a big improvement from Dragonflight. F'lar and Lessa are significantly less annoying this time around, due mostly to their already established relationship and leadership. No shaking or yelling or lack of communication this time around; they're partners and bring out the best in each other. They're also not the only major characters, thankfully. I really enjoyed Jaxom's plot, both in his relationship with Lytol and his experience with dragons. The scene where he (view spo...more
I've always liked this book in the Pern series, probably more than I like Dragonflight. I really like F'nor and Brekke and the introduction of the fire lizards. It's also in this book that the characters really start to begin discovering their history and the technology of the Ancients, which is a trope I generally always really like in SF/Fantasy. I love those cross-over books that feel like fantasy but you discover have a solid, SF premise underneath.
I absorbed the Pern books so long ago in my...more
I absorbed the Pern books so long ago in my...more
Ugh, I find myself really frustrated with these books. I've been eyeing them for years in my library, but always found something else to read because it had a nicer cover, but I didn't expect that I would be this disappointed.
It's all about politics. It's all about order and timetables and having yourself matter the most. I expected this to be something adventurous, something that was going to blow my mind of but instead I got this politically oriented, bad Sci-Fi, with no battles or real argum...more
It's all about politics. It's all about order and timetables and having yourself matter the most. I expected this to be something adventurous, something that was going to blow my mind of but instead I got this politically oriented, bad Sci-Fi, with no battles or real argum...more
I liked this second book more than the last one. This one felt like more of a story...we really got to understand the dynamics of the the character's relationships and the politics of Pern. In the last book, there was a lot more establishment of the world...which left me feeling like the story was lacking in plot. BUT! It was also an excellent way to leave the reader wanting more...so kudos McCaffrey.
I also feel like this book ended with a lot unresolved, and thus I want to jump into the next bo...more
I also feel like this book ended with a lot unresolved, and thus I want to jump into the next bo...more
Fantasy. Again, this book teaches that the way to a woman's heart is through dubious consent. This time it's just F'nor being a dick; horny telepathic dragons had nothing to do with it. Apparently our hero sees nothing wrong with having sex with a woman who is "fighting him." He's also a big fan of domestic violence: "It was too bad you couldn't beat a Weyrwoman with impunity. Her dragon wouldn't permit it but a sound thrashing was what Kylara badly needed."
Look, I didn't like Kylara either. No...more
Look, I didn't like Kylara either. No...more
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First of all I did not read the entire book,that being said it was because I could not stay interested. There was too much small uninteresting nonsense,to much focus on the mundane and not enough focus on important subject matter. This book would be good for me if I was a person who just read to fill my time,however I'm not. I like being submersed in a story so I can live an adventure or just be entertained.Sadly I just lost interest.Most of the time (while reading) I was thinking about previou...more
So pretty much everything that COULD have annoyed me about the first book in this series -- namely, tons of ridiculous names with apostrophes, McCaffrey's bordering on the interesting obsession with male domination in sexuality -- DID annoy me about this book. It doesn't have the advantage Dragonflight had of being simple and epic; instead, McCaffrey insists on spreading readers' attention thinly over a ridiculous amount of characters who aren't terribly distinct from one another in both name an...more
Oct 09, 2012
Sara Gonçalves
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
leituras-2012,
trilogies-tetralogies
Este é um livro que me deixa indecisa em relação se gostei, se gostei muito... Tendo gostado tanto do livro anterior, é óbvio que parti para este com grandes expectativas, mas esta não se satisfizeram com esta leitura.
Este é um livro que começa sete anos (rotações) após o fim do anterior. Muita coisa aconteceu nesse intervalo, coisa que não gostei ao principio, gostaria de ter acompanhado esses acontecimentos, mas compreendo que a escritora tenha querido condensá-los porque haveria coisas mais...more
Este é um livro que começa sete anos (rotações) após o fim do anterior. Muita coisa aconteceu nesse intervalo, coisa que não gostei ao principio, gostaria de ter acompanhado esses acontecimentos, mas compreendo que a escritora tenha querido condensá-los porque haveria coisas mais...more
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I was lent this book along with nine others in the series by a good friend along with the recommendation they are his favourite fantasy books. I have to say now that I am at the second in the series I have not been let down.
Don't let the publication date of 1971 put you off! This has some seriously well developed female characters of Lessa, Kylara & Brekke who I fell in love with in this book. The developing relationships, emotional turmoils and childhood scandals appealed to me greatly and...more
Don't let the publication date of 1971 put you off! This has some seriously well developed female characters of Lessa, Kylara & Brekke who I fell in love with in this book. The developing relationships, emotional turmoils and childhood scandals appealed to me greatly and...more
After Anne Mcaffrey died late 2011 I rooted around in my bookshelves for all my old pern paperbacks from the early 80's. I was utterly obsessed with these books when I was a young teenager, and they were extremely formative in my own history as a writer. The first novel I ever wrote -- longhand, in mead spiralbound notebooks -- was a thin knockoff of Dragonflight (I seem to remember it had unicorns, but I'm so embarrassed by that book I haven't managed to actually read enough of it to check).
I...more
I...more
Once again the audio book was wonderfully narrated with the characters' different personalities clearly shown. Although I prefer reading a book myself, the audio books do seem to give it a different (but not necessarily bad) feeling.
The story was more gripping than Dragon flight with not only the protagonists but also the antagonists properly flushed out. However, towards the end of the book you only hear about the antagonists in passing except for one. At points you simply could not guess what...more
The story was more gripping than Dragon flight with not only the protagonists but also the antagonists properly flushed out. However, towards the end of the book you only hear about the antagonists in passing except for one. At points you simply could not guess what...more
So, this is the second book of a trilogy, and then there's another trilogy, and then some other books, and when you've tallied it all up, you have something like 27 books in the series. And I've read the first two, but unless I get pneumonia and my reading time suddenly quadruples, I'm probably done, and I feel strange about it, because when all is said and done, I don't hate these books.
The setting is imaginative. The stories move along at a good pace. The stories are interesting. If that was a...more
The setting is imaginative. The stories move along at a good pace. The stories are interesting. If that was a...more
• This book is an excellent follow up to the last one. It shows a Pern that still has many of the characteristics of the planet during the long 400 year interval, but now with Thread. It shows a believable picture of how each different kind of person has trouble adapting to their new life. It also shows that there could be an end to Thread in sight. I like that they actually do send someone to the Red Planet to find out what’s there. I also like that the dragonriders sort themselves out. I again...more
This is a wonderful escape into another world and time--impossible but imaginative scenario! The continued use of transporting and 'teleporting' dragons now with petite domesticated fire lizards and new astronomical discoveries add to the story and give this book series new ways to expand. The reader gets to imagine how advanced the original colonists of Pern must have been with each new discovery of their ancestral history. One wonders what happened to all the technology those colonists had and...more
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Anne McCaffrey was born on April 1st, 1926, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, at 1:30 p.m., in the hour of the Sheep, year of the Fire Tiger, sun sign Aries with Taurus rising and Leo mid-heaven (which seems to suggest an early interest in the stars).
Her parents were George Herbert McCaffrey, BA, MA PhD (Harvard), Colonel USA Army (retired), and Anne Dorothy McElroy McCaffrey, estate agent. She had two...more
More about Anne McCaffrey...
Her parents were George Herbert McCaffrey, BA, MA PhD (Harvard), Colonel USA Army (retired), and Anne Dorothy McElroy McCaffrey, estate agent. She had two...more
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Sep 04, 2011 04:43pm