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112th out of 345 books
—
247 voters
The White Dragon (Dragonriders of Pern #3)
A fantasy of a time when...
Never had there been as close a bonding as the one that existed betweenthe daring and adventurous young Lord Jaxom and his extraordinary whitedragon, Ruth. Pure white and incredibly agile, Ruth was a dragon of manytalents, though almost everyone on Pern thought he was a runt that wouldnever amount to anything.
But Jaxom knew better, knew he could
...moreMass Market Paperback, 468 pages
Published
May 1979
by Del Rey/Ballantine Books
(first published 1977)
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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I though Jaxom had the personality and mannerisms of a 12 year old, and I thought he was that age, until later on with the fieldgirl. So he is in his late teens, early twenties? I had the impression on Pern that most people grow up and mature rapidly because of the constant threat of Thread. The groaniest, whinest boy gets the smartest dragon of all Pern? I will give him credit for trying to do the right thing without the glory.
Ruth as a dragon was very interesting, and was set apart from the ot...more
Ruth as a dragon was very interesting, and was set apart from the ot...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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I can't wait to get my hands on the rest of the books of this series.
I highly enjoyed the first two, but I was hesitant about the third one because of the shift in protagonists. Usually in series with lots of different characters and a book is devoted to a minor character, I dread that book. However, this was not the case with this book. The shift from Lessa, F'lar, and F'nor to Jaxom was extremely well developed. He was featured enough in the first two books and developed enough so that when I...more
I highly enjoyed the first two, but I was hesitant about the third one because of the shift in protagonists. Usually in series with lots of different characters and a book is devoted to a minor character, I dread that book. However, this was not the case with this book. The shift from Lessa, F'lar, and F'nor to Jaxom was extremely well developed. He was featured enough in the first two books and developed enough so that when I...more
Mar 26, 2011
Paradoxical
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
books-otherwise,
2011-reading-list
Hm, I don't remember Jaxom being so irritating before (haha). He whines and groans and talks a lot about how unfair things are, and yes, he has a lot of responsibility on his shoulders, but it doesn't stop me from wanting to smack him upside the head a few times. It also doesn't help that his romantic attachments bore me to death, and that there is no rhyme or reason for Sharra. (view spoiler)...more
Sep 25, 2010
Lisa (Harmonybites)
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Fans of McCaffrey's Pern books
Although I lost interest in the later books of the Pern series, the original trilogy (and the Harper Hall books) remain among my favorites in speculative fiction. This is the third book in the series and you should read Dragonflight and Dragonquest first.
This book feels a little different with its focus on different characters: Jaxom and his dragon Ruth. Ruth comes across as a character in his own right more than other Pern dragons, and he's an endearing one.
The plot has more than enough twist...more
This book feels a little different with its focus on different characters: Jaxom and his dragon Ruth. Ruth comes across as a character in his own right more than other Pern dragons, and he's an endearing one.
The plot has more than enough twist...more
This is basically a review of the three books that make up the trilogy. There actually was a book between books two and three that I'm not counting, but which do introduce several characters in this book, but I'm not counting it as one of the main books because that book was originally published as YA and it wasn't available at my local library.
I prefer to review the books as they exist, and not the book I'd wished someone had written. I also think that if a book is part of a series that is more...more
I prefer to review the books as they exist, and not the book I'd wished someone had written. I also think that if a book is part of a series that is more...more
Jun 22, 2009
Hannah
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fantasy,
science-fiction
A lovely story, definitely one of the best of the Dragonriders series. All the well-loved heroes from Dragonflight, Dragonquest and the Harper novels are here, and through Jaxom's eyes, we follow their various activities from an outsider's perspective. Compared to the powerful and serious fighting dragons at the Weyrs, Ruth is very much like a playful child, and the contrast is both interesting and refreshing. Ruth is loveable and fun, and I found myself cheering for him as he discovered his own...more
The further I delve into the world of Pern the more I like it. The audio-book was marvellous to follow thanks to the voice acting of Dick Hill. He has a talent for making characters (even shallow ones at times) come alive.
As for the characters, Ruth was adorable for me and I liked him instantly. As for Jaxom, well he was a typical red-blooded young man. But this is why I like the stories of Anne McCaffrey as she does not shy away from revealing all the character's flaws, even the ones that make...more
As for the characters, Ruth was adorable for me and I liked him instantly. As for Jaxom, well he was a typical red-blooded young man. But this is why I like the stories of Anne McCaffrey as she does not shy away from revealing all the character's flaws, even the ones that make...more
I honestly considered giving this one a gentleman’s three-out-of-five so as not to make enemies, but I figure anyone who reads this post is my friend, and as a friend, will bear through our differences in light of our many common interests.
I did not like this book.
I know people who did. It’s certainly worth grabbing to keep up on where the series is headed, but it was painful for me. I loved the start, the set-up of a holder getting a dragon, even Jaxom was enjoyable (though I enjoyed his white...more
I did not like this book.
I know people who did. It’s certainly worth grabbing to keep up on where the series is headed, but it was painful for me. I loved the start, the set-up of a holder getting a dragon, even Jaxom was enjoyable (though I enjoyed his white...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Dec 18, 2012
Sara Gonçalves
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
leituras-2012,
trilogies-tetralogies
Finalmente o último livro da trilogia do Mundo de Pern. Neste todos os acontecimentos em suspenso do último livro encontram a sua resolução. Vemos o mundo na sua maioria pelos olhos de Jaxom, o cavaleiro do dragão branco Ruth, o único dragão branco e muito diferente dos demais. Através destes dois acontecem várias peripécias como evitar uma guerra entre dragões, a descoberta de artefactos no antigo continente do Sul, mal explorado nos tempos recentes, artefactos esses relacionados com a coloniza...more
Fantasy. More dragonriding with some archeology thrown in for color and the first appearance by a female green dragonrider. Except the text calls her a "dragon girl" and she doesn't get the honorific apostrophe like the men do and also no one likes her very much because she's bitchy. We also get our first female crafter, a harper, but she's the appropriate combination of bossy and nurturing and everybody loves her. If, on Pern, you are female and only bossy or only nurturing, then you're out of...more
1 like · like · see review
• I think this is a very fitting end to the original dragonrider trilogy. I also like the fact the A.M. left her series open for more. Since she did eventually go back and write more in the series it works out well. I do think that some of the action was a little more forced than it needed to be. Like suddenly Toric becomes a threat to the entire Southern Continent. I also think there was a little too much about the fact that Ruth will never mate. I don’t know. It just seemed like with all the w...more
I've only read three of the Pern books (Dragonflight, Dragonquest and the White Dragon) but so far this is my favorite of them all. I really enjoyed the character of Jaxom. This book had a maturity in handling themes of coming-of-age that I really appreciated and I love that you start learning more and more about how the humans got to Pern. I can't wait to read the later books which go more deeply into the tech and the genetic engineering of the dragons. I will say that I wished I'd read the two...more
No extra points in the rating for the awesome dragons and unique world this time around. The shine of Pern has worn off, and all that's left is the author's writing. In that regard, this book was pretty lackluster.
I had a lot of hope for Jaxom and Ruth after Dragonquest. I was pretty much completely disappointed. Jaxom is a whiny, bratty kid that I had absolutely no investment in. In fact, I actively want him to fail. Characters that are special and wonderful at everything just for the sake of i...more
I had a lot of hope for Jaxom and Ruth after Dragonquest. I was pretty much completely disappointed. Jaxom is a whiny, bratty kid that I had absolutely no investment in. In fact, I actively want him to fail. Characters that are special and wonderful at everything just for the sake of i...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
loved it as a kid-mostly because i loved pet animals...and who doesn't want a pet dragon?
"White Dragon" was a lot of fun to read...however, I only gave it 3 stars because I'm holding it up to the 2 previous books, which, in my opinion, were better stories.
Now, I must add that I thought the first book was a bit much...that the plot was overloaded and soooo much happend in such a small space of time. But now, that is what I've come to expect from Pern, and this book didn't quite stand up to the reputation. Slower paced with less rediculous story pile up (I know that sounds like a good...more
Now, I must add that I thought the first book was a bit much...that the plot was overloaded and soooo much happend in such a small space of time. But now, that is what I've come to expect from Pern, and this book didn't quite stand up to the reputation. Slower paced with less rediculous story pile up (I know that sounds like a good...more
About half of "The White Dragon" is a fine Pern novel, ranking right up there with the first two of the series. That's the half, unfortunately, that doesn't have Jaxom, the protagonist, in it. The Jaxom sections, dealing with his trials and travails and maturation and bonding with his sport white dragon, Ruth, veer between the YA light-weightness of the Harper Hall trilogy, and listening to Luke whining about how he was going to spend the afternoon going into Toshi Station.
The overall plot of th...more
The overall plot of th...more
Much like the 2nd book in this series, The White Dragon is a huge improvement on Book #1. I continued to enjoy the world that was created and the familiar characters. It's a very comfortable and safe read. Very much a comfort book. I can understand where some of the other reviewers are coming from in regards to the characters.. the good guys really are unrealistically GOOD, never making mistakes. Their "mistakes" just highlight their altruism and heroism, so... I can see how that can be annoying...more
I kolejna część serii o dzielnych jeźdźcach smoków za mną :) I jak zwykle skończyłam ją z uśmiechem na ustach, pani McCaffrey nie zawiodła mnie jak dotąd ani razu.
Tym razem akcja książki skupia się na jedynym na Pernie białym smoku i jego młodocianym jeźdźcu Jaxomie, który jest także Lordem warowni. Wraz z Jaxomem i Ruthem (bo tak ma na imię unikalny biały smok) odkrywamy Południowy Kontynent i natykamy się na tajemnice przodków perneńczyków, ludzi, którzy przemierzyli kosmos, by zasiedlić smocz...more
Tym razem akcja książki skupia się na jedynym na Pernie białym smoku i jego młodocianym jeźdźcu Jaxomie, który jest także Lordem warowni. Wraz z Jaxomem i Ruthem (bo tak ma na imię unikalny biały smok) odkrywamy Południowy Kontynent i natykamy się na tajemnice przodków perneńczyków, ludzi, którzy przemierzyli kosmos, by zasiedlić smocz...more
Jaxom is the future Lord Holder of Ruatha, but in defiance of tradition he's also bonded to a dragon--the small, unusual, white Ruth. This is the story of his coming of age, as he insists on embracing both of his roles and leaves Pern changed in his wake. The White Dragon is an improvement over its immediate predecessor, Dragonquest, in large part because it has a stronger focus: Jaxom, whose maturation is realistic if not compelling. Jaxom's bond with Ruth is more unique, both because Ruth is b...more
This book frustrates me for what it could have been. Once again, I find a fantasy author who is plagued by falling overly in love with his or her minor characters. Masterharper Robinton is an annoying, unnecessary character whose presence and overwritten dialogue dilutes the plot of the story and drags things along—reduce him to the minor role he plays (regardless of McCaffrey’s apparent affection for him) and this book is at least 75 pages shorter, more suspenseful, and less cumbersome through...more
I read this series back in the late eighties and loved it. I recently bought and listened to the audios of the first two books and then bought this book. I remembered it as a favorite and rightfully so. The Dragonriders of Pern series is kind of sci fi but also a fantasy read. Pern is a planet where men came from earth so long ago memory there are not records and no memories of the time. They do know that the people who came found out that the red star that comes close to Pern in it's rotation d...more
This is the kind of story that appeals to me. I was hesitant to read about a different character. After reading the first one, I was disappointed not to have another story from the perspective of Lessa. However, upon reading it, Jaxon ended up being my favorite character. Jaxon is the boy born when Lessa is taken from her Hold that her family once ruled until it was usurped. That boy is heir to the Hold. As a young Hold leader, he is brought to the Weyr to witness a Hatching, a white dragon, ins...more
Oct 22, 2012
Jeanne
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fantasy,
science-fiction
This series is so complicated, I'm not sure how but I continue to read these books out of order. I read "The White Dragon" after "Dragonquest" as they were in a set of 3 books. Now I find out that this may be the 5th book so I'll adventure back into time and read the ones I missed. That being said this book took place right after "Dragonquest" and I didn't mind the story just continuing with Jaxom and his White Dragon Ruth who is quite unusual for a dragon of Pern. I'm not sure if we have all qu...more
Even when I was a teenager, I generally found teen literature to be overwrought at best...so, as my reading skills advanced...I skipped directly over teen lit and started into adult SF and Fantasy...
I stumbled upon "The White Dragon" and fell in love with the story of Jaxom...a true coming-of-age hero who finds that even whacked out Pern and its dragon-riding citizens still have a class system and teenage expectations to buck...
I can still vividly remember the developing relationship between hum...more
I stumbled upon "The White Dragon" and fell in love with the story of Jaxom...a true coming-of-age hero who finds that even whacked out Pern and its dragon-riding citizens still have a class system and teenage expectations to buck...
I can still vividly remember the developing relationship between hum...more
Book three in the Dragonriders of Pern trilogy.
Jaxom, the young Lord Holder of Ruatha, helped to release a rare white dragon from his shell. Impressing the dragon caused a fuss because dragonriders live in the Weyrs and everyone said he could not be both a Lord Holder and a dragonrider.
Stubbornly, Jaxom fights to stay in his home and to keep Ruth, his runt of a dragon. Unfortunately, no one will teach the pair to fly together and fight "thread," so he and Ruth experiment on their own. What they...more
Jaxom, the young Lord Holder of Ruatha, helped to release a rare white dragon from his shell. Impressing the dragon caused a fuss because dragonriders live in the Weyrs and everyone said he could not be both a Lord Holder and a dragonrider.
Stubbornly, Jaxom fights to stay in his home and to keep Ruth, his runt of a dragon. Unfortunately, no one will teach the pair to fly together and fight "thread," so he and Ruth experiment on their own. What they...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good Book, but... | 5 | 92 | Feb 07, 2012 10:08am |
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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