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285th out of 2,202 books
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5,805 voters
Nerilka's Story (Pern (Publication Order) #8)
Everyone, holder and dragonrider alike, pitched in to help--except Nerilka's father, who refused to share Fort Hold's bounty with the other holds. So, ashamed of her family and determined to doher part, Nerilka packed up medicines and supplies and sneaked off to aid her people.Her quest to help wherever she was most neded led her finally to Ruatha Hold, where Lord Alessan...more
Paperback, 182 pages
Published
October 4th 1997
by Del Rey
(first published February 12th 1986)
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209th out of 1,174 books
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This novella, set in McCaffrey’s epic world of Pern, is stylistically more like a Regency romance than a science-fiction short story. McCaffrey provides an prologue which explains the setting and historical background of the story, but it is more confusing than explanatory, and readers would do well to skip to the story itself.
Nerilka is one of the many daughters of the Lord of Fort Hold, and as a plain, hard-working girl, harbors no romantic thoughts of a lavish marriage and escape from Fort Ho...more
Nerilka is one of the many daughters of the Lord of Fort Hold, and as a plain, hard-working girl, harbors no romantic thoughts of a lavish marriage and escape from Fort Ho...more
I like Anne McCaffrey's work in general. She usually writes about the high-profile people in her worlds, and they typically have very romantic adventures. This book is a little different from the rest. The main character is a lady at a reputable hold, but this is in the world of Pern, where the books are usually about the weyrs and the dragonriders, so as highborn as Nerilka is, she's much lower profile than McCaffrey's usual main character, especially as Nerilka is one of many daughters of the...more
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This beautiful book is a bit different from the other Pern books, as it does not focus on the dragons as much as it does the people. In this instance, the people at a Gather are stricken when an illness strikes and kills many, holders, dragonriders, and people from all the crafts.
Lord Holder Tolocamp, Fort Hold's ruler, was the host of the Gather. However, when the devastating illness strikes, he refuses all but the most basic help, telling his daughter Nerilka that she is not to give of his bo...more
Lord Holder Tolocamp, Fort Hold's ruler, was the host of the Gather. However, when the devastating illness strikes, he refuses all but the most basic help, telling his daughter Nerilka that she is not to give of his bo...more
This addition to the Pern series adds some depth to Moreta's story. What is most unusual about it is that the focus is neither on dragons nor on harpers, the usual heroes of Pern.
Nerilka is an ordinary, unattractive holder's daughter. When her father, Lord Tolocamp, brings his young mistress to live in the hold immediately after abandoning his wife and daughters to die of the plague at Ruatha, his surviving daughter is appalled. When Lord Tolocamp then refuses to share his food and medicines wi...more
Nerilka is an ordinary, unattractive holder's daughter. When her father, Lord Tolocamp, brings his young mistress to live in the hold immediately after abandoning his wife and daughters to die of the plague at Ruatha, his surviving daughter is appalled. When Lord Tolocamp then refuses to share his food and medicines wi...more
Sometimes it's interesting to read a story you've already read, but through someone else's point of view. Here...I guess it works. Nerilka's an easy character to sympathize with (unappreciated daughter of a domineering hold-owner, what IS it with Anne McCaffrey and bad father-daughter relationships), and I did find myself cheering for her when she sets out on her own AND manages to stick it to her horrible family at the same time. Other than that, this is really just a footnote to the Moreta sto...more
Sep 25, 2010
Lisa (Harmonybites)
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Fans of McCaffrey's Pern books
I only rank this three stars because among McCaffrey's Pern books, it didn't leave a lasting impression on me the way the original trilogy or the Harperhall books, or even the book this is based on, Moreta, did. This book is short compared to most Pern books, centered on a minor character in Moreta and paralleling the events there.
It's not a bad book really. It's readable and entertaining, and for those readers who can't have enough of Pern, you may very well enjoy this. I wouldn't let this be...more
It's not a bad book really. It's readable and entertaining, and for those readers who can't have enough of Pern, you may very well enjoy this. I wouldn't let this be...more
Set in the same time period as Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern, the time of a great sickness which blows through Pern faster than a burrow of thread with great loss of life. Nerilka is a daughter of Fort, but not a much loved one by any means.
As the sickness sweeps over the continent she goes out to help, leaving behind her heritage and name. By chance she ends up in Ruatha which is where the sickness hit hardest since it occured at the time of a gather.
Dragons are not the focus this time and it is...more
As the sickness sweeps over the continent she goes out to help, leaving behind her heritage and name. By chance she ends up in Ruatha which is where the sickness hit hardest since it occured at the time of a gather.
Dragons are not the focus this time and it is...more
• This is another example of just how great an author Anne MacCaffrey is. First, she intended this book to be a true companion story to one of her biggest hits, Moreta. More than any of the other novels or short stories does this one fill the bill. Second, it’s written from Nerilka’s point of view. That makes the story far more interesting. Because there was a very strong focus to the action that takes place in this book, the first person view is perfect. It would be a lot more difficult to do a...more
Là par contre, j'avoue que je n'ai pas bien vu l'intérêt ! On nous ressort l'histoire de l'épidémie agrémentée d'une nouvelle sauce, c'est-à-dire vue par un personnage différent ! C'eut été intéressant si au moins ce volume avait davantage poussé l'histoire dans le temps, nous présentant plus en détails la vie future de Nerilka, mais ce livre et le précédent s'arrêtent quasiment au même moment ! Et l'histoire de Moreta est pour moi nettement plus intéressante que celle de Nerilka, y'a pas photo....more
Why does this book even exist? Adds very little of interest and the Grand Lesson comes off hollow. Other much better books in the series instruct us on Blooded Holder duties and morals. Only reason I gave it two stars is that if Moreta didn't exist this book would have value for tackling the interesting post-tech pastoral plague concept. But almost every other Holder perspective story in the series is superior to this, and cover greater ground. This book is basically good only for the True Fans...more
Written as a first person narrative, this shorter novel of Pern adds something special to Moreta, Dragon Lady of Pern. Nerilka starts rather slow and more or less just a recount of events from Moreta; however, it gradually evolves more into its own novel with significant character development. The evolving relationship between Nerlika and Alessen Stands as the focus of the book, and this is where the book has its greatest impact. Overal, the short length of the book combined with Macaffery's imp...more
This book was.... shallow. I mean that in the most respectable way, of course, because I am a huge fan of "The Pern" series.
I felt like this story could have contained so much more depth but instead felt like I read an outline of a story in progress. Which, would have been fine if there was more to the story... But, Nerilka's story is contained within the few pages and was a mere shadow of a strong woman within a weak plot.
In fact, if I had not already read the "Pern" series in my youth even mo...more
I felt like this story could have contained so much more depth but instead felt like I read an outline of a story in progress. Which, would have been fine if there was more to the story... But, Nerilka's story is contained within the few pages and was a mere shadow of a strong woman within a weak plot.
In fact, if I had not already read the "Pern" series in my youth even mo...more
El llibre de Moreta em va agradar molt. Només que, a poques pàgines del final, va deixar anar la bomba, i encara recordo com em va impactar el final de Moreta. El fet que, mig any després, encara em recordi de com em va impactar, suposo que és bastant significatiu.
La història era com totes les altres de Pern... fins que arribava el final. Després, sense saber com, apareixia una noia, la Nerilka, que no sabies ni d'on havia sortit i que es casava amb l'Alessan. Com podia ser que l'Alessan s'hag...more
Lady Nerilka is unappreciated and unknown in Fort Hold by her father, Lord Tolocamp and others. When plague strikes Pern, Lady Nerilka does all she can for hold and hall at Fort. She is in charge of Fort Hold's medicinal stores and wants to help any way she can not that her Lord father would notice anyway. Lady Nerilka often called Rill by her brothers and sisters is becoming disgusted by her father's attitude and dealings of thosearound him. When news of his wife and younger daughters death rea...more
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I always enjoy spending a wee bit of time in Pern. This book was no exception in that regard.
However, this novella was disappointing to me. Not that Ms McCaffrey really does much for providing well-rounded female roles (contrary to what I would expect), but I still did not expect this to be so soppy and predictable. I had enjoyed the Moreta story, and was intrigued by this side-story spun out of a chance encounter in that novel... but it ended up being disappointing more than enlightening.
Whil...more
However, this novella was disappointing to me. Not that Ms McCaffrey really does much for providing well-rounded female roles (contrary to what I would expect), but I still did not expect this to be so soppy and predictable. I had enjoyed the Moreta story, and was intrigued by this side-story spun out of a chance encounter in that novel... but it ended up being disappointing more than enlightening.
Whil...more
This is one of my favorite books from the Pern series. It's really just an expansion of a story, within previous story of Pern...but it's character development & telling is quite well done.
During the story of plague that decimates all of Pern, we find true honor & compassion. When the plague hits Nerilka's father abandons her mother & four sisters to die at the devastated Ruatha Hold. Breaking quarantine to come home to Fort Hold alone her father risks bringing the plague to his rem...more
During the story of plague that decimates all of Pern, we find true honor & compassion. When the plague hits Nerilka's father abandons her mother & four sisters to die at the devastated Ruatha Hold. Breaking quarantine to come home to Fort Hold alone her father risks bringing the plague to his rem...more
This is the story of Nerilka, one of the minor characters in Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern. It was a short read, which is lucky, as I found the majority of it to be quite boring. It was like re-reading Moreta from a different characters point of view and I didn't care much for that tale in the first place. One of the better characters in Moreta, Alessan, was painted quite poorly in this version of the tale. He came off as a bit of an arse and I believe Nerilka was a minor character for a reason. Sh...more
A charming and short addition to the Pern stories. Less about Dragons, more about heart. Lady Nerilka is unappreciated by her own Father and Hold. She has recently lost her mother & sisters to a plague sweeping their world. Her father selfishly returns to his Hold and refuses anyone entry or sharing of goods, or healing arts with other communities. Lady Nerilka is disgusted by this behavior and longs to help out, especially at Ruatha where she was fostered. In disguise, she gathers appropria...more
Apr 16, 2013
Katheryne Koelker
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
read-would-read-again,
sci-fi-fantasy
Most times, the Holders and their activities are included more as part of the dragonriders' lives. "Nerilka's Story" (companion story to "Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern") goes outside the Weyrs to Pern's oldest Hold.
Not only does Lord Tolocamp refuse help to anyone outside the hold during a plague, he also breaks the continent-wide quarantine. Nerilka decides she'd give what help she can--and this decision will have unexpected results.
Not only does Lord Tolocamp refuse help to anyone outside the hold during a plague, he also breaks the continent-wide quarantine. Nerilka decides she'd give what help she can--and this decision will have unexpected results.
Anne McCaffrey has had books that have captivated my attention ... Either my attention levels have changed or this one was a slight disappointment. I suppose it may be more of the former. I have come to love character development and prothetic type plots. Anne McCaffrey just lays it all on the table. There is very little mystery to her work. However, Nerilka's Story is well written and a great read for any true Dragonrider fan out there.
I don't specifically remember this book but I did enjoy Anne McCaffrey for a little while. I think a lot of her ideas affected fantasy after her and that she should be acknowledged for that. I also feel that the world became more forced as time went on and that there didn't seem to be an end for it. I think all things like TV Shows and book series need to have an end and there's just no finality for this series.
This is one of my favorite stories from the Pern world. Nerilka is an ordinary girl who chooses to do what is right and in the process becomes someone extraordinary. A very strong female character who comes of age and decides to do what is right instead of what is expected. Nerilka is the perfect example of how a female character does not have to be "magical" to be something extra special.
a substory of moreta's ride. Nerlika is a holders daughter who in loosing her mother and sisters finds the strenght to defy her father and attempts to help in the recovern and inoculation process that saves pern from the illness. she finds love in the berieved lord holder of Ruatha and finds her place in the world.
Great adventure within a very interesting reality of a planet with dragons--of many sizes. Watch out for the sensuality in some of these books. However, they're still worth reading--well written fantasy adventure with positive characters and decisions, with the ultimate triumph of the noble and good.
A bittersweet tale branching of from Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern. It follows the same series of events from Moreta's story through the eyes of Lady Nerilka, under-appreciated daughter of Lord Holder Tolocamp of Fort Hold. She is a minor character in Moreta's story, but this is Nerilka's Story.
This is just a little bit of a side story from Anne McCaffrey's other book Moreta. It is nice to have a bit of an insight on this woman, as she is a bit of a mystery in Moreta. It is written differently than the other Pern novels, written in Nerilka's point of view. Good quick read.
I didn't finish this one. It's about a girl who raises (or at least likes, this was a LONG time ago for me) runnerbeasts. I simply did not care about her or her problems; maybe a story about horses just doesn't really cut it when you're talking about a world full of dragons.
The McCaffreys have got to be my favorite science fiction authors ever. I got hooked on Pern during high school when I read the Harper Hall Trilogy, and then I went on to explore the rest of the world with Anne and Todd in the book adventures of a lifetime. I highly recommend any of the Dragonriders of Pern book series for any science fiction lover.
The only Pern book I've read that was written in the first person. It was odd, but personal, for a change. As an account of the great plague, it was good, but I didn't like the characters as much. (January 2008)
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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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