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Dragonheart (Pern (published order) #21)

by Todd McCaffrey

3.81 · rating details · 1,320 ratings · 93 reviews

The specter of sickness looms over the Weyrs of Pern, felling fire-lizards and threatening their dragon cousins, Pern’s sole defense against the deadly phenomenon that is Thread. Fiona, the young rider of queen dragon Talenth, is about to assume the duties of a Weyrwoman when word spreads that dragons have begun succumbing to the new contagion. As more dragons sicken and d...more

Mass Market Paperback, 544 pages

Published October 27th 2009 by Del Rey

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Dec 20, 2008

Cathy rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Jon

Shelves: fantasy, owned-paper, series-reminder, dragon

Preface: I love Pern and have read every single book in the series and plan to do so until I die or the McCaffrey clan stops writing them.

Overall: A great book, read it!

Details:

This one started a tiny bit rough for me in a few ways. One of the things I love most about this series is how vivid and real it's become for me (after reading what appears to be 22 books or stories). In reading this book it felt to me a bit like the author felt the same way, a little t...morePreface: I love Pern and have read every single book in the series and plan to do so until I die or the McCaffrey clan stops writing them.

Overall: A great book, read it!

Details:

This one started a tiny bit rough for me in a few ways. One of the things I love most about this series is how vivid and real it's become for me (after reading what appears to be 22 books or stories). In reading this book it felt to me a bit like the author felt the same way, a little too much. Some common knowledge felt assumed to be there, and when it was regarding the several previous books set in the same time period and authored or co-authored by Todd McCaffrey, I just didn't have the same recall as with the books I've read multiple times. References were made to characters or events that I either could not remember or only remembered vaguely. And the pacing seemed a bit odd and rushed in the beginning. Both of these things could be explained by over-editing, of course. Neither was a deal-breaker at all. They were my only complaints or concerns with the book and did not bother me at all as the book hit it's stride.

This book takes place at the end of the 2nd Interval, beginning just before the 3rd Pass of the Red Star. It is the same time period used for the 3 books Todd McCaffrey co-authored with his mother, Anne McCaffrey, and the 1 other book Mr. McCaffrey solo authored. When they first began writing in this era I was hesitant, not sure that I would enjoy getting to know a whole new crew of characters and settings. But I was wrong. The stories were quite good and I enjoyed reading about aspects of the society that I had not seen before. The first several books dealt a lot with miners and watch whers in addition to the usual Holds and Weyrs. This book, while primarily about dragonriders, continues to explore these themes, and adds more by way of traders. The focus of the book is the experiences of a young woman named Fiona. Fiona is the daughter of Fort's Lord Holder who unexpectedly Impresses a queen dragon. When a dragon illness sweeps the land her big challenges begin.

What I liked best about the book is that it really compliments the others in this section of the series. The events take place at the same time as the other stories, but are told from a very different perspective. Old friends weave in and out as supporting characters, letting us know more about them and adding a sense of realism. Exploring events in this way really made the world feel even more real, adding a great deal of depth of my sense of understand this world and the events of this time. It is also very interesting to see how the line is walked between already established events both in the settling of the planet and early years and in the events of the future in relation to this time period. The consistency is excellent, allowing for a real sense that this planet was settled 500 years ago and it's people retain some memories and abilities from that time that were completely lost by the time we encounter the world in the books that introduced the series (DragonFlight, etc), which take place before and during the 9th Pass (around year 2500 After Landing or so I think). The changes in science, medicine, culture and even language are consistent with this placement in time. In fact, it bothered me at first when a few times when a character used a word that didn't feel "Pernese" to me (ex: awesome, great) until I thought that this actually reflected the more "modern" language of the earlier settlers and not the ways of speaking in the later books.

Readers should know that Fiona is a young girl, only 13 at the beginning of this book. While she is young, this is not a book written for teens, although I sure it would be enjoyed by them. Todd McCaffrey seems to enjoy writing stories of extraordinary young people who rise to the occasion during difficult times, as this theme is seen in all of his Pern books.

I didn't give you much here about the actual story, huh? Well, read the book and find out! It's enjoyable, although not as intense or dramatic as Dragonsblood. If you can, it would be best to read Dragon's Kin and Dragon Harper first, then Dragon's Fire if you wish (I didn't love it) and certainly Dragonsblood before reading this book. As a stand-alone it's a decent story but probably quite confusing and without the great sense of place and time that I found in reading it after the others.(less)

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Apr 15, 2009

Valerie rated it

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I read this because they had a copy at the library when I took my sons. I enjoyed parts of the story, but I did not feel like it was a complete novel, in spite of its length. I did not buy in to any of the conflict, or characters completely.

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Jan 07, 2012

Rose rated it

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When I picked up this book, the memory of Dragonharper was still fresh in my mind. The fact that I read it is a great tribute to either my masochism or my determination. With fortitude of mind and resilience of spirit, I rolled up my sleeves, spat on my hands, and plunged head-first into yet another long trek through a tedious mire.
To be fair, Dragonheart wasn’t quite as bad as its predecessor: there was an amorphous shadow which might, with a little encouragement, eventually grow into a p...moreWhen I picked up this book, the memory of Dragonharper was still fresh in my mind. The fact that I read it is a great tribute to either my masochism or my determination. With fortitude of mind and resilience of spirit, I rolled up my sleeves, spat on my hands, and plunged head-first into yet another long trek through a tedious mire.
To be fair, Dragonheart wasn’t quite as bad as its predecessor: there was an amorphous shadow which might, with a little encouragement, eventually grow into a plot - and I got to take my first brief gander at the workings of the world of Pern.
So close - and yet, so terribly, agonisingly far. The viewpoint character was completely isolated from the action, and the second- or third-hand reports we received of the battle against Thread were like mirages in the desert: appearing in order to taunt the thirsty traveller with the promise of water, only to vanish mockingly away when approached. (I do apologise, I have a dreadful habit of committing metaphors when I’m incensed.)
The worldbuilding of the series is what completely destroyed any lingering interest it may have held. It should be possible to read a story without any suspension of disbelief other than that necessary to accept the initial idea, but at times even that is impossible.
One question: If these people have the level of technology required to genetically engineer giant flying flame-throwing lizards, then why didn’t they just build a giant flying flame-throwing machine instead? It’s not exactly my area of expertise, but I swear it’s not ecologically viable to sustain hundreds of gargantuan ravenous monster lizards, especially when you’re using pre-industrial farming methods. And as further proof that we should hold these books up as a shining example of whatthefuckery, the space seed they’re using the dragons to fight is only a threat for a few decades every couple of hundred years, meaning that for... oooh, five sixths of the time, the Pernese are working themselves to the bone to support these monsters for literally no benefit whatsoever.
Obviously, the air on Pern contains a compound which lowers the cognitive ability of the human brain. It’s the only explanation for why the entire population of the planet seems to have a terminal case of the stupids.(less)

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Sep 19, 2009

Dorothy (D. J.) Emry rated it

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On StaticMultimedia.com I gave this -- stars, our highest rating. Below are some highlights from that review. To read my full review go to: http://www.staticmultimedia.com/print/re...

One of the chief problems McCaffrey faces, as the blurb from Del Rey puts it as “the heir apparent to the Pern universe created by his mother, Anne McCaffrey” is that his story backtracks over ground already explored in depth in previous books. None of the situations the characters encounter are new to fan...more

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Jan 11, 2009

Sidhe1 rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 2009, fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I enjoyed this book, although I am not entirely sure why. There were many, many loose ends and plots that were touched upon but not completed. I can only hope that subsequent books will resolve these issues, but as it is, this book is actually kind of disappointing because it left so many more questions than it answered.

It started out to be one book--the dragons were falling ill and dying. The Weyrs were horribly under strength because of the illness. It seemed like the book would c...moreI enjoyed this book, although I am not entirely sure why. There were many, many loose ends and plots that were touched upon but not completed. I can only hope that subsequent books will resolve these issues, but as it is, this book is actually kind of disappointing because it left so many more questions than it answered.

It started out to be one book--the dragons were falling ill and dying. The Weyrs were horribly under strength because of the illness. It seemed like the book would continue on this tangent, finding a cure for the illness.

Then we got a whole other book that started after the dragon illness. T'Mar, Fiona and their group went back in time 3 years to give the newest weyrlings and injured dragons and riders time to either mature or recover so they could fight Thread better. This has been done before--F'lar sent F'nor back in time as well to give many dragons, including a new queen, time to grow into full fighting strength. This book wasn't boring because it didn't cover the same story, but neither was it unique.

The time T'mar and Fiona and the gang spent back in time was interesting to read because it showed a lot more detail about the training of weyrlings and Weyrwomen than Anne's books really do. So that was cool, and I enjoyed reading that. But neither was there a lot of narrative tension during this time. The focus seemed to be on trading with Mother Karina and her troupe than anything, which, while important, wasn't really all that interesting or thrilling. They didn't seem anxious to get trained and such so they could get back to help their sick fellows. I would have been eaten alive with worry that we weren't right there wit the sick, even though it was only 3 days for the "present" time. In fact, the dragon illness wasn't even mentioned once they went back in time. It was like they forgot about it completely. They didn't try to go through the Records that were left at Igen Weyr to see if there were any useful hints about a cure, no one mentioned concern about the other dragons, nothing.

Then they came back to their own time at the very end of the book and there was no resolution to anything--no word on how the dragons were doing, even though only 3 days had passed in the present time, no mention of how the riders' fatigue caused by Timing it was affecting them or if it went away, etc. As I said, I assume these will be answered in the next books, but this one felt half written because of it.

One thing I really did not like at all was how Xhinna was treated. She was outcast and shunned until Fiona befriended her, such as it was. T'mar had even talked to Fiona about treating Xhinna better when they were still in the present time, because she was the best friend Fiona had, and she made a great effort to be more aware of how she talked to her. Then she didn't even try to take her with them into the past. They took Terin, who was a good pick, but there was really no reason not to take Xhinna as well. Then when they returned, Fiona thought about how Xhinna was a friend who was buried under a mountain of moments that would and could never be shared. It was like she was letting her go as a friend simply because she and Terin had shared 3 years together without Xhinna. It was awful. If that is the kind of friend Fiona is, then I'd say Xhinna is better off without. She could make better, more loyal friends than that.

And we still don't know how to cure the dragons, if the fire lizards will be able to be reunited with their owners, or if other Weyrs will send their own young and injured back in time to increase the number of their fighting dragons. I hope the next book will answer this and provide a bit more closure. You can leave things open for another book without such blatant plot gaps.

I think that Todd seems to write more about day to day activities, training, etc., and Anne, while she did write day to day as well, wrote more about the political maneuvering of the major players. Her plots are more intricate and well executed. Todd's are not. I am not trying to hold him up to the same standard as his mother, since I have said before that can't be done. But I think that is the biggest difference between their styles. His is more mundane. Still entertaining, certainly, but I think he needs time to mature as a writer. (less)

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Nov 29, 2008

Kimberle rated it

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TODD MCCAFFREY IS RUINING PERN!

please stop him. dragonheart was not a very good book.

okay so he is telling the story of the dragon riders that went back in time during the dragon plague. fine...poor storytelling. i mean his books are getting worse instead of better. there were so many thing i did not like.

the dialogue was a major issue. the ages of fiona and terin was another one, a lil gross and kinda unbelievable. the needless detail about how they ...more

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Apr 23, 2009

Catherine Yezak rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Everyone

Todd McCaffrey has certainly proved himself equal to his mother in this latest in the Dragonriders of Pern series. He is definitely the best person to carry this series on. Once again, the Dragonriders must face the impossible if the dragons are to survive a mysterious illness that is destroying dragons and dragon lizards. And with the next turn of Thread, this is disastorous. So a group of injured dragonriders as well as Weyrlings with their young dragons, travel 10 years into to the past t...more

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Feb 22, 2009

Kim rated it

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I have just loved the Pern series. Some of the books are stronger than others - my favorites are the first three of the Dragonriders series and the Harper Hall trilogy - but all are wonderful. The dragon personalities are amazingly individualized and each rider distinct. I am decidedly NOT a fantasy/SF fan, but have loved these books and reread them. All of those were written by Anne McCaffrey. This book was written by her son, who just doesn't write as well - at least in this series. The ...more

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Sep 02, 2011

Kris rated it

· review of another edition

Todd McCafferey is NOT Anne McCaffrey. Anne has always been one of my favorite authors due to her ability to tell you a story. She takes you into the story and keeps you entertained, with one story line always easing simply into the next.

Todd has a tendancy to jump from one story to another. I found myself going back several pages to try to figure out when we went from discussing one character, and were now discussing a completely different character.

Dragonheart has/h...more

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Dec 10, 2008

Red rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: sf, kindle-books

A disappointment in the Pern series. This is the first time I've had to say that. I'm not sure why Todd McCaffrey had a problem with this book, when he has been so capable with his previous books in the series. I believe this is his first female protagonist, and that might be one of the problems. Her character was flat and a little creepy. A lot of the dialog was forced, not well developed, and not only not good, but not interesting. And then there were the problems on the publishers side. There...more

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Mar 02, 2010

Tamcamry rated it

· review of another edition

• This book was really bad. It was a particularly disappointing because the last two that T.M. wrote wear pretty good. This book tells the other side of the story for the book Dragonsblood. I know that he had a good reason to write the story, and there were some of the questions answered, but in this book T.M. went way too overboard with the deference to the dragon riders. There were also some uncomfortable references to underage sex. I know that this is a common theme in many of the Pern b...more

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Jan 20, 2009

Alan rated it

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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 18, 2009

Cindy rated it

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Shelves: read-in-2009

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Aug 18, 2010

Kathy rated it

· review of another edition

An overall engaging read along the lines of Anne McCaffrey's orginial series; however, this book lacks the stand-alone factor that was prominent in each of her books. Yes, they were each part of a series and when you read one you found references to the wonderful world and charming characters she had created running through each, but this one seems to rely too heavily on readers being aware of the content and characters introduced in Todd McCaffrey's other continuations of the Pern series. ...more

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Dec 15, 2008

Carolyn rated it

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Recommends it for: all Pern lovers

Shelves: science-fiction

FINALLY!! (NO SPOILERS)
Yes, *finally* a book by Todd MC worthy of being included in the pantheon of Pern books!
The first couple of Pern books he co-wrote/wrote (DragonKin/Fire/Harper) were shallow and extremely lacking in descriptions and character development, every incident happens at a breakneck pace, foreshadowing of exactly what is going to happen is obvious from about page 25, and overall they seem to be novellas that the publisher had him bulk up to come out in book form. Dr...more

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Mar 26, 2009

Sara rated it

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Shelves: science-fiction, pern

This is the latest in the Dragon Riders of Pern series--penned by the son of the originator. I enjoyed this book a great deal. I admit, I was a bit disappointed when I first realized that it was an explanation/fleshing out of one of the side-plots in a previous book, with no intense adventure plot of it's own. It was a good read, though. I just wish there had been a more obvious feeling of resolution at the end. This one feels like it's part of a much larger story that was broken up by the ...more

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Nov 20, 2008

Jenny rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: i-own, fantasy, sci-fi

This is the fifth book by Todd Mccaffrey and it tells the story of Fiona, last surviving daughter of Lord Bemin at Fort Hold who impresses a gold dragon, Talenth. Fiona must learn the difficult duties of a Weyrwoman despite being only thirteen Turns old. Things are further complicated by a terrible plague that is affecting dragons across Pern, just as the deadly Threads begin falling again in the Third Pass. Fiona travels back in time ten Turns to abandoned Igen Weyr to allow injured dragons ...more

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Mar 21, 2011

Amelia rated it

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Shelves: fantasy, haven-t-finished-yet-but-moved-on, dragons

I refuse to actually read it. It's the same damn book as Dragon's Blood, which I just read 3 books ago...Seriously, same time, same problem, same people.

I'm done, Done, DONE with the Pern author's habit of rewriting the same story from another point of view and calling it a new book! Todd learned well from his mother...

This is one of those times I regret my impulsive behavior in buying the rest of the books online after reading the first few. Wah Wah Wahhhhh.

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Jan 11, 2010

Jennifer rated it

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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 15, 2009

E. rated it

· review of another edition

I have long been an avid Anne McCaffrey fan and have enjoyed visiting Pern with her but unfortunately her son has not quite captured her flair for storytelling. The premise is good but the story was a bit disjointed and characters appear and die off with abandon. I am still a Pern fan but I hope that the next book is a little better organized and that it doesn't end with as little resolution as this one.

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Dec 26, 2008

Nancy rated it

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Shelves: december-2008, fantasy, young-adult-interest

Todd McCaffrey seems to be as good a writer as his mother as he continues the Dragonriders of Pern series. In this gratifyingly hefty volume, first thread has started to fall after 250 years. Unfortunately the population of Pern has been decimated by a recent plague, and now dragons are falling sick. Fiona, newest Weyrwoman at Fort Weyr, is pressed to come up with a creative solution.

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Jan 21, 2009

Heidi rated it

· review of another edition

i felt like this book ended with an ending. why are the dragons getting sick? does it end? do they find a cure?
another reviewer commented on the ages of the heroine and her friends. yes they are young. i tried to forget how young, but it is also a reflection of the society of when they live. wasn't Shakespeare's Juliet young? younger then someone today would be in that position?

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Aug 21, 2011

Jeffrey rated it

· review of another edition

Well what a surprise: Pern is saved again. Actually we only got to the point where they are ready to fight again. The next book, no doubt, will continue the battle. Why do I waste my time? The books are delightful and soapoperaish> (Is that a word.)The protagonists have a challenge to overcome and by wit and determination win out.

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Aug 08, 2010

Anita Fiorillo added it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Aug 06, 2011

Jackie Krasuski rated it

· review of another edition

I hope that Todd Mccaffrey continues this story, because I was completely enthralled with this book from start to finish. I felt it was very incomplete in the end, however, with so many pieces of the puzzle completely unfinished. This has left a great opening for another book to continue the saga and I cannot wait to read on!

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Mar 16, 2009

Kerry rated it

· review of another edition

Todd seems to have his mother's touch with dragons. While I doubt that anything will ever compare with "All the Weyrs of Pern" or with "Masterharper of Pern," Todd's efforts with telling the stories of the middle falls get better with every book. Several very touching moments in this one.

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Mar 28, 2010

David rated it

· review of another edition

I found this book to be not quite as good as the previous book, although it picked up a bit about halfway through. There were several issues which were not brought to a resolution, and I think that was appropriate. Who knows, perhaps they will allow for another book yet to come?

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May 07, 2010

Samantha rated it

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I was surprised to find that I really enjoyed this book. Kudos to Todd for continuing his mom's tradition. I especially liked the Igen Weyr setting. That area hasn't been mentioned much elsewhere in the various books and this filled in a lot of detail.

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Dec 07, 2008

Stephanie rated it

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Todd does not write as well as his mother. Needs to use a larger variety of adjectives. Also uses too many formula descriptions. That said, will keep reading the Pern books even if Anne isn't writing them any more as I love the universe so well.

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Dec 13, 2009

Avid rated it

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Dragons and more Dragons. I love Anne McCaffrey's spin on this mythological creatures.

I bought this book on Saturday. Yes, another book about her famous dragons but written by her son. As always, I am fascinated by the culture of her Pern Inhabitants and without any technology, how they solve the same problems that people of technological societies face. An interesting study. And she, now her son? does weave a good tale.

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Dragonheart (Pern (published order) #21)

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