Dragonflight (Dragonriders of Pern)

Book Description

HOW CAN ONE GIRL SAVE AN ENTIRE WORLD?

To the nobles who live in Benden Weyr, Lessa is nothing but a ragged kitchen girl. For most of her life she has survived by serving those who betrayed her father and took over his lands. Now the time has come for Lessa to shed her disguise—and take back her stolen birthright.

But everything changes when she meets a queen dragon. The bond they share will be deep and last forever. It will protect them when, for the first time in centuries, Lessa’s world is threatened by Thread, an evil substance that falls like rain and destroys everything it touches. Dragons and their Riders once protected the planet from Thread, but there are very few of them left these days. Now brave Lessa must risk her life, and the life of her beloved dragon, to save her beautiful world. . . .

From the Paperback edition.

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After ten long Turns, Lessa was ready to come out of hiding, to reclaimher birthright and to impress the young dragon queen and becomeWeyrwoman of Benden.

Suddenly, the deadly silver Thread once again threatened all Pern withdestruction. But the mighty telepathic dragons that for centuries haddefended Pern were now few in number, not nearly enough to protect theplanet in its hour of greatest peril. So Lessa hatched a daring anddangerous scheme: Rally support from people who had long ago ceased toexist.

Customer Reviews:

Dragonflight.......2007-10-02

Very good read. You will like thsi book; adds to the story of Pern in a logical way; although it can stand on it's on as a stand-a-lone story.
Recommend you check the flyleaf to find other stories about Pern

Not Free SF Reader.......2007-09-03

Every few hundred years the planet of Pern suffers from an astronomical blight. Nasty fiery stuff rains from the sky, laying waste to the civilisation.

That is, if the Dragonriders and their associates can't stop it by using their sentient huge flying lizard partners, who can handily teleport.

Keeping this animals and their pilots trained and housed costs money, and given the Threads have not fallen for a long time, no-one likes to donate this money anymore, and Dragon and Rider numbers are too low.

Again Anne Creates a wonderful Fantasy.......2007-07-18

I'm not a big reader of fantasy type books, but when I want a great fantasy that will send me to another world then I read Anne McCaffrey's books. In this story she has created an awesome, delightful tale that is a super read for all Pern fans. The plot, the characters, the scenes make this book a top-notched novel for my collection. I highly recommend this novel.

Original and wonderful.......2007-07-17

I read Dragonflight when I was about fourteen, and at first couldn't get into it. It wasn't that the plot was boring, it just started out slow, and it wasn't that the writing was BAD, exactly -- it was more that it was just there, without many insights into the characters' minds, without any small jokes or amusing phrases. It wasn't bad, it just seemed rather dry.

That's not to say the first half of the book wasn't good. It was. I particularly liked the scene where Lessa is bonded to Ramoth (gory though it may be) and you feel it with her, the confusion at loving such a brutal creature, but also the knowledge that you can't stop loving it -- I suppose, in that regard, that the writing fulfilled its job nicely. I also enjoyed the characterization of Lessa as she somehow manages to get her teachers to leave her alone every time they start to argue -- I did think that was funny. But it wasn't until the second half that my eyes were glued to the page.

McCaffrey pulls of time-changing quite well, at once clearing up the mystery of the first half and providing a solution for the second. It's a masterful ending for the whole thing, and brought my rating up from three and a half stars to a full five, which isn't easy to do. In case anyone here HASN'T read this book, I won't give it away, but trust me when I say: even if you dislike the beginning, the book is worth reading simply for this one twist.

Oh, one more thing. While the story is fantastically original in everything from the dragons to the planet of Pern to the Threads -- I really have to congratulate McCaffrey on the concept of *between*. (*Bemoans lack of italics*.) She pulls it off excellently, along with the terror being trapped in *between*, and it was one concept I can honestly say I've never read about. Good work!

Highly recommended.

Rating: Very Good

Hurrah for Dragonflight!.......2007-06-07

I'm so frustrated with noninformative and somewhat shallow reviews I've read here, that I've decided to write one of my own. (Yes, like F'lar, I am completely arrogant). No really, I think there is so much more to this book than has come to most folks' attention.. -- if you're just going to say "good story but kinda boring so i'm not sure that I liked it and i think its a stupid story", it seems like a waste of space, but that's just me.

I read Dragonflight first when I was eleven. I didn't get most of the subtleties, but I enjoyed the story, and was spurred to continue on with McCaffrey's Pern series -- mind you, not exactly an appropriate choice for a barely-preteen, but neverthess... When I was, say, fourteen or so I found a copy in the bookstore, and remembering my once-favorite series, dug into it voraciously, this time paying more attention to the finer points of the Lessa/F'lar relationship, noticing things for the first time that I hadn't picked up on as a less mature human being. I was so excited and felt so grown up. :) Now I'm in my late teens, and in this latest read my perceptions are shifted even again. I'm totally fascinated by the power of the personalities of our two main characters -- their intelligence, their comprehension, their ability to manipulate events successfully without the other charries knowing it (outside from the canonical psychic abilities already bestowed upon the dragonriders). However, the point of that monologue was to impress upon you, dear reader, that Dragonflight is an intelligent and multifaceted book which, aside from being an exciting read, has a enough substance that it can be enjoyed from many differerent angles, as can many of our favorite classics.

Which raises the question -- is Dragonflight a classic? Believe it or not, it did come out in 1968, the same year as the infamous TV series Star Trek's second season. By most accounts, TOS is classic. But when we compare with Anne McCaffrey's wonderful novel, one thing comes to light -- DF doesn't "feel" old. Ok, so then I didn't grow up in the sixties, but that said I watch far too much Turner Classic Movies to not be able to accurately place a decade to a work. For all I knew DF came out sometime in the 90's. This I feel, is due to the difference of gender roles between the two. While in TOS, the big three are all men, and out of all those extras, only one woman is ever in any working position on the bridge, in DF I never had the sense that Lessa had been exposed to even the smallest taste of that expected model... I feel, in fact, that there is a backlash to such, as typified in countless postfeminist novels aimed for thirteen year old girls. Girls can ride dragons too! Actually, according to the back flap of my copy, Anne McCaffrey made it her business to overturn the ridiculous characterizations of women in SF. If so, bravo for her; she's done an excellent job.

I feel like a lot of people see this book in light of the rest of the Pern novels, and I would like to posit that DF stands alone in a certain sense. Firstly, it was written without conception (or so I'm guessing) of the long series to follow -- this is one that I could read as a stand alone and be satisfied that it had really, really ended. In the second installment it was pretty obvious that the author had to create some new problems so that she could actually have a plot. Also, stylistically, it feels different, and fresh. As is inevitable when book after book is churned out on the same place/subject, certain cliches begin to form... Also, there is something about the way she places information which wasn't repeated later on, where I feel the books began to get more literal -- but that's just how it seems to me drawing from five year old impressions...

In conclusion, if this is a classic, then may I state here that it is not one in the way of Terry Brooks, or even JRR Tolkein (*resists impulse to state divisive opinion about LOTR*). It's so much more fresh and readable and applicable to real life. If you didn't enjoy it, I'm sorry, but I hope you'll read it again later and get more out of it.

Now wasn't that a wonderful, concise, entertaining and informative review...? Just kidding. In most things, I'm pretty modest, I promise. :)

The Dragonriders of Pern: Dragonflight; Dragonquest; The White Dragon

Average customer rating:

Poor shape
What you expected!

The Dragonriders of Pern: Dragonflight; Dragonquest; The White Dragon
Anne McCaffrey
Manufacturer: Nelson Doubleday
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: B000FMNWLC

Customer Reviews:

Poor shape.......2007-04-30

I expected this book to be in better shape. Either way my mom loves it.

What you expected!.......2007-03-08

Who hasn't read this trilogy? I just bought this so I would have it in hardcover. The end.

Average customer rating:

A good start!
Great Story

Dragonflight (Dragonriders of Pern)
Anne McCaffrey
Manufacturer: Brilliance Audio on CD Unabridged
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

Epic | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1597379514
Release Date: 2005-09-25

Book Description

On the beautiful planet Pern, colonized for centuries, Land Holders and Craftsmen have traditionally tithed food and supplies to the dragonweyrs to which they are bound. In times past, the mighty telepathic dragons and their riders were the only protection from the dreaded, life-threatening Thread.

But it has been over 400 years since the last Threadfall, and some people have come to doubt that the menace will every strike again. But F'lar, rider of Pern's greatest bronze dragon, has no such illusions. The Red Star is near; Thread will fall soon.

Customer Reviews:

A good start!.......2007-09-30

The next books are much better. But this was good for the first book. The reader could really do a better job!

Great Story.......2007-01-13

This is the first book in a trilogy that was an all time favorite of mine. I bought the book on tape for my husband at Christmas. He loves it as much as I did!

Average customer rating:

The Dragonriders of Pern: Dragonflight, Dragonquest, The White Dragon
Anne McCaffrey
Manufacturer: Nelson Doubleday
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

ASIN: B000APFAWI

Product Description

sci-fi

Average customer rating:

Enjoyed this book
War, Plagues, Star Crossed Lovers...to Begin With
Love this trilogy!
Quite enjoyable
Good Sequel, Well Worth Reading

Gold Unicorn (Dragonflight)
Tanith Lee
Manufacturer: Atheneum
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Action & Adventure | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Adventure & Thrillers | Literature & Fiction | Teens | Subjects | Books

Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Teens | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0689318146

Customer Reviews:

Enjoyed this book.......2006-02-07

I felt this book was much better than the first one. It kept me reading because I just had to know how it turned out. This book finds Tanaquil still journeying. She ends up meeting with her half sister and finds she is not the same girl that she knew. From there she sees battles, a new world and a love she cannot claim.

War, Plagues, Star Crossed Lovers...to Begin With.......2003-08-31

Tanaquil has had the time of her life traveling and seeing all the wonders of the world for herself. But, as she begins to near her homeland, she hears rumors of horrible wars and a mad empress bent on conquering the world. Tanaquil fears for her mother and her half sister and heads straight for enemy territory in order to reach them...only to be captured by the empress' forces.

But that is not the worst, not by far, for, when Tanaquil is brought before the empress, who should it be but her own sister, Lizra! And Lizra has no intention of letting Tanaquil go. Lizra has had built a giant golden unicorn that will bring fear to the hearts of her enemies, but it will not work. She knows that Tanquil has an uncanny talent for mending things, so she commands Tanaquil to fix her unicorn. And Tanaquil does...against her better judgment.

Now the unicorn is destroying cities and slaughtering many. Tanaquil is sick over her part in Lizra's war, but she cannot leave...for she has fallen in love with Honj...who just happens to be the future husband of Lizra. How can they ever be together when a madwoman controls them...a madwomen they both care for...

This book is the sequel to Black Unicorn and equally as good as the first.

Love this trilogy!.......2002-12-27

Great light read! Though not as good as the black unicorn, the gold unicorn is still a enchanting read.

Quite enjoyable.......1999-11-05

Tanith Lee displays her usual inventiveness in Gold Unicorn; the result is a very satisfactory sequel to Black Unicorn.

While not, in my mind, quite as enjoyable as the first one, Gold Unicorn nonetheless remains a well-crafted fantasy in a creative and unusual world. Darker than its predecessor, Gold Unicorn explores Tanaquil's struggles between loyalty to her half-sister Lizra, now the dreaded conquerer, and her own belief that the ideal world her sister strives for cannot be achieved by war. Added are several complications-- a massive mechanical gold unicorn Lizra has ordered Tanaquil to fix for her war campaign, the mischievous peeve, stinging mousps (a magician's creation formed of mice and wasps), Honj, the enigmatic consort of Lizra...and a hell world to parallel the perfect world Tanaquil saw in the last book.

Obviously some people won't appreciate this book, but to those who enjoy Tanith Lee's particular style, Gold Unicorn is the perfect way to spend an afternoon.

Good Sequel, Well Worth Reading.......1999-10-27

Really, the sequel is very, very good. There are still more interesting, complex characters, a strong plotline, and all kinds of surprises, twists, and magic, magic, magic. Tanaquil is her old complex self, as wonderful and strong and clever and dry as she was in the first book, Black Unicorn. Her familiar, the peeve, is also going strong, and I particularly liked it in the sequel.

At first, it may look to some readers like the book is just another formulatic epic-battle-type fantasy, but Tanith Lee takes all the old, used-up cliches of this sort of fantasy and reweaves them, turns them upside-down, completley rejeuvenates them.

This is a wonderful book, and a worthy sequel. I would have liked it perhaps if Tanaquil had just gone on adventures by herself (and the peeve) and there had been no war element, but this sequel is still good the way it is.

Book Description

Customer Reviews:

Dragonflight 1st Novel in the A. Mccaffrey's classic Pern fantasy and sci fi series.......2006-11-13

This is a very entertaining reading of a classic fantasy and eventually sci fi series. It was a great way to return to the beginning, decades reading the book for the first time. McCaffrey's strong character and relationship development are at their best in these first novels of Pern. Her sci fi and action skills shine in the later novels. Each CD has about 90 tracks of 30-45 seconds making it easy to return to your "bookmark" if intermitently listening during the commute.

Average customer rating:

THE WORST BOOK EVER
A wonderful book for all ages!
Good Read
Interesting...but nothing extraordinary
What a Find!

Black Unicorn (Dragonflight Books)
Tanith Lee
Manufacturer: Atheneum Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: School & Library Binding

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Teens | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0689315759

Book Description

Nobody knew where it had come from, or what it wanted. Not even Jaive, the sorceress, could fathom the mystery of the fabled beast. But Tanaquil, Jaive's completely unmagical daughter, understood it at once. She knew why the unicorn was there: It had come for her. It needed her. Tanaquil was amazed because she was the girl with no talent for magic. She could only fiddle with broken bits of machinery and make them work again. What could she do for a unicorn?

Customer Reviews:

THE WORST BOOK EVER.......2007-04-13

The worst book I ever read
The Black Unicorn was the worst book I ever read. Tatith Lee was great if you like flying chairs, singing pictures, and obviously unicorns. My book I would not recommend to any boys at all. But if you are a girlie girl you should read this book. So this girl named Taquil is the Sorcerers daughter but she has no powers so she thinks. Her and Peeve, Peeve is her talking cat. They find a bone outside the castle which they live in.
Taquil runs away from her home because the unicorn comes alive and leaves and she goes after it leaving her home. But don't worry Taquil is very outgoing, and very smart. She can put anything together very fast. Taquil is very lonely and when she grows up she doesn't want to take over her parents legesey. Mostly because she wants to build her own and be a protecter of her city. She is very dependent because her parents are always busy.
Anyways she is out in the desert with peeve and there is no sight of the black unicorn and her parents just found out that her daughter is missing and they know it's all there fault. So it is all just one big mess right now for everybody. Taquil and peeve found a small cave to stay in for the night. Meanwhile at the castle the sorrier sends out a search and destroy group to find Taquil, and kill the unicorn. and that is as mush as I am going to tell you
So with all of the talking chairs and other things that were so magical in my point of view I thought it was the worst book ever.

A wonderful book for all ages!.......2006-05-25

I first read this book when I was in third grade, having found it in my elementary school's library. Now, ten years later, I am enrolled in the local University's English Education program and I still love it dearly.

The primary complaint that I seem to be seeing from many reviewers on this book is that the plot seems flat, and conflicts are resolved too quickly to really put the reader on the edge of his or her seat. However, consider that this is a book written for young readers, new to the world of the novel, whose sense of plot drive and character development are not yet as keen as seasoned readers'. This does not detract from Black Unicorn's excellence, by any means, in my opinion. However, I think that sometimes people pick up a book written for young readers and expect it to be just like Harry Potter, whose author has dedicated her professional life to developing plots, characters, subplots, secondary characters, guidelines for magic, and all other sorts of background material for her books. This dedication is admirable, to be certain, but not every author is afforded this kind of luxury when writing. As to the comparative shortness of this novel, consider, again, that it was written for young readers who may not know how to "stick it out" for a five hundred-page book.

The plot of Black Unicorn is somewhat removed from what one might come to expect from the traditional story about a girl and a unicorn--there are no enchanted forests, or knights in shining armor; only a lonely girl, her pet peeve (literally, a little cat-like creature called a peeve), and a unicorn whose coat is not white as the pure-driven snow, but black as midnight instead. It was refreshing, in a way, to read something that took a traditional legend out of context and used it to tell a different story in a completely different setting.

I highly recommend this book for anyone, but especially for young girls who love unicorns. I know that I can blame the inspiration for many of my own early forays into the world of fantasy writing on this book, as it is so good at cultivating the imagination and creativity of the reader.

Good Read.......2006-02-07

This book is an enjoyable read. It was simple and to the point. The second book in this series is much better though. This book is about a girl named Tanaquil that sets off after a black unicorn that takes her to new places and a great adventure. There she learns many things about life, the unicorn and herself.

Interesting...but nothing extraordinary.......2005-10-02

Black Unicorn is about Tanaquil who lives in her mother's desert fortress. Tanaquil is great at mending things and feels trapped in her mother's magical fortress. She yearns to leave and see the world, and is given that oppurtunity when she mends unicorn bones. The unicorn comes to life and Tanaquil finds herself on a journey.

Although it kept my attention for the most part, I didn't feel as though I really cared about the fate of any characters. The story felt as though it had very little depth. Every problem was resolved so quickly that you never had time to really care or understand what the stakes were. I really thought that it would have been more interesting based on the plot, but the brevity of the story took much of the fun out of it for me.

What a Find!.......2003-08-31

Tanaquil is the only daughter of a powerful sorceress who lives in a great fortress in the middle of a huge desert...but Tanaquil's life is not the fairy tale it may seem. Her mother is devoted to her magic and has very little to do with Tanaquil. Tanaquil has no magical ability of her own, no friends, and nothing to do but mend a few broken things about the fortress. She is bored, lonely, and discontent with her life.

Tanaquil's life is changed forever when she chances to find the skeleton of a unicorn. It is in bits and pieces and scattered, but Tanaquil finds the bones and puts the skeleton back together...and then the unicorn comes to life!

For some reason, Tanaquil is drawn to the unicorn and, when he flees her mother's desert, Tanaquil follows. And thus begins an adventure that will change Tanaquil's life forever...and reveal a surprising destiny.

Average customer rating:

Pleasurable and wonderous!

There be Dragons!

Excellent Book

Great book

EXCELLANT
The Dragonriders of Pern: Dragonflight, Dragonquest, the White Dragon (Pern)
Anne McCaffrey
Manufacturer: Tandem Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: School & Library Binding

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
General | McCaffrey, Anne | ( M ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
McCaffrey, Anne | ( M ) | Authors & Illustrators, A-Z | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
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All the Weyrs of Pern (Dragonriders of Pern Series)

Dragondrums (Harper Hall Trilogy)

Dragonsinger (Harper Hall Trilogy, Volume 2)

Dragonsong (Harper Hall Trilogy)

The Chronicles of Pern: First Fall (The Dragonriders of Pern)

ASIN: 0785729194

Amazon.com

Anne McCaffrey's Pern is one of the most memorable worlds in science fiction and fantasy. Humans and their flying dragon companions live in fear of thread, a caustic, deadly material that falls sporadically from space. But when the thread doesn't fall for a long time, people become complacent, forgetting that it is the brave dragonriders who can save them from the periodic threat. But when the thread falls, human and dragon heroes must fight the scourge. This edition encompasses the first three unforgettable novels of McCaffrey's epic series: Dragonflight, Dragonquest, and The White Dragon.

Book Description

Finally together in one volume, the first three books in the world's most beloved science fiction series, THE DRAGONRIDERS OF PERN, by Anne McCaffrey, one of the great science fiction writers of all time: DRAGONFLIGHT, DRAGONQUEST, THE WHITE DRAGON. Those who know these extraordinary tales will be able to re-visit with Lessa, F'lar, Ruth, Lord Jaxon, and all the others. And for those just discovering this magical place, there are incomparable tales of danger, deceit, and daring, just waiting to be explored..

Download Description

Here, finally together in one volume, are the first three books in theworld's most beloved science fiction series by one of the great sciencefiction writers of all time, Anne McCaffrey: Dragonflight,Dragonquest, and The White Dragon.

Those who know these extraordinary tales will be able to re-visit withLessa, F'lar, Ruth, Lord Jaxon, and all the others. And for those justdiscovering this magical place, there are incomparable tales of danger,deceit, and daring, just waiting to be explored....

Cover design by Richard Aquan
Cover painting by Michael Whelan

Customer Reviews:

Pleasurable and wonderous!.......2007-09-10

This trilogy and the Harper Hall trilogy were the first adult SF-Fantasy I read as a voracious 7th grader. I felt so very grown up, even when I had to look up words and re-read pages to understand the socio-political machinations. I loved the world of Pern and it set a benchmark in my mind that few authors have met since then. I recently rediscovered these books in my childhood cache. Twenty-five years later, I'm as enthralled as I was then. Now that's good fiction!

There be Dragons!.......2007-08-24

I have had a lifelong love of all things dragon and have long been a fan of Anne McCaffrey and her Dragonriders of Pern series. Such a fan, that I've read my paperback versions again and again until the only thing holding them together were rubber bands! Thus began my quest to find hardbound copies and thanks to Amazon this became a reality. Anne McCaffrey's Pern, dragons, and their riders capture the and imagination of young and old. I recommend this series to avid SciFi/fantasy readers as well as anyone that enjoys a well written, action packed story. After all, just yesterday, space flight was considered Science Fiction!

Excellent Book.......2007-07-31

The concept of genetically altered Dragons so that a colony can prosper is an amazing concept. I love these books!

Great book.......2007-07-27

I have been reading the the Dragonrider books for many years. I never tire of them. Great story, great writing.

EXCELLANT.......2007-06-14

As with all the Dragonrider books """***EXCELLANT***"""!!!!!!!!!!

DRAGONFLIGHT (DRAGONRIDERS OF PERN, NO 1)

Average customer rating:

DRAGONFLIGHT (DRAGONRIDERS OF PERN, NO 1)
ANNE MCCAFFREY
Manufacturer: Ballantine
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0345022467

Average customer rating:

An amazing sequel to an amazing story

Dragonquest: Volume II

Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: 0345022459

Product Description

First printing of first edition. The great dragons of Pern, green, bronze, brown and blue, and the magnificent golden queens, sweep through the skies of the beleagures planet, while a small golden fire-lizard, no bigger than a hummingbird, seeks out the path to a searing threat greater than any Pern has ever met.

Customer Reviews:

An amazing sequel to an amazing story.......2006-04-03

In Dragonquest, Anne Mccaffrey continues her stroy from dragonflight, bringing back all the wonderful characters and places from the first book. Once again, she has created a masterpiece that is very intersting to read. Her writing is extraodinary, and this is a book to read time and time again.

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