Welcome to the land of wonders, where time travel is possible, space travel a reality, and "what ifs" come to life. Join me as I explore new worlds--and old ones--filled with scientific wonders, new civilizations, and strange new mysteries to consider.
This review does not represent the opinions of the general public. It reflects my personal thoughts and opinions on the book.
That said, on to the review!
The last golden queen of the dragons is dead, and only her single golden egg remains to carry on the great purpose of the dragons. However, the only way for its occupant, Ramoth, to do so is if she can find the right partner and rider, who will become a part of her for the rest of their lives. She finds her in Lessa of Ruatha, brought to her barely in time by F'lar, the rider of bronze Mnementh. But even after Impression, it remains to be seen if their purpose for existence is valid anymore. For almost four hundred Turns the skies above Pern have been unclouded by the Thread that plagued their world in the past, and now the people of Pern believe that it will fall no longer. F'lar believes it will, however, and so does Lessa, but even if it does, is there anyway for them to fulfill their ancient obligations and rise to destroy it? For five of the six Weyrs of Pern lie empty and abandoned, and their own meager forces cannot hope to protect an entire continent whose population has spread to cover nearly all arable land. There is a solution to their problem, but even if they find it, do they dare risk striving for it?
Dragonflight isn't the first of Anne McCaffrey's books I was exposed to, but it is perhaps the most important novel in all the novels set upon the world of Pern. Certainly it sets up the motivations and events that will directly determine what happens in subsequent novels. It also sets up a cast that I came to love and appreciate for themselves and all their accomplishments and failures, and that doesn't limit itself to the solely human cast. The dragons involved in the series--in this book Ramoth and Mnementh especially--are as important as their human counterparts and equally interesting and captivating to read about.
In all the times I've read Dragonflight I've never had problems understanding anything that went on. The writing is clear and concise, leaving no questions unanswered except where you want them to be. Surprises pop-up now and again where they do the most good, such as when Lessa inadvertantly time travels back to an especially memorable day in her youth. The characters interact as well as you might wish, with the strong-willed leaders clashing now and again, only to unite in the face of a common foe. The human-dragon interactions are similarly interesting. with sometimes amazingly keen observations that make you smile when you read them.
Dragonflight sets in motion one of the best and brightest series I've ever encountered, and I can't wait to present the rest of them to you. Certainly Anne McCaffrey is an excellent, extremely prolific writer whose works are must-reads! Of course, that means I'll have to expand the bookstore yet again, but...hey, who cares? It's worth it!
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