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 Sixth Pass of the Red Star is winding to a close, and Moreta, Weyrwoman of Fort Weyr, is looking forward to the days when the dragonriders need no longer rise to Fall and fight the deadly, pernicious Thread. But two Gathers held on both sides of the continent claim a terrible price for the people's happiness: a strange, deadly disease is reaching across the land, attacking runnerbeasts, herdbeasts, and humans alike faster than they can rally to stem its spread. Moreta is one of the first dragonriders to contract the illness, and also one of the first to recover. But while she was convalescing, thousands of people were dying. When the Healer Hall announces the possibility of a second, more devastating wave and a possible preventive measure, Moreta does all she can to assist in producing and distributing the vaccine preventative. She's limited, however, by having her queen, Orlith, confined to the Hatching Ground with her new clutch of eggs. But when problems arise and a disaffected Weyrleader prevents his dragons from assisting, she has no choice but to help in any way she can...even if it means risking her life by flitting back and forth through time itself!
Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern sheds some light on a character often referred to in the first books of the Dragonriders of Pern series and whose story is told in brief in Dragonsinger. It also tells the tale of a momentous time in Pern's history that, when you think about it, is key in shapping the opening of Dragonflight and Lessa's growth as the Weyrwoman. After all, it's easy enough to draw parallels between the lives of two of Pern's greatest heroines.
If you've read Dragonsinger, then you know what Moreta's ultimate fate is, so I needn't spare the details here. But if you haven't read it, well, I can't. Let me just state here and now that this is one of the books that have made and will always make my eyes tear. And mind, it isn't because of the deaths from the plague, though those were tragic enough. Instead, it is the blows to the lives of the major characters that make my eyes water and my vision blur. It's even more heart-rending and tragic to know that some of the deaths--no, all of the deaths--were so utterly needless. But I credit the author, Anne McCaffrey, for crafting such a wonderful, emotional tale that will likely affect anyone who reads it.
Like it's predecessors in the annals of Pern, Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern continues to flesh out the world and its history for us, providing details into an especially momentous period in Pern's past. Just think...what would have happened if Lessa had misjudged her jump in time and wound up during Moreta's lifetime? Hmm...
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