Dragonquest (Dragonriders of Pern: Book 2)

A Fantasy Series Book Review

By Anne McCaffrey

Genre: Science Fantasy series, Dragons, 13+
ISBN: 0345335082
Publisher: Del Rey (October 13, 1986)
Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages

Author's Blurb:

Another Turn, and the deadly silver Threads began falling again. So the bold dragonriders took to the air once more and their magnificent flying dragons swirled and swooped, belching flames that destroyed the shimmering strands before they reach the ground.

But F'lar knew he had to find a better way to protect his beloved Pern, and he had to find it before the rebellious Oldtimers could breed anymore dissent... before his brother F'nor would be foolhardy enough to launch another suicide mission... and before those dratted fire-lizards could stir up any more trouble!F'lar and Lessa are discovering the hard way how resistant people are to change. However, change is often vital to continued survival. It would not be so bad but things are changing rapidly. New discoveries are being made, new traditions are being created, and old technologies are being rediscovered. To make matters worse, thread is falling in an erratic manner making all of F'lar's meticulous charts worthless. Can Lessa and F'lar find ways to cope before the Oldtimers alienate all of Pern with their high-handed manners?

I love rereading a favorite series right from the beginning. It is a joy to me to watch an author grow and develop her skills. Each book gets a little bit better and the writing a little bit tighter. There are a lot of things happening in this installment and they flow beautifully for the most part. There are a few sections that feel a bit rushed but overall the pacing is good. There is one thing that just tickles me to no end though. Anne McCaffrey obviously loves showing off her vocabulary. Now I consider myself well read and think I have a good vocabulary however, there were words used I actually had to look up. I cannot remember the last time that happened!

For example:

Lessa was so didactic that G'narish chuckled.

Yes, I admit it, I had no idea what didactic meant. Plus the book is full of sentences like this:

The terrible dichotomy of confidence in his own prophecy that Thread would fall and fear that nothing would rescue the Dragonriders from their lethargy.

Sorry but I find it amusing, especially considering that these books are considered to be YA.

OK, my amusement aside, it is a great story and a fun read. Lessa is a spunky little thing that just makes me grin. All of the characters are written well and the world is very well thought out, amazingly so actually, and definitely believable. The dragons of course are my favorite. Honestly, if it were not for them, I likely would have never read this series, seeing as how I am not a big Sci-fi fan. This book is a great setup for The White Dragon, which is one of my all time favorites. I am off to finish reading that now!

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