Anne McCaffrey BotM - Dragonquest

Well, it's time for my Anne McCaffrey Shelfari Group Book of the Month post! I am so excited. I am really enjoying revisiting the Pern books. It has been so many years since I first read them that it is like reading them for the first time in some ways. I am already very attached to the characters, but the stories I have forgotten somewhat over the years. Last month, I wrote about Dragonflight and how much I enjoyed rereading it. Can it be possible that I liked Dragonquest that much more? Yes! I have to admit that Dragonquest blew Dragonflight out of the water. I loved every minute of the story and fell in love with the characters all over again.

Dragonquest introduces Brekke of Southern Weyr and her gold dragon, Wirenth. I loved Brekke because of how solid and hard working she is. I wish I could be more like her in some ways! I also really enjoyed the growing friendship between her and F'nor (who by the way is my Pern crush...yes, I am that nerdy) as he recovers from wounds he received in an altercation. I also enjoyed reading about Lessa and F'lar whose relationship has really grown in the seven Turns between Dragonflight and Dragonquest. This book embodied how I remembered Lessa: a strong, competent woman who made solid decisions and was very self-assured. I really admired her character growing up and this book really brought that out.

Some of the other books in the Pern series focus on Hold life, but this one is much more focused on the Weyrs and their interactions with the Holds and other Weyrs. It also continues the story in Dragonflight of the Oldtimers after their journey forward through time to help Benden Weyr fight Thread. All I can say is, "Wow...things have changed!" The story is also much more focused on the bond between dragon and rider which I find so engrossing.

Over the years I have recommended the Pern books to so many people. I am not sure if any of them have picked the series up, but I think it's a great series to break into science fiction and fantasy. The reason I say this is because there are no magic/spells, elves, dwarves, space battles, or other weird creatures that people associate with fantasy and science fiction. It reads more like a novel out of the middle ages with the added fantastical element of dragons and fire lizards. These are some of my favorite books of all time and I am sincere when I say that I had to live on any other planet, Pern would be my first choice! I love the books, and I love Anne McCaffrey for bringing so much life to her fictional world that it almost feels real to me. It's one of the best reading escapes around!