Dragon's Kin (Dragonriders of Pern, 18)

Rating:
Summary: Good coming of age tale, but not great
Review: "Dragon's Kin," while not up to the standard of most of the earlier Pern novels, is far better than the last bunch about F'lessan.

The basic plot is as follows. Kindan wants to be a Harper, and has vocal and musical talent. He's about eleven or twelve when the book opens, and is kind of at loose ends; his favorite sister is marrying, his brothers are distant, and as the youngest of nine children, his father seems rather remote. Kindan does have a close friend, Zenor, who's a few months older, but that's about it.

And things are even more odd in this family than in most, because Kindan's father is bonded to a watchwher (distant cousins of both the fire lizards and the dragons), and lives different hours than most people as watchwhers are nocturnal. At any rate, Kindan doesn't realize how different his life is than most, although his friend Zenor does (and is envious of it).

And because of where he lives, Kindan gets to know more about watchwhers than most people. This might be considered an advantage by many, but not by Kindan. His heart is elsewhere.

Then disaster strikes, and most of Kindan's family gets wiped out in a mining accident. The watchwher dies helping to get the few miners who survived the accident out of the mine, and Kindan is left totally alone for the first time in his life. He has mixed feelings about this, but for the most part, those feelings are never brought to the fore.

Because of this, Kindan doesn't feel totally fleshed out as a character; he's never allowed to fully grieve. And even amidst a bunch of folks who are also grieving, I doubt Kindan -- or any child, no matter how mature -- would be as matter of fact about losing all his family.

Be that as it may, because Kindan is no more than twelve, he can't live alone, and he's not cut out for work in the mine. Fortunately, everyone realizes this, and he goes to live with the Harper. A brief idyll ensues, as Kindan enjoys helping the Harper and gets to know Nuella, a blind girl whose been hidden from most of the folks at the minehold due to her disability.

Then another disaster happens in the mine, and its determined that another watchwher must be sought. For whatever reason, the minehold of Natalon (that's the head miner) is now considered to be accursed by some (although this is never fully gone into, either), and no grown watchwher or his/her handler will go there.

However, if a watchwher can be raised from the egg, then they'll have some protection. Watchwhers are good in mines; they can detect bad air faster than humans can, and as they see by infrared, they're very good at rescue as well (as was seen by the loss of the previous watchwher).

What does this have to do with Kindan? Plenty, as he's the only person in the minehold -- the only one -- who knows anything at all about watchwhers.

(Spoiler warning below) *****

Basically, Kindan is forced to go find a watchwher egg despite not really knowing much about how to raise a watchwher. Then, after he brings it home and it hatches, Nuella shows a great talent with the watchwher, but does not bond with the new fledgling, so the new watchwher (dubbed Kisk) stays with Kindan.

How does this all play out? It's for you to read. (Don't want to spoil it any more than that.)

**** end of spoiler warning ****

The reason this gets three stars, rather than the four I was initially contemplating, is that the characterization (other than that of the blind Nuella) isn't as strong as most of the other Pern books. But it is at least the equal in characterization of the latter books (starting with "All the Weyrs of Pern" and continuing outward from that year), and it reads easier than most of those.

But is it the equal of the earliest of the Pern books about Lessa and F'lar? No. Is it the equal of the earlier YA novels about Menolly, Sebell, and Piemur? No.

So, although this is a good coming of age tale (and is definitely intended for younger audiences in my opinion, although older readers also will enjoy the book), and although it reads fast and easily, it's not great.

And what makes it less than what it could have been lays solely along the lines of characterization. This book doesn't make the reader look for underlying meaning. In "Dragon's Kin," the underlying meanings are either too plain, or too subtle; either one might have worked, but not both.

One final comment: I believe that Todd McCaffrey helped this book, rather than hindered. This book has much more life than most of the last books (anything after "All the Weyrs of Pern" in sequence) except for "Master Harper of Pern," and I think that's because of Mr. McCaffrey's contribution. And it's because of the life and liveliness of the book that I read until the end, and (for the most part) enjoyed it.

Three stars.

(...)

Rating:
Summary: Good coming of age tale, but not great
Review: "Dragon's Kin," while not up to the standard of most of the earlier Pern novels, is far better than the last bunch about F'lessan.

The basic plot is as follows. Kindan wants to be a Harper, and has vocal and musical talent. He's about eleven or twelve when the book opens, and is kind of at loose ends; his favorite sister is marrying, his brothers are distant, and as the youngest of nine children, his father seems rather remote. Kindan does have a close friend, Zenor, who's a few months older, but that's about it.

And things are even more odd in this family than in most, because Kindan's father is bonded to a watchwher (distant cousins of both the fire lizards and the dragons), and lives different hours than most people as watchwhers are nocturnal. At any rate, Kindan doesn't realize how different his life is than most, although his friend Zenor does (and is envious of it).

And because of where he lives, Kindan gets to know more about watchwhers than most people. This might be considered an advantage by many, but not by Kindan. His heart is elsewhere.

Then disaster strikes, and most of Kindan's family gets wiped out in a mining accident. The watchwher dies helping to get the few miners who survived the accident out of the mine, and Kindan is left totally alone for the first time in his life. He has mixed feelings about this, but for the most part, those feelings are never brought to the fore.

Because of this, Kindan doesn't feel totally fleshed out as a character; he's never allowed to fully grieve. And even amidst a bunch of folks who are also grieving, I doubt Kindan -- or any child, no matter how mature -- would be as matter of fact about losing all his family.

Be that as it may, because Kindan is no more than twelve, he can't live alone, and he's not cut out for work in the mine. Fortunately, everyone realizes this, and he goes to live with the Harper. A brief idyll ensues, as Kindan enjoys helping the Harper and gets to know Nuella, a blind girl whose been hidden from most of the folks at the minehold due to her disability.

Then another disaster happens in the mine, and its determined that another watchwher must be sought. For whatever reason, the minehold of Natalon (that's the head miner) is now considered to be accursed by some (although this is never fully gone into, either), and no grown watchwher or his/her handler will go there.

However, if a watchwher can be raised from the egg, then they'll have some protection. Watchwhers are good in mines; they can detect bad air faster than humans can, and as they see by infrared, they're very good at rescue as well (as was seen by the loss of the previous watchwher).

What does this have to do with Kindan? Plenty, as he's the only person in the minehold -- the only one -- who knows anything at all about watchwhers.

(Spoiler warning below) *****

Basically, Kindan is forced to go find a watchwher egg despite not really knowing much about how to raise a watchwher. Then, after he brings it home and it hatches, Nuella shows a great talent with the watchwher, but does not bond with the new fledgling, so the new watchwher (dubbed Kisk) stays with Kindan.

How does this all play out? It's for you to read. (Don't want to spoil it any more than that.)

**** end of spoiler warning ****

The reason this gets three stars, rather than the four I was initially contemplating, is that the characterization (other than that of the blind Nuella) isn't as strong as most of the other Pern books. But it is at least the equal in characterization of the latter books (starting with "All the Weyrs of Pern" and continuing outward from that year), and it reads easier than most of those.

But is it the equal of the earliest of the Pern books about Lessa and F'lar? No. Is it the equal of the earlier YA novels about Menolly, Sebell, and Piemur? No.

So, although this is a good coming of age tale (and is definitely intended for younger audiences in my opinion, although older readers also will enjoy the book), and although it reads fast and easily, it's not great.

And what makes it less than what it could have been lays solely along the lines of characterization. This book doesn't make the reader look for underlying meaning. In "Dragon's Kin," the underlying meanings are either too plain, or too subtle; either one might have worked, but not both.

One final comment: I believe that Todd McCaffrey helped this book, rather than hindered. This book has much more life than most of the last books (anything after "All the Weyrs of Pern" in sequence) except for "Master Harper of Pern," and I think that's because of Mr. McCaffrey's contribution. And it's because of the life and liveliness of the book that I read until the end, and (for the most part) enjoyed it.

Three stars.

(...)

Rating:
Summary: decent, but nothing to get excited about
Review: 'Dragon's Kin' is Anne McCaffrey's latest offering in her long-running and best-selling 'Dragonriders of Pern' series. It is also the first time she has permitted a co-author into the Pern universe: her son, Todd. This time McCaffrey tells the story of an earlier time in Pern's history. The time is more than halfway through the second Interval, 16 years before the next Threadfall and the next pass of the Red Star. We are several hundred years before the events in 'Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern' and perhaps a hundred years from the events of 'Dragonseye'. So, this is the time period we are looking at.

The story is set in the Natalon mining camp, and this is one of the first times we've had a look at the miners. This is the story of Kindan, a twelve year old boy who seemed older when I read the book. Kindan does not expect anything more out of his life than to follow his father into the mines when he is old enough. All of this changes when there is an accident at the mine and Kindan's father and brothers are all killed. He is left an orphan and he is taken in by the Masterharper, Zist.

What the title of this book refers to is the watch whers (they appear in several of the Pern novels). The watch whers are dragon like, though smaller and nocturnal, and are used typically as a nighttime guard or as the first warning if anything is going wrong. They are kin to dragons (hence the title) from when humans first settled on Pern. Watch whers play a prominent role in this book (though, the watch wher egg does not appear until close to half way through the book).

At times, 'Dragon's Kin' did not feel like a Pern novel. Dragons play such a limited role, and this story is such a sub-set off of what became the primary storyline throughout Pern. This was a quick reading story, but none of the characters were as engaging as previous characters. There is no Menolly, or Lessa, or F'lar, or Jaxom, or even any of the characters from 'Dragonsdawn'. Kindan is too young, and while he may grow into a better character (assuming McCaffrey follows up with these characters), he isn't interesting enough to build a novel around. The minor character, Nuella, she has potential. 'Dragon's Kin' is a decent enough Pern novel, but it is nothing to get excited about.

Rating:
Summary: A new chapter in Pern Lore...
Review: ...will give fans the fix they've been longing for. McCaffrey and her son delve into the little known lore of watch-whers as the story of Kindan and Nuella unfolds. A wonderful addition to the series!

Rating:
Summary: A Good Read!
Review: A good read! A good, good read! A good, Pern read!

Has all of the right Pernese stuff, written the right Pernese way. An excellent collaboration with Todd McCaffrey. This is a must-have book, for anyone interested in Pernese animals, especially the illusive Watch-weyr.

Rating:
Summary: Thank you Anne and Todd for continuing to 'share the dream'
Review: Anne McCaffrey created an intricate world spanning many centuries featuring the bonding of humans and dragons telepathicly in her PERN series. Now Anne has joined with her second son, Todd, to write this newest episode in the PERN.

Todd has 'grown up in PERN'; so readers can be confident that there is no variation in this newest PERN tale. The tone and complexity of the story is sure to delight McCaffrey fans and encourage thoughts of more adventures on the planet PERN.

Blurb and other editorials give a summary; so what more can I say? Teenaged Kindan, blind Nuella and Master-Harper Zist work together and learn the forgotten secrets of how the nocturnal watch-wher see in the dark and their ability to communicate with dragons. This reveals many new possibilities for the dragon-riders and watch-wher. Another cave-in at Natalon's mine leads to a future that both Kindan and Nuella never expected.

Mama McCaffrey shared her writing talent & inspiration with her son and they chose to continue to give us reader's a fantasy world to remember. Such a legacy is impressive; such skill is appreciated. Thank you Anne and Todd for continuing to 'share the dream' of PERN.

Rating:
Summary: And the beat goes on
Review: As a loooooong time fan of Anne McCaffrey and Pern (I read and loved Dragonflight when it was first published as a novella in Analog, I won't say how many years ago!) I am delighted to read this latest installment and have high hopes of Todd McCaffrey's future efforts. If you are a fan, you will enjoy it; however I do NOT recommend reading this as the first of the Pern books if you are new to them, you will be left scratching your head about a lot of the references.....

That's not to say that I can't see some of the flaws that have been mentioned by other reviewers; however they did not detract from my enjoyment.

Those of you waiting for a "next installment" of the main storyline will be disappointed. The setting is a totally new time frame from any of the previous books - after the sophisticated technology of the first colonists has been lost but before the Long Interval so that much knowledge of the original colony still exists. For example dolphins and fire lizards are taken for granted. It takes place during an Interval and although there is no preoccupation with fighting Thread, everyone is quite aware that Thread is coming and what the implications are to the settlements. The main setting is a new mining Camp - where the mining craft is learning to undertake successful deep shaft mining operations as all the surface deposits are depleted.

We are introduced to new intelligent animal; the focus of the book is the watch-wher; the descendents of Wind Blossom's failed attempt to duplicate the bio-engineering of dragons. The interaction of man (or in this case young teenagers) and animal and their discovery of each other is vintage McCaffrey style and substance.

The two main protagonists: Kindan and Nuella - who are 11 going on 14 in the time span of the novel. The plot involves their "coming of age" while nurturing and training the Camp's new watch wher. More detail is included in the editorial reviews.

There are some fascinating new people to meet besides In my order of preference for wanting to know them better: M'tal, Weyrleader of Benden, Master Harper Zist, J'lantir bronze rider from Ista Weyr. There are several very well drawn minor characters, as well, such as Renilon the wherhandler from somewhere in Lemos. I do not agree with previous reviewers who say the characters are not developed - what I will say is that there are quite a few other minor characters who I wanted to know a lot more about: Miner Natalon (Nuella's father), Christov (son of the bad guy), Dalor (Nuella's brother) and Kindan's friend Zenor and his sister Jenna. The young age of the protagonists is nothing new - e.g Menolly, Piemur (Harper Hall novels), Readis (Dolphins of Pern), or even Lessa way back when it all started with Dragonflight.

Here's what I didn't like:

There are several continuity errors that a good editor should have found - towards the end a couple of the youngsters are said to have been born at Camp Natalon - when it was established only six months before the novel opens. The worst of these continuity problems is the knowledge, or lack thereof, about whether or not the whers can go between; this subject was treated in a very fuzzy fashion.

The book feels a little "thin" in places. I wanted to know more about what had happened before this novel opens - we were given hints but no details about what had happened to Tarik's mine or Master Zist's wife and daughter. Very unsatisfying. Also there could have been more details sometimes as the plot unfolded. Other books in the Pernese series have been written from several varying points of view - this one could have benefited using the same technique - for example, I would have liked to read about the dragon riders efforts at watch-wher education as they took place and not hear an account after the fact. Yes, I know that some readers find the multiple viewpoints very distracting; I've always loved the technique and wish this book had more of it.

In summary - a must for fans of Pern; keep writing Todd and Anne, please!

Rating:
Summary: Not quite the worst
Review: but definitely fighting the Dolphins of Pern for that title. There is nothing much to be done about it; it might be a nice present for children but it is lacking about everything that made books like "The White Dragon" so special. I guess Pern just ran out of news.

Rating:
Summary: Very disappointing
Review: Disjointed storyline and unpolished writing style. I was extremely disappointed in this novel. Most of the Pern novels draw you in and you lose yourself in the story. This novel refuses to allow you the intimacy that I've enjoyed in previous Pern novels.

Rating:
Summary: A thoughtful tale of hard choices and coming of age
Review: Dragon's Kin is the abridged audiobook version of the latest fantasy adventure novel featuring author Anne McCaffrey's fantastic planet of Pern and its dragon-rider protectors. A complex saga, Dragon's Kin follows the life of Kindan, a young man who lives and works in the mines far from civilization and safety. Kindan is charged with the responsibility of raising and looking after the watch-wher - a dragon-like creature superbly suited for life in the mines; though he dreams of becoming a Harper and leaving the place where he grew up behind, disaster claims his family and leaves with the heavy burden and responsibility of hatching and raising a new watch-wher. A thoughtful tale of hard choices and coming of age, Dick Hill's dramatic narration offers a flawless presentation of this newest example of McCaffrey's award winning talent as an established and respected fantasy author. 4 hours, 3 audio cassettes.