Dragonflight

Rating:
Summary: Inspiring
Review: I was first exposed to the book Dragonflight at the tender age of 5 - yes that's right, unlike most five year olds who had bedtime stories such as Snow White etc, I got Dragonflight (and Lord of the Rings I may add). And that is what started my fascination with Anne McCaffrey's world of Pern.

As a young, impressionable 5 year old, I have no doubt that the intelligent, resourceful female characters depicted in Ms McCaffrey's novels formed extremely inspiring role models and was probably one of the reasons my mother read these kind of books to me (another one being a book called "The Practical Princess") - that and because she herself was "hooked" on them and with me, found an excuse to read them!!

Of course the fantastic DRAGONS contributed to my interest and love of the books - who wouldn't be fascinated with these huge majestic beasts, and who wouldn't want one for a friend and companion, who empathizes your every thought and feeling. And of course the equally resourceful, charismatic and wonderful hero's of the stories should also be given a significant amount of credit.

As an adult I still love reading Ms McCaffrey's books, and have red and collected all published Pern books and just about all of her other series. I still have the tattered, worn Dragonflight book my mother first read to me some 20 odd years ago - taking pride of place in my collection.

Lessa's raise from kitchen drudge to Queen Dragonrider and the hope of Pern (and F'lars plans for the future) takes readers on a fascinating journey to a new planet where you become acquainted with interesting characters and the awesome DRAGONS for which Ms McCaffrey is so famous for creating.

Dragonflight is a great starting point for people wanting to read Ms McCaffrey's books or any si-fi book for that matter.

Ms McCaffrey's books are moving, inspiring, exciting, romantic, suspenseful and down right enjoyable! I can happily admit that I have laughed, cried and triumphed with the characters of Ms McCaffrey's worlds.

Dragonflight and any of Ms McCaffrey's novels are easy to "get into" and hard to put down - requiring almost no effort to read - they simply flow. They are great for young, old, male and female. They are most definitely not predictable, or boring in any shape or form. There are not many authors who have managed to keep me glued to the pages series after series after series.

Indeed there are not many books I would read more than once, however Dragonflight I have read a number of times.

I hope Ms McCaffrey keeps on writing, because I will keep on reading and eagerly await the new releases.

Rating:
Summary: This is the best book, flat out a must read
Review: This is the book that really got me hooked on Anne McCaffrey. My best friend practically fourced me to read this and now I've read more of Anne's books than her. This is probably the best of Anne McCaffrey's books, esp. sinse it has Lessa, she is one of the best characters ever. I read this book over and over and never get tiried of it. The exitment and anticipation of it all, can lessa save pern from threads? Will Thread come again? All of it just kept me reading and still does. If u haven't read this book, read it!

Rating:
Summary: Lessa rocks.
Review: Let's be serious. Anne McCaffrey writes too much. Occasionally, of course, she has good ideas like the story of Lessa - the girl who can hear dragons. Unfortunately, the rest of the book is kind of boring, a bunch of dragons and dragon riders doing their thing and nobody cares about it for they are still focused on Lessa and her loves (her dragon and F'lar?). This is a great book to read if you like short stories - just read the part about Lessa until she comes to the Weyr. This is the story, if I'm not mistaken, for which Anne McCaffrey won a prize. After that part, you can skip it and you will not miss that much.

Otherwise, this novel is a great example of fantasy novels - interesting enough plot, one or two characters are nicely developed, good and bad things happen, and the ending is more happy than not.

I recommend it for sci-fi/fantasy readers.

Rating:
Summary: A Classic novel
Review: I believe that this is the book to start the Dragonriders series. Lessa is spirited woman who has plans and will not let anyone come in between them. Only the thought of becoming a dragonrider will deter her from them. With the threat of Thread and a fellow dragonrider named f'lar, her life was destined to fight for Pern! I tried starting the series with Dragonsdawn, but it did not keep my interest. After reading dragonflight, quest, and so on, I reread it and loved every second of it. I recommend these series to dragonlovers and to those whose minds, like mine, travel to distance lands and worlds and have to whole universe to play with. This book isn't truly enjoyed until it has been reread over and over again! Enjoy!

Rating:
Summary: Awesome
Review: This book is absolutely amazing! It is the story of how Lessa comes out of hiding after ten long Turns as a drudge in Ruatha Hold. She is ready to reclaim her birthright, Impress a young dragon queen and become the Weyrwoman of Benden Weyr. But then, as the new Weyrleader F'lar predicted, the Threads start falling again. To make things worse, the mighty dragons and dragonriders that protected Pern from destruction were now few in number. But then Lessa hatches a daring and highly dangerous plan to get help from people who long ago ceased to exist. I loved this book and though it is difficult to understand at some parts, I think everyone who reads it will love it.

Rating:
Summary: Lessa's Chance
Review: Whenever I have nothing to read, I go into a sort of daze. It's as simple as that. I sit around in a rocking chair, watching the television with it's endless hourse of not-quite-interesting productions. It was at one such time that my mother brought home a book for me to read. This book was Dragonflight. The first book I read after such dazes is usually very boring; I've been away from reading too long to enjoy any book. In this case, it was the complete opposite.
Dragonflight, I must admit, is not the best book I ever read. The truth is, my favorite book is another in the series. Dragonflight, though, is the perfect introduction to the Dragonriders of Pern. It is the story of Lessa, a drudge at Ruatha Hold, where a crooked man has taken rule over. This man is Fax, and he gained the position of Lord of Ruatha through the murder of Lessa's family. In a combination of luck, timing, cleverness, and strife, Lessa manages to get a chance at her rightful position as Lady Holder of Ruatha. F'lar, rider of the bronze dragon Mnementh, instead asks her to come to Benden Weyr for a chance at becoming Weyrwoman at the only remaining Weyr on Pern. Can she do it? Can she save Pern?

Rating:
Summary: My Favorite
Review: When I started to read this book, I tried it in 5th grade. I hated it. I tried it again this year, and couldn't put it down. I agree with some reviewers about F'lar's deal with slapping Lessa and all but it all works to an advantage. It doesn't make the romace all loving and tender, just real. I read all of her so far written Pern books in less than a month. A word of caution though, read them in order, they can get really confusing. I admit, I was confused when I started reading Dragonflight, but the Dragondex does help. I personally can't wait for her next Pern adventures, and am getting ready to read some of her other sci fi novels. Enjoy

Rating:
Summary: A Fantastic and Enjoyable Book
Review: The book was the start of the now popular series of books on the world or 'Pern'. McCaffrey creates a unique and wonderful universe in this ultimate Science Fiction fantasy. I world where an elite group of people are bound to their own individual dragon in a partnership that is lifelong. The book evolves into a fantastic and enjoyable story, complete in itself, yet opening the door to other tales. This is a very good story by a very talented and creative writer. This book will make anyone a McCaffrey fan!

Rating:
Summary: fantasy fanatic must
Review: although i am a fantasy fanatic, i also loved this book because it developed a story and made you feel involved with the characters

Okay Lessa, is the rightful heir, to her, town, (if i must call it that) and no one knows it. she's so obsessed with coming into charge of it that she ignores the possibility of becoming more, then f'lar, who by the way screams love interest, comes along and takes her to the major place in pern and he sets her up to sort of like compete to be weyrwoman. and of course she becomes it. then lessa goes and meddles everywhere and almost spoils f'lar's chances at being the major guy in pern was it called weyrman? that would be weird, anyway, he does anyway, and then, its all very happy ending, there is more of course but you'll have to read the book, ms mc caffrey did really well when she created pern, especially the history. this is a fantasy fanatic must read book.

Rating:
Summary: Classic Science Fantasy
Review: Although cloaked in the guise of science fiction, this series is more closely aligned with the tenets of fantasy than sci-fi. Though the humans on Pern are descended from interplanetary colonists, the setting is an agrarian feudal-like society populated with telepathic dragons. It was one of the best selling modern series to blur the lines between sci-fi and fantasy, and as such deserves some recognition for doing it well.

This book is the start of one of the best series in either genre. Though Pern is fleshed out in subsequent novels, it begins here. As such, there are some continuity errors that arise later because of otherwise inconsequential comments in this book, such as the gender of Green Dragons. But the groundwork is laid for the intricate relationships between dragon and rider, and riders and holders (the non-weyrfolk of Pern). The prestige that goes with being a dragonrider has lasted centuries beyond their usefulness, and Pern is facing a time when those in the lower classes are beginning to believe that there will not be a need for dragons or riders in the future. One rider who believes the old legends of Threadfall, and believes that it will come again to threaten Pern, holds his people together in the face of adversity with the help of Lessa, the new Weyrwoman.

The society that McCaffrey creates in the story is interesting and the characters are well-developed and three-dimensional. The story itself takes a little bit of time to get going, but once it does, it carries through the entire original trilogy.

The Pern series is undoubtedly McCaffrey's best literary effort, and this is the book that begins it. As an introduction to Pern and its inhabitants, it is indispensible. As a novel, it is one of the best in its genre. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in good Sci-Fi/Fantasy literature.