The Skies Of Pern

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Summary: An intresting story
Review: The Skies of Pern begins where The Dolphins of Pern leaves off. The Red Star's course has been altered and now the Dragonriders must find a craft that they can call thier own.
When a metoroid falls to Pern and causes untold damage the Weyr Leaders decide that someone must always watch the sky so that if another metor falls they can keep people from dying.
I won't tell the rest of the story because that would ruin the ending for those who haven't read it yet.
McCaffrey is an excellent story teller though I thought that her lastest book was a bit slow.
DO NOT READ THIS BOOK FIRST!!! If you are thinking to start reading about Pern I recomend that you start with Dragonsdawn and go from there. This not a book you can read on its own. The characters and pot stem somewhat from what has happened in other books.
This is a great book if you know just what is going on in Pern but if you haven't read any of her other Pern books you won't understand a thing that's going on.

Rating:
Summary: It has its good spots
Review: I am beginning to think that Ms. McCaffery's editors need to be fired if they allow things to slip any worse. It is bad enough when they slipped up at the end of Dolphins of Pern, but this book just didn't have much to it. Now to the specifics that I have seen complained about. 1. The Abominators are probably named that way because it was the easiest thing to call them. I don't think that they have ever dealt with this type of thing before. They did cause havoc, but there should have been more to them. Also, why didn't Piemur find out about these people a long time ago. 2. F'lessen and Tai are alright. From what I have read, Lessa nor F'lar have had any high hopes for their son. Actually, they have not been putting any pressure on him just because they are weyrleaders. I can see that he would probably be the last person that Lessa and F'lar would want as a weyrleader. Lessa has been shown to have serious doubts about her son before. 3. I have seen someone complain saying "Why didn't we know about the dragons' telekinetic ability before? Why didn't they get it from the geneticist who created them?" Answer, Kitti Ping DIED at the microscope. 4. Now, about their views on women changing. I do have to agree a little bit. I don't think that a change that drastic could happen in only 30-40 years. Sure, a few "select" women might be given more heed to, but in general, I don't see it happening on this grand a scale. Even with a Harper as good as Menolly couldn't change views that quickly. 5. In the last few books we have seen the "Council" electing Lord Holders. Excuse me? In the very first book, wasn't there a duel between Fax and F'lar to see who would become Lord Holder of Ruatha? Wasn't it mentioned that a duel was how a Lord Holder was chosen when a Hold was in doubt? 6. What is the average life span of someone on Pern? There are a lot of people who should really be dead. They must be in their 90s or so. Are they healthier than we are? (They could be.) 7. When will some Weyrleader tell Lessa and F'lar to mind their own weyr's business? I would really love to see either of them dressed down for being so presumptuous outside their own weyr. 8. Mirrim does seem to wield too much authority in Monoco Weyr. Is she like the acting Headwoman? That is what it seems to be. She probably flies in T'gellen's wing. Okay, I think that is all. I welcome anyone e-mailing me at [e-mail] with their thoughts.

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Summary: The Sky's the Limit!
Review: Our Anne has managed to find a new challenge for the Weyrs: Pern has decided that anything that comes down from out of the sky is the proper business of dragonriders. Now, all that the resourceful F'lar and Lessa, aided by their son, F'lessan, and his weyrmate, have to do is to come up with a way to meet that expectation, and to do it in spite of fire, felines and fall. Unlike some of the books that followed the destruction of the Red Star, this one does not have the feel of something churned out just to satisfy the demands of the fans. Instead, it adds to the saga. It opens up a whole new dimension for the dragonriders to explore, and possibly, a whole new continent for them to settle. It is, in short, a quality addition to the series, a pleasure to read, and a promise for the future.

Rating:
Summary: Not the best of Pern.
Review: I've loved Anne McCaffrey since middle school, but The Skies of Pern was not very good. I had a lot of trouble getting into it and the whole plot was fairly uninteresting. I was really looking forward to it, but now I'm having difficulty making it all the way through the book.

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Summary: Another great one from McCaffrey!
Review: Ive read all of the Pern books and Im working on reading all of McCaffrey's other books. Either way, The Skies of Pern is a really great one. It has a lot of new interesting stuff in it to do with dragons (and people). I read it in one day (really two since i stayed up reading till 6am the next day!) So, if you love Pern as I do, I'd say to buy this book. It didnt dissapoint me in the least bit and I enjoyed it greatly.

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Summary: About Mirrim's dragon and T'gellan
Review: I keep seeing this come up in reviews. Some people did not read this book carefully and think that because T'gellan is the Weyrleader of Monaco Weyr, it means that Mirrim is the Weyrwoman there. Then they wonder how it's possible because Path, Mirrim's dragon, is a green and not a queen (gold).

The answer is simple. Mirrim is not the Weyrwoman of Monaco Weyr. She is T'gellan's weyrmate, the woman he loves, lives with and has a child with, but she is not the Weyrwoman of his weyr. The Weyrwoman is Talina, who is mentioned several times in the book, but not in much detail. The senior queen at Monaco is Talina's dragon Arwith. T'gellan is Weyrleader the same way any other Weyrleader is; his dragon Monarth won the queen Arwith. By the way, Talina, the Weyrwoman with T'gellan, is the girl who impressed at the hatching in Dragonquest when Brekke didn't want another dragon.

This situation is similar to F'lon (F'lar and F'nor's father) being Weyrleader with Jora and in love with Manora. Moreta and Kylara were also not in love with the Weyrleaders. Maybe the confusion about Mirrim is because she attends a council meeting with T'gellan and Talina, or because she has a bossy personality? But her dragon is still green. The reviewer below also mentioned Ptath. Ptath is not Path, but another green dragon with a rider named Danegga. But it is a bit confusing and puzzling that with only 3 greens with female riders, Anne McCaffrey chose to name one Path and one Ptath.

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Summary: Dragons should have flamed this manuscript!
Review: I almost put this book down in the first chapter, the middle, and by the end, I was PUSHING myself to finish. Now I love Anne McCaffery's older Pern books, but her newer ones are just poorly written, poorly plotted, and "rushed". Case in Point: The Skies of Pern. The only part I found interesting in this book was F'lessan's blossoming love affair with Tai, a green rider. However, interesting issues weren't discussed-how did a Bronze rider, son of the Weyrleaders of Benden, innerly feel about loving a "lowly" green rider? (In all past books, the Greens were always considered lesser of all dragon colors). How did the rest of the Weyrs feel about the seriousness between a Bronze and Green pairing? Did he get jibed? Laughed at? Are you telling me that Lessa and F'lar didn't have any secret ambitions of him becoming Weyrleader, and took it all in stride? None of these interesting issues were touched. How about Tai's past rapes at the hands of dragonriders? Apparently after F'lessan seduced her during the mating flight, she was "fine". The main plot of the book resolves around people out to stop all of Aivis's new technology (VERY boring plot line) and a meteor that hits Pern. Meteors have NEVER been discussed in any past Pern books and all of a sudden, this one becomes so important that Dragons and their Riders will set up a "Star Hall" for After, in order to "divert" future meteors? Come on! Also things I bet you didn't know (I sure didn't, and I'm a devout Pern reader): The importance of Runners (huh?)? That Mirrim's "Ptath" is a gold? That in the thousands of years dragons have been around, no one discovered their ability of telekinesis(not even mentioned by their geneticist)? That man-killing felines are such a HUGE problem on Southern continent that they must be totally exterminated and dragons hunt them as tasty treats? The discrepancies are countless. Besides that, this was one of the most boring books I've ever managed to slog through. By the end I was sick of Aivis, sick of Lessa, whose "eternally moody, the biggest grump on Pern sarcastic ..." attitude has reached an all-time high, sick of Abominators (who are all "arch enemies" with no redeeming values, of course, SICK OF THIS BOOK! I'll have to go back and re-read some of her old classics, the ones that were really good. For those who haven't read this yet: Don't. Or save yourself [some money] and lend it from your local library, if you must. Ugh. Two stars for this Abomination.

Rating:
Summary: Anne McCaffrey gets an A plus from me
Review: Wether it be dragons or dinosaurs, I can really get into the McCaffrey books. They are all great reads and not one should be missed and this is no exception. I think everything has a time and a place and in this book, there is a time and place for everything. Anne McCaffrey has lead me into many new worlds and into many adventures, my favorites of the characters are Moretta, Menoly, Acorna and others. If you loved some of her characters as much as I do this is a book for you. Follow up on the world of Pern and begin a new adventure. Try not to miss out on the fun and exciting world of Anne McCaffrey by reading all of her books as I have an extended collection and all are my favorites and I enjoy rereading them and listening to them on tape. Very enjoyable, and I am thankful to her for creating such lasting fun for me to go to another place and time....Thank you.

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Summary: It might have been the editor's fault
Review: I discovered Dragonflight in paperback mmmmmph;) years ago and have been a fan of the author since Decision at Doona. This book only held one disappointment for me and it might not have been Anne McCaffrey's choice. Any who remember The Chronicles of Pern: First Fall, will remember that there were distinct stories, all taking place in the same time frame, but each dealt with separately. It seems as if Skies could easily have been treated the same way. The jumping around was distracting to all but the most diehard fan (which I am, by the way).

As a professional writer, I have come to understand that often those types of decisions come from the editor and not the author. So let's lobby Ms. McCaffrey's editor to consider what worked well in the past.

Otherwise, I loved the stories in the book. Even the one that resulted in a supposedly defunct AIVAS briefly activating again in self-defense. Another reviewer used the phrase "a little too deus ex machina." I agree. But for people who have lived with Pern for most of the their lives, there is little to not like about the book.

Rating:
Summary: If you can't get enough of Pern, this is for you
Review: If, on the other hand, you are not a diehard Pern fan there will be nothing here for you. In this volume McCaffery it seems that tries to include as many characters from prior books as possible, even if all they get is a bit part. A lot of the plot hinges on the extremely simple-mindedness of "the Abominators," and it wears quite thin after a chapter or two.

In spite of this, I give this book four stars simply for the workmanship, and the clear talent McCaffrey brings to the mix.