The MasterHarper of Pern (Dragonriders of Pern Book 15)

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “At last, Robinton has his own book... McCaffrey adds another absorbing chapter to dragon lore.... Readers will revel in this compelling character study of a fascinating personality.”—Romantic TimesIn a time when the deadly scourge Thread has not fallen on Pern for centuries—and many dare to hope that Thread will never fall again—a boy is born to Harper Hall. A musical prodigy who has the ability to speak with the dragons, he is called Robinton, and he is destined to be one of the most famous and beloved leaders Pern has ever known.It is a perilous time for the harpers who sing of Thread—they are being turned away from holds, derided, attacked, even beaten. In this climate of unrest, Robinton will come into his own. But despite the tragedies that beset his own life, he continues to believe in music and in the dragons, and he is determined to save his beloved Pern from itself—so that the dragonriders can be ready to fly against the dreaded Thread when at last it returns... “The story takes wing... when McCaffrey's beloved dragons roar and their riders soar upon the beasts'mighty backs.... Fans of Pern will likely be enthralled.”—Publishers Weekly

In a time when the deadly scourge Thread has not fallen on Pern for centuries--and many dare to hope that Thread will never fall again--a boy is born to Harper Hall. A musical prodigy who has the ability to speak with the dragons, he is called Robinton, and he is destined to be one of the most famous and beloved leaders Pern has ever known.

It is a perilous time for the harpers who sing of Thread--they are being turned away from holds, derided, attacked, even beaten. In this climate of unrest, Robinton will come into his own. But despite the tragedies that beset his own life, he continues to believe in music and in the dragons, and he is determined to save his beloved Pern from itself--so that the dragonriders can be ready to fly against the dreaded Thread when at last it returns . . .

VOYA

Fantasy writer extraordinaire Anne McCaffrey has just released the latest installment in her much loved Pern series. The Masterharper of Pern chronicles the life of Robinton, the Masterharper who played a prominent role in the Pern trilogy of Dragonsong (Atheneum, 1976), Dragonsinger (Atheneum, 1977), and Dragondrums (Atheneum, 1979). We follow Rob from his first cries of life through the joys, tragedies, and blossoming musical genius of his young adulthood on into his maturation into a masterful statesman as well as inspired musician. Readers already familiar with the Pern series and McCaffrey's work will soon find themselves engrossed in Rob's struggles. Young adults may particularly identify with his problems earning acceptance from his father, his first attempts at love, and his conflict over his life's calling-should he follow his musical talents into harperizing or utilize his ability to talk to dragons as a dragonrider? The book also subtly handles issues of justice and fairness as we walk with Robinton through his early attempts at mediation and leadership roles. However, this reader wishes McCaffrey had drawn a little more nuance into her harsh characterization of Rob's father, Petiron, who in previous books had been cast as a sympathetic character. While not McCaffrey's best effort, Masterharper displays her traditional, accessible style. Young adults already familiar with McCaffrey's work will be lining up to read this next, fill-in-the-gaps tale of life on Pern. Those who have not read her other work will enjoy this one more if it is not their entry point into the series. Ideally, it should be read after the Dragonsong trilogy, though any of McCaffrey's early Pern books like Dragonflight (Ballantine, 1968) or Dragonquest (Ballantine, 1971) will work as well. Most of all, this book is fun. It is an enveloping work that transports the reader to another place without numbing the mind with formulaic, hacked-out prose. VOYA Codes: 3Q 4P M J S (Readable without serious defects, Broad general YA appeal, Middle School-defined as grades 6 to 8, Junior High-defined as grades 7 to 9 and Senior High-defined as grades 10 to 12).

In a time when no Thread has fallen for centuries - when, indeed, many are beginning to dare to hope that Thread will never fall again - a boy is born to Harper Hall. His name is Robinton, and he is destined to be one of the most famous and beloved leaders Pern has ever known. It is a perilous time for harpers. They sing of Thread, yet more and more people are beginning to doubt the return of that deadly scourge. They teach reading, writing, history, but Fax - who hates the harpers in general - is determined to keep his growing area of influence free of the learning that might sow unrest. And they extol the dragonriders, whom many view increasingly as a drain on the resources of the Holds. Now harpers are being turned away from the holds; and, worse yet, they are being derided, attacked, even beaten. It is the climate of unrest that Robinton will come into his own. For despite the tragedies that beset his own life, he continues to believe in music and in the dragons, and is determined to save his beloved Pern from itself . . .so that the dragonriders can be ready to fly against the dreaded Thread when it at last returns! In a time when the deadly scourge Thread has not fallen on Pern for centuries--and many dare to hope that Thread will never fall again--a boy is born to Harper Hall. A musical prodigy who has the ability to speak with the dragons, he is called Robinton, and he is destined to be one of the most famous and beloved leaders Pern has ever known. It is a perilous time for the harpers who sing of Thread--they are being turned away from holds, derided, attacked, even beaten. In this climate of unrest, Robinton will come into his own. But despite the tragedies that beset his own life, he continues to believe in music and in the dragons, and he is determined to save his beloved Pern from itself--so that the dragonriders can be ready to fly against the dreaded Thread when at last it returns . . . A child prodigy-turned-Masterharper, Robinton must fight for his life when the citizens of Pern begin to doubt his and other Harpers' warnings of the coming of the dreaded Thread, and he uses his love of music, telepathic dragons, and his homeland to battle an evil tyrant preparing to take over the planet of Pern MasterSinger Merelan and Harper Petiron were a brilliant and devoted couple. After a long and difficult birth, Robinton was born to them, but from the first day Periton had no time for his son, ignoring the incredible talent he had - that of being able to speak to the dragons of Pern. A tale of dragons in the fantasy land of Pern and the boy who communicates with them by telepathy. He is Rob, a musical genius, and when he grows up he leads the dragons and their riders in battle against an evil man who denies people education "ONE THING SURE," Betrice said wryly as she wrapped the squalling, wriggling baby tightly into the fine cotton sheet his mother had woven for just this moment, "he's got your lungs, Petiron.