The Masterharper of Pern (Dragonriders of Pern Series #15) »

Anne McCaffrey, the Hugo Award-winning author of the bestselling Dragonriders of Pern® novels, is one of science fiction’s most popular authors. With Elizabeth Ann Scarborough she co-authored Changelings and Maelstrom, Books One and Two of The Twins of Petaybee. McCaffrey lives in a house of her own design, Dragonhold-Underhill, in County Wicklow, Ireland.

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).