I am talking about Anne McCaffrey's Dragon books, specifically Dragonsong and Dragonsinger, which I read last week for the Grandmaster challenge. My first science fiction author for this challenge, new to me, and I am totally swept away and want to go to Pern. Now.
Dragonsong and Dragonsinger are written for children, older children/young teens. They are written with a breathless quality that makes them extremely difficult to put down. I devoured them, reading over the dinner table, reading late into the night, wishing the ride on the bus would go longer each day so I could read just a little more!
Menolly is the main heroine of the two books. She is the youngest child of Yanus, the head of the tiny village in a far corner of Pern. They are fishermen, and their lives are caught up in the sea, all except for Menolly, who shows a rare gift and aptitude for music that her family are ashamed of. There are no female harpers on Pern. I will admit, that at this point I had a terribly violent reaction to this storyline. I thought to myself, well, all right, it's written in the mid-70's. Women's rights were still coming. But to be honest, if I had found that she couldn't harp just because she was a woman, I was going to put the book down and never come back to it. I am so tired of sexism in books! In fantasy, in mysteries, in fiction, in real cultures in this world, that women can't do something just because they are women, is tired. I'm fed up with it. So, I read Dragonsong with half a sinking heart, afraid to open up entirely to the story, until I got to the part where it is resolved and very satisfactorily, too, I add. Delightful.
Menolly herself is a resourceful heroine, independent, and when her family refuse to allow her to do any music at all, she runs away. In running away, she leaves herself open when the Thread falls, which is a kind of silver thread coming from one of the planets in the sky of Pern, the Red Planet. The thread burns and kills or destroys whatever it comes into contact with. The only thing that can fight it are dragons. So people become dragonriders and fight the thread - however Dragonsong isn't about these glorious creatures, but about fire dragons, tiny versions of dragons that are rare until Menolly, in her attempt to run away, discovers a nest as some Thread is about to fall. She saves the nest, and imprints some of the resultant dragon hatchlings, so that they and she are linked together. And this is the best, the most delightful, wondrous, magical part of the books for me. The writing is good, the characters are very well done, the pace is excellent, but above all, are the fire dragons. I want one of my own!!!
Dragonsinger continues Menolly's story, as she finds herself finally at Harper Hall, where her musical skill and gifts quickly become apparent. This book takes place over 7 days, and very eventful days they are. We see Menolly be tested to see what her musical knowledge and aptitudes are, we see people react to her in good and bad ways - anyone who has 9 fire dragons is bound to attract envy! - and we see Menolly begin to grow up and accept she can have a place here, a rightful place based on her skills and love of music. It is a charming novel, and filled with delightful characters. I can't rate these two books highly enough. As soon as my daughter is old enough to read them (in about a year or two I think) I will be giving them to her. They are fabulous, fun, magical, everything science fiction can be when it is done imaginatively. I am currently reading the third in the Harper Hall Trilogy as it's called, Dragondrums. In this one the novel follows one of Menolly's new friends, Piemur, who is sent off to the southern continent as a messenger. He wants a fire dragon too, I might add.
I am really happy I read these books. I hope the rest of the Grandmasters I will be reading for the challenge hold as many happy surprises for me!
By the way, I love the cover of Dragonsinger, so I went looking to see if I could find the artist, and I did! She's here.
Super News - Harry Hole is back!!!!
Many of you know about my ongoing love affair with Harry Hole, chief detective of the Jo Nesbo mystery series. I am ecstatic to report that there is a new Harry Hole novel coming out, Phantom, which will be released here in Canada on March 12. A new Harry Hole novel!!! I can read The Leopard now!!! I was saving it until I couldn't stand to go without Harry any more. Now I don't have to, I can go ahead and read it.
