Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern
An air of pleasant anticipation hung so thickly over the Halls, Holds, and Weyrs of Pern that it had affected even the businesslike ways of Moreta, the Weyrwoman of Fort Weyr. Her dragon, Queen Orlith, would soon clutch; spring had made a glorious debut; the Gather at Ruatha Hold was extremely merry; and Moreta was enjoying the attentions of Alessan, the new Lord Holder of Ruatha Hold.
With only eight Turns remaining before the deadly Thread would cease to Fall, all seemed well on Pern.
Then, without warning, a runnerbeast fell ill. Soon myriads of holders, craftsmen, and dragonriders were dying; and the mysterious ailment had spread to all but the most inaccessible holds. Pern was in mortal danger. For, if dragonriders did not rise to char Thread, the parasite would devour any and all organic life it encountered.
The future of the planet rested in the hands of Moreta and the other dedicated, selfless Pern leaders. But of all their problems, the most difficult to overcome was time...
Hugo Award Nominee for Best Novel (1984)
About the Pern Series
Books in series order
- 1.Dragonflight(1968)
- 2.Dragonquest(1971)
- 3.Dragonsong(1976)
- 4.Dragonsinger(1977)
- 5.Get Off the Unicorn(1977)
- 6.The White Dragon(1978)
- 7.Dragondrums(1979)
- 8.Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern(1983)
- 9.Nerilka's Story(1984)
- 10.Dragonsdawn(1988)
- 11.The Dragonlover's Guide to Pern(1989)
- 12.The Renegades of Pern(1989)
- 13.All The Weyrs of Pern(1991)
- 14.The Chronicles of Pern: First Fall(1993)
- 15.The Girl Who Heard Dragons(1996)
- 16.Dragonseye(1996)
- 17.The Masterharper of Pern(1998)
- 18.Legends(1999)
- 19.The Skies of Pern(2001)
- 20.A Gift of Dragons(2002)
- 21.Dragon's Kin(2003)
- 22.Legends II: Dragon, Sword, and King(2004)
- 23.Dragonsblood(2005)
- 24.Dragon's Fire(2006)
- 25.Dragon Harper(2007)
- 26.Dragonheart(2008)
- 27.Dragongirl(2010)
- 28.Dragon's Time(2011)
- 29.Sky Dragons(2012)
Reading age: 11+ years
This series should be read in order.
This fantasy series tells the story of inhabitants of Pern, a pristine and beautiful planet colonised when earth became too polluted and overcrowded. The suitability of the planet is marred by periodic attacks from space by the destructive Thread, a space-borne spore that destroys organic substances – and hence, humans - on contact. The settlers discover that a native life form, the fire-lizard, has developed adaptations against Thread.
The first book in the series starts when the society is well-established, and focuses on the character Lessa, who is working disguised as a kitchen girl, but is on the brink of reclaiming her stolen birthright. Everything changes, however, when she meets a queen dragon. They develop a strong bond which provides vital protection when, for the first time in centuries, Lessa's world is threatened by Thread. Dragons and their Riders once regularly protected the planet from Thread, but there are very few of them left these days. Now Lessa must risk her life, and the life of her beloved dragon, to save her beautiful world...
Note: The books in this series, also known as 'Dragonriders of Pern', are listed in order of publication. For a list of the books in chronological order, please refer to the series website.