The Masterharper of Pern
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...
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.