I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Dragonsblood
by
Todd McCaffrey
It is part of the Dragonriders of Pern series and is a science fiction in a hardcover edition that was published by Bantam Books on January 1, 2005 and has 438 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon
Other books in this series include [books_series]
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Dragonheart, Dragon's Fire, Dragon's Kin, Dragon Harper, Dragon's Time
It’s 507 AL, 507 years after landing, and Thread is expected soon. It parallels Dragon’s Fire and Dragon’s Kin.
My Take
Interesting for its insight into responsible creation but, again, no subtlety, no passion. Simply a recitation of facts with allusions which never enlighten us. There is an interesting implication about Ted Tubberman and we meet his grandson, Tieran.
There are hints made about dementia, but McCaffrey doesn’t do anything with it. No depth. Still no passion.
On page 220, McCaffrey has Emorra intuit that the beads on Gren’s harness had not yet been made. On practically no evidence, Emorra determines that Gren is here from 400 years in the future. No development, no tension. On page 258, the dragons are so sick and they’re dying right and left, yet McCaffrey doesn’t build on this. I barely cried. In fact, my mind kept wandering thinking about reading another book, any other book. It was almost like reading a dry history book.
As part of the frantic search to discover what is killing the dragons (I use the word “frantic” to attempt to instill some sense of drama . . . at least in the review), Kindan, Lorana, and friends discover something which will help save Pern.
As an example of not paying attention, McCaffrey has established that Lorana must be back at the Weyr to feed her queen in a hour. By page 273, Lorana and company have been reading through the Records for hours with no hint or suggestion that Lorana is supposed to be back at the Weyr taking care of her beloved dragon. I thought the new wyerlings were so amazingly attached to their dragons?? Their every thought was of them? Even when McCaffrey kills off dragons of riders we have somehow managed to find some empathy for, he doesn’t press how horrible this is. It could almost be the day after Christmas and we have to wait til next year to get more prezzies.
This side of the story we learn the details of Kindan and Lorana falling in love.
McCaffrey makes Tullea, one of the queen riders at Benden, such a bitch but he doesn’t delve into it. It’s all on the surface.
I am so irritated with McCaffrey writing these three stories as separate books. He’s stretched out the pages to make the reader feel they’re getting a deal but once you read through you realize how you’ve been cheated.
We do finally learn how it happened that that young dragonrider and his dragon ended up encased in solid rock at Benden Weyr. One of the very, very few dramatic bits of writing that worked. And it so wasn’t worth it!
Again, no build up, no drama in the conclusions Emorra, Tieran, M’hall, and Seamus come to in deciding how to build the instant learning room. Such a bore.
The Story
Half the story is of Wind Blossom’s last years on Pern, 50 years after landing to 59 AL, struggling to find a cure for the dragons and fire lizards in which we learn the true reason for her attitude toward her students and child while the other half of the story takes place in the weyrs as dragons sicken and die.
The Characters
All the characters from Dragon’s Fire and Dragon’s Kin appear playing their parts in various degrees with references to their adventures in these two stories.
In the Wind Blossom half . . .
. . . we learn of Sean O’Connell‘s death, the reasoning behind the creation of the watch-whers, and a hint as to a purpose behind Ted Tubberman‘s activities. Tieran is his grandson. Wind Blossom and her mother, Kitty Ping, bioengineered the dragons. Emorra is Wind Blossom’s daughter.
In the current-day half of the story . . .
. . . Lorana is taken on as a pet project by J’trel and his dragon, Talith, after losing his partner, K’nad. Lorana has lost her father in a beast handling accident, and since they had lost all the rest of her family during the plague 12 years ago, Lorana has no one. But J’trel is taken by her incredible drawing ability and helps her begin her dream of sketching all the animal life of Pern. Along the way, J’trel learns Lorana’s secret.
We get a brief glimpse of Cisca, Weyrwoman for Fort, and K’lior deciding to send their wounded and weyrlings back in time to Igen to recover and be ready to meet Thread in three days even though another of the books covers this more thoroughly. I guess this “glimpse” helps tie Dragonsblood in with the other . . . yawn . . . oops, sorry, snort . . .
It’s been ten Turns since Kindan met M’tal at Camp Natalon and he’s harpering at Benden Weyr. Nuella’s brother, Dalor, and Renna, his secret childhood sweetheart, are together now.
The Weyrleaders are K’lior of Fort, C’rion of Ista, M’tal of Benden, D’vin of High Reaches, and D’gan of Telgar after having moved there from Igen when plague and drought made it uninhabitable and their last queen died. Tullea is one of the queen riders at Benden.
The Cover and Title
The Wind Rider heeling through the waves as a blue dragon confronts the ship. Lovely cover with a fleeting connection to the story.
The title is perfect as it is the Dragonsblood that proves critical.
