Dragonsblood

Todd J. McCaffrey

Jan 2005 · Pern Book 18 · Sold by Del Rey

About this ebook

“This is Pern, in the hands of a new master-grade harper. . . . May the saga continue!” —David Weber, New York Times bestselling author of The Shadow of Saganami

A mysterious epidemic is striking dragons, and the next deadly cycle of Threadfall is only days away. Somehow, dragonrider Lorana must find a way to save all the dragons—including her own beloved Arith—before they succumb to the sickness, leaving Pern undefended. No doubt the first colonists, who originally bred the dragons, possessed the advanced technology to find a cure. But over the centuries, that knowledge was lost.

Five hundred years in the past, a scientist foresees that a disease may ultimately destroy the dragons, and she is determined to find a way to change the future. Now two brave women, separated by hundreds of years but joined by bonds transcending time, become unknowing allies in a desperate race for nothing less than Pern’s survival.

Praise for Dragonsblood

“Dragonsblood is a strong, lively story, with vivid, interesting characters and plenty of exciting action. Todd has captured the tone as well as the familiar settings of the Pern books. Pern fans (and newcomers to the Pern universe) have reason to rejoice.”—Elizabeth Moon, Nebula Award-winning author of Marque and Reprisal

“For Pern lovers, the good news is that Todd McCaffrey has inherited his mother’s storytelling ability. His dragons and firelizards, his harpers in Harper’ s Hall, carry on the great traditions–and add much to them. Huzzah, Todd! You have learned wisdom indeed.”—Jane Yolen, award-winning author of Briar Rose 

“Dragonsblood is cause for celebration! A worthy addition to one of the grandest traditions in the literature of the fantastic, this is a lock-the-door, take-the-phone-off-the-hook, send-the-kids-out-to-play, curl-up-and-enjoy adventure!”—David Gerrold, author of Blood and Fire

“The torch has been passed and burns more brightly than ever in this latest chapter of the venerable Pern saga, the first of what one hopes will be many solo efforts by the son of series creator Anne McCaffrey. . . . This stand-alone tale fits beautifully into the existing history and style of earlier books while still breaking new ground.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“McCaffrey convincingly spins a dramatic, thoroughly captivating tale, steeped in the lore and well-drawn characterizations of the people and the dragons for which the Pern novels are prized. Fans old and new will be delighted by his continuance of a beloved saga.”—Booklist

Ratings and reviews

The writer Todd does really good at staying true to his mother's writing style, so if you like the Pern books by Anne Mccaffrey, you will like this. The only problem I have with Todd's books is that he does not explain everything clearly sometimes, and it can be confusing. But overall this was a really good book in the series.

Good premise, seemed like a rehash of things that Anne had already established though. And even after learning most of the new characters, his transitions were difficult to follow without anything stating he was transitioning (shifting to different weyr, etc).

This was Todd McCraffrey first attempt to add to his mothers Pern series. He actually did a good job in keeping the story line. If you are reader of this series you will be carried into the story and become a part of it. Just like when his mother was writing it.

About the author

TODD MCCAFFREY was born in the United States, but he spent his teenage years in Ireland, where his mother moved in 1970. After a stint in the U.S. Army, he followed his love of computers to build a career as a computer engineer. His true love is writing, though. Having grown up with the Dragonriders of Pern, he is bursting with ideas for new stories of that world, its people, and its dragons.