Dragon's Fire (The Dragonriders of Pern)
Pellar is an orphan taken in by Masterharper Zist. Though born mute, Pellar is a gifted tracker, and when Zist sets off to take over as harper for Natalon’s coal-mining camp, Pellar–along with his fire-lizard, Chitter–joins him on a secret mission of his own: to find out if reported thefts of coal are the work of the Shunned, criminals condemned to a life of wandering and hardship.
Halla is one of the children of the Shunned. Though innocent of their parents’ crimes, these children have inherited their cruel punishment. Lack of food, shelter, and clothes is their lot; hope is unknown to them. And what future would they hope for? Without a hold to call their own, there will be no protection for them when the lethal Thread inevitably falls again. Life is even tougher for Halla. Her family gone, she must fend for herself. Yet despite the brutality of her surroundings, Halla is kind and gentle, devoted to those more helpless than she.
As depraved as Halla is good, Tenim is in league with Tarik, a crooked miner from Camp Natalon, who helps him steal coal in exchange for a cut of the profit. But Tenim soon realizes there is a lot more to be made from firestone, the volatile mineral that enables the dragons of Pern to burn Thread out of the sky. Tenim doesn’t care what he has to do, or whom he has to kill, in order to corner the market.
Cristov is Tarik’s son. Dishonored by his father’s greed and treachery, the boy must make amends somehow, even if it means risking his life by mining the volatile firestone, which detonates on contact with the slightest drop of moisture.
When the last remaining firestone mine explodes in flames, a desperate race begins to find a new deposit of the deadly but essential mineral, for without it there can be no defense against Thread. But Tenim has a murderous plan to turn tragedy to his own advantage, and only Pellar, Halla, and Cristov can stop him–and ensure that there will be a future for all on the world of the Dragonriders.
From the Hardcover edition.
Product Details
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
The McCaffreys' second fire-breathing collaboration (after 2003's Dragon's Kin) again proves why these fabled dragons still cast a spell. Pellar, a mute Apprentice Harper; Halla, a homeless girl; and Cristov, a miner's son, learn invaluable life lessons as the planet Pern prepares for the return of the deadly Red Star and its annihilating "Thread," which can only be destroyed by firestone-fueled dragonfire. But mining firestone is dangerous work, often carried out by children of disenfranchised criminals called the Shunned. Accompanied by his new fire-lizard Chitter, Pellar joins Masterharper Zist in a search for Moran, a missing Journeyman Harper who's involved with the Shunned. Pellar finds his fate intertwined with Halla, but his tangle with Tenim, a ruthless thief, almost keeps them apart. Their friend Cristov learns about the Shunned firsthand after a terrible mine explosion. Fortunately, events lead to dragon-riding wish fulfillment and a remarkable discovery. While it allegorizes the risks of mining fossil fuels and the horrors of slave labor, this coming-of-age fantasy offers suitable dragon play for all ages. (July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From School Library Journal
Grade 7 Up–The McCaffreys return to Pern. The story is set in the same time period as Dragon's Kin (Del Rey, 2003), the second Interval after landing, but has a different focus. The colonists are preparing for the next 50-year pass of the Red Star and the start of Thread, a mindless killer that falls from the skies destroying all organic material in its path. To combat this threat, the dragons must chew firestone to burn Thread from the sky. However, the mining of the firestone is difficult–any drop of moisture makes it explode, and it has killed countless dragons and miners. The other problem is what to do with the Shunned. They are holders who have committed crimes that have banished them from the holds but with Thread coming, they will die if they are holdless. The story is brought to life by a mute harper's apprentice, Pellar, and a miner's son, Cristov, who take it upon themselves to save the Shunned and the dragonriders alike. This novel reintroduces readers to well-known characters such as Kindan and Master Zist and introduces new characters and concepts of the world of Pern. A companion volume, it also stands on its own.–June H. Keuhn, Corning East High School, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
The sequel to Dragon's Kin (2003) is another successful McCaffrey mother-and-son collaboration. The deadly Thread has not fallen on Pern for nearly 200 turns, but it is due to in another 18, and the firestone needed by the dragons to breathe fire and fight Thread is in short supply. On top of that, mining the volatile firestone is very dangerous and is usually done by the Shunned, people who have been ousted for committing crimes. When the last firestone mine explodes, killing virtually every miner, young Cristov, son of a miner who was Shunned for causing a coal mine to collapse, volunteers to find and work a new mine. But will that be enough to save Pern? On another front, apprentice harper Pellar, the mute, adopted son of a masterharper, is involved in searching for the Shunned and their children to help them survive the coming Thread. A number of well-limned major characters move the plot forward with the long series' expected momentum, and as usual, the interactions between humans, dragons, fire lizards, and whers put the richly detailed story on a par with the rest of the Pern canon. Sally Estes
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Customer Reviews
Dragon's Fire (The Dragonriders of Pern)
This book was a terrible disappointment. I just kept slogging thru it, hoping at some point it would finally hold together. It didn't. The big "search for Maron" just fizzled. The guy was never held accountable for what he did wrong, which just doesn't jibe with the way Harpers are supposed to me.
The thing I've been noticing with the trend of these latest books in the Pern series, is that no one is ever happy. There is only misery and a lot of back-stabbing. The only happiness seems to come in the last two sentences.
No dragons (AGAIN)
I am just SO tired of Pern books with no dragons (except for ferrying people around). Be warned, this is another wandering kids book.
Pern....will we ever get enough
Again, the McCaffrey family has outdone themselves. I started reading the series as a youth and past 40 I am still reading the series. I wait with great anticipation for each new book. I am glad that her son is now writing.
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