Dragonsong

The single star is for the Kindle edition; the original, paper version gets five stars.

This is a wonderful story; the Harper Hall trilogy is my favorite of Anne McAffreys Pern series, and I’ve read and re-read these books over and over again…which is probably why I noticed precisely how horrible the Kindle version is. Words are missing…entire sentences are missing…sentences crucial to the story line and poignant parts of the story are completely botched. Some of the parts of the story which would normally elicit an emotional reaction are rendered lukewarm at best by the fact that the sentences and passages were copied into the Kindle edition half-complete. What I find particularly irritating about this is that with paper books, I shop in used bookstores to complete the collections I most enjoy; on Kindle, I am forced to pay full price. In other words, I paid far more for this steaming pile of roadapples than I paid for the paper version of the book, which is well-written, engaging, and one of my very favorite stories, and there is no way to return the useless thing. I would like, eventually to have the entire Pern series on Kindle so I can engage with this fascinating, creative world whenever the mood suits, but I will not waste my money until these issues are fixed, the fixes are advertised, and upgrades are made available to those of us who shelled out a portion of our hard-earned paychecks for this…cowpie. Until that happens, don’t waste your money; pop into a used bookstore and get the paper version, or even buy it new. It’s well-worth it.

It’s like somebody left the Kindle version out during a threadfall. Whatever lazy apprentice copied it ought to be put on water rations for at least a couple weeks…and the journeyman editor who was supposed to be supervising should be barred from the hold. Seriously. Can we do that?

That said, if you’re new to the series, I highly recommend this story in the paper version. However, you should start with Dragonflight and DragonQuest before reading the Harper Hall Trilogy (Dragonsong, Dragonsinger, which follow Menolly’s development as a character, and Dragondrums, which tells Piemur’s story). The stories happen during the same timeframe (mostly), but the events in this trilogy will make more sense if you read the other two first. The White Dragon should be read after this trilogy–that will make more sense, then, as well. Part of the genius of this series is that, like Mercedes Lackey’s Valdemar series, an entire world has been created and the various books, trilogies, etc. take place within different periods of “history” or the “present”, with some stories, such as the Harper Hall Trilogy, following the story lines of individual characters within the context of the larger world events which take place in the other books. Of these, Menolly and Piemur, the protagonists of the Harper Hall Trilogy, are two of my very favorite characters. As characters are developed in the earlier books, their story lines merge and fit into the larger plot and timelines of the series. It’s a really enjoyable diversion. I highly recommend it…IN PAPER FORM.

I just want to say, I love Anne McCaffrey, and I have loved these books since I was a little girl. And I still like to re-read them. But this kindle edition is so rife with typographical errors and omitted words it literally drives me batty, and at moments, it’s almost painful to read through because of it. This is one that I really think needs a better go through by an editor. It’s a darn shame, really, because those errors didn’t exist in the print versions I had, and they really do disrupt the flow of the story.

1/2 star for the Kindle version; 10 stars for the Book version!
I think Amazon must have used a first-Turn apprentice to copy the Kindle version from the Book because the Kindle version is full of misspellings, omitted words, and even omitted lines of text. It is difficult at best to make complete sense of the Kindle reading, without having the Book to use as a backup … which almost negates the purpose of having a Kindle. I have found that this incomplete copying problem is consistent for the entire Pern series; I am most disappointed!
The Book is fantastic … buy the Book!

This is the first of Anne McCaffreys middle school or high school-level books. I was instantly addicted to it, and soon had the following two books in the Harpercrafthall trilogy.

I realied there had to be more books, and in searching, found The White Dragon, the third book in the Dragonriders of Pern series. Having read it, I further realised I read this book out of order. I finally searched and came upon Dragonflight and Dragonquest. I wasand continue to be a committed reader of Mrs. McCaffreys books. I read the Ships series, Decision at Doona, ect. I was keeping an eye out for new books, as well, and was thrilled when Moretam: Dragon Lady of Pern and Nerilkas Story. Unfortunately, the books following began to show early signs of Annes dementia or Alzheimers riddled mind. Sometime down the road Tim McCaffrey decided he would start writing. However, just his havibg 23 chromosomes in cmmon with his mother does not a author make.

Anne McCaffreys books will transport you to Pern, to share in the Perneses problems.

Dragonsong specifically begins with the day Half Circle Sea Holds Haper, old Petiron, has died. He hed the care of Menolly once she was long past the learning of the teaching ballads, but the Harper chose her to remain under his tuteledge. The story follows Menolly as she is given the responsibility of continuing the childrens learning just after Petiron passed away. However, it becomes obvious that the hold is deeply disgraced that Sea Golders daughter was the only one able to do it.

Menolly finally leaves Half Circle Seahold, never intending to return to its walls again.

I have been reading and rereading this book ever since I was lucky enough to find Anne McCaffrey’s books. It is, I suppose what would now be called ‘YA’ but, like many such ( unless you insist on sex and violence) well worth reading. Set in the world of Pern, a society which has regressed into a feudal- based life partly because of the need to counter a repeating deadly menace from space ( deadly ‘threads’ not tentacular beings) the story centers on Menolly. She lives in a fishing community but is musically gifted. Denied the chance to develop her gift because she is a girl, she runs away only to find herself in deadly peril from a fall of thread. Pern has Dragons who work with chosen humans to combat thread. Menoll finds some miniature dragons in the cave she shelters in and in helping them finds a purpose and eventually her destiny. A feel good story which is part of a larger story line but can satisfactorily stand alone. Highly recommended for anyone of any age who loves music and wishes for friendly dragons.

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