Dragongirl

September 13, 2010
Older and wiser after three turns in the past, young Weyrwoman Fiona and Talenth, her golden queen dragon, return to continue the fight against the deadly Threadfall in McCaffrey's romantic, highflying sequel to Dragonheart. This time out the battle is made more difficult by a horrifying disease that is steadily killing off the dragons. Despite finding a cure, the fear persists that there won't be enough dragons to battle the next Threadfall. In the meantime, a kinky love quartette between Fiona, dragonrider T'Mar, Weyrwoman and ex-queenrider Lorana, and Harper/Weyrlingmaster Kindan creates friction, especially when both Lorana and Fiona become pregnant as threats to Pern increase. McCaffrey's assured characterizations and ease with referencing Pern's elaborate history make this a hardy fantasy that faithfully echoes and builds upon his mother's original vision.

Starred review from July 1, 2010
Once again, the Red Star appears in the skies over Pern, triggering the fall of Thread, a corrosive and deadly spaceborn spore that comes in Passes that last approximately 50 years. This time, however, the dragons bred by the colonists of Pern to fight Thread are dying from a mysterious plague, and the population of Pern faces extinction. While gold-dragon rider Fiona concentrates on learning to heal sick and injured dragons and their riders, the harper Kindan and ex-dragon rider Lorana search for a cure. Even so, the dragons' numbers are dwindling, and Fiona decides that help must come from the past—or the future. The latest addition to the popular canon of novels set on the planet Pern continues the story of a trio of unique individuals whose commitment to the welfare of Pern requires not only devotion but also great sacrifice. The son of sf Grand Master Anne McCaffrey, creator of the Pern series, McCaffrey steps gracefully into the role of his mother's successor, exploring new times and places in Pern's history. VERDICTPern fans will enjoy following the destinies of the characters from "Dragonholder, Dragonsblood" and "Dragonheart" [Ebook ISBN 978-0-345-40973-4.]

Copyright 2010 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2010
Young Fiona, rider of the gold queen dragon Talenth, has just returned from three years at the abandoned Weyr (or dragon domicile) Ingen, to which injured dragons and riders had gone to heal. The place is 10 Turns in the past, yet only days have passed at Fort Weyr when they return. The Weyr (dragons, riders, and support) are still fighting Thread shorthanded because the plague is still killing dragons, and dragons and riders are going down in battle. Suddenly all Telgar dragons and riders are lost Between. Since Talenth is the oldest queen who isnt leading a Weyr, Fiona becomes Weyrwoman of Telgar, where she galvanizes the people and attracts dragon riders and healers to join. The constant Thread falls cause rapid attrition of dragons and riders, and the search for a cure for the plague and the fight for survival become ever more desperate. Adding fascination is the books exploration of the possibilities of dragons going Between from one time to another just as they go almost instantly from place to place on the planet. Todd McCaffrey continues carving his own niche in the Pern canon while remaining faithful to the world-building and characterizations that have made his mother Annes series a perennial favorite.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)