How magical it is to come back to a world I love and to visit characters I've come to know and enjoy seeing them again. I haven't read a Pern book for at least 10 and probably 20 years, though Dragonflight,Dragonsong,Dragonsinger and The White Dragon have been re-reads, not for many years. I stopped the series at The Dolphins of Pern mainly because the stories became more disjointed and running in a different direction than the original two trilogies. They were interesting but not gripping like the first six. But I decided to come back to it after being frustrated by incompetent investigations in current UF series. I decided I needed a new story, wrote in an old way. There is no incompetence here (other than an overprotective mom) and there is a nice storyline with some new characters and many old.It is hard for me to rate this because I really liked it... but it really isn't a very cohesive story. It is almost like a few stories happening at the same time, many regarding the dolphins, but not all. There is the "new" conflict with Torric, and the planning for the future of the dragons and Weyr once there is no more thread. We go back and forth to the different holds and Weyrs getting a little of some stories that go together and a bit of some that just happen to be happening. The "main" story, if you could call it that, is of Readis, it starts with him being 5 and he and Alemi being saved by the dolphins, there are time jumps and he is 5 years older and then 10 years older, being 16 at the end of the book. At the same time, we get a little more of Aivis and the other characters from previous books. It expands on the new knowledge, the southern continent, and future plans. I like the new characters of T'Lion and Readis and seeing as they are looking to a different future than that of their fathers. Still it is only part of the book.It almost seems like a transition to the final installment, which I think it might really have been. Chronologically, The Skies of Pern is the last book/storyline. All the rest happen in the past, including those penned by her and her son, and just her son. I doubt I'll ever read those as really the series lost its greatness for me after the first 6, still the others were worth reading, the same goes for this one.I really enjoyed coming back to Pern and I'll probably go on and read the last of the original series The Skies of Pern; just to see where she takes it though it looks pretty straightforward. This one is a transition to the chronological end.
What do You think about The Dolphins Of Pern (1997)?
I can't tell you how many times I've read this series. Just read this title again, and it still doesn't disappoint. Telepathic dragons, strong female characters, great relationships, and the Harpers' guild and music as a strong guiding force. What could be better? In hindsight, I still enjoy reading the series in order written (versus actual chronological order of events). I especially like how McCaffrey shifts her point of view in different books, retelling the same events from someone else's perspective. This title retells some events from "All the Weyrs of Pern," focusing on the dolphins that had been brought to Pern with the settlers. The dolphins are another animal species that can talk to humans, rediscovered 100+ years after the original settlers.On to the next Pern title!
—Vicki Jaeger
Masterfisherman Alemi and young Readis of Paradise River Hold are shipwrecked and brought to shore by shipfish/dolphins. Readis becomes fascinated by dolphins much to the dismay of his parents, who want more for their son. Readis learns more from Aivas and his own experiences with the dolphins. T'lion along with his bronze Gadareth of the Eastern Weyr enjoys helping the dolphins as much as he can. T'lion and Readis becomes good friends, both are always trying to help the dolphins. Aramina blames the dolphins for Readis's injury despite Readis claiming it's his own fault. When T'lion and Readis help two dolphin calves instead of helping around the Hold's. Readis's mother wants him to promise to nothing more to do with evil shipfish but Readis replies he can not do that. What will happen to Readis and T'lion? Will Readis be found? Can Readis become a dolphineer? Your answers await you in The Dolphins of Pern.
—Angie ~aka Reading Machine~
I read this long ago. I recently picked up a large collection of McCaffrey hardback (many first edition) novels. I felt somehow in Her presence as I was about halfway through this book when she passed to 'between.'This is not my favorite book of the Pern novels, but it ranks very high. I am passionate about dolphins and swimming... and dragons. But at times I wished for more of Readis's life than the life of the 'politicians' of the planet. I wished for more science discovery. There was a lot of that, but I wanted more. But I know these are the threads of the next books and the evolving of Pern, so I shouldn't complain.Though I have the hardback, I now prefer to read on Kindle where it doesn't hurt my eyes. And at times I need the audio version to listen to when my eyes get tired. Since the text to speech tool didn't work on this novel I downloaded the Audible version. Hearing a human voice narrating is always preferable to the computerized versions, anyway. Mel Foster's interpretation was different than what I expected. I think, knowing that Anne McCaffrey is of Irish descent, I expected a brogue to come from the sea holds rather than what sounded a southern drawl. But that was Mel's interpretation and I soon adjusted. He did a decent job keeping the character's voices dissimilar enough to know who was talking when. I look forward to 'worming' my way through all of Anne's books, those I have read and those I haven't yet. I hope I can afford to use Audible/Kindle help to do this. R.I.P. to my most favorite author.Let the all humans, firelizards, dolphins and dragons keen:Drummer, beat and Piper, blow Harper, strike and Soldier, go Free the flame and sear the grasses As the dawning Red Star passes...Until eternity passesFor Anne McCaffrey
—Darlene
