22. The Masterharper of Pern by Anne McCaffrey

The Masterharper of Pern by Anne McCaffrey
ISBN: 0345424603
Del Rey, New York, 1998
422 pages

Teaser: The land of Pern may be destined for destruction, until a son is born, Robtinton may be able to save Pern and bring unity between the Lords and underlines or Harpers.

Summary: In the land of Pern, dragon riders are like rodeo riders, some succeed and some lose their lives. The fictional land is filled with perils and magical powers brought about by magical flutes and spells. The problems of the characters are that of real life, loss of a loved one (being eaten), death by fighting (dueling), girls and Harpers not being allowed to go to school or gain education and struggles over territory. Robtinton falls for the first female dragon rider, while trying to gain the respect of his elders.

Evaluation: I enjoyed the book a great deal. It has some old school issues of cheating, fighting, discovering half-siblings and two men going after one woman. It shows the coming of age in a dragon filled land, surrounded by water for sea adventures as well. The characters grown in knowledge, strength and respect for each other as the book progresses. New characters are added for intrigue during the book and unexpected alliances form to make the new generation of Pern stronger and with more hope of future survival. The characters build stronger relationships with each other when they lose someone near to them.

Challenge issues and age recommendation: The challenges would be to keep the characters in retrospect to where they came from, who they trust and what the ultimate outcome of what they want and where it can go. It brings some old issues of slavery, girls being uneducated, younger men taking the place of their elders through battle and proving themselves. I would recommend this book for readers 14 and up, as younger readers may have trouble following the fast paced adventures of the characters.