Status
Available
Series
Collection
Publication
Corgi Books (2004), 400 pages
Description
Beginning with the classic Dragonriders of Pern, Anne McCaffrey has created a complex, endlessly fascinating world uniting humans and great telepathic dragons. Millions of devoted readers and listeners have soared on the glittering wings of Anne's imagination, following book by book the evolution of one of science fiction's most beloved and honored series. Now, for the first time, Anne has invited another writer to join her in the skies of Pern, a writer with an intimate knowledge of Pern and its history: her son, Todd. Young Kindan has no expectations other than joining his father in the mines of Camp Natalon, a coal mining settlement struggling to turn a profit far from the great Holds where the presence of dragons and their riders means safety and civilization. Mining is fraught with danger. Fortunately, the camp has a watch-wher, a creature distantly related to dragons and uniquely suited to specialized work in the dark, cold mineshafts. Kindan's father is the watch-wher's handler, and his son sometimes helps him out. But even that important job promises no opportunity outside the mine. Then disaster strikes. In one terrible instant, Kindan loses his family and the camp loses its watch-wher. Fathers are replaced by sons in the mine--except for Kindan, who is taken in by the camp's new Harper. Grieving, Kindan finds a measure of solace in a burgeoning musical talent...and in a new friendship with Nuella, a mysterious girl no one seems to know exists. It is Nuella who assists Kindan when he is selected to hatch and train a new watch-wher, a job that forces him to give up his dream of becoming a Harper; and it is Nuella who helps him give new meaning to his life. Meanwhile, sparked by the tragedy, long-simmering tensions are dividing the camp. Far below the surface, a group of resentful miners hides a deadly secret. As warring factions threaten to explode, Nuella and Kindan begin to discover unknown talents in the misunderstood watch-wher-talents that could very well save an entire Hold. During their time teaching the watch-wher, the two learn some things themselves: that even a seemingly impossible dream is never completely out of reach...and that light can be found even in the deepest darkness.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member jjmcgaffey
(review two books in one - but they're really one book from two perspectives)
Ok, that's it. I'm done reading new Pern books. My lord! These books - Fire more than Kin, but both - were very obviously written in chunks and then stuck together, and nobody did a readthrough afterward to check
I like Pern, can you tell? And because I like it, I feel protective and possessive. I was in a Pern fanfic group for a while - there were a lot of stupid stories written and a few good ones, and I liked most of them much more than Todd's stuff. Sorry, I think Anne should let Pern die rather than drag it out in new and ugly directions.
Ok, that's it. I'm done reading new Pern books. My lord! These books - Fire more than Kin, but both - were very obviously written in chunks and then stuck together, and nobody did a readthrough afterward to check
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continuity or sense. And since I create a universe inside my head when I read, that sort of thing drives me MAD. For instance, in an early chapter in Fire, Pellar is up in arms about Kindan being Master Zist's apprentice because HE's Zist's apprentice, and Master Zist says well, I can have two but normally the elder is jumped to Journeyman. Thinks a bit, then says OK, I'm raising you to journeyman (even though you're young for it), barring a few classes back at Harper Hall. Ok. So Pellar is a journeyman now. Much later in the book, he's intercepted by a dragonrider, collected and brought back to the minehold - and also given a suit of Harper blue, the proper _apprentice_ clothes. The dragonrider is worried he's mad about missing the proper ceremonies, but he's perfectly happy - now he's a proper Harper Apprentice! What? Now wait a minute.... There are a lot of things like that. And the solution to the problem became obvious several chapters before anybody in the book figured it out...it's the wrong kind of firestone. Now I knew that because it hurt the dragons to flame (and storage chambers tended to blow up)...do you mean that dragons just accepted that suddenly firestone hurt, when it hadn't before? There wasn't any crisis at the end of the Second Fall, they didn't lose dragons in any numbers...Todd does like to present enormous complications and solve them in enormously complicated ways. Kin was the first book, and it's pretty good. Some continuity errors, but not many, and only a few things that don't fit what I know of Pern. Dragonsblood, the second book, was just stupid - a disease of dragons that required cross-timing it over thousands of years to solve? Firelizards _accidentally_ doing that back-time trip? Bleah bleah blah. Fire is less bad than Blood but much worse than Kin, and they're all much worse than any of the real Pern books - well, Kin might be as good as MasterHarper or Skies, but I hate those anyway. Dragonriders trilogy, Harper Hall trilogy, Moreta & Nerilka, Dragonsdawn & Chronicles, Dolphins are very good. Renegades is necessary to set up Dolphins. Dragonseye is OK but has a blatant continuity error that annoys me every time I read it (AIVAS did _not_ shut itself off before Second Fall because people were being dependent on it!). Weyrs is...um. Actually I can't remember the story of Weyrs.I like Pern, can you tell? And because I like it, I feel protective and possessive. I was in a Pern fanfic group for a while - there were a lot of stupid stories written and a few good ones, and I liked most of them much more than Todd's stuff. Sorry, I think Anne should let Pern die rather than drag it out in new and ugly directions.
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LibraryThing member wyvernfriend
Has the energy and verve of some of her earlier work. A good yarn.
Kindan has several talents and has to find his future in a minehold. He ends up working with Watchweres and learning more about them than has been known before.
Kindan has several talents and has to find his future in a minehold. He ends up working with Watchweres and learning more about them than has been known before.
LibraryThing member szarka
While not as good as McCaffrey's earlier books, this is a worthy, entertaining continuation of the Pern series. Great summer reading! [2006-07-09]
LibraryThing member rocalisa
Kindan is the youngest son of the watchwher handler at a coal mine in Pern's Third Pass. The mine is new, only six months old, and still needs to prove itself before it can become a legitimate Hold. With the next Pass due to start in less than twenty years, getting the mine established is vitally
Much as Kindan likes the watchwher Dask, he has ambitions to be a Harper and loves his time working with the settlement's Harper Zist. When his entire family, and Dask as well, are killed in a cave in in the mine, Kindan finds himself expected to raise a new watchwher for the mine. He knows very little about watchwhers, but it soon becomes clear that most of Pern knows even less. Kindan, along with his friend Zennor and Nuella, the mine leader's blind daughter, soon finds himself working along harpers and even dragonriders to rediscover lost watchwher lore. It is Kindan, the new watchwher Kisk and most especially Nuella, who find themselves forced to be heroes when tragedy threatens the new mine a second time.
I loved Anne McCaffrey's Dragonflight when I first read it many years ago. I don't think the later books live up to the early ones (and I've grown up a lot since then too) but I still really enjoy the Pern books and keep on reading them as they come out. This one was interesting for two main reasons: McCaffrey's son Todd was collaborating with her on the novel and it was about watchwhers, the dragons' lesser, ugly cousins, instead of the dragons themselves. Both these things might have ruined this book, but neither did.
There are no great themes or epic tales in Dragon's Kin. It is, as so many of McCaffrey's tales have been, essentially a coming of age story, in this case for both Kindan and Nuella. It is a comfortable visit to a familiar place and a chance to learn a bit more about some of the inhabitants. Don't start this book expecting amazing adventures and incredible new ideas, but if you want to while away a few hours for pleasant enjoyment but no major brainpower required, then I recommend Dragon's Kin.
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important. Much as Kindan likes the watchwher Dask, he has ambitions to be a Harper and loves his time working with the settlement's Harper Zist. When his entire family, and Dask as well, are killed in a cave in in the mine, Kindan finds himself expected to raise a new watchwher for the mine. He knows very little about watchwhers, but it soon becomes clear that most of Pern knows even less. Kindan, along with his friend Zennor and Nuella, the mine leader's blind daughter, soon finds himself working along harpers and even dragonriders to rediscover lost watchwher lore. It is Kindan, the new watchwher Kisk and most especially Nuella, who find themselves forced to be heroes when tragedy threatens the new mine a second time.
I loved Anne McCaffrey's Dragonflight when I first read it many years ago. I don't think the later books live up to the early ones (and I've grown up a lot since then too) but I still really enjoy the Pern books and keep on reading them as they come out. This one was interesting for two main reasons: McCaffrey's son Todd was collaborating with her on the novel and it was about watchwhers, the dragons' lesser, ugly cousins, instead of the dragons themselves. Both these things might have ruined this book, but neither did.
There are no great themes or epic tales in Dragon's Kin. It is, as so many of McCaffrey's tales have been, essentially a coming of age story, in this case for both Kindan and Nuella. It is a comfortable visit to a familiar place and a chance to learn a bit more about some of the inhabitants. Don't start this book expecting amazing adventures and incredible new ideas, but if you want to while away a few hours for pleasant enjoyment but no major brainpower required, then I recommend Dragon's Kin.
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LibraryThing member ElementalDragon
Watch-whers, the misbegotten cousins of dragons. Did we really need a book about them? Especially a book where a large chunk out of the early and middle portions only mentions them in passing? Don't get me wrong, I would like to know more about how watch-whers play a part in the world of Pern, but
To me, this book does not feel like it slots in very well with the previously published Pern material out there. It may slot in better when I've had a chance to read some of the further Pern novels by Todd, but, in the meantime, I am rather disappointed.
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this just didn't seem to be it. How does the story presented in this novel affect the future of Pern? It takes place in a very localized setting, compared to most of the other Pern books. The time period it is set in doesn't seem to have anything critical occuring. It does explain a few little details here and there that I didn't really have questions about, but it's not enough to justify the length of the story.To me, this book does not feel like it slots in very well with the previously published Pern material out there. It may slot in better when I've had a chance to read some of the further Pern novels by Todd, but, in the meantime, I am rather disappointed.
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LibraryThing member EssFair
Two young people—Kinder and Nuella—sort out their lives and overcome challenges to become productive and respected members of their community. Kinder is an orphan with no one to help him get ahead and Nuella is blind and an embarrassment to her father. Kinder inherits his father’s position
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and becomes bonded to a watchwher. Later he gives up his bonding to Nuella whose blindness is an advantage and enables her to “see” what the watchwher sees. This entry fills in blanks about early Pern history and develops the background of watchwhers. Show Less
LibraryThing member maita
A moving story of finding your purpose in life.
LibraryThing member IllanoyGal
The struggles of a human colony who have lost their connection with Earth and the education and science that goes with that connection and how they overcome the problems of their new home by using what this unique planet has provided for them.
The Pern Series is one of my favorite ongoing stories.
The Pern Series is one of my favorite ongoing stories.
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There hasn't been a book written by Anne McCaffrey about Pern that I didn't like. Show Less
LibraryThing member dragonasbreath
A new time, a new set of people, concentrating more on the watch-whers than the dragons.... should be interesting to see what Todd has in mind for his mother's series.
LibraryThing member kmartin802
This is a story that takes place in the early years on Pern. The next threadfall is sixteen years away and a miner named Natalan is beginning a mine and hoping to make it a hold. Kindan is the youngest son of the the man who is bonded to the watchwher. Watchwhers are useful in mining because they
When a cave in kills Kindan's father and brothers and the watchwher, Kindan is taken in by the harper who begins to teach him to be a harper himself. However, Natalan wants Kindan to train a new watchwher. Natalan has a blind daughter named Nuella. He has kept her a secret from the rest of the people in the camp. Kindan learns about her and together they begin to raise the new watchwher Kisk. Not much is remembered about the watchwhers and so the two kids are on their own to raise and train her.
They are aided by the harper and some dragonriders he knows who are also interested in what watchwhers can do. As they begin to explore Kisk's talents Kindan and Nuella are also learning more about their own talents and strengths.
This was an interesting story about the early years on Pern and tells of a part of the world we don't get to see in the books that are dealing with dragons, dragonriders and threadfall.
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can sense bad air and gases. But one of the men who came with Natalan, his uncle Tarik, is working against Natalan and subtly sabotaging his efforts to have a successful mine.When a cave in kills Kindan's father and brothers and the watchwher, Kindan is taken in by the harper who begins to teach him to be a harper himself. However, Natalan wants Kindan to train a new watchwher. Natalan has a blind daughter named Nuella. He has kept her a secret from the rest of the people in the camp. Kindan learns about her and together they begin to raise the new watchwher Kisk. Not much is remembered about the watchwhers and so the two kids are on their own to raise and train her.
They are aided by the harper and some dragonriders he knows who are also interested in what watchwhers can do. As they begin to explore Kisk's talents Kindan and Nuella are also learning more about their own talents and strengths.
This was an interesting story about the early years on Pern and tells of a part of the world we don't get to see in the books that are dealing with dragons, dragonriders and threadfall.
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LibraryThing member kmartin802
This is a story that takes place in the early years on Pern. The next threadfall is sixteen years away and a miner named Natalan is beginning a mine and hoping to make it a hold. Kindan is the youngest son of the the man who is bonded to the watchwher. Watchwhers are useful in mining because they
When a cave in kills Kindan's father and brothers and the watchwher, Kindan is taken in by the harper who begins to teach him to be a harper himself. However, Natalan wants Kindan to train a new watchwher. Natalan has a blind daughter named Nuella. He has kept her a secret from the rest of the people in the camp. Kindan learns about her and together they begin to raise the new watchwher Kisk. Not much is remembered about the watchwhers and so the two kids are on their own to raise and train her.
They are aided by the harper and some dragonriders he knows who are also interested in what watchwhers can do. As they begin to explore Kisk's talents Kindan and Nuella are also learning more about their own talents and strengths.
This was an interesting story about the early years on Pern and tells of a part of the world we don't get to see in the books that are dealing with dragons, dragonriders and threadfall.
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can sense bad air and gases. But one of the men who came with Natalan, his uncle Tarik, is working against Natalan and subtly sabotaging his efforts to have a successful mine.When a cave in kills Kindan's father and brothers and the watchwher, Kindan is taken in by the harper who begins to teach him to be a harper himself. However, Natalan wants Kindan to train a new watchwher. Natalan has a blind daughter named Nuella. He has kept her a secret from the rest of the people in the camp. Kindan learns about her and together they begin to raise the new watchwher Kisk. Not much is remembered about the watchwhers and so the two kids are on their own to raise and train her.
They are aided by the harper and some dragonriders he knows who are also interested in what watchwhers can do. As they begin to explore Kisk's talents Kindan and Nuella are also learning more about their own talents and strengths.
This was an interesting story about the early years on Pern and tells of a part of the world we don't get to see in the books that are dealing with dragons, dragonriders and threadfall.
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LibraryThing member kmajort
I had been avoiding the collaborative efforts of Anne McCaffery & son Todd..... don't really even remember why. I did grow up reading of Pern's Dragons.... I suppose I though my fond memories would be tinkered with?
Quite enjoyable though & I'll continue with them.
Quite enjoyable though & I'll continue with them.
LibraryThing member EowynA
This is a book about Pern, not just about dragons. It takes place in an earlier time than the original series. It explores new cultural territory focussed on the Miners and the as-yet-unexplored dragon variant, the watchwhers. The by now familiar Harpers are featured as well, with cameos from
I particularly enjoyed the part played by Nuella, daughter of the head miner and contemporary of Kindan, as she brought her own unique perspective to aid in understanding watchwhers and their capabilities. Yes, this is a tale of youngsters growing up, of people learning more about the world that surrounds them, and an actual plot that I will let you discover for yourself.
I enjoyed this a lot.
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Dragonriders and their dragons. The title is a neat bit of reference, alluding to both Kindan, the young protagonist, and to the watchwher (kin to dragons), Kist, bonded to him. I particularly enjoyed the part played by Nuella, daughter of the head miner and contemporary of Kindan, as she brought her own unique perspective to aid in understanding watchwhers and their capabilities. Yes, this is a tale of youngsters growing up, of people learning more about the world that surrounds them, and an actual plot that I will let you discover for yourself.
I enjoyed this a lot.
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Subjects
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2003-12
ISBN
0552151505 / 9780552151504