Status
Available
Series
Collection
Publication
Transworld Pub (1981), Edition: UK First Paperback Edition, 223 pages
Description
When his boy soprano voice begins to change, Piemur is drafted by Masterharper Robinton to help with political work and is sent on missions that lead him into unusual and sometimes dangerous adventures.
User reviews
LibraryThing member LisaMaria_C
This is the last book in The Harper Hall Trilogy and is quite different than the first two. The first two books were focused on Menolly, a very musically talented girl from a fisher family whose wildest dream is fulfilled when she comes to Harper Hall to be trained as a Harper. (Think mix of bard,
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teacher, diplomat.) She brings with her firelizards, the precursors and miniatures of the mighty sentient fighting dragons of Pern who partner with humans to fight "thread," an inimical alien life form that periodically threatens the planet. This "firelizard" young adult trilogy parallels more or less the events of the Dragonrider trilogy, which was (mostly) written first. Although my introduction to this series as a young teen was actually Dragonsong, the first in this trilogy, and I loved it, and Menolly. So I found it disconcerting when the focus on this book was Piermur, who is a minor character in the other books, and Menolly in turn became a minor character in this one. I found that disappointing, and I just can't count this as the favorite the first two books were, but this is still from the time that McCaffrey's Pern was charming and surprising, and certainly is a good read in its own right. Show Less
LibraryThing member silentq
Third book in the trilogy, jumping to mostly Piemur's point of view. The change in protagonist always bothered me about this series. Piemur's voice changes, he's sent to the drum heights while it settles as well as doing spy missions for the Masterharper. He ends up stealing a fire lizard egg and
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being transported to Southern Hold while hiding, and this leads to Sebell and Menolly sailing south to find him. There's a bit of a disturbing incident on the trip, Sebell's queen fire lizard goes into heat and he's all like "sorry you're the only one here, I've loved you for ages, but now I need to have sex with you" - granted it's the basis for the human-lizard/dragon bonds, with the male green riders forced to have sex with the male brown, blue or bronze riders when their female dragons mate, but seriously, Menolly should have just tied him up instead of being all "it's okay, you've been standing aside for years, I've loved you too". There were no hints that she returned his crush. Hrmph. The people are caught up in the mating frenzy, and don't stand to Impress dragons unless they can deal with this I guess, but it still reeks of coercion. Show Less
LibraryThing member Zommbie1
As a teenager I was not as fond of this book as the other two. I think most of my problem lay in the fact that I wanted more Menolly. She was like me. And all I got was this stupid boy. As I have grown older I have come to appreciate this book more (although I still want more Menolly). The book
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looks at what happens when you do not speak up when something or someone is mistreating you. I also think it shows how completely clueless adults can be sometimes. And how important it is for adults to tell teenagers what is going on. To communicate with them. Show Less
LibraryThing member RRHowell
Because this book focuses on Piemur instead of Menolly, it doesn't quite feel like the third book in a trilogy, though it does contain many characters in common with the first two books. On its own, it is not bad, it's just not on a par with the first two of the trilogy which are among the finest
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of the Pern books. Show Less
LibraryThing member craso
The novel Dragondrums is volume three in the Harper Hall Trilogy. The first two novels revolve around Menolly, a young woman with a gift for music who can not persue her dream of becoming a harper because women are not aloud to become harpers. This story is about Piemur, a friend of Menollys who
This is a great adventure story with Piemur getting in and out of trouble. It's nothing like the first two novels where the story was about Menolly finding her place in life. Menolly is in this story, but only as a minor character. The novel was a fun action filled read.
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lives with her at the Harper Hall. He has a beautiful singing voice, but when it starts to change he has to find a new life for himself. The Master Harper sends him to the drum heights to learn drum language, which the halls use to communicate. He also becomes a spy to help findout why the Oldtimers, who were banished to the south, are trading with northern holds. This is a great adventure story with Piemur getting in and out of trouble. It's nothing like the first two novels where the story was about Menolly finding her place in life. Menolly is in this story, but only as a minor character. The novel was a fun action filled read.
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LibraryThing member DragonFreak
Piemur is the friend of Menolly in the Harper Hall. His reason for being there: his unnaturally high-pitched, golden voice that is absolutely amazing. Piemur knew his voice wouldn’t be that way forever, and he was right. Just before Master Domick’s new ballad about Lessa, which he wrote
But like Menolly when she arrived, things started to get complicated. His peers hate him for the same reason Menolly’s peers hated her: he is too good. While the rest of the class struggled, he flew by the rest of them with no trouble at all. Also, Piemur has a problem with speaking his mind, and lately, it’s been getting him into much trouble. Also, he really wants a fire lizard, and Menolly promised an egg of her golden fire lizard, Beauty, when she mates. But both of them know that that promise won’t happen, since Menolly has no control over who gets Beauty’s eggs. In this final book of the Harper Hall Trilogy, chaos breaks loose and the madness over the fire lizards increases.
At first when I learned that this book was more about Piemur and not about Menolly, I groaned and thought, wow, this is going to be bad. But was I wrong. It was better than both [Dragonsong] and [Dragonsinger]. Why? It’s was more surprising. There were more twist and turns. I’m glad I didn’t pay attention to the back, because it told the whole plot of the book. [Dragondrums] was the perfect ending to a perfect trilogy!
Rating: Five Stars *****
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specifically for Piemur to sing Lessa’s part, his voice suddenly changes when he hit puberty. Piemur is afraid that he is now going to be kicked out of Harper Hall, but Master Robinson has other plans. Piemur is now going to be a drum apprentice and is going to work for the Masterharper. This is different, but it’s good to Piemur.But like Menolly when she arrived, things started to get complicated. His peers hate him for the same reason Menolly’s peers hated her: he is too good. While the rest of the class struggled, he flew by the rest of them with no trouble at all. Also, Piemur has a problem with speaking his mind, and lately, it’s been getting him into much trouble. Also, he really wants a fire lizard, and Menolly promised an egg of her golden fire lizard, Beauty, when she mates. But both of them know that that promise won’t happen, since Menolly has no control over who gets Beauty’s eggs. In this final book of the Harper Hall Trilogy, chaos breaks loose and the madness over the fire lizards increases.
At first when I learned that this book was more about Piemur and not about Menolly, I groaned and thought, wow, this is going to be bad. But was I wrong. It was better than both [Dragonsong] and [Dragonsinger]. Why? It’s was more surprising. There were more twist and turns. I’m glad I didn’t pay attention to the back, because it told the whole plot of the book. [Dragondrums] was the perfect ending to a perfect trilogy!
Rating: Five Stars *****
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LibraryThing member mirrani
The last in the Harper Hall trilogy, this book is focused on Piemur, not Menoly. For this reason, I've heard it said that it shouldn't really be part of a trilogy, but if you read the three books together as the "Harper Hall Trilogy" and not the "Menoly Trilogy" then you're okay. The point of this
McCaffrey's books of Pern are always easy to find yourself lost in, not because there are lengthy descriptions of beauty or deep discussions, but because of the way they represent life in general. It's easy to follow along in the lives of the characters, experience what they do, and feel what they feel. You get caught up in everything because it is all something you can believe in.
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set of three is to give you a glimpse into the lives of the most important people on Pern, to see major events through their eyes, and... of course... to get the chance to spend more time with our favorite Masterharper.McCaffrey's books of Pern are always easy to find yourself lost in, not because there are lengthy descriptions of beauty or deep discussions, but because of the way they represent life in general. It's easy to follow along in the lives of the characters, experience what they do, and feel what they feel. You get caught up in everything because it is all something you can believe in.
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LibraryThing member JeremyPreacher
Dragondrums takes Piemur, a secondary character in Dragonsinger, into the spotlight. He's a plucky rascal (and fits that type a little too neatly - he's awfully predictable) who goes on a number of adult-sanctioned adventures that lead him to some of his own.
I don't find Piemur nearly as relatable
I don't find Piemur nearly as relatable
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a character as Menolly, so while his adventures are entertaining, Dragondrums never quite pulls me in. It's not bad at all, but not the finale I had ever expected to the trilogy. Show Less
LibraryThing member Nikkles
The harper Hall Trilogy is my favorite set by McCaffrey and interestingly the first books I read by her. I love dragons and there for dragon stories, particularly ones were dragons are not mindless monsters of destruction, so it would be odd for me not to like these books. The story is very
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original and the characters well written. If your not sure of getting into the Pern books, this is the series to read! Dragondrums is the last in this set and it does not disappoint, well maybe the fact that its such a short book. Show Less
LibraryThing member memccauley6
I was hoping that this third installment of the Harper Hall trilogy would be about my favorite character, Menolly. Instead, the book is about Piemur, Menolly's friend, whose golden voice changes with puberty, and he is forced to reassess his life. Piemur runs away from Harper Hall and finds
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adventure in the jungles of the Southern Continent. Menolly is mentioned here and there, so we find out what happens to her. Maybe it's because I'm female, but I just couldn't get as attached to Piemur, as immersed in his world. Still a great book by one of my favorite authors. Show Less
LibraryThing member foggidawn
This third book in the Harper Hall trilogy shifts to the point of view of Mennolly's young friend Piemur, the best boy soprano at the Harper Hall. When his voice begins to change, he is sent to the drum heights to apprentice there until it settles, but because of his friendship with Mennolly, he
This book was a bit of a disappointment, to tell the truth. I think it is trying to be too many things at once -- it shifts from being another boarding school story (and a rehashing of the bullying issues that Mennolly faced in the previous book) to being an espionage adventure, to being a survival story (rehashing what Mennolly faced in the first book in the trilogy). Part of my disappointment may be due to the fact that I was hoping for more about Mennolly, who is reduced to a secondary player in this book, and the parts of the story that do feature her are a little unsettling.Sebell's fire lizard queen goes into heat when Mennolly and Sebell are alone in a boat, and one of Mennolly's male fire lizards mates with Sebell's queen. It's implied that, because of their bonds with their fire lizards, Sebell and Mennolly can't help themselves and, well... Earlier in the book, Piemur hinted that Sebell had romantic feelings towards Mennolly, but Mennolly's feelings are less clear. Also, she has nine fire lizards -- is this going to happen every time they mate? Boy, that could get complicated! I felt that the whole scene was unnecessary to the story. Perhaps the author was trying to give Mennolly's fans some closure since she's featured so little in this book, but it did not work for me. I didn't hate this book, but it sure doesn't live up to its predecessors.
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also gets the occasional job as a messenger or spy for the Masterharper. This breeds envy in his fellow drum apprentices, and Piemur finds himself the victim of a nasty bullying campaign. When he is injured in a prank, the bullies' antics come under Master Robinton's scrutiny, and Piemur is removed from the drum heights and sent on another mission. When this one goes wrong, he finds himself on his own with a fire lizard egg. Can he survive he wilderness, protect the egg, and find food to Impress the fire lizard when it hatches?This book was a bit of a disappointment, to tell the truth. I think it is trying to be too many things at once -- it shifts from being another boarding school story (and a rehashing of the bullying issues that Mennolly faced in the previous book) to being an espionage adventure, to being a survival story (rehashing what Mennolly faced in the first book in the trilogy). Part of my disappointment may be due to the fact that I was hoping for more about Mennolly, who is reduced to a secondary player in this book, and the parts of the story that do feature her are a little unsettling.
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LibraryThing member themulhern
Most of this book is a good continuation of the previous ones in the series, but at the end, the sex comes back. Until that point, it's a fun young adult adventure with an impetuous but resourceful protagonist and a broader and more worldly outlook than the first two books.
LibraryThing member SweetKokoro
Even after all of these years Dragondrums is still my favorite of the Harper Hall Trilogy.
I loved Piemur as a young girl and I still love his story today. This boy goes from always causing trouble and being sly to being put in a position that made him the target of some very nasty "pranks". Seeing
Im glad after all these years it still managed to keep its level of intrigue that compelled me to love it as much as I did when I was younger.
I loved Piemur as a young girl and I still love his story today. This boy goes from always causing trouble and being sly to being put in a position that made him the target of some very nasty "pranks". Seeing
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him go from a happy, fun going, social carefree boy to sad, angry, and nonsocial was always heartbreaking for me. Piemur's whole world is turned upside down at the Harper Hall, all over his voice changing, and from there it just spirals out, one crazy event after the next. Seeing him try to navigate his new life, towards an unsure future was always compelling.Im glad after all these years it still managed to keep its level of intrigue that compelled me to love it as much as I did when I was younger.
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LibraryThing member GlenRH
This one is a very quick read. If I had not been busy it could have been done in less than 3 hours. It is also a book that you get caught up in because the setting and characters are familiar. McCaffrey catches the sheer meanness of boys trying to get the best of each other. It may be her ability
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at showing human nature that keeps me reading her books. Show Less
LibraryThing member kevn57
This is really a 3 1/2 star book for me. (GOODREADS WHY DON'T YOU HAVE 1/2 STARS) It was quite a bit different from the 2nd novel in the trilogy which is my favorite of the series. This novel switched the focus to politics and the main character from Menolly to Piemur. The location also shifted
The Harper’s are such an integral part of Pern and while the story moved from the Hall to various Holds and Weyrs, we see through the apprentice’s eyes what the hidden agenda of Master Robinton is and how far Robinton will go to insure Pern’s loyalty to Benden Weyr.
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away from the Harper Hall to other locations throught Pern. The Harper’s are such an integral part of Pern and while the story moved from the Hall to various Holds and Weyrs, we see through the apprentice’s eyes what the hidden agenda of Master Robinton is and how far Robinton will go to insure Pern’s loyalty to Benden Weyr.
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LibraryThing member mykl-s
The characters in these, maybe YA novels, were more interesting than the heavies in the dragon riders series.
LibraryThing member Stevil2001
The Harper Hall books are less a trilogy and more a duology about Menolly and then a single book about Piemur, the young harper who was introduced as a side character in Dragonsinger. Piemur has a beautiful prepubescent voice... and Dragondrums opens with that voice breaking as Piemur goes through
Piemur is a fun character, but like Menolly in the previous two books suffers from the fact that he's pretty much great at everything he does. He has to transition into drumming... and wow, he's the best drummer in the history of drumming, and everyone hates him for it. Wouldn't it be more interesting if for once in his life he had to work at something? There are lots of shenanigans here about the Old Timers on the Southern Continent, and Piemur works as a sort of spy to assist the interests of the northern weyrs and holds, but he pretty much adapts right away. Like Menolly in Dragonsong, he ends up in a situation that seems like it ought to be a struggle, when he's on his own in the south, but actually it's more like an extended vacation. Piemur was fun as a scampy side character in Menolly's story, but brought into focus, he has the exact same weaknesses as a protagonist as she does.
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puberty, so now he needs to carve out a new space for himself at the Harper Hall.Piemur is a fun character, but like Menolly in the previous two books suffers from the fact that he's pretty much great at everything he does. He has to transition into drumming... and wow, he's the best drummer in the history of drumming, and everyone hates him for it. Wouldn't it be more interesting if for once in his life he had to work at something? There are lots of shenanigans here about the Old Timers on the Southern Continent, and Piemur works as a sort of spy to assist the interests of the northern weyrs and holds, but he pretty much adapts right away. Like Menolly in Dragonsong, he ends up in a situation that seems like it ought to be a struggle, when he's on his own in the south, but actually it's more like an extended vacation. Piemur was fun as a scampy side character in Menolly's story, but brought into focus, he has the exact same weaknesses as a protagonist as she does.
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LibraryThing member fuzzi
I like this third book in the Harper Hall trilogy, a lot, though not as much as its predecessor, Dragonsinger. Still, it's a "ripping good yarn", from the perspective of Piemur, the apprentice who is always getting into trouble. How he adjusts to a change in his position and status at Fort Hold is
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a fun read, and an engaging story. Show Less
LibraryThing member sdtaylor555
Not as good as the first two. The story focuses on a different character, but it wasn't bad.
LibraryThing member ccookie
The rumble-thud-boom of the big drums answering a message from the east roused Piemur.
Subjects
Awards
Margaret A. Edwards Award (1999)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1979
Physical description
7.01 inches
ISBN
0552118044 / 9780552118040