The Skies of Pern

Written by Anne McCaffrey

Narrated by Dick Hill

The long-awaited Dragonriders of Pern® novel from bestselling author Anne McCaffrey

It is a time of hope and regret, of endings and beginnings. The Red Star, that celestial curse whose eccentric orbit was responsible for Thread, has been shifted to a harmless orbit, and the current Threadfall will be the last. Technological marvels are changing the face of life on Pern, and the dragonriders, led by F’lessan, son of F’lar and Lessa and rider of bronze Golanth, and Tia, rider of green Zaranth, must forge a new place for themselves in a world that may no longer need them.

But change is not easy for everyone. There are those who will stop at nothing to keep Pern and its people pure. And now a brand-new danger looms from the skies and threatens a catastrophe of unimaginable proportions. Once again, the world looks to the dragons and their riders to save the world. But now, as the friendship of F’lessan and Tia begins to bloom into something more, unforeseen tragedy strikes: a tragedy destined to forever change the future—not just of the two young lovers, but of every human and dragon on Pern….

“McCaffrey’s sexy and cunning dragons carry the day—and the novel—with impeccable, irresistible panache.” –Publishers Weekly

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: May 16, 2017
• ISBN: 9781543613407

Anne McCaffrey

Anne McCaffrey, a multiple Hugo and Nebula Award winner, was one of the world's most beloved and bestselling science fiction and fantasy writers. She is known for her hugely successful Dragonriders of Pern books, as well as the fantasy series that she cowrote with Elizabeth A. Scarborough that began with Acorna: The Unicorn Girl.

Reviews for The Skies of Pern

[Sandra Dickerson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It continues the story of Pern and its people- and dragons of course.
The only disappointing part is the end of story of Shankolin. I expected more.

[Amberly Brown · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Anne McCaffrey takes a different tract with this book, focusing on an aspect of draconic abilities not previously considered or explored. It fills in some detail after AIVIS has "passed" and further explores possibilities for post-thread work by the dragon riders. It is more a set up of future topics than a complete story, but it's still a good read.

[alsocass · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Sometimes when I read this book I just skip through reading the romance storyline between the two main characters Bronze rider F'lessan (son of F'lar and Lessa) and Tai, a green rider.

For a time I disliked the rediscovery of computers and scientific knowledge because it changed the world that I loved. I think this read (2011) was the first time I have read the book slowly and enjoyed those aspects.

[cathepsut · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

So they managed to push the Red Star out of its path and in about 16 years thread will stop to fall forever. What will become of the Dragonriders? Will society on Pern cease to exist as it is now? The Abominators seem to think so and they try everything in their arsenal to stop the developments that Aivas has set into motion.This is a stand-alone, although I am not sure, how much sense it will make to someone who has not read any other Pern novels. I have been reading these books since I was a teenager and there are only 2 others I have not read yet, so for me this is like coming home to a good old friend - I know all the characters and their histories, I can pretty much anticipate what is going to happen and I can just enjoy the ride...

[themulhern · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I am _done_ w/ the ninth pass. The ninth pass books fall into three categories: the pseudo-mediaeval ones (Dragonflight, Dragonquest), the girl-power/justice will prevail ones (Dragonsong, Dragonsinger), and the improbable PERN renaissance ones like this and those immediately preceding it.Looking back, it's pretty obvious that the first two harper hall books are the best of the lot. But McCaffery really dug in and kept up the momentum, the events, the catastrophes, the scheming, etc. until the very end. Had she lived to write more, she would have kept it going, I'm sure. Is this great literature? No, it's not. But it does become a sort of science-fiction light: not too original in its science, not terribly well-researched, but still somewhat thought-provoking in its utopianism. But the dragons, who are some of our favorite characters, don't mix well w/ the science, so suspension of disbelief is a constant effort.

[salimbol · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Definitely one of the lesser Dragonrider books, bedevilled by too many main characters all jostling for elbow space (and getting only paper-thin characterisation as a result), strawman villains, and the two halves of the plot sitting in uneasy relationship to each other. Having said that, there was some gravitas to be had from: A) the planet-wide emergency caused by the tsunami (this is lent extra weight by the fallout of the major tsunamis of the last five years in our own world), and B) by a terrible event befalling on a main character, which has genuine repercussions that aren't completely glossed over.

[kpolhuis_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Dragons, intrigue, suspense, hope... a gamut of emotions for this last Pern novel. All good things must come to an end, and this one was satisfying to the very last page.

[vicarofdibley · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

after the victory over the red planet what now for the dragon riders of Pern?i love this series and devoured this big book right away