D. Leah L. (DLeahL) - , reviewed on 10/18/2009 + 48 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

This is my favorite of all the Pern books because it is the only McCaffrey book (aside from those she co-wrote with her son) which actually shows weyr life during Threadfall. Although Moreta's Ride is a song which had been mentioned some in other Pern books, there hadn't been any detail provided about this heroine.

Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern gives a fascinating insight into how the various levels of McCaffrey's society operated: Weyr, Craft, Hall and Hold in addition to the many "little people" whose lives and destinies were shaped by the decisions of the former. Personalities, politics, traditions and custom weave in and out seamlessly in this book.

In many ways I see this book as being set in the "golden years" of Pern life during Threadfall, and I think it is McCaffrey's best book of all. She is a master at bringing emotions to the forefront. While I have sniffled and held back tears in some of other McCaffrey's books, this one in particular also made me laugh out loud sometimes.

Although this book is more likely to be picked up and read by Pern fans, I think it could also serve as a good introduction to McCaffrey's dragon world books. Some of her earlier books, which chronologically come ahead of this one in her series, can come across as stilted and pretentious (especially the first one). But by the time McCaffrrey got around to bringing us Moreta she had settled into an intimate understanding of this amazing world she has created.

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