The Renegades of Pern

Book Description

As long as the people of Pern could remember, the Holds had protected them from Thread, the deadly silver strands that fell from the sky and ravaged the land. In exchange for sanctuary in the huge stone fortresses, the people tithed to their Lord Holders, who in turn supported the Weyrs, whose dragons were Pern's greatest weapon against Thread.

But not everyone on Pern was part of that system of mutual care and protection, particularly those who had been rendered holdless as punishment for wrongdoing. And there were some, like Jayge's trader clan, who simply preferred the freedom of the roads to the security of a hold. Others, like Aramina's family, had lost their holds through injustice and cruelty. For all the holdless, life was a constant struggle for survival.

Then, from the ranks of the criminals and the disaffected, rose a band of renegades, led by the Lady Thella. No one was safe from Thella's depredations, and now her quarry was Aramina, reputed to have a telepathic link with dragons. But when Thella mistakenly vented her rage on Jayge's family, she made a dangerous mistake. For Jayge was bent on revenge... and he would never let her have the girl who heard dragons!

From the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly While recent tales of Pern have dealt with early eras on that turbulent planet, this one begins during the time of Dragonquest and continues beyond the closing of The White Dragon, focusing on some of the commoners, and how they cope with the return of the life-consuming Thread. A number of lives intertwine, such as that of the trader boy Jayge Lilcamp, whose family is almost destroyed when his father refuses to believe the first Thread warning. Jayge runs afoul of Thella, sister of the Telgar Hold lord but a malcontent and leader of renegades, when she tries to kidnap the refugee girl Aramina, who can hear all dragons. Meanwhile, in the South, the young harper Piemur finds his destiny, and Toric, the first Holder there, schemes for supremacy. McCaffrey paints her colorful world on a still larger canvas, maintaining the complex plots and strong characterization that permeate her work. Timed to coincide with the publication of this book is an illustrated nonfiction companion book, The Drag on lover's Guide to Pern by Jody Lynn Nye with McCaffrey. The large-format volume gathers together much known and some new information about Pern and its history. Major ad/promo; author tour. Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal A dangerous woman's desire for revenge and a young girl's talent for hearing dragons become the catalysts that challenge the old traditions of Weyr, Hold, and Hall that have long defined life on Pern. McCaffrey continues her popular series with a story of exploration and adventure that focuses on a younger generation of characters as they begin to discover pieces of their ancient past (related in Dragonsdawn, LJ 10/15/88). Recommended for sf and YA collections. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 7/89. Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.