Most Helpful Customer Reviews
94 of 98 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Gift of the Dragons, June 4, 2003
A Gift of Dragons (2002) is a collection of four short works in the Pern series. Three of these works have been previously published and one is new to this book.
The Smallest Dragonboy (1973) is the story of a twelve year old boy who is the smallest candidate in his Searched group and cruelly treated by another older boy, yet perseveres in his efforts to impress a hatchling.
The Girl Who Heard Dragons (1994) is the story of a young holdless girl who can hear dragons talk to each other and, when her family is threatened, finds that she can also talk to them.
Runner of Pern (1999) is the story of a young women who is a runner, carrying written messages for long distance, who comes to Fort Hold at gather time with a score to settle with someone who ran her off the runner trace the night before.
Ever the Twain (2002) is the story of a pair of twins, one of whom desperately wants to become a dragonrider, but the other is selected to be a candidate at the next hatching.
These tales are about character, courage and perseverence and not one of them has an unhappy ending. Some will find them too sweet for their taste, especially together, but I enjoyed the uplift that they brought me.
Recommended for McCaffrey fans and anyone else who enjoys stories like O'Henry's The Gift of the Magi.
-Arthur W. Jordin
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53 of 58 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Short Stores of Pern, February 21, 2003
This is a somewhat strange little book, and I'm not at all sure who the intended audience is. First of all, it is an anthology of four short stories, only one of which is being newly printed. Other than being set on the dragon planet of Pern, the stories have nothing in common, each standing quite apart from the others in its topic. Every page is adorned with a fanciful border, making for wide margins and short lines of type. There are also a few full-page illustrations here and there, endearing enough but sparse. Surprisingly, the book is also printed entirely in a sepia-toned ink (which I thought might be hard on the eyes but actually posed no problems or eye fatigue). Since only one-fourth of the content is newly published and because of the artwork and the unusual ink color, I simply cannot fathom for what audience the book is intended. Junior high school level, perhaps. The four stories are quite fun to read, especially if one hasn't read them recently in their original publications. However, especially with science fiction, I much prefer to become engrossed in the lengthy plot afforded by novel-length books. Short stories always end too soon, jerking the reader out of the fantasy and back into the mundance world of reality just as one is really getting into the story! Maybe this book is for readers with short attention spans, or maybe McCaffrey is tiring of creating new story lines for the residents of Pern, and this book is analogous to a StarTrek re-run. Overall, I prefer McCaffrey's earlier full-length novels about this planet and its wonderful, telepathic dragons.
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22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Enchanting Addition to the Pern Series!, August 12, 2003
A Gift of Dragons contains 4 short stories that take place on Pern. It includes: The Smallest Dragonboy - Keevan is the youngest dragon candidate and he is also the smallest. It is easy for other boys to pick on him and to make fun of his desire to become a dragonrider. But this only makes Keevan more determined then ever to impress a dragon and on his first time on the hatching grounds, too! But when a horrible accident leaves him alone in the hospital wing during hatching time, Keevan gives up hope that he will impress a dragon this year - or does he...? The Girl Who Heard Dragons - Aramina and her family are Holdless, but they are not vagabonds or shiftless people who were tossed out of their holds because they were too lazy. They were of Benden blood, forced to flee when Lord Fax killed all of their blood kin before he realized that Benden blood ran in Aramina's mother's veins. And, just like many others of the Benden lineage, Aramina can hear dragons and talk to them. She is careful to hide her skill, but Lady Holdless Thella found out somehow and is determined to use Aramina's talents for her own gain... The Runner of Pern - Tenna is a runner, just like everyone in her family and spends her time running up and down the trails of Pern, delivering messages. She is working hard to finish the stitches on her belt and no longer be an apprentice. But when a reckless driver forces Tenna off of the runner trace, where no horses and carts are supposed to be allowed, Tenna is injured and upset. She is determined to give this careless Halgion a good talking to... Ever the Twain - Neru has always dreamed of becoming a dragonrider, but his twin Nian is afraid of life without him. When the dragonriders come on Search, Neru is sure he will be chosen, but the dragons pass him by - and come to rest on Nian, whom they want to take to the Hatching Grounds. Nian refuses to go without Neru, which makes Neru feel guilty and unwanted. Still, he is determined to take advantage of the opportunity that his sister gave him and tries his hardest to fit into the Weyr. Nian knows that she will do whatever it takes to get Neru to Impress a dragon, but she is quite surprised by what ends up happening at the hatching... I thought that this book was too expensive for just four short stories when I initially bought it, but it really is quite a bit cheaper than buying the three other books that the first three stories are contained in. Ever the Twain is a new story, however, and is only available here. The stories are not that long and the type font and spacing are quite large, but the hand drawn illustrations and decorative border on every page make this book a little treasure. A must have for anyone who is a fan of the Pern series!
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