The Renegades of Pern (Dragonriders of Pern Series) [Unabridged] [Mass Market Paperback]

Anne McCaffrey (Author), Michael Whelan (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 13, 1990

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.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Del Rey (August 13, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345369335
• ISBN-13: 978-0345369338
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 0.9 x 6.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #124,712 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Anne McCaffrey, the Hugo Award-winning author of the bestselling Dragonriders of Pern® novels, is one of science fiction's most popular authors. With Elizabeth Ann Scarborough she co-authored Changelings and Maelstrom, Books One and Two of The Twins of Petaybee. McCaffrey lives in a house of her own design, Dragonhold-Underhill, in County Wicklow, Ireland.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Little Choppy, But Still a Good Read!, August 12, 2003

By 

Silmarwen (Huntington Beach, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Renegades of Pern (Dragonriders of Pern Series) (Mass Market Paperback)

As long as the people of Pern could remember, dragons had fought Thread and kept people alive. Everyone lived in strong stone fortresses or caves because Thread wouldn't eat through stone. However, it had been hundreds of years since Thread had fallen on Pern and there were many who did not like to live behind stone walls, beholden to the Lord of the area and forced into careers that they did not want. Some, like Jayge Lilcamp's clan were traders. They traversed the length and breadth of Pern, bartering and taking messages to other holds. They were always welcome at holds, especially ones that were out of the way. However, when they ignored the warning that Thread was once again falling on Pern, his trader caravan was decimated. Instead of being independent, they were now forced to accept whatever charity they could from the last hold the visited. Jayge couldn't bear it and set out on his own.

Thella, sister of Telgar Hold's Lord, was bitter that she had not even been given the chance to become a Lady Holder. She knew that she could do a better job than her brother. Since she was passed by, she found her own hold and gathered together as many Holdless men as she could. Then she set about robbing and plotting her revenge. The only thing that was holding her back was the dragonriders because she could not risk being seen and tracked adragonback. She found the solution to her problem in Aramina (seen in The Girl Who Heard Dragons short story), who could hear all dragons. But Aramina escaped from her and was safely ensconced at Benden Hold. However, Thella was not about to give up so easily...

The Renegades of Pern is, like Nerilka's story, a retelling of familiar events from unfamiliar points of view. I highly recommend reading Dragonquest, The White Dragon, and The Girl Who Heard Dragons before reading this one because it will make a lot more sense than reading this one first. It was interesting because all of the other books in the Pern series have been about someone who has a definite place in life on Pern: holder, dragonrider, harper, etc., but Jayge did not. He could do a little bit of everything and was very resourceful. I enjoyed hearing how Aramina made out in the end, even though I was very surprised at what ended up happening. Although Jayge, Aramina, and Thella were what I would call the "main" characters, there was also quite a bit about Piemur and Toric, Holder of the Southern Continent, and the explorations and events taking place in at Southern, which was interesting. My main complaint with the book was the huge number of multiple viewpoints. It really made the book choppy and I know that I really wanted to find out what happened to a certain character and then was suddenly switched to someone else, which is kind of frustrating. Still, The Renegades of Pern is very informative and it was interesting to see things from a very different point of view. Recommended for readers of the Pern series - if you are new to the series, this is NOT the book to start with!

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pern readers, don't miss this one!, May 10, 2004

By 

Brian Hobson (Raleigh, NC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Renegades of Pern (Dragonriders of Pern Series) (Mass Market Paperback)

When I first read this book, years ago, I remember being a little disappointed. It wasn't as good as the Dragonflight trilogy or even as good as the Harper Hall trilogy. I'm re-reading the series in chronological order now, and I want to warn people not to listen to the negative reviews!

Yes, it's maybe not quite as enjoyable, it tells stories of the less-pleasant sides of Pern life, but it also tells things that you must hear if you want the whole story. You must read Renegades in order to be properly set up for All the Weyrs of Pern. This is the book that, if nothing else, tells more about the initial excavation of Landing and the discovery of AIVAS, and it introduces Jayge and Aramina of the Paradise River Hold from Dolphins of Pern.

I enjoyed this book more on second reading than I did the first time. The Pern series is five stars. If you enjoy the series, don't skip this four star book based on negative reviews.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful book!, August 22, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Renegades of Pern (Dragonriders of Pern Series) (Mass Market Paperback)

This book, although confusing in the beginning, is a worthy link between The White Dragon and All The Weyrs. It is almost a summary of the first three books, starting before Dragonflight, and ending just before All The Weyrs. A must read for all Pern fans. All the Weyrs won't make sense without it. A truely wonderful book.