Customer Reviews

White Dragon

5 star:		(57)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Jaxom is the future Lord Holder of Ruatha, one of Pern's oldest and most venerable holds and has been groomed for his role since he was very young. When he accidentally impresses a white dragon named Ruth, everyone is dismayed and worried about what to do with him. Dragonriders belong in the Weyr, after all, and a man simply cannot be a dragonrider and a Lord Holder - or can he? Jaxom is determined to keep Ruth and to learn how to fly, breathe fire and kill Thread - and be the future leader of one of the most prosperous Holds on Pern. What others refuse to teach him, Jaxom discovers for himself. It is as Ruth and Jaxom are experimenting that they find themselves in the position to prevent a great disaster on Pern and to unite the Oldtimers and the Weyrs of the Northern Continent through Ruth's unique ability of always knowing when he is and his rapport with fire lizards. Ruth and Jaxom even discover some new "secrets" on the Southern Continent that the ancients left behind!

The White Dragon is simply a superb book. I loved the characters and really felt that I identified with Jaxom as he was growing up and growing into his roles as both a dragonrider and as a Lord Holder. Readers who have read McCaffrey's previous books in the Pern series will simply find that it is another story about Weyleaders F'lar and Lessa (Dragonflight & Dragonquest), as well as Masterharper Robinton and Journeyman Menolly (Dragonsong & Dragonsinger) told from a different, very enjoyable perspective. I loved the way McCaffrey took the time to incorporate older characters so that the readers know what is happening in their lives. The White Dragon is an exciting link between the first several books and the next grouping as there are many surprises and new discoveries that take place here. Ruth is also one of my favorite dragons and was such a joy to read about. Anyone who loves fantasy will enjoy this book so do yourself the favor and buy this book!

I always thought Fantasy with its Dragons and such like was strictly for kids and juveniles till by chance I picked up the White Dragon. Picked up and could not lay it aside. Perhaps I was wrong to begin in the middle, but now, even after reaing many of the series, White Dragon rmains my favourite Pern novel. The story of Jaxom growing to manhood, with his doubts and worries, with Ruth, Menolly, Robinton and of course Sharra, with a continent to discover, Thread to overcome and a whole new world to open up was beyond all my expectations. I immediately began haunting bookstors for the rest of the Pern novels. I also promised never again to knock Fantasy!

There has never been a dragon like Ruth in Pern. Small and white, beautiful in his own way, capable of attracting the small fire-lizards and talk to them. And he belongs to Lord Jaxom, now almost 18 Turns and full of a wish to fight Thread, a wish he is starting to believe might not come soon. But his special relationship with his dragon will brighten his soul, and will reveal hidden secrets of the Acients, the ones who first colonized Pern. And when the Oldtimers start to plot against the Northern Weyrs and Holds, all seems lost. What is the word that cries in the sky? Dragon against Dragon? Jaxom and faithful Ruth will find themselves in the middle of Pern's salvation...

I loved, adored and <add other praising adjectives here> this book. And I could not put it down. I read it in a few hours in the night and during the next day. I could not put it down. The relationship between Jaxom and Ruth is amazing and if you ever felt you could love a dragon, Ruth is certainly a wonderful candidate for your friendship and respect. Once thought not to survive his first Turn, this small white dragon showed everybody of what he was made. One of the best on this series I have read but since I haven't read many I cannot really say much. Just that this one touched my heart... like the others... and my imagination. One feels like dreaming... and ride on a dragon's back...

Picking up threads begun in DRAGONSONG and DRAGONSINGER, this book follows not only Masterharper Robinton, but the early career of Ruth and his rider, Jaxom. They're a problem to hidebound traditionalists everywhere. Ruth is a throwback in size to the early generations of the dragon species, when they were just large enough to carry human riders. He's the runt of his particular clutch, of course - and if he hadn't been too weak to break out of the shell of his abnormally thick-walled egg, Jaxom might never have Impressed him. Awkward all around; Jaxom is the only heir to Ruatha Hold since Lessa left it for Benden Weyr, and the rest of the Ruatha bloodline was wiped out in Fax's wars of conquest.

An Impression can't be gainsaid; Ruth and Jaxom are paired for life. Jaxom can't be treated like an ordinary weyrling and bundled off to become a proper dragonrider without touching off a bloodbath among the younger sons of Lord Holders vying for Ruatha. The problem of these hotheads is another plot thread, as the Weyrleaders and Lord Holders work on the problem of gradually opening up the Southern continent as a pressure valve without stirring up trouble with the Oldtimer dragonriders of Southern Weyr. Alas, trouble sometimes shows up even if you don't ask for it.

Fortunately, Ruth's small size makes it possible for him to live at Ruatha itself rather than in the huge confines of a weyr, and Fort Weyr isn't far away. Jaxom's life hasn't been easy; he's the only surviving son of the late, unlamented conqueror Fax, and after his mother's death in childbirth, Jaxom's future was decided for him, including fosterage with Lytol, who serves as his regent; another problem, since Lytol was himself a dragonrider who by chance survived his dragon's death, and still mourns him. Lytol's lost so much in life that he doesn't let himself become visibly attached to people anymore.

Jaxom has never had open affection from anyone, until Ruth came into his life, nor any control over his own destiny (not to mention that he's reaching the rebellious stage of youth anyway). He doesn't care about other kids' taunts about Ruth not being a 'proper' dragon; he's determined not only to fly, but to learn to direct Ruth to teleport and breathe flame, and in short, to learn all the skills used by a dragonrider fighting thread. After all, while he's Lord Holder in name, Lytol is really in charge.

Ruth himself is happy being wherever Jaxom is, and has some unusual talents that eventually manifest themselves. And eventually, they encounter a problem that no 'proper' dragonrider could have hoped to solve.

This volume is rather different from its predecessors in the Dragonriders of Pern series; the dragonriders of Benden are only supporting players, and there are intimations of mortality creeping up on the older generation, as Jaxom's generation begins coming of age, the generation that's grown up during this Pass of the Red Star. Robinton's schemes for giving young craftsmen, holders, and journeymen training across disciplines is beginning to bear fruit, even as he himself finally begins feeling his age. The exiled Oldtimers are becoming desperate, growing old with no new blood coming in; even those who didn't go to Southern have had enough threadfall for several lifetimes.

I remember reading this book when I was a teenager, and I remember strongly identifying with Jaxom. A not-quite-man with rights and responsibilities, as well as a dragon that should never have lived.

Well, I don't have a dragon of my own, nor a hold of my own, but I understood how Jaxom felt as he tried to find his own path in a world where people thought they knew what was best for him.

Of course, he does heroic things, and even gets the girl in the end - though I bet he'll have a lot more than he reckons on his hands, as we all discover sooner or later.

He even manages to establish for himself a measure of respect that comes with being a full adult, and not a half adult.

A nice book, and certainly much more pleasant to read than _Catcher in the Rye_ as a coming of age book.

Plus, it'd be really cool to think about having your own dragon. You could just fly off, and *blink*, you were wherever you wanted to be.

I know I wanted one.

In this wonderful book, The White Dragon, young Jaxom of Ruatha and his white dragon, Ruth, are experiencing the world of Pern. Jaxom is almost eighteen turns old and the other men and dragon riders will not let him prove his and his dragon's abilities. Being born a discolored runt, Ruth is believed to be less strong then the other larger dragons. This book is about Jaxom and his young Dragon proving to all of Pern that they are just as good if not better at fighting deadly thread as the other dragons. They stop the Southerner's from stealing a queen egg. And with Ruth's amazing bond with the fire-lizards, Jaxom finds the ancient civilizations and stops a grief stricken dragon rider from leaving Pern. Anne McCaffrey is a great writer and I hope she continues writing about Pern. Her Characterization is wonderful. Jaxom is a perfect product of his mother, Lady Jemma, and his Father, Fax. The theme is also very prominent. Sometimes Jaxom has to bend the rules to prove himself. Bending rules in our society can sometimes be worth it also. I think this book is the best of the three. The atmosphere of the book shifts which makes it even more interesting. Jaxom goes from desert, to beach, and back to the farms of Ruatha. The description of emotions and places are capturing. I feel like I am actually the one riding Ruth <between> to the lake and the cove. I highly recommend this book to all fiction lovers.

Having read and loved both Dragonflight and Dragonquest before I picked up this one, I was assured ahead of time that this would be another McCaffrey masterpiece, a story of Pern where you could be tipped into the book and not want to resurface. I wasn't wrong- there is plenty on the old heroes Lessa and F'lar, and of course the amazing, enormous, telepathic dragons that fight the Thread of Pern. I read this book over three days and didn't want it to end.

Still, there were flaws in The White Dragon that weren't there in Dragonflight and Dragonquest. The biggest is the character of Jaxom, the new main character. McCaffrey didn't spend nearly enough time on him- like Dragonquest she pushed you right into the story without dwelling on his personality. It was fine in Dragonquest because you had already gotten to know the main characters in Dragonflight- but it's annoying in The White Dragon because I never really liked Jaxom. He wasn't a very likable character, and as one that the story focuses about and came out on top at the end he should have been. He ordered about his dragon- Ruth was a big, flying, talking pet more than Mnementh, Ramoth, Canth and the others ever were. His romances were annoying- he didn't care about Corana, his slowly developing relationship with Menolly screeched to a halt abruptly, and Sharra wasn't introduced early enough for you to care.

Robinton's narrative was much more satisfactory, and I liked his character and how he developed during the story. There are a lot more characters to remember in The White Dragon than there were in the other two novels- at some point I stopped checking back and just skipped over the names I didn't know. The story itself, still, is as engaging as any past novel of Pern- McCaffrey has a way of grabbing your interest, and every time it starts to ebb away she puts in something else that draws you back again. I loved this novel, despite Jaxom, and Pern will always be one of my favorite series.

I've read a lot of Anne McAffrey books, so I'm pretty familiar with her writing style. This book is a good one; it keeps you interested in what's going to happen next until it's over. If you haven't read any other McAffrey books, though, I recommend you read Dragonflight and DragonQuest before you read this one, as this is the sequel to those.

To those who HAVE read those other two, you should definitely buy this one. Problems with the lord holders, thread of course, and a discovery... Jaxxom is the center of the story, involved in most events. The masterharper and Menolly are more involved in this book than the other two, and you also hear more about Lord Lytol, Jaxxom's guardian.

There are a few things I didn't like about the book. 1 was the casual way in which Jaxxom treated his relationship with another character (you'll have to find out which one). The other is the way that Lessa and F'lar are so much in the background in this one; they're really not that involved, except for a few key parts.

Anyway, if you like fantasy/sci fi, and you've read McAffrey before and like her, like me, then buy the book; it's worth it. :)

This is like my favorite book of all time.

The White Dragon is small for his kind and no body believed in him. But Jaxom, his rider, knew Ruth could fight thread, just like the other Dragons.

The firelizards are adorable and endearing.

One of the things I like about this novel, is there is more than one viewpoint.

Master Robinton is a character that earns a lot of love and respect.

It's a third in a trilogy. And there is a parallel trilogy that covers the young adult crowd in the "Dragonsinger" series following 2 young adults in the Harper Craft Halls. More of Master Robinton, too.

You don't, or maybe you do, want to be around when the Dragons go for their mating flights. The Dragons are telepathic.

actually, i lied. But Anne McCaffrey has written some astounding books for her time. I think this book is for the adult in people. It has more of character devolpment than real action. However, Ruth and Jaxom are such a stunning pair, i don't think i could ever get enough of them.