How Pern became the Pern we know today

Set after the events in First Fall, Dragonseye chronicles the frantic efforts to prepare for the Second Pass. The beauty of this installment in the series is that it's actually three interlaced stories, covering hold, hall, and weyr. As such, I'll endeavour to cover each aspect separately.

Hold
For two years, all of Pern has been preparing for the return of the deadly Thread. Every hold has been stockpiling supplies and clearcutting any nearby plant life to prevent an infestation during the next 50 years. Every hold, that is, except one...

Lord Chalkin of Bitra Hold refuses to accept the notion that Thread will fall again. Fort Hold's Lord Paulin is thus left with a grave dilemma. If he can't convince Chalkin, the only alternative is impeachment - a Charter clause that has never been used. Unfortunately, impeachment requires an unanimous vote, and Lord Jamson of High Reaches isn't convinced such an extreme measure is justified.

Critique, Part 1
McCaffrey's done a bang-up job on this plotline, and includes many well-developed characters. It's east to empathise with Paulin's position, grow fond of Avery and Richud, get frustrated at Jamson's stubbourness, and despise Chalkin. As the drama unfolds, the writer gives us that same growing sense of urgency and distress that the characters are feeling. An excellent job, all the way around!

Hall
It's been 267 years since Landing and much has already been lost due to the wear of time. Unless something is done soon, Pern may lose most of its remaining knowledge. Clisser, head of the College, has the difficult task of solving this problem. Not only does he need to streamline the curriculum, but the entire teaching system may need an overhaul. On top of that, he's been commissioned to find a foolproof and permanent way of foretelling the immanence of a Fall.

Critique, Part 2
This particular thread is the most impacting on the future of Pern, yet I find it's my least favourite of the three plotlines. Clisser tends to get center stage here, with the other teachers having only passing influences on the story. Also, this plot is the shortest and tends to feel somewhat dry at times due to a lack of eventfulness. As much as I enjoyed seeing the evolution of Pern's wonderful (and effective) teaching system, I really wish McCaffrey had done more with it. Overall, however, this shortcoming doesn't hurt the book.

Weyr
Debera nearly missed the Hatching at Telgar Weyr, an event which changes her life forever. Meanwhile, Weyrleaders K'vin and Zulaya must deal with refugees from Bitra on top of overseeing preparations for Threadfall.

Critique, Part 3
This was, without doubt, the best of the three plotlines. We get to see just about every aspect of weyr life here. McCaffrey teaches us how to treat Thread injuries, helps us raise our dragonets, lets us share some gossip, and gives us the task of preparing our weyr for the coming Thread. K'vin and Debera take center stage, although characters from every walk and weyr get some good airtime as well. The range of personalities, from timid Debera to immobile Zulaya, snobbish S'nan to lovable Tisha, is simply wonderful. The plot itself plays out magnificently, with plenty of variety to appease everyone.

Critique, Overall
This is perhaps the single most comprehensive portrayal of life on Pern to date. There's some comedy, and healthy doses of drama, suspense, and even romance to please readers of every type. I really hope the McCaffreys (plural, now that her son's inherited the Pernese Pen) will revisit the rich cast at some point in future. In the meantime, this volume in the annals of Pern is a must for any dragonlover's collection.

There are a few scenes that are too harsh for young readers, so please read the book first if you plan to share with your children. For responsible parents who'll heed this advice and censor as deemed necessary, I can drop my rating to FF/A (Family Friendly, Advise Parental Discretion).

Rating
MM (Mature Minds) for disturbing accounts of abuse and (briefly) mutilation, some language, and some adult content.