The Masterharper of Pern

Dragonriders of Pern, Book 14

By: Anne McCaffrey

Narrated by: Dick Hill

In a time when no Thread has fallen for centuries - when, indeed, many are beginning to dare to hope that Thread will never fall again - a boy is born to Harper Hall. His name is Robinton, and he is destined to be one of the most famous and beloved leaders Pern has ever known.

It is a perilous time for harpers. They sing of Thread, yet more and more people are beginning to doubt the return of that deadly scourge. They teach reading, writing, history, but Fax - who hates the harpers in general - is determined to keep his growing area of influence free of the learning that might sow unrest. And they extol the dragonriders, whom many view increasingly as a drain on the resources of the Holds. Now harpers are being turned away from the holds; and, worse yet, they are being derided, attacked, even beaten.

It is the climate of unrest that Robinton will come into his own. For despite the tragedies that beset his own life, he continues to believe in music and in the dragons, and is determined to save his beloved Pern from itself . . .so that the dragonriders can be ready to fly against the dreaded Thread when it at last returns!

©2005 Anne McCaffrey (P)2005 Brilliance Audio

overall, well done.

the narrator has a smooth voice and it makes for a very relaxing Reed. It's obvious that he put a lot of effort into trying to make the book sound well. Only criticism is a couple awkwardly pronounce words and some weird breathing points in the middle of sentences.

My only complaint Is it ends too soon.

Excellent book and album. All the things you want to know about the Master Harper of Pern.

Wish it had gone on longer.

Great story, bad editing

It was great to get a view behind the curtain, into the events that forged the beloved master Harper Robinton. I am troubled however by two major issues that occur throughout this book. The first is the age of Robinton when we get to events that recognize from other Pern books his age is age is "turns" off. The other one is when this book covers events covered in other books, but from his
view, some major other players are substituted.
Todd isn’t the master his mother is, but that doesn’t excuse the editor.

Excellant

All who who read any of the Pern novels need to read this book! This lets into more of the politics and life of the people of PERN.

Always enjoyed reading this book

Always enjoyed reading this book as it was one of the first I ever got. It was a present from a friend after reading another of the series. Now I'm trying to recreate my collection via audio book.

The continuity with the 1st three books from the Sixties & Seventies.

the introduction of characters such as Camo, Nip & Tuck. the descriptions of Robinson's youth, and the development of Fax, Grogh, the earlier Benden Were leaders and the child Less.

Great back story for The Masterharper

Within the context of the Dragonriders of Pern, this story provides a wonderful addition. It helps us better understand The Masterharper. It helps us better understand the setting of the saga. and it's a good story in its own right.

Truly an enjoyment!

I have read most of the Pern books, this is one of the most delightful.

Generally very enjoyable, some minor flaws

This is one of the better sequels, or in this case a prequel, to McCaffrey's original six Pern novels. Robinton is a great character and although she makes him suffer more disappointment in life than anybody should bear, McCaffrey fills in a lot of interesting "historical" detail leading up to Dragonquest. However, she sometimes errs in the details (how could Sebell simultaneously be an adolescent journeyman when Fax takes Ruatha hold and still be the same age some twenty years later when Menolly arrives at the Harper hall?)

The narrator is generally very good and uses a variety of voices. My only quibble is that children and adolescent boys sound a bit too whiny and are delivered with a vaguely distracting NY/NJ style accent.

Overall, highly enjoyable. I would order it again.

Like the story, like the audio

Would you listen to The Masterharper of Pern again? Why?

Yes, I would listen to this book again and probably will. I have enjoyed this book for some time and it was nice to hear the words instead of reading them.

What other book might you compare The Masterharper of Pern to and why?

I would compare is to any of the Pern novels by Anne McCaffrey. Her's are better than the novels on the same subject written by her son, Todd McCaffrey.

Which character – as performed by Dick Hill – was your favorite?

Masterharper Robinton, of course.