Dragon's Kin (The Dragonriders of Pern)

by Todd McCaffrey and Anne McCaffrey

Book Overview

Young Kindan has no expectations other than joining his father in the mines of Camp Natalon on Pern. Mining is fraught with danger, but fortunately the camp has a watch-wher, a creature distantly... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0345462009
• Release Date: December 2004
• Publisher: Del Rey
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.7" x 0.7" x 4.2"

Customer Reviews

Down in the Coal Mine

Dragon's Kin is the twentieth SF novel in the Pern series, following The Skies of Pern. But this novel takes place in the past towards the end of the Second Interval, sixteen years prior to the third return of the Red Star. Miners Hall had begun to experiment with deep shaft mines as the surface deposits began to give out. One of the new Camps was headed by Master Miner Natalon. In this novel, Kindan is the youngest child of Master Miner Danil. His sister Silstra is betrothed to Journeyman Smith Terregar. So he is very excited when his friend Zenor shouts that the caravan carrying the Smith is within sight of the watch station on the heights. Running and even bouncing up the hill, Kindan arrives breathlessly to see the large drays and brightly painted wagons of the traders. He convinces Zenor to run the news back to Natalon. When Zenor interrupts a discussion to tell the chief miner the news, Natalon's Uncle Tarik carps about his style of reporting; Uncle Tarik complains about a lot of things and obviously feels that he should have been selected as chief miner. Zenor is then sent to inform the rest of the Camp. On the way, he is called aside by his friend Nuella, Natalon's daughter whose presence is being kept secret from the rest of the camp; Natalon is afraid that her blindness is genetic and knowledge of it could damage the marital chances of his other children. Zenor is the only one outside her immediate family who knows Nuella is there. Terregar is not the only person to arrive with the trader caravan; Master Harper Zist has come to replace Journeyman Harper Jofri. Master Zist has formerly been the Vocals Master at Harper Hall, but a tragedy in his family has led to him leaving the Hall. One of the reasons for selecting this obscure mining camp was Journeyman Jofri's reports on Kindan's fine voice. Master Zist has plenty of opportunity to hear for himself as they rehearse for Silstra's wedding. After the wedding, Kindan is apprenticed to Master Zist and gets some intensive coaching in vocals and drums. Soon thereafter an accident in the mine leaves Kindan an orphan and he moves in with Master Zist; Tarik and his family acquire the house built by Kindan's father. With many of the older children working in the mine to make up for their losses, Kindan is the eldest child remaining and takes over the supervision of all work schedules for the younger children. Along with the human casualties, the accident has also cost the miners their only remaining watch-wher. Minor accidents and mishaps start plaguing the miners and Natalon is convinced that some of the problems result from the lack of a watch-wher. He secretly negotiates the trade of a lot of coal for a watch-wher egg. Since his father was the previous wherhandler for the mine, Kindan is chosen to hatch and raise the new watch-wher. The whole deal is news to Kindan and he wonders if he knows enough to raise a watch-wher properly. He does remember enough to beg permission for the egg fro

A new chapter in Pern Lore...

...will give fans the fix they've been longing for. McCaffrey and her son delve into the little known lore of watch-whers as the story of Kindan and Nuella unfolds. A wonderful addition to the series!

Watch-whers deserved a book and finally got one!

Good book. Worth buying in paperback, not hardcover. Not one you should start your Pern reading on, but a Pern fan would enjoy this book.Dragon's Kin is about a mine camp lead by Natalon. Natalon is trying to prove himself to the Master Miner so that his camp could be turned into an official mine. Unfortunately, his camp is split with people having different oppinions about the camp's watch-wher. Disaster strikes when Kindan's family dies in a cavein and gets put in Master Harper Zist's care. Eventually, Natalon expects Kindan to take his father's place as the Watch-wher keeper for the mine forcing Kindan to put his other dreams aside. Meanwhile, a blind girl named Nuella joins the picture and makes friends with Kindan, Master Zist and a few others.Unfortunately, this book is only 292 pages long compared with the usual 800, and I read this book in one setting.I am definately looking forward to seeing how Todd McCaffrey develops as an author.

Thank you Anne and Todd for continuing to 'share the dream'

Anne McCaffrey created an intricate world spanning many centuries featuring the bonding of humans and dragons telepathicly in her PERN series. Now Anne has joined with her second son, Todd, to write this newest episode in the PERN. Todd has 'grown up in PERN'; so readers can be confident that there is no variation in this newest PERN tale. The tone and complexity of the story is sure to delight McCaffrey fans and encourage thoughts of more adventures on the planet PERN.Blurb and other editorials give a summary; so what more can I say? Teenaged Kindan, blind Nuella and Master-Harper Zist work together and learn the forgotten secrets of how the nocturnal watch-wher see in the dark and their ability to communicate with dragons. This reveals many new possibilities for the dragon-riders and watch-wher. Another cave-in at Natalon's mine leads to a future that both Kindan and Nuella never expected.Mama McCaffrey shared her writing talent & inspiration with her son and they chose to continue to give us reader's a fantasy world to remember. Such a legacy is impressive; such skill is appreciated. Thank you Anne and Todd for continuing to 'share the dream' of PERN.

Excellent addition to this series

It is sixteen years until the next Pass of the Red Star and then Thread will rain down, destroying everything organic on Pern. A problem has arisen on Pern that could have serious repercussions for the next Turn if not solved now. Coal that the people depend on for a variety of tasks has played out on the surface and the people have to dig underground to find any.Natalon has set up a promising camp that if it contains as much coal as he thinks will turn him into Lord Natalon and the camp into a designated Mine. The camp's watch-wher Dask saves many lives when the mine collapses but he and his bondmate die leaving Kindan an orphan. He is taken in by a Master Harper and he decides he wants to train in the Harper hold. However, the mines desperately need a watch-wher and Natalon asks Kindan to try an impress an egg. He succeeds with Kisk who he cares for while she is still in her egg and the two reach adulthood together, working together with a very special young woman to prepare Pern for when thread falls again.Another piece of the puzzle that makes up Pern is solved as readers learn how humans, watch-whers and dragons become part of the fighting unit to take out thread. Kindan is a very special hero willing to give up his dreams to help the miners who need him and his special abilities. It is interesting to see how watch- whers help save miners lives because of their own unique abilities different than the dragons and their cousins the fire lizards.Harriet Klausner