Kindan is an apprentice harper at the Harper Hall but he is finding the lessons very difficult and although he has his friends, Nonala, Kelsa and Verilan, he also has enemies, such as the bully Vaxoram. Things begin to improve for Kindan when he beats Vaxoram in a duel and Vaxoram becomes first his servant and then gradually his trusted friend. Then Kindan impresses a fire-lizard and becomes the proud owner of the magnicent Valla. At the hatching he meets Koriana, daughter of Lord Holder Bemin of Fort Hold. She also impresses and she and Kindan fall in love, but her parents disapprove and she has to return to Fort Hold. Then a plague begins to spread across Pern, killing nearly everyone infected. Kindan and his friends search the harper records to see if they can find a cure, but all they can find is mention of a similar plague over a hundred Turns past. As the plague gets worse Kindan and Vaxoram are sent to Fort Hold to help tend the sick. Kindan will be reunited with Koriana, but will she be free of the plague, and will he be able to find a cure before more people die?

A new novel of Pern.

About the Author

Anne McCaffrey was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She graduated cum laude from Radcliffe College, majoring in Slavonic Languages and Literatures. A prolific bestselling author, she is best known for her handling of broad themes and the worlds of her imagination, particularly in her tales of the Talents and the novels about the Dragonriders of Pern. Anne McCaffrey lives in a house of her own design, Dragonhold-Underhill, in County Wicklow, Ireland.
Visit the author's website at www.annemccaffrey.net

Todd McCaffrey, Anne's son, is a licensed pilot and software engineer living in Los Angeles. Todd took up writing full time in 2002 and hasn't looked back. He is the author of several books, including Dragonsblood, his first solo Pern novel, and Dragon's Kin and Dragon's Fire, which he co-wrote with his mother. For more information on Todd McCaffrey and his books, see his website at www.toddmccaffrey.org

Reviews
A pleasant, feelgood read...the sort of thing that it's good to sit down with on a rainy day and read from cover to cover * SFX *
Todd McCaffrey takes the reins of the dragonriders of Pern in a coming-of-age story * DeathRay *
Captivating . . . The McCaffreys are well known for their brilliant characterizations, and they do not disappoint here * Booklist *



Book Information
ISBN 9780552153492
Author Anne McCaffrey
Format Paperback
Page Count 464
Imprint Corgi Books
Publisher Transworld Publishers Ltd
Weight(grams) 236g
Dimensions(mm) 178mm * 106mm * 28mm