I’ve been rereading Anne’s delightful Harper Hall series: Dragonsong and Dragonsinger. I like Dragon Drums well enough, but the first two books are my favorites.
On the planet Pern, deadly Threads periodically fall from the skies, searing life from anything they touch. Only the great fire-breathing dragons can destroy the alien life-forms before they reach the ground. Ordinary folk look up to the Weyrs for protection, and teach their children to respect the dragon riders.
One such child is Menolly, a teenaged musical prodigy born into a stolid family of fisher-folk. She’s been allowed to spend her free time with the hold’s elderly harper, mostly because he insisted, but partly because her parents felt someone should look after the old man in his dottage.
After old Petiron dies, Menolly is expected to give up music and grow up to be a hard-working member of her family. Unable to face such a future, Menolly runs away to live in a cave along the shore, where she faces not only the dangers any teenager would face trying to live on their own, but also deadly Threadfalls.
One unexpected adventure results in Menolly’s befriending nine fire lizards, tiny cousins to the great dragons. Caring for her new friends takes up so much of her time that she hardly has room for worry — until she finds herself and her friends far from her cave with the leading edge of Threadfall rapidly approaching.
Unbeknownst to Menolly, the Masterharper has been searching for old Petiron’s missing apprentice, whose musical talent is greatly needed by the harper hall. As Menolly tries to outrun Thread, destiny sends her closer and closer to the Masterharper.
In the second book, Menolly must adjust to life in the harper hall. Though her life is not threatened as it was in her cave, she has many things to learn before she can become a professional musician.
Anne McCaffrey was a manster storyteller, and if you like science fiction, you should read her Pern series. I like everything she wrote, but Menolly’s story is my favorite.