The Masterharper of Pern
Written by Anne McCaffrey
Narrated by Dick Hill
4/5
()
About this audiobook
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • "At last, Robinton has his own book . . . McCaffrey adds another absorbing chapter to dragon lore. . . . Readers will revel in this compelling character study of a fascinating personality."—Romantic Times
In a time when the deadly scourge Thread has not fallen on Pern for centuries—and many dare to hope that Thread will never fall again—a boy is born to Harper Hall. A musical prodigy who has the ability to speak with the dragons, he is called 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 the harpers who sing of Thread—they are being turned away from holds, derided, attacked, even beaten. In this climate of unrest, Robinton will come into his own. But despite the tragedies that beset his own life, he continues to believe in music and in the dragons, and he is determined to save his beloved Pern from itself—so that the dragonriders can be ready to fly against the dreaded Thread when at last it returns . . .
"The story takes wing . . . when McCaffrey's beloved dragons roar and their riders soar upon the beasts' mighty backs. . . . Fans of Pern will likely be enthralled."—Publishers Weekly
Anne McCaffrey
Anne McCaffrey, a multiple Hugo and Nebula Award winner, was one of the world's most beloved and bestselling science fiction and fantasy writers. She is known for her hugely successful Dragonriders of Pern books, as well as the fantasy series that she cowrote with Elizabeth A. Scarborough that began with Acorna: The Unicorn Girl.
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Titles in the series (13)
Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Renegades of Pern Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5All the Weyrs of Pern Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Dragonsdawn Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Dolphins of Pern Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dragonseye Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Masterharper of Pern Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Skies of Pern Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dragon's Fire Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dragon Harper Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dragon's Time Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Sky Dragons Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dragon's Code: Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
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Reviews for The Masterharper of Pern
788 ratings15 reviews
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Parts of this book are missing from this recording. Parts of chapters 16, 17 and 18 just skip ahead mid sentence.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5This book tries to explain everyone and everything that lead up to the original Dragonrider books. That some of it works is a testimony to Anne McCaffrey's great talent. But even she can't make the whole thing seem anything but contrived.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Incredible, better than I remembered reading it the first time.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Robiton is one of my favorite characters. A musician, teacher, politician (or more of a lobbyist) and a man of most uncommon sense. This fills in some holes that don't get explained in the other books.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/52020 reread via audiobook narrated by Dick Hill:I love this entry in the Pern series - Robinton is one of my favorite characters and, having seen him and come to love him in the earlier books, it is very enlightening to read about his life from his birth up to the events in the first book of the series, "Dragonflight". Dick Hill does a great narration.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I absolutely loved reading about Master Robinton's life. I really liked seeing the whole evolution of this generation of Pern through his eyes. I also really enjoyed the explanation of how Flax came to power, which has always confused me a bit. Portions were frustrating, but only because I think, they were supposed to be from a plot's perspective. An excellent addition to the Pern series.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Good telling of the original Pern series from another point of view. Enjoyed it very much.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I love Masterharper Robinton and I love origin stories so I loved this story.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5For me THE best Dragonrider's novel! Anne McCaffrey describes the life of Masterharper Robinton here, a fascinating character with a troublesome history, which made him the outstanding man he is (with some bad habits).
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A lighthearted Biography of the Greatest MasterHarper of them all, this tome follows the story of Robinton from his birth to a musical genius of a family, his early travails with a father who does not understand him, to his journeys about Pern.For all who have wondered HOW Robinton became the man he is, how he understood a misused, abused girl so well, and could so easily divert and distract a woman who was sometimes a joy and sometimes a shrew...This is the journey you will take.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5One of the best books in the series.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Dragons, Menolly, Piemur, and Pern...what more can you ask for?
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The back story leading up to Lessa’s becoming Weyrwoman of Benden Weyr. Story ends with death of Fax as Ruatha Hold is liberated. The main part of the story is the growth of Robinton, his relation with his parents, and his eventual acceptance of the post of Master Harper.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Masterharper Robinton may be Anne McCaffrey's most beloved character. A truly good man, who wants the best for his people and friends. After a long wait by fans, McCaffrey finally gave us his story. Excellent!
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I have been reading Anne McCaffrey's Pern books for many years. I discovered them when I was twelve, and over the course of that summer I devoured all that had been written. I adored them. I adore Masterharper Robinton. I have a print of the portrait of Robinton that Robin Wood did for her People of Pern book. I always thought a book about Robinton would be great, and I wanted to like The Masterharper of Pern when it came out. I expected a lot from The Masterharper of Pern, and I was greatly disappointed. Ms. Caffrey seems to have written this book in a vacuum. It does not fit in at all with the impressions of Robinton's early life and life at the Harper Hall at the end of the long interval that she gave in her earlier books. She gives short shrift to story lines and characters she had alluded to in earlier (written) books, while focusing on entirely new characters created for this book. If these other events and people were so integral to Robinton's life--why were they never mentioned later in his life? Ms McCaffrey fell for the same pitfall that many writters of prequels encounter. That said, I am sure Pern fans will still want to read The Masterharper of Pern, but it won't be one of those books to make it into the reread pile. Instead when you get a hankering for Robinton and the Harper Hall, I would suggest listening to the companion CD of the same name recorded by Tania Opland and Mike Freeman. The cd is definitely the best thing to have come out of the book.