Just a couple of things..

[Cali]

I think they're just different.  They aren't as good as the first half of the series, but they're more like her last half (Masterharper, Skies, Renegades).  They're fun reads, and I do enjoy the watchweyr stuff, but when I go to pack a book for a drive, they're usually not my pick.

I like MasterHarper.  But I think that one and Dragonseye (Red Star Rising) where the last of her great books.  After that she kind of began to struggle for content.  To be perfectly honest i liked how Masterharper gave us the inside story of Robinton, which was one of my FAVORITE characters, and actually Dragonseye is my favorite Pern book.  Because its so different from Dragonsdawn yet also so different from 9th Pass.  Its my happy medium.

My problem with Masterharper is how it portrays the harperhalls view of females.  If you take Masterharper as canon, you have to exclude the Harper Hall trilogy.  I prefer to think of Masterharper as the out of canon book and look fondly on it as fanfic only.

[Patrick]

I think they're just different.  They aren't as good as the first half of the series, but they're more like her last half (Masterharper, Skies, Renegades).  They're fun reads, and I do enjoy the watchweyr stuff, but when I go to pack a book for a drive, they're usually not my pick.

I like MasterHarper.  But I think that one and Dragonseye (Red Star Rising) where the last of her great books.  After that she kind of began to struggle for content.  To be perfectly honest i liked how Masterharper gave us the inside story of Robinton, which was one of my FAVORITE characters, and actually Dragonseye is my favorite Pern book.  Because its so different from Dragonsdawn yet also so different from 9th Pass.  Its my happy medium.

My problem with Masterharper is how it portrays the harperhalls view of females.  If you take Masterharper as canon, you have to exclude the Harper Hall trilogy.  I prefer to think of Masterharper as the out of canon book and look fondly on it as fanfic only.

Well I wouldn't say so.  Robinton was always for female crafters and it never says Halanna and Maizella were HARPERS just girls they were teaching.  And I'm sure that both Robinton AND his predecessor wouldn't want to antagonize the majority and go against them if they wanted to ban female crafters.  And Merelan wasn't exactly young when she apprenticed and maybe she's an exception cause she married Petiron so they gave her an honorary mastery, it can happen.   And maybe Petiron didn't want to get Menoly's hopes up in Dragonsong.  As I mentioned before Masterharper was WAY after the Harper Hall trilogy so Anne may have been sloppy on keeping the lines straight.  What bugged me was the MasterHEALER was a woman.  One hall mix up ok, two... *shrug*

[PastMember]

Personally, I refuse to read Todds books. Actually, after Skies of Pern I gave up on reading Pern altogether. I LOVE the originals, but after a while they just started to go down hill... I still love the whole world she created in general though... I just prefer to pretend that she stopped with the good ones (I think Masterharper of Pern was the last one I really liked).  

[Jane]

Masterharper.  I can honestly say that if I knew how I would burn out the part of my brain that remembers reading this book.  It was like Forest Gump for Pern with Robinton retrospectively placed into the history we already knew - and knew well.

I won't go on.  Somebody's bound to get offended!

Anyway, crazy at it seems now I'm in a post-Aivas club, I didn't enjoy anything that came chronilogically after The White Dragon, and pretty much stopped following the series after the trauma of reading Masterharper.

Dolphins.  That was mostly okay.

Best story Anne ever wrote?  The Dolphins' Bell.  Just sooooo perfect.

(Clearly I have replied on a very opinionated day!)

[Dana]

Oh that's a good one, Jane.  I really liked The Second Weyr, too--out of her short stories    Novel-wise, I think Dragonflight/Dragonquest/The White Dragon are all my favs.  I can't choose between those.

[Eimi]

Actually, I think my favorite AM book ever was The Ship Who Sang... Not Pern but a really good series none the less!

[Bree]

My favorites were "To Ride Pegasus" and "The Ship Who Sang", I think. "Dragonsdawn" was my favorite Pern book.

[PastMember]

As sad as it is to say, some of AM's writing is very... dry. Dragonsdawn is probably my favorite of the Pern books, and I love the concept of the ship books... The Ship Who Searched (with Misty Lackey) is probably my favorite of those.

Strangely, the Crystal Singer books have grown on me over the years...

[PastMember]

Actually, I think my favorite AM book ever was The Ship Who Sang... Not Pern but a really good series none the less!

I totally love The Ship Who Sang! I think it ties for my second favorit along with Dragonflight (top on is Moreta). I actually was at a used bookstore and found a signed copy of the Ship Who Sang for a dollar! Its a paperback so it probably isn't worth anything... but I was excited!

[Cali]

I have quite a fondness for Decision at Doona myself :D

[Patrick]

I havn't read any of them outside of Pern.  But with all these great recommendations I guess I'll have to.

[Kaysea]

OK, so I guess if I really want to read the TM/AM combined books, I shouldn't waste my money, but go borrow them from the library.

I am actually enjoying the SoP, though.

As you can probably tell, I try not to let too many details interfere with a good story. :D  Both in writing and in reading....   (Hence my need for a Mentor!)

Thanks for your comments though!

As for other AM books - Decision at Donna wasn't a bad one, but I love the Generation Warriors books with Lunzi Mespil (sp?) - The Death of Sleep was my intro to this trilogy and its great.  If you're after a really good read, try these.  They're co-written with Jody Lyn Nye (sp?).

I don't read any others, have tried Mercedes Lackey - blah - just couldn't get into it.

Have a great day all!

~Kaysea

[Patrick]

OK, so I guess if I really want to read the TM/AM combined books, I shouldn't waste my money, but go borrow them from the library.

I bought them.  But only because I'm such a die hard Pern fan.  Its kind of like the Eragon movie.  I'm only getting it because I'm too much of a fan to not get it.

[Vix]

Yeah, I'll probably buy the Eragon movie as well -- just because.

Karen, you'd probably like AMC's Freedom series.
I also enjoyed the original Petaybee trilogy with Elizabeth Ann Scarborough, though I've not yet purchased any of the new series.

[Jane]

I also enjoyed the original Petaybee trilogy with Elizabeth Ann Scarborough, though I've not yet purchased any of the new series.

I loved these too.  Advice for the next series; use the library.  I don't think you'll want to own them.