| $@%&! level: None “Bedroom” level: None Violence level: Low (one brawl) Back Cover: “Anne McCaffrey's bestselling Harper Hall Trilogy is a master-piece of imaginative storytelling. Dragonsinger, the second volume in the series is the spellbinding tale of how Menolly of Half-Circle Sea Hold learned the remarkable secret of Pern's fire lizards and won an honored place among the Harpers of Pern.” |
You can see I’m nearly as obsessed with him as Menolly is. Incidentally, I’ve just learned that there are music CDs based on these books, and now I’m wondering how I can get a listen to them so I can decide if I want to buy. Anyone out there who has a copy and wants to give an opinion?
So, in this book, Menolly achieves her greatest dream and becomes Master Robinton’s apprentice. The narrative chronicles her first week at the Harper Hall, which is basically the amount of time it takes her to settle into her new position and way of life—and turn several people’s preconceived notions on their heads. It also gives a different perspective on some of the things that happen at the end of Dragonquest, which adds a lot to the excitement, but the main themes here are all about gender equality and succeeding in spite of all the people who want to see you fail. It’s also about learning to accept and value yourself and your own talents and passions. You see, Menolly doesn’t just have to deal with harpers who think girls aren’t worth educating, and highborn mean-girls who hate her for being better than they are, and a whole new set of rules and customs that no one bothers explaining to her. She also has to find some way of getting over the abusive way she was raised and start to believe that she is worthwhile as a person, and that the songs she writes really are good, and that she really is a valuable asset to the Harpers. Obviously, all of that can’t happen in a week, but it makes a solid start.
My favorite part of it, without a doubt, is the hatching of Zair and Kimi, the fire lizards that end up with Robinton and Sebell respectively. It’s so much fun to see two such normally confident men acting like over-excited schoolboys without a clue. And then the tenderness that springs up immediately between them and their fire lizards. It’s just really sweet all around. However, my second favorite moment—and it’s a close second—is the brawl at the Gather, where Menolly hauls off and punches some spoiled brat bully of a Lord Holder’s son. See, she does know how to stand up for herself after all.
And then there’s the first time the quartet plays, and the voice teacher Master Shonegar, and the choir rehearsal during threadfall, and...oh nuts, just read the book. It’s short and easy—shouldn’t take too long.