The Skies of Pern

Copyright 1992

VERSION 1.1 (Oct 08 01). If you find and correct errors in the text, please update the version number by 0.1 and redistribute.

As long as the people of Pern could remember, the Holds had protected them from Thread, the deadly silver strands that fell from the sky. In exchange for sanctuary in the huge stone fortresses, the people tithed to their Lord Holders, who in turn supported the dragonriders, Pern’s greatest weapon against Thread.

But not everyone on Pern was protected. Some had been rendered holdless as punishment for wrongdoing. Some, like Jayge’s trader clan, simply preferred the freedom of the roads to the security of a hold. Others, like Aramina’s family, had lost their holds. And they all feared the outlaws who preyed on holds and holdless alike.

The Lady Thella’s renegades were the most dangerous yet—all they needed was Aramina, whose telepathic link with dragons could help them evade the dragonrider patrols. But Jayge was out to stop Thella…and he would never let her have Aramina!

Pern: a beautiful world colonized by humans, terrorized by the deadly spores called Thread, and defended by magnificent flying dragons. Anne McCaffrey's bestselling tales of this planet have yielded a multitude of unforgettable characters. And now, after years of urging by devoted readers, one of the most popular denizens of Pern takes center stage in a novel that chronicles his extraordinary life.

Along with the dragonriders, perhaps none are so revered on Pern as the harpers, whose songs record history, warn of the coming of Thread, and prepare Pern's people for the future. And no one is more influential than the Masterharper of Pern. The son of renowned composer Petiron and gifted singer Merelan, Robinton is a prodigy from birth and enjoys a special rapport with the telepathic dragons. But it is a time when Thread has not been a threat for centuries, the harpers have fallen into disfavor, and one despotic man is plotting to take over Pern. In this climate of unrest, Robinton will come into his own… driven by his belief in music, in the dragons, and in the salvation of his beloved Pern.