Dragondrums
- I didn't have great expectations of "Dragondrums" when I started it, based on my impression of the characters from the first two Harper Hall books and the recommendations of others. To my surprise, though, I really enjoyed the book and got through it quite quickly.
- Many of the characters who had not lived up to my expectations in the first two books went up in my estimation in this third book. Strangely enough, being it's the only HH book not from her perspective, I liked Menolly in this book better than in either of the previous books. It seems that now that she's settled into her place in the Harper Hall that she's gained a confidence and a sense of humour she had yet to develop in the first two books. I found her much more approachable in "Dragondrums".
- My feelings about Piemur seemed to swing depending on what was happening in the book. I found it interesting that I almost always liked Piemur better when he wasn't at the Harper Hall than when he was. Long sections about him trying to sweet-talk folks for bubbly pies and being picked on in the drummer-heights left me restless, but his resourcefulness and cunning in other scenarios gave me more respect for him.
- Which leads to another irony based on my earlier impressions- I was -very- impatient that it took so long to move the story to the Harper Hall back in "Dragonsong". In "Dragondrums" I always found the story picked up and got more involving when the action moved away from the Harper Hall to the mines, the holds, Bendon Weyr, the Southern continent.
- Ah, I especially enjoyed our trip back to Bendon Weyr for the Dragon Hatching. Bendon Weyr is my favorite place on Pern. And I was so excited when the little green dragonet sought out Mirrim for Impressing! Yay! And now I want to read more about Mirrim and Path. Glad to see Felessan Impressing a bronze, too.
- So, Piemur finally Impresses a firelizard by -stealing- the egg. Huh. Interesting that no one sees anything wayward about this, his fellow harpers laughing at his determination and audacity. I guess we're to see it as right because Lord Meron is a shady character and shouldn't have had all those firelizard eggs in the first place.
- I found it interesting to see Piemur go "native" after his accidental escape to the Southern continent. His reluctance to want to return to civilization where the Harper Hall might find him again was a strong hint that maybe his return to the Hall isn't our best way to a 'happy ending'.
- Liked Sharra almost immediately. I think she and Piemur have the start of a beautiful friendship at the end of the book there.
- I -so- liked the relationship between Sebell and Menolly in this book. Sigh... The sweet touches early in the book leading to the wonderful joining together when their firelizards go into their mating flight. Interesting to know owners of mating firelizards go through the same passions as dragonriders the mating flights of dragons. Whoa, with all the firelizards suddenly populating Pern one has to figure this is going to have quite the social impact on their society. Kind of like 'Recognition' in the ElfQuest universe.
- I thought the ending was just right, unexpected and satisfying. Piemur stays on the Southern continent that he has bonded with so quickly, he continues his duty as a Journeyman harper by teaching the drum messages to the Southern Hold. You really get a sense, as Menolly notes, that the character is coming into his own as the story ends. I'd be quite happy to see more about these characters in future books, though I know my next Pern adventure returns to Jaxom and his white dragon.
- At the bookstore today I couldn't resist picking up "The MasterHarper of Pern" to read later this fall. Yay, the life story of my darlin' Robinton, plus more background into Petiron, and you know that can't be bad.