Skip to content

Dragon's Kin: A New Novel of Pern
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Dragon's Kin: A New Novel of Pern Mass market paperbound - 2004

by Anne McCaffrey; Todd J. McCaffrey

The Dragonriders of Pern learn about the special talents of the Watch-whers in this new novel by the beloved McCaffrey and her son. "Another delightful entry in the Pern series."--"Publishers Weekly." Postponed from 12/04


Summary

Beginning with the classic Dragonriders of Pern, Anne McCaffrey has created a complex, endlessly fascinating world uniting humans and great telepathic dragons. Millions of devoted readers have soared on the glittering wings of Anne's imagination, following book by book the evolution of one of science fiction's most beloved and honored series. Now, for the first time, Anne has invited another writer to join her in the skies of Pern, a writer with an intimate knowledge of Pern and its history: her son, Todd.DRAGON'S KINYoung Kindan has no expectations other than joining his father in the mines of Camp Natalon, a coal mining settlement struggling to turn a profit far from the great Holds where the presence of dragons and their riders means safety and civilization. Mining is fraught with danger. Fortunately, the camp has a watch-wher, a creature distantly related to dragons and uniquely suited to specialized work in the dark, cold mineshafts. Kindan's father is the watch-wher's handler, and his son sometimes helps him out. But even that important job promises no opportunity outside the mine.Then disaster strikes. In one terrible instant, Kindan loses his family and the camp loses its watch-wher. Fathers are replaced by sons in the mine--except for Kindan, who is taken in by the camp's new Harper. Grieving, Kindan finds a measure of solace in a burgeoning musical talent . . . and in a new friendship with Nuella, a mysterious girl no one seems to know exists. It is Nuella who assists Kindan when he is selected to hatch and train a new watch-wher, a job that forces him to give up his dream of becoming a Harper; and it is Nuella who helps him give new meaning to his life.Meanwhile, sparked by the tragedy, long-simmering tensions are dividing the camp. Far below the surface, a group of resentful miners hides a deadly secret. As warring factions threaten to explode, Nuella and Kindan begin to discover unknown talents in the misunderstood watch-wher--talents that could very well save an entire Hold. During their time teaching the watch-wher, the two learn some things themselves: that even a seemingly impossible dream is never completely out of reach . . . and that light can be found even in darkness.

From the publisher

Anne McCaffrey was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She graduated cum laude from Radcliffe College, majoring in Slavonic languages and literatures. A prolific bestselling author, McCaffrey is best known for her handling of broad themes and the worlds of her imagination, particularly in her tales of the Talents and the novels about the Dragonriders of Pern. McCaffrey lives in a house of her own design, Dragonhold-Underhill, in County Wicklow, Ireland. Visit the author’s Web site at www.annemccaffrey.org.

Todd McCaffrey, Anne’s son, is a computer engineer living in Los Angeles. He is currently working on a solo Dragonriders of Pern novel, Dragonsblood.


From the Hardcover edition.

First line

KINDAN WAS SO EXCITED that he practically bounced as he ran up to the heights where Camp Natalon kept its drum, fire beacon, and watch.

From the jacket flap

Beginning with the classic "Dragonriders of Pern, Anne McCaffrey has created a complex, endlessly fascinating world uniting humans and great telepathic dragons. Millions of devoted readers have soared on the glittering wings of Anne's imagination, following book by book the evolution of one of science fiction's most beloved and honored series. Now, for the first time, Anne has invited another writer to join her in the skies of Pern, a writer with an intimate knowledge of Pern and its history: her son, Todd.
DRAGON'S KIN Young Kindan has no expectations other than joining his father in the mines of Camp Natalon, a coal mining settlement struggling to turn a profit far from the great Holds where the presence of dragons and their riders means safety and civilization. Mining is fraught with danger. Fortunately, the camp has a watch-wher, a creature distantly related to dragons and uniquely suited to specialized work in the dark, cold mineshafts. Kindan's father is the watch-wher's handler, and his son sometimes helps him out. But even that important job promises no opportunity outside the mine.
Then disaster strikes. In one terrible instant, Kindan loses his family and the camp loses its watch-wher. Fathers are replaced by sons in the mine-except for Kindan, who is taken in by the camp's new Harper. Grieving, Kindan finds a measure of solace in a burgeoning musical talent . . . and in a new friendship with Nuella, a mysterious girl no one seems to know exists. It is Nuella who assists Kindan when he is selected to hatch and train a new watch-wher, a job that forces him to give up his dream of becoming a Harper; and it is Nuella who helps him give new meaning to his life.Meanwhile, sparked by the tragedy, long-simmering tensions are dividing the camp. Far below the surface, a group of resentful miners hides a deadly secret. As warring factions threaten to explode, Nuella and Kindan begin to discover unknown talents in the misunderstood watch-wher-talents that could very well save an entire Hold. During their time teaching the watch-wher, the two learn some things themselves: that even a seemingly impossible dream is never completely out of reach . . . and that light can be found even in darkness.

"From the Hardcover edition.

Details

  • Title Dragon's Kin: A New Novel of Pern
  • Author Anne McCaffrey; Todd J. McCaffrey
  • Binding Mass Market Paperbound
  • Edition Later Edition
  • Pages 320
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Del Rey Books, Westminster, Maryland, U.S.A.
  • Date December 28, 2004
  • ISBN 9780345462008 / 0345462009
  • Weight 0.45 lbs (0.20 kg)
  • Dimensions 6.7 x 4.1 x 0.9 in (17.02 x 10.41 x 2.29 cm)
  • Library of Congress subjects Fantasy fiction, Science fiction
  • Dewey Decimal Code FIC

Excerpt

CHAPTER I

In early morning light I see, A distant dragon come to me.

Kindan was so excited that he practically bounced as he ran up to the heights where Camp Natalon kept its drum, fire beacon, and watch.

“They’re here! They’re here!” Zenor shouted down at him. Needing no further urging, Kindan put on an extra burst of speed.

Breathless, he joined his friend on the peak where they kept the watch. Looking down at the valley, he could plainly see the large drays rolling ponderously up toward the main camp. Leading them were the smaller, but bright and cheerfully painted domicile wagons owned by the caravanners.

From the watch heights, not only could he see all the way across the lake to the bend where the trail turned out of sight, but he could also see the fields on the far side of the lake, which had just been cleared, ready for their first planting of crops. Closer in, he could see where the trail forked, the more heavily traveled way heading up to the depot where the mined and bagged coal was stored, the lighter way leading toward the miners’ houses on the near side of the lake.

Most of the houses were in three rows arranged in a U shape around a central square. The open, northern end of the U faced the road. It was there that smaller spice gardens had been planted. And it was in front of those, closer to the main square, that wedding preparations were in progress—for Kindan’s own sister’s wedding.

None of those houses were “proper” houses, built to withstand Threadfall. But Threadfall was a long way off—another sixteen Turns—and the miners were glad to have the temporary comfort of their own housing, convenient to the new mine.

Midway from the square to the hill was a separate house and a large shed. The house was Kindan’s home and the shed housed Dask, the camp’s sole remaining watch-wher. Dask was bonded to Kindan’s father, Danil.

Hidden from the watch point by the bend of the hill was a much larger and sturdier dwelling—the full stone hold of Natalon, the head Miner in the camp. North of it, separated by a walled-in herb garden, was a smaller but almost as well-built dwelling, the home of the camp’s Harper.

Just beyond the Harper’s dwelling—the edge of which was visible from the lookout—the hillside, a spur from the western mountain, turned abruptly and the plain in front of it rose toward the peak of the mountain, with another spur about two kilometers distant forming a valley. Two hundred meters from the bend and a hundred meters west of the lookout was the entrance to the mine.

The boys knew the valley like the backs of their hands, even though it was changing daily and Kindan had been there only six months himself. They paid no attention to the view. Today, not even the novelty of the wedding preparations interested them: The two boys had eyes only for the trader caravan winding its way around the lake below them.

“Where’s Terregar?” Zenor asked. “Can you see him?”

Kindan squinted and shaded his eyes against the sun with his hand, but mostly for show. The distance was far too great to make out one person in the whole caravan.

“I don’t know,” he answered irritably. “I’m sure he’s down there somewhere.”

Zenor laughed. “Well, he’d better be, or your Sis will kill him.”

Kindan favored this comment with a glare. “Hadn’t you better get back on down and tell Natalon?” he asked.

“Me?” Zenor replied. “I’m on watch, not a runner.”

“Shards!” Kindan groaned. “I’m all out of breath, Zenor.” He added in a lower tone, “And besides, you know how much Natalon wants to hear this news.”

Zenor’s eyes widened. “Oh, yeah, I do! Everyone knows that he was hoping your Sis would stay at the Camp.”

“Right,” Kindan agreed. “So just imagine how mad he’ll be at hearing about it from me.”

“Ah, come on, Kindan,” Zenor replied. “There’s good news with the bad—that’s a whole caravan approaching, not just a wedding.”

“Which he has to host,” Kindan snapped back. He sighed. “Well, if you insist, I’ll go back down.” He paused dramatically, eyeing his smaller friend. “But Sis said that I’ve got to wash Dask tonight.”

Zenor’s eyes narrowed as he considered this. “You mean, if I do the running, you’ll let me help wash the watch-wher?”

Kindan grinned. “Exactly!”

“You would?” Zenor repeated hopefully. “Your dad won’t mind?”

Kindan shook his head. “Not if he doesn’t find out, he won’t.”

The added enticement of doing something unsanctioned brought a gleam to Zenor’s eyes. “All right, I’ll do it.”

“Great.”

“Of course, washing a watch-wher’s not the same as oiling a dragon,” Zenor went on. The thought of Impressing a dragon, of becoming telepathically linked with one of Pern’s great fire-breathing defenders, was the secret wish of every child on Pern. But dragons seemed to prefer the children of the Weyr: Only a few riders were chosen from the Holds and Crafts. And no dragon had ever visited Camp Natalon.

“You know,” Zenor continued, “I saw them.”

Everyone in Camp Natalon knew that Zenor had seen dragons; it was his favorite tale. Kindan suppressed a groan. Instead, he made encouraging noises while hoping that Zenor wouldn’t dawdle too much longer or Natalon would be wondering at the speed of his runner—and might remember who it was.

“They were so beautiful! A perfect V formation. Way up high. You could see them: bronze, brown, blue, green . . .” Zenor’s voice faded as he recalled the memory. “And they looked so soft—”

“Soft?” Kindan interrupted, his tone full of disbelief. “How could they look soft?”

“Well, they did! Not like your father’s watch-wher.”

Kindan, feeling anger on Dask’s behalf, stomped firmly on his emotion, remembering that he still wanted Zenor to run for him.

“Is the caravan getting closer?” he asked, hinting broadly.

Zenor looked, nodded, and sprinted away from the watch point. “You won’t forget, will you?” he called back over his shoulder.

“Never!” Kindan replied. He was delighted at the thought of help with what he was certain was going to be a particularly thorough bathing of the coal mine’s only watch-wher, the night before a major wedding.

At the bottom of the hillside, after his long, warm scramble down, Zenor paused and looked back up to where Kindan was now standing watch. It was warmer in the valley and the air was thicker, partly from the moisture in the fields, and partly from the smoke already beginning to rise from the Camp’s fires. Catching his breath, he turned to search for Miner Natalon. He steered for the largest knot of people he could find, figuring that the Camp’s leader would be there. He was right.

Natalon was a rangy sort of a man who stood taller than the average. Zenor’s father, Talmaric, had called Natalon a “youngster” once, but only in a low voice. After hearing that, Zenor had tried to imagine Natalon as young but couldn’t. Even though Talmaric was five Turns older than Natalon, Natalon’s twenty-six Turns might have been a full hundred when compared to Zenor’s meager ten.

Zenor considered calling out, but there was still a lot of confusion over the right title for Natalon. He’d be “Lord Natalon” if the Camp proved itself and became a proper Mine but that was still to happen and no one quite knew how to address him now. Zenor opted for worming through the crowd and grabbing at Natalon’s sleeve.

Miner Natalon was not pleased to have someone yank on his sleeve in the middle of an argument. He looked down and saw the sweat-stained face of Talmaric’s son but couldn’t remember the child’s name. It had been so much easier six months earlier, when there’d only been himself and a few other miners seeking out a new seam of coal. But finding that seam, and still others after it, had been exactly what Natalon had hoped for—to start a Camp and prove it into a Mine.

Talmaric’s son yanked again. “Yes?” Natalon said.

“The caravan’s approaching, sir,” Zenor said, hoping that “sir” would not affront the Camp’s head miner.

“How soon, lad? Don’t you know how to make a proper report?” a querulous voice barked above Zenor’s ears. He turned and saw that the speaker was Tarik, Natalon’s uncle. Zenor had had several encounters with Tarik’s son, Cristov, and still bore bruises from the last meeting.

Rumor had it that Tarik was furious that Crom Hold’s MasterMiner hadn’t put him in charge of seeking out new coal. Another rumor, whispered quietly among only a few of the Camp’s boys, was that Tarik was doing everything in his power to prove that Natalon was unsuited to run the Camp and that he, Tarik, should be placed in charge. The last set of bruises Zenor had got from Cristov were the result of an ill-placed comment about Cristov’s father.

“How long until they arrive, Zenor?” a kinder voice asked. It was Danil, Kindan’s father, and the partner of the Camp’s only surviving watch-wher.

“I spotted them at the head of the valley,” Zenor replied. “I imagine it’ll be four, maybe six hours until they reach the camp.”

“They’d get here faster if the roadway were properly lined,” Tarik growled, casting a reproving glare at Natalon.


From the Hardcover edition.

Media reviews

Citations

  • Ingram Paperback Advance, 01/01/2005, Page 21

About the author

Anne McCaffrey, one of the world's most popular authors, is best known for her Dragonriders of Pern(R) series. She was the first woman to win the two top prizes for science fiction writing, the Hugo and Nebula awards. She was also given the American Library Association's Margaret A. Edwards Award for Lifetime Literary Achievement in Young Adult Fiction, was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame, and was named a Science Fiction Writers of America Nebula Grand Master. Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1926, McCaffrey relocated to Ireland in the 1970s, where she lived in a house of her own design, named Dragonhold-Underhill. She died in 2011. Todd McCaffrey, Anne's son, is a computer engineer living in Los Angeles. He is currently working on a solo Dragonriders of Pern novel, Dragonsblood.
Back to Top

More Copies for Sale

Dragon's Kin (The Dragonriders of Pern)
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Dragon's Kin (The Dragonriders of Pern)

by McCaffrey, Anne

  • Used
  • Paperback
Condition
UsedGood
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 13
9780345462008
ISBN 10
0345462009
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Tucker, Georgia, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
£1.18
£3.61 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
UsedGood. All orders ship by next business day! This is a used paperback book. Has moderate wear on cover and/or pages. Has no markings on pages. Spine has been opened/creased. Front cover has crease(s). For USED books, we cannot guarantee supplemental materials such as CDs, DVDs, access codes and other materials. We are a small company and very thankful for your business!
Item Price
£1.18
£3.61 shipping to USA
Dragon's Kin
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Dragon's Kin

by McCaffrey, Anne ; McCaffrey, Todd

  • Used
  • very good
  • Paperback
Condition
Used - Very Good
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 13
9780345462008
ISBN 10
0345462009
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Bellingham, Massachusetts, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
£2.39
£3.68 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Del Rey, 2004-12-27. Mass Market Paperback. Very Good. Mass Market Paperback. Very Good.FREE Media Mail Shipping on all U.S. orders over $ 25.00
Item Price
£2.39
£3.68 shipping to USA
Dragon's Kin (The Dragonriders of Pern)
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Dragon's Kin (The Dragonriders of Pern)

by Anne McCaffrey, Todd J. McCaffrey

  • Used
  • good
Condition
Used - Good
ISBN 13
9780345462008
ISBN 10
0345462009
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Saint Louis, Missouri, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
£2.81
£3.21 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Del Rey, December 2004. Paper Back. Good.
Item Price
£2.81
£3.21 shipping to USA
Dragon's Kin (The Dragonriders of Pern)
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Dragon's Kin (The Dragonriders of Pern)

by Anne McCaffrey, Todd J. McCaffrey

  • Used
Condition
Used - Very Good
ISBN 13
9780345462008
ISBN 10
0345462009
Quantity Available
1
Seller
POWDER SPGS, Georgia, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
£3.21
£3.61 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Del Rey, December 2004. Paper Back. Used - Very Good. Very good condition. May show some signs of use/age/shelf wear/creasing. No writing, stains, or tears.
Item Price
£3.21
£3.61 shipping to USA
Dragon's Kin (The Dragonriders of Pern)

Dragon's Kin (The Dragonriders of Pern)

by McCaffrey, Anne; McCaffrey, Todd J.

  • Used
  • good
  • Paperback
Condition
Used - Good
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 13
9780345462008
ISBN 10
0345462009
Quantity Available
8
Seller
Seattle, Washington, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
£5.16
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Del Rey, 2004. Mass Market Paperback. Good. Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Item Price
£5.16
FREE shipping to USA
Dragon's Kin (The Dragonriders of Pern)

Dragon's Kin (The Dragonriders of Pern)

by McCaffrey, Anne; McCaffrey, Todd J.

  • Used
  • good
  • Paperback
Condition
Used - Good
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 13
9780345462008
ISBN 10
0345462009
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Seattle, Washington, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
£5.16
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Del Rey, 2004. Mass Market Paperback. Good. Missing dust jacket; Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Item Price
£5.16
FREE shipping to USA
Dragon's Kin : A New Novel of Pern
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Dragon's Kin : A New Novel of Pern

by McCaffrey, Anne, McCaffrey, Todd J

  • Used
Condition
Used - Good
ISBN 13
9780345462008
ISBN 10
0345462009
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Mishawaka, Indiana, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
£5.35
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Random House Worlds. Used - Good. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages.
Item Price
£5.35
FREE shipping to USA
Dragon's Kin : A New Novel of Pern
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Dragon's Kin : A New Novel of Pern

by McCaffrey, Anne, McCaffrey, Todd J

  • Used
Condition
Used - Good
ISBN 13
9780345462008
ISBN 10
0345462009
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Mishawaka, Indiana, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
£5.35
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Random House Worlds. Used - Good. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages.
Item Price
£5.35
FREE shipping to USA
Dragon's Kin : A New Novel of Pern
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Dragon's Kin : A New Novel of Pern

by McCaffrey, Anne, McCaffrey, Todd J

  • Used
Condition
Used - Good
ISBN 13
9780345462008
ISBN 10
0345462009
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Reno, Nevada, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
£5.35
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Random House Worlds. Used - Good. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages.
Item Price
£5.35
FREE shipping to USA
Dragon's Kin : A New Novel of Pern
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Dragon's Kin : A New Novel of Pern

by McCaffrey, Anne, McCaffrey, Todd J

  • Used
Condition
Used - Very Good
ISBN 13
9780345462008
ISBN 10
0345462009
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Mishawaka, Indiana, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
£5.35
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Random House Worlds. Used - Very Good. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in excellent condition. May show signs of wear or have minor defects.
Item Price
£5.35
FREE shipping to USA