Product Description

Never had there been as close a bonding as the one that existed between the young Lord Jaxom and his extraordinary white dragon, Ruth. Pure white and incredibly agile, Ruth possessed remarkable qualities. Not only could he communicate with the iridescent, fluttering fire lizards, but he could fly. Back in time to any WHEN with unfailing accuracy. Nearly everyone else on Pern thought Ruth was a runt who would never amount to anything, but Jaxom knew his dragon was special. In secret they trained to fight against the burning threads from the Red Planet, to fly Back in time as well as Between, and finally their close and special union was to result in the most startling and breathtaking discovery of all...THE WHITE DRAGON is one of the most unforgettable episodes in Anne McCaffrey's world-famous Chronicles of Pern.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #98044 in Books
• Published on: 1983-06-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 477 pages

From the Back Cover
Never had there been as close a bonding as the one that existed between the young Lord Jaxom and his extraordinary white dragon, Ruth. Pure white and incredibly agile, Ruth possessed remarkable qualities. Not only could he communicate with the iridescent, fluttering fire lizards, but he could fly. Back in time to any WHEN with unfailing accuracy.

Nearly everyone else on Pern thought Ruth was a runt who would never amount to anything, but Jaxom knew his dragon was special. In secret they trained to fight against the burning threads from the Red Planet, to fly Back in time as well as Between, and finally their close and special union was to result in the most startling and breathtaking discovery of all...

THE WHITE DRAGON is one of the most unforgettable episodes in Anne McCaffrey's world-famous Chronicles of Pern.

About the Author
Anne McCaffrey, the Hugo award winning author of the bestselling Dragonriders of Pern novels, is one of science fiction's most popular authors. She lives in a house of her own design, Dragonhold-Underhill, in County Wicklow, Ireland. Visit the author's website at www.annemccaffrey.net

Customer Reviews

Bigger isn't necessarily better, even in dragons
Picking up threads begun in DRAGONSONG and DRAGONSINGER, this book follows not only Masterharper Robinton, but the early career of Ruth and his rider, Jaxom. They're a problem to hidebound traditionalists everywhere. Ruth is a throwback in size to the early generations of the dragon species, when they were just large enough to carry human riders. He's the runt of his particular clutch, of course - and if he hadn't been too weak to break out of the shell of his abnormally thick-walled egg, Jaxom might never have Impressed him. Awkward all around; Jaxom is the only heir to Ruatha Hold since Lessa left it for Benden Weyr, and the rest of the Ruatha bloodline was wiped out in Fax's wars of conquest.

An Impression can't be gainsaid; Ruth and Jaxom are paired for life. Jaxom can't be treated like an ordinary weyrling and bundled off to become a proper dragonrider without touching off a bloodbath among the younger sons of Lord Holders vying for Ruatha. The problem of these hotheads is another plot thread, as the Weyrleaders and Lord Holders work on the problem of gradually opening up the Southern continent as a pressure valve without stirring up trouble with the Oldtimer dragonriders of Southern Weyr. Alas, trouble sometimes shows up even if you don't ask for it.

Fortunately, Ruth's small size makes it possible for him to live at Ruatha itself rather than in the huge confines of a weyr, and Fort Weyr isn't far away. Jaxom's life hasn't been easy; he's the only surviving son of the late, unlamented conqueror Fax, and after his mother's death in childbirth, Jaxom's future was decided for him, including fosterage with Lytol, who serves as his regent; another problem, since Lytol was himself a dragonrider who by chance survived his dragon's death, and still mourns him. Lytol's lost so much in life that he doesn't let himself become visibly attached to people anymore.

Jaxom has never had open affection from anyone, until Ruth came into his life, nor any control over his own destiny (not to mention that he's reaching the rebellious stage of youth anyway). He doesn't care about other kids' taunts about Ruth not being a 'proper' dragon; he's determined not only to fly, but to learn to direct Ruth to teleport and breathe flame, and in short, to learn all the skills used by a dragonrider fighting thread. After all, while he's Lord Holder in name, Lytol is really in charge.

Ruth himself is happy being wherever Jaxom is, and has some unusual talents that eventually manifest themselves. And eventually, they encounter a problem that no 'proper' dragonrider could have hoped to solve.

This volume is rather different from its predecessors in the Dragonriders of Pern series; the dragonriders of Benden are only supporting players, and there are intimations of mortality creeping up on the older generation, as Jaxom's generation begins coming of age, the generation that's grown up during this Pass of the Red Star. Robinton's schemes for giving young craftsmen, holders, and journeymen training across disciplines is beginning to bear fruit, even as he himself finally begins feeling his age. The exiled Oldtimers are becoming desperate, growing old with no new blood coming in; even those who didn't go to Southern have had enough threadfall for several lifetimes.

One of the best Science Fiction Books I have ever read .
This book has every thing you could ask, I have re read this book so many times that I wore out my first copy. It is part of the dragon series but stands on its own as a story. I would love to live on Pern and of course be a dragon rider. Anne McCaffrey knows her craft, when you read this story you want to be there.

Another Great McCaffery Book!!!
The White Dragon, is yet another good read from Anne McCaffery! It is the 3rd book in her Dragon Riders of Pern series, following Dragonflight and Dragonquest. Though it doesn't matter which order to read them in really!!

The plot in this book is as good as any other in the series, the characterisation is good and you really can get involved and feel quite passionately about the characters, and finally the world, Pern, is just engrossing - such a creative mind!

A must read for all fans of good science fiction at it's best!!