Sky Dragons

Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern series has been beloved for more than four decades. The saga continues with her fifth and final collaboration with her son, Todd, before her death in 2011. Young Xhinna, the first woman to ride a blue dragon, finds herself playing a key role in the desperate struggle to rebuild Pern's dragon population, which has been decimated by Plague and fearsome egg-eating tunnel snakes. Separated from Weyrleader T'Mar and Weyrwoman Fiona, Xhinna takes on the mantle of honorary weyrwoman and leads her small, battered group of dragonriders and infant weyrlings to shelter in what will become Sky Weyr. Relationship tangles take center stage as Xhinna struggles to lead the young weyr while convincing herself she is actually strong and skilled enough to do so. While minimal backstory will make it difficult for new readers to find their way into this chapter of the Pern story, longtime fans will enjoy the latest adventures of the cheerful dragonriders and their colorful mounts. Agent: Diana Tyler, MBA Literary Agents Ltd. (July)