sarahdm's reviews
156 reviews

DNF after 8 chapters.

The "snarky" dialog isn't funny or witty but just incredible juvenile.
Harrow and Gideon are completely unlikable characters.
The lore and world building is bone dry.
The aesthesis are less necromancers in space and more Hot Topic teen fantasy.
Honestly disappointed. I have too many books on my reading list to justify continue pushing through this one.
Lovely cover art though!

The Witness for the Dead is both very different and similar to The Goblin Emperor.

Similar in that its doesn't really feel like a lot of plot is really happening. Yes, things are happening as we are brought along on "bring the reader to work day" with Celehar. There are several murders, forged documents, stopping a ghoul, and tragic accidents, as Celehar goes around doing his whole magical detective thing. But we also just mill around with him as he gets tea, eats breakfast, ignores the passing flirt of an opera writer, sells a coat that is just not his color, etc.

Its also different that being a magical murder detective that the things happening actually do have plot that doesn't just comes and goes. Celehar's job really is the driving force, not Celehar himself in this one. So unlike Goblin Emperor, this is NOT character driven at all but more what it means (boring or otherwise) to be a witness for the dead in this world.

I don't know about this one. On the surface, its pretty boring. Nothing is really happening, Celehar isn't changed by the events of the book, Celehar isn't even really an interesting or likeable character here. But the continued exploration of the world is just too interesting to not like.

If there is such a thing as a cozy low stakes murder mystery day job simulator, this is it. Do not recommend unless you are already in love with the concepts in The Goblin Emperor.

Here's my no nostalgia review. First time reading this book in 2023.

TLDR: Great ideas and world build that's unfortunately delivered by a character I'm just too old to relate to. If you have ever played a DND bard and can tolerate "horse-girl but with dragons" definitely give it a read and check out the 2 albums for this book on spotify.

The Harper books are very character driven, which is a shame because right now Menolly is a child. Her story is very "horse-girl but with dragons." She's just not like other girls! She's so good at everything right from the get-go and her only real struggles are societal ones. "A girl wearing pants and doing guy thing? Outrageous!" It really doesn't hit for me in the year of our lord 2023. Now 15-20 years ago when I was closer to Menolly's age? I would have ate this up. I'm currently reading The White Dragon where she is older and her character is matured to a state of likeability.

Now the whole Harper business and the role they play in the world of Pern? Interesting as hell. Its like a DND bard turned up too 100. This idea that singers and musicians are these super important people that bring news and culture all over the land and are highly valued is just awesome to dive into. There are also 2 accommodating albums for these two books: "The Masterharper of Pern" and "Sunset's Gold." I definitely recommend checking them out on Spotify. It really adds that extra layer of world building.

Worth the read just for more Pern world building even though Menolly isn't a likable character yet.

Here's my no nostalgia review. First time reading this book in 2023.

TLDR: Give the first 2 books a try. You can even listen to the abridged audiobooks. This world is so interesting I think it requires at least a sincere effort to try and like it.

I went in blind. This is the way. What an interesting world. You expect fantasy and then it comes around and slaps you with that sci-fi element. I completely understand why this series is so beloved and a sci-fi fantasy classic.

The, ugh, mind-meld magic dragon sex is really weird and kind of rapey. Its not any weirder then today’s ABO/Omega verse stuff. There is also a LOT of misogyny paired with some early feminist ideas of female empowerment. Lessa is a bitch and I honestly love her for it. This was first published in the 60's so I'm not that surprised about all of these negative elements. Thankfully the world McCaffrey has create out shines all the dated things in these books.

This book and the next one, Dragonquest, are the ultimate test of if you are gonna enjoy this series. These first two books introduce you to the world, a few key characters, and McCaffrey's writing style. With Pern, its all about the world building and lore. The characters and plot are all gonna play second-fiddle. If you aren't totally in love with Pern by these two books, hungry to learn more and willing to get through some unlikeable character and dated ideas, this series isn't for you. I love Pern but I know its really not for everyone.

Here's my no nostalgia review. First time reading this book in 2023.

(Go check out my Dragonflight review first. I don't wanna just copy and paste my thoughts here)

TLDR: If you read Dragonflight and Dragonquest and still doesn't like this series, you aren't gonna like any of it. I think everyone should give at least these first two books an effort. The sci-fi and characters in this book really hooked me to keep reading.

Dragonquest introduces some interesting characters and way more sci-fi elements. I don't know if I just wasn't paying attention enough in the first book but the sci-fi here really wowed me and I was seriously excited when those elements started popping up (trying not to spoil anything here.) We also get more information on the world which I just can't get enough of at this point.

Personally, I think what got me to keep reading this series (besides the interesting world building) was Jaxom. He is introduced in this book and has a very small role here but I just have a huge soft spot for the hatching scene with him.

It took me awhile to understand just how good Song of Achilles actually is. Its been sitting at 4 stars for me since I read it but today it deserves 5 stars. It really is the most satisfying angsty queer romance I have read to date. So many LGBT books I read I always find myself thinking "Yeah but its no Song of Achilles." If you are frustrated with queer romance, read this book NOW.

Now this book isn't perfect. The ghost(?) perspective near the end of the book is a little confusing to read. There are some spicy scenes but they are not too over the top. Patroclus is a little too feminized. And finally do yourself a favor, skip the audiobook.

These small flaws should not stop you from reading this book. I cherish this book so much, it truly is a shining gem in the mountain of other disappointing and mediocre LGBT novels.

Here's my no nostalgia review. First time reading this book in 2023.

TLDR: McCaffrey seems to have finally hit her stride with The White Dragon. Character driven and lots of interesting sub-plots blended together to tell Jaxom's coming of age story.

I have always liked Jaxom ever since he and Ruth were first introduced in Dragonquest. I could tell that their characters had serious protentional and I'm really satisfied with the character exploration and growth that happens in this book. Jaxom goes from a teen frustrated that he is not allowed to be dragon rider and hold master, to an adult who achieves both but in his own way different from the expectation.

With that said, the book really is just about Jaxom, so readers might be frustrated and feel like there is no coherent plot. The book is more several sub-plots all tied together by one common thread, that being that Jaxom is somehow involved. Character driven books aren't for everyone so I can see why some people wouldn't like it, especially if they aren't a fan of Jaxom.

And its very easy to not like Jaxom. He is possibly the most convincingly written teenage/young adult boy I have read in a long time. He is arrogant, impulsive, and horny. Like REALLY horny. The dude has like 3-4 different girlfriends at different points through out the book. And the weird dragon mating stuff is here and at full force, McCaffrey being sure to remind us that every time Jaxom climaxes that Ruth is also there feeling everything in his mind. There's a handful of sex scenes in the book, so get ready to read all about Jaxom and Ruth's intimate psychic connection. While this might be weird to read for some, its honestly just fascinating to learn and understand the ideas and feelings around sex for dragon riders in this world. I've said this before but its really not any weirder than A/B/O or omegaverse. In fact, compared to the first 2 books, the weird dragon sex is a lot less rapey in this one. Everything is consensual and all of Jaxom's partners delight in sex. Pern is so sex positive its wild that this came out 40+ years ago.

If you aren't a fan of Jaxom, a lot of other character are here and seem fully fleshed out in this novel. F'lar, Lessa, and Robinton all feel like real people instead of just placeholders now. Menolly, now a young woman, is actually tolerable and interesting compared to her books (Dragonsong & Dragonsinger). There is a weird scene between Menolly and Robinton in his book that I am not a fan of. I don't care how many fan fiction there are of them, the age gap is weird. Thankfully its not actioned on. Menolly, Mirrim, Piemur, Jaxom, and Sharra (a new character) create their own little Scooby Gang of friends. I really like this group of characters and the friendships between them. Those relationships are really on display in this book which really made me grow to like them all, now that they are actually realized characters.

On the lore/sci-fi side of things, some really cool and interesting stuff happens. Fantasy and sci-fi continue to be blended so well in these book. It makes me excited to read more of the series, just to find out what else the people of Pern will discover about their past. Also, the limits of time travel and going in-between is still exciting in this one. I don't see the novelty of it wearing off anytime soon.

Overall, this book is fantastic. A lot of the time readers will ask "When does the series get good" with books. With Pern, I really think The White Dragon is where this series is really starting to get good. McCaffrey is making fully rounded interesting characters, engaging in interesting worldbuilding and lore, and also having exciting plot lines. While some of the previous books were missing one or two of these factors, The White Dragon has them all.

If you are looking for a TRUE character driven book, this is it.

There really isn't a plot in Goblin Emperor. Things are happening like assassination attempts, political turmoil, a murder mystery. But all of these things are kind of just happening in the background. The real focus is truly "what would happen if an outsider became royalty." The author goes into intense detail about everything an emperor does, thinks, and feels. Even if you end up not liking the characters (impossible), the author's eye for detail really wowed me enough to keep going. And the characters are LOVELY. The main character as well as their allies are all likeable and great. Also, I really do enjoy the little peaks into the world building (do not expect an info dump or deep explanation of things in this one). It leaves so much to explore in other (hopefully) future books or (if its your thing) the nice amount of fan fiction waiting for you when you finish this book.

That being said, I don't think I truly fell in love with this book till around the chapter 25 mark, which might be too long of a journey for some people to push through. The main character is honestly, pretty lonely and miserable for most of the book, which more than once made me want to stop but I'm glad I pushed through it. Also the royal "we" and "thou" dialog is going to push a lot of folks away which is completely understandable. This book is 100% not for everyone.

If you are still interested I HIGHLY recommend the audiobook read by Kyle McCarley (was on Hoopla for me). The names of people and things in this book are absolute ridiculous, which is why there is a glossary in the back. I found it a lot easier to keep track of characters based on the voices the narrator chose to give them rather then their actual names.

Overall, if you are looking for a detailed character driven fantasy with light world building with a fandom to carry you through the post-book depression, The Goblin Emperor is your next read.