Part of Pern
First published 2005
Lessa scrubs floors and serves meals at Benden Weyr, hiding her true identity from the nobles who murdered her father and seized his lands. She has waited years for revenge, disguised as a ragged kitchen girl. Her chance comes when she encounters a Queen dragon and forms an unbreakable bond with the magnificent creature. This partnership arrives at a critical moment. Thread, a deadly organism that devours everything it touches, threatens to return from space after centuries of absence. The dragon riders who once defended the planet have dwindled to almost nothing. Only the great golden Queen can produce new dragons, but she grows weaker each day. Lessa must cast aside her servant's disguise and reclaim her birthright as a leader. She faces an impossible choice between personal vengeance and saving her world. With her Queen dragon as partner, Lessa embarks on a desperate mission that could cost both their lives but might restore the dragon population and protect Pern from destruction.
Genres: science-fiction, adventure, fantasy, epic-fantasy, young-adult-fantasy
Vibes: epic, fast-paced, suspenseful, transformative, world-threatening
Tropes: chosen-one, found-family, magical-bond, reclaiming-birthright, revenge-arc
Setting: Benden Weyr, Pern
299 pages · Paperback · Del Rey
Content warnings: death, violence