Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern
core novel 1983 Dragonriders of Pern
Record
| First published | 1983 |
|---|---|
| Original language |  EN |
| Work type | novel |
| Canon status | core |
| Reader rating | 4.04 (30,302 ratings, collected 2026-09-13) |
| First-edition ISBN | 9780345298737 |
Synopsis
A Pern novel set generations before the main series, Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern follows the healer-weyrwoman Moreta during a deadly plague crisis. Moreta leads Fort Weyr at a time when Pern is not facing Thread but a different kind of danger: a fast-spreading illness affecting both people and the runnerbeasts that many holds depend on for transport and labor. As the outbreak worsens, Moreta and her dragon Orlith are called on again and again to carry vital medicine to distant holds and weyrs, an exhausting duty that falls disproportionately on her because so few other riders and dragons can be spared during the crisis. Alongside the mounting death toll and strained resources, Moreta must also navigate her complicated relationship with Leri, the aging former Weyrwoman, and with Alessan, a Lord Holder whose own hold has been hit especially hard.
Where it sits
- Universe: Dragonriders of Pern
- Series: Moreta / Nerilka core; position 1 of 2 in the series' recorded order
- Author: Anne McCaffrey
Awards (verified)
- Hugo Award (Best Novel), 1984: nominated
Notes
- From the series record (Moreta / Nerilka): A duology set generations before the original trilogy ('Sixth Pass' era).
Neighbouring works
Publication order and internal chronology are tracked as two separate orderings and are never conflated: a book's place in one says nothing about its place in the other.
- Publication order, within the series Moreta / Nerilka: position 1 of 2: next Nerilka's Story (1986)
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Pern_books
- https://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/pern_series
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moreta:_Dragonlady_of_Pern
- https://www.thehugoawards.org
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