Seeford's Spot

Bitterly disappointed.
That's me right after finishing this book.
I was so hoping for some Anne-permutation of greatness, some flashback to the great writing of the Anne-only Pern books, because she co-wrote this one with her son Todd, right?
No. In the forwards and afterwords, it is very clear - Todd wrote the book, she gave some advice or inspiration perhaps, and he copy-edited the book as well, so all mistakes are his, he tells us.

First the good:
I really love the new 'time' of Pern he's working in (where they still remember their origins and technology), and I like the characters a lot. Having repeated plagues as a plot device is getting a bit tiresome, (and reminds me of Moreta), but overall I'm liking where he's going with the storyline of Pern.

Then the bad:
But the way he writes is just horrible! Jumping from one character to the next, all dialogue, lots of names of characters thrown in, awkward phrasing (why on earth when one woman replies to another (both hetero) does he need to throw in the adjective 'well-stacked'?), several points where one character, with raised eyebrow or pointed 'look', communicates some kind of joke to another - literally "she smiled at the joke" - and I had no idea what the joke was.
Then there was the continuity issues/repetition - when one character is told about a boy new to the weyr, she asks who is father is, and is surprised ("brows raised in surprise") and asks if he has the Sight and is told he doesn't, and learns about his sister - then, 30 pages later she meets the boy herself, and with "brows raised in surprise" asks him if he has the Sight and is told that he doesn't, his sister will, asks the same questions, etc. Really irritating, that kind of plot repetition should have been caught in someone's edit! My edition also had several spelling issues ('peeled' instead of 'pealed', etc.), which I can live with, but are still irritating.

But here's the ugly:
I am really, really, really sick and tired of reading all about how Fiona is such a wonderful person, big heart, etc. ad nauseaum. Really - it's like there is a cult around her and the author feels the need for everyone to verbally reinforce just how wonderful Fiona is, whether she is or is not present at the time. (The author is just tell, tell, telling us all the time - just SHOW us, and then leave it alone, willya!) And while I have no problems with her 'free love' style, I find it irritating that it always has to be so front and center, as if it is the main focus of the story. One of the things I always liked about Pern was that while the original books occasionally referenced things like relationships between riders, or mating flights, they were done subtly and very fade-to-black, they were not front and center of the story. I feel like the sexual choices and relationships of all the characters is being rubbed in our faces, constantly. Really, Todd, I DO NOT CARE, and FYI, you are probably driving away a whole cadre of readership. I would let my kids read all the Pern books at age 11 - except for any of the Todd books, those pretty much need to be 17+, I think.
In addition, this book specifically seems to have had no female/maternal input into the whole pregnancy aspect of it (which is a big component, since 7 different women get pregnant during the course of the book.) Yes, major stress can be a cause of miscarriage, but while Fiona is constantly reminded of this (ostensibly so she stresses less, I guess?), and flying between can be a cause as well, apparently it is only a danger if the plot requires it because flying between is ok for the pregnant women on occasion. Very contrived! Also, since when is 'being irritable' in the first couple of weeks a sign of twins? IRL, that is just being pregnant overall. This is another of those times when a writer just goes on and on about the changes in a woman's body and temperament way more than reasonable, and way too early. Everyone is all informed that Fiona is having twins and in complete agreement because of her mood changes, because having twins must do that to a person, right? Ridiculous!

Overall, I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone but a Pern devotee who is desperate for a fix, where anything is better than nothing.
I'm glad that I decided some time ago to stop buying the Todd books, because they are just not worth the shelf space in my home. It's unfortunate, actually, because the Pern books by Anne are one of the very few series where I would immediately buy the hardcover as soon as it hit the shelves. Now, it's library reading all the way, baby!

Although if the After the Fall book about Lessa and F'lar comes out as Anne mentions she's writing it, I am all over that!