Although McCaffrey is one of today's better sf writers, Dinosaur Planet is nowhere near as well-written as the books in her "Dragonriders of Pern" series. The characters are sketchy compared to F'lar and Lessa and the story is not as compelling as Dragonflight or Dragonquest…. Despite these reservations, sf fans will enjoy Dinosaur Planet; McCaffrey's second-rate is much better than some other authors' best.

Carolanne Isola, "Book Reviews: 'Dinosaur Planet'," in Library Journal (reprinted from Library Journal, June 15, 1978; published by R. R. Bowker Co. (a Xerox company); copyright © 1978 by Xerox Corporation), Vol. 103, No. 12, June 15, 1978, p. 1295.