[In Dragonsong young] Menolly, whose greatest love is music, rebels against the harsh life in a fishing Hold after her father forbids her even to sing. Leaving the safety of the Hold, Menolly is befriended by a group of fire lizards and eventually realizes her dream about becoming a musician. The author explores the ideas of alienation, rebellion, love of beauty, the role of women and the role of the individual in society with some sensitivity in a generally well-structured plot with sound characterizations.

Joan Barbour, "The Book Review: 'Dragonsong'," in School Library Journal (reprinted from the April, 1976 issue of School Library Journal, published by R. R. Bowker Co./ A Xerox Corporation; copyright © 1976), Vol. 22, No. 8, April, 1976, p. 91.

[Dragonsong] takes place on Pern, one of those Other planets where the names are vaguely Welsh, and there's a portentous foreword about the deadly Thread spores, the flying dragons bred to...