Grade 7 Up–The McCaffreys return to Pern. The story is set in the same time period as Dragon's Kin (Del Rey, 2003), the second Interval after landing, but has a different focus. The colonists are preparing for the next 50-year pass of the Red Star and the start of Thread, a mindless killer that falls from the skies destroying all organic material in its path. To combat this threat, the dragons must chew firestone to burn Thread from the sky. However, the mining of the firestone is difficult–any drop of moisture makes it explode, and it has killed countless dragons and miners. The other problem is what to do with the Shunned. They are holders who have committed crimes that have banished them from the holds but with Thread coming, they will die if they are holdless. The story is brought to life by a mute harper's apprentice, Pellar, and a miner's son, Cristov, who take it upon themselves to save the Shunned and the dragonriders alike. This novel reintroduces readers to well-known characters such as Kindan and Master Zist and introduces new characters and concepts of the world of Pern. A companion volume, it also stands on its own.–June H. Keuhn, Corning East High School, NY