Book Review: “The White Dragon” By Anne McCaffrey

This is the fifth novel Anne McCaffrey set on Pern.  It is placed with the first two novels in the series to form a trilogy called the “Dragonriders of Pern”, but it can almost stand as a separate novel.  There are references that will be easier to understand if the first four books have been read.

The story begins a year or two after Jaxom accidentally impressed Ruth.  Ruth has reached his full growth and Jaxom is now permitted to train to ride Ruth.  The training only includes flying Ruth not fighting with him, so Jaxom secretly tries to train Ruth in how to fight Thread, the nasty flesh eating spore that periodically falls on Pern.  He makes use of his limited training while playing his part in recovering a queen egg the Oldtimer’s stole.  After that he is trained in fighting Thread, to prevent future foolishness.  Then he is drawn into the task of finding where D’ram, retired weyrleader of Ista, has taken himself after the death of his weyrmate (wife).  This leads to a serious illness and then an exploration of the southern continent that marks the Pern series as being Sci-fi rather than fantasy.

Along the way Jaxom grows up.  He starts as a teenager with a certain amount of teenage angst over how he fits into his world.  By the end of the story he’s married and grown into his dual responsibilities as Lord Holder and dragonrider.

This is an enjoyable book; not challenging, except maybe on the women’s rights front, but not so formulaic as to be predictable. The main characters are complex enough that they can be interesting and the minor characters are simply drawn, but solidly enough not to distract.  Unless women’s rights are a serious concern, this is a book that is well worth putting on the list for light reading.

On the women’s rights front this book follows the earlier books, which were published starting in 1968.  All of the top positions are filled by men and expected to be filled by men.  There are a handful of strong women, who are put in positions supporting the top men.

Book Review: “Finding the Way” Edited by Mercedes Lackey

This is a collection of stories set in Valdemar. Most of the stories are decent though none are particularly outstanding. One of them uses a plot devise I particularly can’t stand.

Here are some brief comments on each of the stories included.


“Finding the Way” by Mercedes Lackey and Larry Dixon

Sherra is a hertasi living on the edge of the Gripping Mire. She lives outside of the Vales and makes a living off of the swamp, partially by guiding people through it. One morning she awakens with a Companion outside her hidden hut. The Companion, Vesily, is going after her Chosen. All she knows is that the Chosen is either in or on the other side of the swamp.

This is a solid story of staid experience helping the inexperienced.


“In Burning Zones We Build Against the Sun by Rosemary Edghill and Denise McCune

At the beginning of the reign of Queen Alliana the King of Karse demanded that she banish the Companions and marry his son. Alliana refused and the King sent his army and the demon summoning priests to attack Valdemar. Hedion is a Mindhealer and he goes around the southern border healing all those who have been damaged by Karse’s demons. Hedion collapses when on his way to save another dozen people and is saved by Gaurane, who insists that Hedion needs to take on his impossible quest intelligently.

This is a solid story. Rather sad in away, like Don Quixote without the comedy.


“Unintended Consequences” by Elizabeth A. Vaughan

Lady Ceraratha’s husband Lord Sinmon is dead after participating in the treasonous attack on Queen Selenay. This is the two scene denouement of the affair.

This is so short a story that it doesn’t amount to much or go anywhere.


“The Education of Evita” by Mickey Zucker Reichert

This is the story of how Evita came agree to be a Herald trainee and be educated at the Collegium.

I don’t know if this story is any good or not. The character Evita suffers from a crippling level of naiveté and her Companion is foolish enough to decide that the best way to handle this is to give her a large dose of uncontrolled reality. It’s the sort of character and plot that I simply can’t stand.


“A Charm of Finches” by Elisabeth Waters

Maia has the gift of Animal Mindspeech, which she is using to assist the priest/veterinarians at the Temple of Thenoth, Lord of the Beasts, in Haven. Then a distraught girl brings in her finch, which had been injured by a small knife. She investigates the incident and learns tha the girl’s older brother is running a scam where he accepts money to pray for the deceased and then uses the money to drink and party. Maia, with the assistance of her friend Samira, brings him to justice.

It is an enjoyable story with vivid characters.


“Healing in White” by Kristen Schwengel

Shia is a newly Chosen Herald with a strong Healing gift, a significant knowledge of herbcraft, and a gift of Foresight. Not long after she begins her training her foresight tells her that she is needed. She is sent and most of the story is about her tireless efforts to cure the people of Norflank.

It’s an ok story, but it is very much repeating the stereotypes that Mercedes Lackey has used in other stories.


“Songs of a Certain Sort” by Brenda Cooper

Rhiannon is a Bard travelling with her sister, Dionne, a Healer. On their travels they come upon a small fortress town, called Paradise, where women kidnapped from other towns are being held. After a brief risky investigation, and a poisoning, the town is taken care of by the family of the kidnapped women. This leads another bard to write a song about it. Rhia refreshes her complaint that it isn’t the sort of song she’s looking for. She wants to find a song, written by herself, that is popular.

It’s ok but really only ok. The characters are rather simply drawn and the plot isn’t strong enough to carry the load.


“Otherwise Engaged” by Stephanie Shaver

Bard Lelia and Healer Grier met when they both went out to see who the Death Bell was tolling for. They become lovers though they each have a secret they can’t share. By the end of the story they’ve each shared their secrets and then they have to part.

It is a sweet little story, if a little sad. A really enjoyable tale.


“Heart’s Choice” by Kate Paulk

Ree is a cat-like change child created by the Mage Storms. He and his boyfriend Jem live on a small farm in an out of the way valley along with Jem’s grandfather and an adopted daughter Amelie. The story starts with a pair of cat change children dead after attacking a cow and cowherd. Ree and Jem agree to go looking for the kits as there is evidence the change children had them. It ends with Ree and Jem adopting the change child infant and call him Meren.

This isn’t a particularly good story. The story focuses on Ree so the other characters are relatively simple, but Ree is fairly static despite grappling with the question of how human he is.


“Heart’s Own” by Sarah A. Hoyt

A further tale of Ree and Jem. Ree is wrestling with whether Meren is more human than animal.

Not a bad story, but even with the preceding story it is rather static with not enough plot or character development to be interesting.


“The Time We Have” by Tanya Huff

Jors is a Herald on his circuit when he comes on a trio of bandits that have lit a barn full of horses on fire. One of them is a woman. He is joined by Herald Erika who has been chasing the larger band these three came from. He agrees to assist her. They catch the three but the woman makes it out of the ambush. Jors chases her into a canyon until she goes off a cliff.

This is a well enough written story but I must admit I didn’t enjoy the way it ended. It became a story of how things just seem to happen.


“A Bard by Any Other Name” by Fiona Patton

Someone is leaving poetry painted on walls in Haven. The Watch wants to find whoever it is so they direct their talent in a better direction and also assist in cleaning up their vandalism. Hektor is one of the watchmen looking for the vandal and he knows a few people. His younger sister, Kasaith, also knows people. Particularly, a girl with an artist for a father and a love of poetry that has recently become infatuated.

A charming story and really quite amusing with many of the adult characters reminiscing about past courtships and youthful romances.


“Change of Life” by Judith Tarr

Maryls’ sixth daughter, and youngest child, is about to be wed. Shortly before the wedding a Herald gets passes through town amidst all the rush and bustle of preparations. The next day a Companion shows up to choose someone and only Maryls and Ginee, the bride to be, notice.

It’s a thoroughly absurd story, but the interplay between Maryls and the Companion is quite fun.


“Lack of Vision” by Nancy Asire

A murder has been committed in the tavern. The blacksmith’s apprentice, Bred, has been accused of the deed because he was found asleep in the tavern with the murder weapon on his table. The judge, Perran, is an honest judge and skilled investigator. He even questions the blind man that lives in the tavern.

This is an interesting and enjoyable short story, though it doesn’t stay a mystery very long.


“The Groom’s Price” by Michael Z. Williamson and Gail Sanders

Keth’re’son shena Tale’sedrin is a young Shin’a’in man. He was chosen by a Companion named Yssanda. She wants him to go to Valdemar and be trained to use his magic and mind magic. He claims he would rather remain on the plains and never learn any magic what so ever. However, he does enjoy an adventure and he gets hired to escort a young mage student to Valdemar.

The scenes are often too short for much more than a couple sentences. Other than that it’s an ok story.

Book Review: “Grantville Gazette IV” Edited by Eric Flint

This is the fourth anthology of short stories set in the universe of the Ring of Fire. Overall it is an enjoyable collection of stories. The anthology concludes with a series of technical documents describing particular challenges the people of Grantville might face. This is also the last of the paper editions of the Gazette that includes all the stories from the electronic version of the Gazette.

It is every bit as enjoyable as the other editions.

Here are some brief comments on each of the stories included.

“The Anatomy Lesson” by Eric Flint

This story deals with the relocation of Elisabeth Stuart and her brother Rupert from Brussels to Amsterdam. Since they are teenage royal folk this gets a fair amount of attention from the various powerful people. It also touches on the challenge of living with a known alternate history. Rupert, Rembrandt, Rubens, and Wentworth show different ways of handling the difficulty. An interesting story because it looks at the challenge, which is usually ignored.

“Poor Little Rich Girls” by Paula Goodlett and Gorg Huff

This story starts out with the market panic sparked by Guffy Pomeroy’s death. The girls in the Barbie Consortium use the opportunity to pick up good stocks at very good prices. Vicky makes a deal with one Arend Nebel for a thousand stocks of an oven company. The story moves on, Arend realizes that he sold at a low price and is outraged. He pulls in Hennig and Justine his brother-in-law to be and fiancé. He wants them to help him get revenge on Vicky. They refuse and he adds them to his list of intended victims. Arend attacks Justine, which pulls in her new friend Brandy. There is an exchange of confessions that helps with healing for both girls. Arend is caught by the police when he attacks Vicky. Then at the party Brandy’s mother holds to celebrate paying off her mortgage an undiplomatic comment by one of the Barbie Consortium leads to several people asking to be taught more about how to invest. It also sparks an interesting description of the financial situation of Grantville. This is an eventful story.

“’Til We Meet Again” by Virginia DeMarce

This rather sad story shows the state of the mechanical services in Grantville. It also shows how Iona Nelson became free to go to Quendlinburg; teaching music in the women’s college there.

“One Man’s Junk” by Karen Bergstralh

Journeyman Blacksmith Martin Schmidt had not been having a good week. For demanding that he receive journeyman’s wages he has been banned from working as a smith in Grantville. Now he is having dinner with Master Carpenter Glauber. Master Glauber has plans that could make him a healthy profit in Grantville. He hires Martin to assist in clearing out all the junk in a dilapidated shed. Inside they find, as Glauber thought, all the tools a blacksmith would need to setup his own shop. In the end Martin has a rather better week then he expected. This is a fun little story of the shenanigans going on outside the main action in Grantville.

“Chip’s Christmas Gift” by Russ Rittgers Chip Jenkins, who was once nearly slaughtered by Alex Mackey, is visiting with a friend for Christmas. They are both attending the College at Jena. He decides to give the family a special gift for Christmas, by playing on the violin. This isn’t a particularly interesting story though it is well enough written.

“Dice’s Drawings” by Dan Robinson

Dysart (Dice) Clifford is not pleased to find himself in the 1600s. He had been all set to retire from his job as a pressman when the Ring of Fire occurred. Now he has neither a retirement, nor one of his beloved printing presses. Elfriede Schutzen is a cobbler’s widow now in Grantville trying to make a life for herself. They meet while she is collecting dandelions from his yard. He helps her when her son is off playing. She makes him a meal. He shows her his newly constructed printing press. This is another small tale of people finding a balance after the Ring of Fire.

“The Class of ‘34” by Kerryn Offord

This tale of the end of the year for the class of (16)34 reminds me of stories about modern high school classes. It isn’t bad, but it isn’t all that good.

“Magdeburg Marines: The Few and the Proud” by Jose J. Clavell

When Mike Stearns appoints John Simpson as Admiral of the new Navy the Admiral decides that the navy requires the formation of a new Marine Corps. He goes to Duke Hudson, a retired Marine Gunnery Sergeant, for the founding NCO of this new Marine Corps. This story describes how several of the major decisions are made in founding that military body. Including how the “Horse Marines” come into being. This is one of the better stories in the collection.

“Elizabeth” by Ernest Lutz and John Zeek

General Jackson has a transport problem. He doesn’t have enough wagons or horses to support the larger army he needs to support and he doesn’t want to pay for the gear for the horses. He makes the mistake of idly grousing about the problem to Henry Dreeson. Jackson is surprised when Henry calls Lieutenant Elizabeth Pitre over. It turns out she has a possible solution, narrow gauge tactical railroads. Jackson takes her by surprise when he appoints her to lead the unit. There are difficulties in the doing, but the story covers how the TacRail division came to be another Grantville addition to the war effort. This is a fun story with a focus on some of the difficulties such a unit could run into.

There is one continuing serial in this volume. “Heavy Metal Music” by David Carrico

This is another installment of the ongoing saga of the musicians Marla and Franz. A short and enjoyable story that adds Master Ingram Bledsoe, Master Hans Riebeck, Friedrich, Anna, and Thomas all come from Mainz to see Franz. This is also the story where Ingram and Hans become partners.



The rest of these are articles describing particular challenges and solutions to be faced by the characters.

“Drillers in Doublets” by Iver P. Cooper

This is a long essay describing the situation Grantville finds itself in regards to oil and natural gas. It discusses where oil can be found, the technologies available, and the geology of oil and gas.



How to Keep Your Old John Deere Plowing” by Allen W. McDonnell

This is a short article describing how to keep the diesel powered tractors of Grantville running. Some could be converted to run on natural gas and some could run on vegetable oil with the addition of a heating element.



“How to Build a Machine Gun in 1634 with Available Technology: Two Alternate Views” First alternative by Leonard Hollar, Tom Van Natta, and John Zeek

The first alternative is an organ or volley gun, a weapon with multiple barrels that can all fire simultaneously. This is described in some detail.

Second alternative by Bob Hollingsworth

The second alternative is very similar to the first. It is a battery gun. It also has multiple barrels, though these are generally laid out next to each other. This article also discusses the available uptime guns, rifles, and ammunition available.



“A Looming Challenge” by Pam Poggiani

This article talks about the various ways to improve the cloth making industry. It begins with the spinning wheel and moves on to the loom. From there it moves into a long discussion of the process of harvesting many different materials for spinning and weaving. This leads into the process of spinning and weaving.

Lake County .Net User Group 6/14/12

I just got back from the monthly presentation by the Lake County .Net User Group (LCNUG). The presentation this month described how to use the Microsoft Robotics Developer studio and C# to program remote control devices and robots. It was presented by Min Maung.

My basic reaction... Hot damn! There's a lot of potential here. The guts of the code is a type of web service. This allows many different sorts of controllers to interface with different types of mechanical devices. One of the projects the speaker demoed was a light controlled via wi-fi by an Xbox controller. Another was a remote controlled lawnmower controlled via his smartphone.

Microsoft Robotics Developer includes a visual programming component that allows a developer to quickly link up different controllers, sensors, and other devices. It also includes the ability to write web services that serve as modules and can sit between those devices.

The meeting left me thinking about a number of possible applications, mostly with encryption. It is clearly possible to control an entire house from a computer with each piece having a little microcontroller and a central computer controlling the action. That includes lights, music, vacuum cleaners, lawnmowers, just about anything.

Book Review: “1634: The Ram Rebellion”

This book is somewhere between a novel and an anthology. It began as groups of stories that could have gone into the Grantsville Gazette. However, Eric Flint saw that these stories could be pulled together to form something like a novel. This story is focused on the question of how the individuals, both uptimers and downtimers, would deal with the problems the Ring of Fire created.

It is divided into four sections. The first is a pair of stories by Gorg Huff and Paula Goodlet with bridge chapters by Eric Flint. It shows uptimer farmers integrating with downtime German farmers. The second section is from a collection of different authors and shows how the “Ram” story develops. The third section is a collection of stories, mostly by Virginia DeMarce, that shows how the Ram Rebellion comes into being along with the opening moves. The final section is a novella by Eric Flint and Virginia DeMarce that deals with the full blown peasant farmer revolt in Franconia against the local petty lords.

As a book it is probably best understood as an anthology and, like the Grantsville Gazette, it is not a good entry point into the history. Having said that, this is a good book for someone who has already read and enjoyed “1632” and “1633” at least. Moving forward events described in this book are obliquely mentioned in later books, like “1634: The Bavarian Crisis”.

“Dragonsdawn” by Anne McCaffrey

This is the origin story of the Pernese colony and the Dragonriders of Pern. Naturally it begins with the colony ships arriving at Pern. It shows the colony leaders, Admiral Paul Benden and Governor Emily Boll, leading the colonists in their initial exploration and settling in. Tensions are shown, Averil Bitra schemes, and fire lizards are discovered and impressed.

Then Thread falls for the first time. Admiral Benden and Governor Boll are recalled from their stakes to lead the colony in this crisis. The volcano at the main city, Landing, starts to smoke, they put tremendous strain on their resources, Averil Bitra steals the admiral’s gig and gets herself killed, the first dragons are created by Kit Ping Yung and impress the first riders, and Fort hold is founded.

The book ends with a swift reversal the beleaguered colonists are out of power for the flying sleds when the dragons arrive to defend Fort.

Overall this is a good story. There are clearly drawn characters and problems. However it is not the best introduction to the series. There are quite a few references that only make sense if you’ve read the first couple books Anne McCaffrey published in this setting.

“Eulalia!” by Brian Jacques

Eulalia, the battle cry of the Badgers of Salamandastron is rather appropriate for this story. There are six badgers involved.

Two drop out early, they’re old farmers who drop out after their farm is attacked by sea rats. Gorath, the farmer’s grandson, has been taught by his grandfather to use the berserk rage of the Bloodwrath to do the really heavy farming work. Lord Asheye of Salamandastron is blind from wounds suffered while under the Bloodwrath and is waiting for his successor. Taboura is a wise old badger with a tremendous knowledge of herbs and the world. Taboura’s adoptive daughter, Salixa, travels with him.

Then there are the non-badger characters. Orkwil Prink, a hedgehog thief that eventually returns what he steals from people he likes. Mad Maudie, a champion boxing hare, cook with strong and particular views, that is nearly drummed out of the regiment of the Salamandastron fighting hares. These are joined by Rangval, the squirrel, a bunch of otters, the Guosim, and the inhabitants of Redwall Abbey.

There are two villains in this story. Gruntan Kurdley is the master of a brown rat horde. He sees the Guosim, with Mad Maudie, as they travel to Redwall. He demands that his horde capture the log boats of the Guosim. This demand gets modified to a demand to take Redwall and slay a badger. This demand is balanced against the demand that he be constantly supplied with hard boiled eggs.

The other villain is Vizka Longtooth. He is the captain of the searats that pillage Gorath’s grandparents farm. He tries to turn Gorath into a fighting machine as he leads his crew to attack Redwall.

Like most Redwall novels this one has strongly drawn characters, fast paced narrative with lots of action, a clear separation between the good guys and the bad guys, and feasts. Overall this is a solid and enjoyable book, though the good guys are mostly much less heroic than most of the other Redwall tales.