Nerilka's Story

From Publishers Weekly The latest of McCaffrey's romantic Pern novels expands on the tale of a minor character in Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern. Young Nerilka is considered unattractive and overly serious in her own hold, where her peremptory father installs his mistress immediately after his wife's death. Angry and frustrated, Nerilka uses her medical training and her access to the supplies her father is hoarding to help combat the plague sweeping Pern, which has already claimed her mother and sisters. Inevitably, her work with the Healers leads her to Ruatha Hold, whose rugged widower chief, Lord Alessan, sees her worth and marries her. In form, this is basically a Victorian gothic in which a governess tames and marries the gruff master of the house. As such, McCaffrey's legions of fans should enjoy it, but it is a weak entry in the Pern saga. Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. From School Library Journal YA This slight addition to McCaffrey's dragon novels is about a minor character mentioned in Moretta, Dragonlady of Pern (Ballantine, 1983). Nerilka, the plain and ignored oldest daughter of Lord Tolocamp, is appalled when her father abandons her mother and sisters to the plague spreading from Ruatha Hold, then refuses aid to anyone else on the rest of Pern. Nerilka first sends medicines secretly, then sets off (in disguise) for Ruatha, a place she had long wished to visit but had always been prevented from going. There she finds acceptance both for her healing skills and for herself, and she falls in love with the seemingly unattainable Alessan, Lord of Ruatha. This illustrated novella, about the size of a paperback, is not the best of McCaffrey, but it does have an interesting heroine and will satisfy McCaffrey's legions of fans who want to know why Alessan married so shortly after the death of his beloved Moretta. Betsy Shorb, PGCMLS, Md.Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.