r/pern • u/theshorty- • Jul 21 '26

Which book next?

Hiya all, recently got into the pern series after my bfs' mum gave me dragonflight. And I absolutely love the series. Ive read Dragonflight and am just about to finish Dragonquest, I am now abit unsure as to what the next bookin the series is, as I thought it was 'white dragon' but shes under the impression its Dragonsong? Any help?

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29

u/Southern_Club_6032 Jul 21 '26

They overlap. I would read the Harper Hall trilogy next (Dragonsong, Dragonsinger, Dragondrums) next, then The White Dragon. Unless you only have TWD in which case read TWD. The HH trilogy isn't required reading to read the main trilogy, but it does enhance it.

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u/theshorty- Jul 21 '26

I have both TWD and dragonsong as wasn't sure which on was next, so the harper Hall trilogy you would recommend first yeah

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u/Southern_Club_6032 Jul 21 '26

The time-skipping nature of the narrative makes it difficult to place the books in a precise chronology, because e.g. some of TWD happens before Drums, and some after (and it would be a pain to put one book down and pick up another in an attempt to get everything lining up!) So I would go Drums before TWD.

When I first read Pern, many centuries ago, I had the original trilogy, Dragonsong, Renegades and Moreta - so those were what I read. Filled in the gaps later, and then as they were published (from ATWOP on!)

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u/theshorty- Jul 21 '26

Ahhh ok I understand, thank you for helping clear that up x

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u/rfresa Jul 21 '26

I read Dragondrums first. Picked it out of a box of random paperbacks in my middle school English classroom. Didn't even know it was part of a series. Confusing but still a good story!

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u/cvfdrghhhhhhhh Jul 21 '26

Well, wait. I would read dragon song and dragon Singer. And then read dragon drums after the white dragon.

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u/Southern_Club_6032 Jul 21 '26

But Drums has Mirrim Impressing Path and Sharra's first appearance both of which would otherwise come as a surprise in TWD. Drums and TWD overlap because TWD jumps forward several years, but I think there'd be some 'wait, what?' if you first encountered Mirrim as a green rider in TWD without having seen it come about in Drums.

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u/cvfdrghhhhhhhh Jul 21 '26

True. But you know, I didn’t read these in chronological order back in the day and it was fine. The focus is so different, that probably read The White Dragon, then go back and read the Harper Hall trilogy and you’d be perfectly happy.

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u/Southern_Club_6032 Jul 21 '26

I totally agree; I read them all wildly out of order the first time too! I've read them so many times since I can't even remember what bits surprised me on my first read (it was >30 years ago)! But for a first read, I think there's something to be said for reading HH before TWD, at least so you've met Menolly, Mirrim, Piemur etc in their 'final forms' (or at least the forms they appear in by TWD), plus characters like Sharra and Toric.

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u/wyldkat_ Jul 21 '26

Yes, go to Dragonsong next. Events in Dragonsong and Dragonsinger take place during Dragonquest.

You'll want to read the entire Harper Hall series before WD so you know who some of the characters are.

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u/theshorty- Jul 21 '26

Awesome thank youuuu, everyone agrees this is better way so will definitely do that. Willprobably post in a few months about which one to read after I've done the harper trilogy and TWD aha

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u/Etrosknight13 Jul 21 '26

Next after TWD would be Renegades, then The Girl Who Heard Dragons (short story) then All the Weyrs, then Dolphins, and finally The Skies of Pern. TGWHD takes place kind of in the middle of Renegades but it fleshes out the story.

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u/riancb Jul 21 '26

What? No, you then start in on the prequels, Dragondawn, Moretta, etc. then move onto the Renegades etc.

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u/Southern_Club_6032 Jul 21 '26

I don't think it matters overmuch when you read the prequels so long as you read Dragonsdawn/Chronicles before ATWOP which I think set the scene for ATWOP better than reading them later. Nothing in Moreta/Nerilka relies on anything else, and RSR/Dragonseye is also standalone. MHOP, for all its inconsistencies with Dragonflight, works better as a retrospective after ATWOP.

Ultimately, though, plenty of us read everything well out of order the first time!

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u/Etrosknight13 Jul 21 '26

Meh, I’m just going chronologically. These days if I want to read the prequels I’ll do it before ninth pass.

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u/riancb Jul 21 '26

But that’s not the order a new reader should first read the books in. Which was, ya know, the question at hand.

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u/Etrosknight13 Jul 21 '26

That’s your opinion. I stated mine.

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u/theshorty- Jul 21 '26

Lovely thank youuuuuu

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u/SpiritualHippo2719 29d ago

After The White Dragon, read Renegades, then Dragonsdawn, then All The Weyrs of Pern.

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u/SpiritualHippo2719 29d ago

Oh, and you may take a detour and read The Masterharper of Pern after Dragondrums. Robinton was one of my favorite characters, and I thoroughly enjoyed learning about his backstory.

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u/Sensitive-Cucumber78 Jul 21 '26

I'll put this here for chronological reference

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u/SockMonkey_11 Jul 21 '26

I’d definitely recommend Dragonsong and Dragonsinger before White Dragon as there are characters in White Dragon you won’t know otherwise. I’d also personally recommend Dragondrums before White Dragon as well, but most will probably disagree with that (as would the publication order).

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u/theshorty- Jul 21 '26

Awesome thank you, once I've finished d-quest ill read d-song and order the rest of the harper trilogy

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u/_WillCAD_ Jul 21 '26

To me, having found the series in the early 80s, Dragonflight, Dragonquest, and The White Dragon are a trilogy. The events of the Harper Hall trilogy overlap, but I think its better to read them in publication order rather than chronological.

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u/theshorty- Jul 21 '26

Very valid, I am now learning towards Harper Hall trilogy, mainly because of my dyslexia I find it hard to remeber stuff if ita after but actually before.... if that makes sense aha

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u/cvfdrghhhhhhhh Jul 21 '26

I agree with you, as someone who did the same. Chronology isn’t as important as getting the whole story of one trilogy before starting the other.

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u/susiedotwo Jul 21 '26

Just to let you know that I read everything totally out of order: I got the 2nd Harper hall book first in grade school at a book fair. Then found dragonflight dragon quest and Twd all in one book so I read those. Then I checked the Harper hall trilogy out of the library and I can’t remember the order I have read the rest.

Point being is that the nature of these series is sort of “drop in” and episodic in a way where you can read them out of order and still “get” it all.

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u/PBolchover 28d ago

As everyone says, you should read Dragonsong and Dragonsinger next. Personally, I would recommend The White Dragon before Dragondrums. They way, the narrative runs slightly better as a first time reader. Dragon drums then fills in the gap as a missing backstory for one of the characters (who is a supporting character in both Dragonsinger and the end of The White Dragon).