In this triumphant
return to Pern, Anne McCaffrey takes us on an adventure as surprising and unforgettable
as any that has come before …

It is a time of hope and regret, of endings and
beginnings. The Red Star, that celestial curse whose eccentric orbit was responsible
for Thread, has been shifted to a harmless orbit, and the current Threadfall will
be the last. Technological marvels are changing the face of life on Pern. And the
dragonriders, led by F'lessan, son of F'lar and Lessa and rider of bronze Golanth,
and Tia, rider of green Zaranth, must forge a new place for themselves in a world
that may no longer need them.

But change is not easy for everyone. There are those
who will stop at nothing-not even violence-to keep Pern and its people pure. And
now a brand-new danger looms from the skies … and threatens a catastrophe of
unimaginable proportions.

Once again, the world looks to the dragons and their
riders to solve the crisis and save the world. But now, as the friendship of F'lessan
and Tia begins to bloom into something more, unforeseen tragedy strikes: a tragedy
destined to forever change the future-not just of the two young lovers, but of every
human and dragon on Pern …