The White Dragon (1978) (edit title/settings)

• Rated 2 stars

“This one bored me, so I set it aside. But It dawns on me it's probably going to turn out to be a good piece of freak lit, so I should try it again...”

• Rated 4 stars

“Not as good as its predecessors because of the abrupt ending. I love Anne McCaffrey anyway though.”

• Rated 0 stars

“This is my favourite of the dragon books - I must read it again some time!”

• Rated 0 stars

“The White Dragon follows the Coming of age story of Jaxom, the young Lord of Ruatha Hold, who had accidentally impressed the unusual white dragon Ruth in Dragonquest and Dragonsong. As Jaxom grows up, he has to deal with the difficulty of being both a Lord Holder and a dragonrider, the maturity of Ruth (who besides being white is a runt), his own teenage angst and desire to fight Thread on his own, and the rebellious Oldtimers, who attempt to steal a golden egg from Benden Weyr. Fortunately, Ruth always knows when he is and can travel through time to avert the growing political crisis. But while fighting Thread, Jaxom falls ill to a deadly sickness, Fire-Head. This leads him to recuperate in Cove Hold, and while there helps him discover the mysteries the ancients, ancestors of the Pernese, left behind and help make more sense of the past.

”

• Rated 5 stars

“This is my favorite book in the original trilogy. It's also the first I one I read. The main characters are fully developed and familiar. Wonderful book.”

• Rated 4 stars

“I really enjoyed this one. It has to do with a dragon named Ruth and his rider Jaxom. Ruth and Jaxom are held back because Ruth is the runt of the litter. But, in the end, Jaxom proves to the older folks that he is as good as any other rider. Jaxom has many adventures with Ruth including saving an egg from the South and sending Ruth out with a healer when the Masterharper falls ill and suffers a heart attack.

Like always, you wanna know more...you have to read it yourself.”

• Rated 3 stars

“Interesting to be reminded just how moved I was by this story - thanks luvjmb for the prompt.
The other one from McCaffrey that really stirred my emotions, I recall, was the Ship Who Sang...”

• Rated 4 stars

“Jaxom and Ruth (his dragon) are too young to join the men, and too old to play children's games. Ruth's disadvantage (she was the runt and is still small - and the only white dragon!) is soon forgotten as she gains fame talking with the fire-lizards. Jaxom grows up and becomes respected as he moves through a series of adventures. While DragonFlight is the first of the series (and also fantastic!), I found it okay to read out of turn. The books stand alone well.”

• Rated 5 stars

“The story of Jaxom, a Ruathan Lord who almost wasn't, and Ruth, a little white dragon who shouldn't have lived. My favorite of the original trilogy.”

• Rated 5 stars

“Dragonflight
Dragonquest
*The White Dragon*”