Dragon's Kin

Young Kindan has no expectations other than joining his father in the mines of Camp Natalon. However, mining is fraught with danger and a disaster leaves Kindan orphaned. Grieving, Kindan is taken in by the camp's new Harper and finds a measure of solace in a burgeoning musical talent... and in a new friendship with the mysterious Nuella. Nuella helps Kindan when he is selected to hatch and train a new watch-wher for the camp, a creature distantly related to dragons and uniquely suited to specialized work in the dark, cold mineshafts.

Meanwhile, long-simmering tensions are dividing the camp. As warring factions threaten to explode, Nuella and Kindan begin to discover hidden talents in the watch-wher- talents that could very well save an entire Hold and which show them that even a seemingly impossible dream is never completely out of reach...

For the first time, Anne McCaffrey has invited another writer to join her in the skies of Pern, a writer with an intimate knowledge of Pern and its history: her son, Todd.

Cover illustration by Les Edwards