Books › The White Dragon
The White Dragon
497 pages
An earnest, deeply comforting journey of an underdog and his unique companion proving their worth to a skeptical world.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like wrapping yourself in a beloved, familiar quilt while gazing out at an expansive, star-filled sky. It is a deeply comforting, steady-paced coming-of-age story that thrives on the emotional resonance of its central telepathic bond. The narrative balances the cozy intimacy of a boy and his dragon growing up together with the wider, thrilling scope of planetary politics and lost histories. There is a profound earnestness to the storytelling, inviting you to root wholeheartedly for the underdogs as they navigate a world bound by rigid traditions. It delights readers who crave rich, lived-in worldbuilding, the quiet triumph of defying expectations, and the pure, unadulterated joy of a soul-deep connection between human and creature.
- Mood
- wondrous
- cozy
- triumphant
- Tone
- earnest
- adventurous
- hopeful
- warm
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- coming of age · human-animal bonds · defying expectations · finding belonging · uncovering lost history
- The writing
- The prose is accessible and warmly descriptive, grounding fantastical elements in tactile, everyday realities.
- The arc
- The protagonist moves from a place of stifling marginalization and self-doubt to confident self-actualization and undeniable heroism.
- Who it's for
- Anyone who has ever longed for a telepathic animal companion or loves a classic underdog story set in a richly detailed world.
Content notes
- animal peril
- mild violence
- bullying
About the book
On the planet Pern, which was colonised hundreds of years ago by Earth folk looking for a more agrarian lifestyle, "dragons" help humans to fight a deadly Thread that falls from a neighbouring planet as it cycles past once every couple of hundred years. When dragons hatch, each gold (the Queen), bronze, blue or green dragon makes a telepathic connection with a child, and they beome inseparable. Naturally, lads destined to inherit and rule the semi-autonomous Holds cannot be part of this Thread-fighting life, but when young Lord Jaxom sees the struggle the last small egg is having, he can't help himself and runs to its assistance. The poor little runt is white and nobody expects it to live long, so Jaxom is allowed to keep Ruth.
Description from Open Library.
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