Dragonquest (novel)

infobox Book |
name = Dragonquest
orig title =
translator =


image_caption = Cover of first edition (paperback)
author = Anne McCaffrey
cover_artist =
country = United Kingdom
language = English
series = Dragonriders of Pern
genre = Fantasy novel
publisher = Ballantine Books
release_date = 1971
media_type = Print (Hardback & Paperback)
pages =
isbn = ISBN 0-345-33508-2
preceded_by = Dragonflight
followed_by = The White Dragon

"Dragonquest" is a novel written by Anne McCaffrey and is part of her Dragonriders of Pern series. It was nominated for a Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1972. It takes place seven years after the end of "Dragonflight".

Plot summary

As it opens, tensions are rising between the Oldtimers, those dragonriders who came forward in time 400 turns (Pernese years) to help the undermanned contemporary dragonriders protect the planet Pern and its inhabitants from the destructive Thread. F'nor attempts to mediate, but things escalate to the point that an Oldtimer, T'reb (who is disturbed by his green dragon being in heat), stabs F'nor. F'nor is sent to the Southern Continent to recover, where he falls in love with Brekke and discovers the wicked deeds of Weyrwoman Kylara. F'lar, F'nor's half-brother, is eventually forced into a duel with T'ron, the leader of the Oldtimers, which ends in banishment for the Oldtimers who will not accept F'lar's leadership and in a grave injury for F'lar. Brekke's queen dragon rises in mating flight but is attacked by Kylara's queen dragon and both dragons die, leaving their riders in near-catatonic states. Only Brekke recovers.

Due to the newly-discovered "distance viewer" (telescope), the dragonriders finally have the ability to travel to the Red Star, believed to be where the Thread originates. Pressure builds on F'lar to lead an expedition there, to attack the Thread at its source. F'nor takes it upon himself to make the dangerous jump "between" first, recognizing that his half-brother is indispensable. The Red Star turns out to be lethal to both humans and dragons, and F'nor and his dragon Canth nearly die, able to return home only on the strength of Brekke's telepathic cry, "Don't leave me alone!"

The cry was also the inspiration for a song by Menolly, after she found that a certain guitar chord sounded amazingly like Brekke's voice when she screamed. This is chronicled in "Dragonsinger".