I only rank this three stars because among McCaffrey's Pern books, it didn't leave a lasting impression on me the way the original trilogy or the Harperhall books, or even the book this is based on, Moreta, did. This book is short compared to most Pern books, centered on a minor character in Moreta and paralleling the events there.
It's not a bad book really. It's readable and entertaining, and for those readers who can't have enough of Pern, you may very well enjoy this. I wouldn't let this be your introduction to McCaffrey or her Pern books however; there's better. I'd start with the first book published in the series, Dragonflight. I felt this particular book was too much in the romance novel vein rather than the science fiction/fantasy emphasis of the other books.
