Dragonflight - Part Three - Dust Fall - Part 4: Finally Thread

[kalinara]

So we're finally to the point of the story where threadfall is eminent. It sounds like I'm complaining, but actually, I think that this part of the book is paced very well. Each chapter or section has shown us a different aspect of the preparation, and they've been pretty short too. So I don't feel like any of the story has dragged.

Really, for all my problems with this book, I feel like I could learn a lot from Ms. McCaffrey on how to more effectively pace my own stories. She really doesn't have wasted scenes. Like take for example Lessa's miserable time under R'gul's tutelage. We only actually see maybe three pages of it. One time, one argument. But it is very clear that this is something that's been going on for a very long time, and that Lessa is miserable and bored sick of it. Anne McCaffrey, while she can be wordy, has a really good grasp of "less is more" and "show not tell".

If only the book didn't have such dodgy sexual and gender politics. Oh, and spoiler: While F'lar actually managed to not get on my nerves in two whole chapters, he's going to be back in fine form today.

( I almost missed saying 'Fuck you, F'lar' )