A Gift of Dragons (Hardcover)

The Smallest Dragonboy - Keevan is the youngest dragon candidate and he is also the smallest. It is easy for other boys to pick on him and to make fun of his desire to become a dragonrider. But this only makes Keevan more determined then ever to impress a dragon and on his first time on the hatching grounds, too! But when a horrible accident leaves him alone in the hospital wing during hatching time, Keevan gives up hope that he will impress a dragon this year - or does he...?

The Girl Who Heard Dragons - Aramina and her family are Holdless, but they are not vagabonds or shiftless people who were tossed out of their holds because they were too lazy. They were of Benden blood, forced to flee when Lord Fax killed all of their blood kin before he realized that Benden blood ran in Aramina's mother's veins. And, just like many others of the Benden lineage, Aramina can hear dragons and talk to them. She is careful to hide her skill, but Lady Holdless Thella found out somehow and is determined to use Aramina's talents for her own gain...

The Runner of Pern - Tenna is a runner, just like everyone in her family and spends her time running up and down the trails of Pern, delivering messages. She is working hard to finish the stitches on her belt and no longer be an apprentice. But when a reckless driver forces Tenna off of the runner trace, where no horses and carts are supposed to be allowed, Tenna is injured and upset. She is determined to give this careless Halgion a good talking to...

Ever the Twain - Neru has always dreamed of becoming a dragonrider, but his twin Nian is afraid of life without him. When the dragonriders come on Search, Neru is sure he will be chosen, but the dragons pass him by - and come to rest on Nian, whom they want to take to the Hatching Grounds. Nian refuses to go without Neru, which makes Neru feel guilty and unwanted. Still, he is determined to take advantage of the opportunity that his sister gave him and tries his hardest to fit into the Weyr. Nian knows that she will do whatever it takes to get Neru to Impress a dragon, but she is quite surprised by what ends up happening at the hatching...

I thought that this book was too expensive for just four short stories when I initially bought it, but it really is quite a bit cheaper than buying the three other books that the first three stories are contained in. Ever the Twain is a new story, however, and is only available here. The stories are not that long and the type font and spacing are quite large, but the hand drawn illustrations and decorative border on every page make this book a little treasure. A must have for anyone who is a fan of the Pern series!