A review by yourbookishbff
Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey

adventurous funny hopeful tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

I have no way to rate this book. It is deeply nostalgic for me - a series I read initially in middle school and inspired my childhood love for sci-fi and fantasy - and also very much of its time. McCaffrey is the mother of modern-day fantasy romance dragon lore and should get credit for it! It was fascinating to reread and see where she is pushing the boundaries for female characters - and where even these moments still fall short for a modern reader. New readers should check content warnings before going in, and expect vintage 60s sci-fi dragons with a touch of bodice-ripper. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fatphobia, Misogyny, and Classism

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Rape and Sexual content

Sexual encounters between the main characters are largely described as "dragon-roused" and nonconsensual. The male main character explicitly describes their sex as rape at one point in the narrative, suggesting she was not "warming up" to him. It is important to note that all sex scenes are implied and entirely closed door so there is NO graphic sexual assault on page (I wouldn't even call this fade-to-black, there is no explicit sex or intimacy beyond kissing on page). The alpha male and tempestuous/feisty female locked together by convenience who must grow to like each other is the foundation for the bodice rippers that would come in following decades and will feel familiar to readers of old-school romance. And a note on fatphobia: consistent with other books of this time period, fat characters are consistently described as either villainous or lazy/slovenly/etc. And there is a LOT of emphasis on the female main character being thin/small.