Reader's Advisory
Dragonsfall Weyr
Amber Hills Hold
Vintner Hall
Healer Hall
Hidden Meadows
Dolphin Cove Weyr
Dolphin Hall
Emerald Falls Hold
Harper Hall
Printer Hall
Green Valley Hold
Leeward Lagoon Hold
Barrier Lake Weyr
Sunstone Seahold
Citrus Bay Hold
Writers: Sia, Yvonne
Date Posted: 1st April 2024
Characters: Aleriand, J'nus
Description: J'nus' search for the perfect book leads him to the source
Location: Harper Hall
Date: month 2, day 16 of Turn 11
Notes: Mentioned: Kapera, D'hol
The best place to find a specific text was, of course, the Harper Hall. It did feel a bit silly to travel all the way to Emerald Falls given the _type_ of text he wanted, but now that J'nus had set his mind to finding the perfect novel for Kapera, he couldn't back down now.
After being welcomed by an apprentice, J'nus was led to a small library stacked with books for sale. Shelves reached from floor to ceiling and the room smelled of paper, fresh ink and wood polish. Homey and warm. He started browsing, quickly losing track of time as he went through titles.
It was all hands on deck on the days the new shipments came in, and Aleriand spent the better half of the afternoon unloading crates and checking inventory with the journeymen and apprentices manning the bookstore, and the other half out on the sales floor, browsing the shelves and talking with patrons. "Are you looking for anything in particular, or just browsing? You've been here a while."
J'nus glanced up at the speaker, his eyes darting briefly to his shoulder knots. A Master Printer. He smiled. "Can't help it. There's too much to look at. But yes, I am here on a rather... ah, particular mission."
"Well, what are you looking for? I know most of these titles. Even published a few of them myself, though I hardly have that much time to dedicate to a single author these days. And I'm micromanaging today, so I know just about everything we have on the shelves."
"Ah..." The bronzerider rubbed the back of his head, looking a bit sheepish as he set the slim volume of poetry he'd been thumbing through back on the shelf. "I'm looking for a gift for a very good friend of mine with rather... sensual tastes. Do you happen to have any harper novels that feature a goldrider protagonist?"
"Oh ho. A friend of yours?" Aleriand said with the tone of a man that didn't believe there was a friend. "You're in the wrong section entirely. C'mon back." He led J'nus a few aisles over to a more _secluded_ section, away from sight of the counter and the front door. The smallest token of compromise to the conservative Emerald Falls Hold. "We tuck away the Weyr Romance here. There's a catalogue you can order from at the front desk as well, with our more scandalous titles. Your Weyr bookstore should have something similar, though probably not as much."
"There's lots of goldrider protagonists. What kind of romance are you looking for? More…action, as it were, or a slow burn?"
"The more, ah, 'action', the better." J'nus looked over his shoulder, belatedly remembering that he _was_ at Emerald Falls Hold and concessions had to be made. "Preferably with a goldrider seducing innocent Hold men."
"We got a bit of that." Aleriand said casually. "Usually it's a greenrider seducing the innocent. They move faster than you think." He easily pulled one book off the shelf and passed it to J'nus. "'The Last Ride' is a new one. It's a retelling of the ballad of Moreta's Ride that explores Moreta's relationship with Lord Alessan and Weyrleader Sh'gall. It mostly fades to black, though, so it might be more for the tastes of the lady holders."
He pulled another one, and then two, off the shelf, waiting until he was talking about the book before passing it over. "'A Dragon of My Own' is set in Ista Weyr and a different kind of ....dragonriding, but it's a Lord Holder and the Weyrwoman. The current Lord Ista is not thrilled with it. It's not about him, but he's offended anyway.
"'Deserving Loyalty' is probably the spiciest of these, as the apprentices say. Creative use of riding leathers. Flip to about halfway through the book and you'll see what I mean."
J'nus' eyebrows flew up as he read a few sentences. That would _certainly_ give Kapera ideas-- his mind immediately went to D'hol and he closed the book. "Ah, perhaps not that one. I think perhaps the one that Lord Ista isn't so fond of. She does like a bit of propaganda."
"Knowing he hates it is half the fun." Aleriand agreed, taking the other two books back and slotting them back on the shelves. "Is there anything else I help you find? Weyr Romance isn't so popular here so we don't have as much, but we can order something to ship to your Weyr."
"If anything comes up with a goldrider seducing the innocent, please do send it my way. As for other books... is there anything that you've enjoyed?" A Master Printer had to be well read.
"Hah! Will do. It's typically the bronzerider or the greenrider doing the seducing. If you're 'friend' wants to branch out." Aleriand considers a moment. "I know my way around the stacks. Do you prefer fiction or non-fiction?"
"Myself? I'll happily read either." Which was true. J'nus liked books about Pern and its people as much as he liked books that were entirely made up, 'spicy' or not.
"Sure, make my job harder." Aleriand said. Still, he pulled a few more books off the shelves and expected J'nus to follow. "'A History in Shipwrecks' is fantastic. It's an anthology from a handful of Dolphineers and their dolphins, examining the remains of known shipwrecks. I'm not really keen about being that close to the ocean, but it's neat to read about. For fiction, I really enjoyed 'Tithes and Obligations' recently. It's about a minor holder trying to marry off his gaggle of daughters so they aren't left markless when he dies."
"I can't imagine why that one is popular." J'nus' voice was dry as he opened Tithes and Obligations to a random page and started to read. He set it aside after a paragraph and opened the book about shipwrecks to do the same. Both were well written, he thought, although after some thought he handed the novel back to the Master Printer. "I think I'll take the one about shipwrecks. It looks interesting. Thank you for the recommendations, Master...?"
"Tithes even has a ne'er-do-well bluerider in it. Don't see that very often." Still, Aleriand took the novel back and placed it back on the shelf. "Master Aleriand. Let your 'friend' know that they're always welcome at the Printer Hall. Or, if they like, I can get a catalogue sent to the Weyr for them."
"It's a pleasure, Master Aleriand. I'm J'nus of Barrier Lake Weyr. I'll be sure to let Kapera know that you were instrumental in helping me pick this out for her." J'nus tapped 'A Dragon of my Own' with his forefinger. "And a catalogue sent to the Weyr for her would be appreciated."
Aleriand's expression shifted slightly, like a feline who caught an avian. "Pleasure to meet you, J'nus. I appreciate the good word. And think of the Printer Hall for all your literary needs."
Last updated on the April 7th 2024