4 . ▁The ▁cover ▁painting ▁by ▁Row ena ▁Mor r ill ▁was ▁used ▁again ▁for ▁the ▁bi ography ▁Anne ▁McC aff rey : ▁a ▁life ▁with ▁drag ons ▁. ▁ ▁Plot ▁summary ▁This ▁novel ▁follows ▁Drag ons dawn ▁and ▁the ▁short ▁story ▁The ▁Dol ph in ' s ▁Bell ▁( short ▁story ▁contained ▁in ▁The ▁Chron icles ▁of ▁P ern : ▁First ▁Fall ) ▁by ▁discuss ing ▁the ▁present ▁state ▁( N inth ▁Pass ) ▁of ▁the ▁dol ph ins ▁that ▁were ▁brought ▁to ▁P ern ▁by ▁the ▁colon ists . ▁ ▁Set ▁near ▁the ▁end ▁and ▁after ▁the ▁events ▁of ▁All ▁the ▁W ey rs ▁of ▁P ern ▁it ▁further ▁integr ates ▁the ▁science ▁fiction ▁aspects ▁of ▁the ▁orig ins ▁of ▁the ▁P ern ▁series ▁with ▁the ▁fant ast ical ▁aspects ▁presented ▁by ▁the ▁original ▁books . ▁ ▁The ▁plot ▁focus es ▁primarily ▁on ▁two ▁young ▁characters ▁and ▁chron icles ▁the ▁birth ▁of ▁the ▁Dol ph inc raf th all ▁and ▁its ▁first ▁Dol ph ine er . ▁Read is , ▁the ▁Parad ise ▁River ▁Lord ▁H older ' s ▁son , ▁is ▁saved ▁by ▁talking ▁dol ph ins ▁(" ship fish ") ▁as ▁a ▁young ▁boy ▁after ▁falling ▁into ▁the ▁sea ▁and ▁subsequently ▁develop s ▁a ▁strong ▁fasc ination ▁with ▁the ▁dol ph ins . ▁T ' l ion , ▁the ▁young ▁Eastern ▁W ey r ▁drag on r ider ▁of ▁Bron ze ▁G ad are th , ▁also ▁develop s ▁an ▁interest ▁after ▁being ▁involved ▁in ▁an ▁early ▁dol ph