Oh my god. So I thought the other books were full of weird rape and slut-shaming, but this one is the worst one yet. WTF, McCaffrey.

It takes some special talent to write a sex scene between two people who are in love and want to have sex, and somehow make it actually rape.

This entire scene between F'nor and Brekke, what the actual fuck. [CW: definitely pretty much rape.]

She tried to break away from him, but even with one arm the brown rider was stronger. Trapped, she began to cling to him with the strength of utter despair.
...
“You won’t lose Wirenth. It’s different when dragons mate, love. You’re the dragon, too, caught up in emotions that have only one resolution.” He held her tightly as she seemed to shrink with revulsion from him as well as the imminent event. He thought of the riders here at Southern, of T’bor, and he experienced a disgust of another sort. Those men, conditioned to respond to Kylara’s exotic tastes, would brutalize this inexperienced child.
...
Still holding her, he carried her out of the weyrhold, smothering her protest against his chest as she realized his intention.
...
He wanted to be gentle but, unaccountably, Brekke fought him. She pleaded with him, crying out wildly that they’d rouse the sleeping Wirenth. He wasn’t gentle but he was thorough, and, in the end, Brekke astounded him with a surrender as passionate as if her dragon had been involved.
...
She permitted him to caress her but there was a shadow lingering in her eyes and a reluctance in her body. “I want to, oh how I want to, F’nor, but I’m so scared. I’m scared to my bones.” He kissed her deeply, ruthlessly employing subtleties to arouse her. “Please, Brekke?” “It can’t be wrong to be happy, can it, F’nor?” she whispered, a shiver rippling along her body. He kissed her again, using every trick learned from a hundred casual encounters to wed her to him, body, soul and mind, aware of Canth’s enthusiastic endorsement.

And WTF is up with men constantly giving women "a little shake" in way we're supposed to read as like... roughly affectionate?

“Indeed we will. We’ll bring them up to date if …” “Lessa,” and F’lar gave her a little shake, his pessimism dispersed by the vehemence of her response and the transparency of her rapid calculations on how to bring about such changes.

“To keep other men from you?” F’nor demanded, giving her a little shake. “Why? Whom are you keeping yourself for?”

Not to mention that both F'lar and F'nor casually think they'd like to beat Kylara. Granted, she's a pain, but sometimes I think I can hardly blame her.

F’nor told her in a pleasant drawl though it cost him much to keep his temper. It was too bad you couldn’t beat a Weyrwoman with impunity. Her dragon wouldn’t permit it but a sound thrashing was what Kylara badly needed.

First he’d better get over the urge to beat Kylara, and give T’bor the chance to reprimand her privately.

Anyway, even when it's not being infuriating, this book is a lot of boring political maneuvering (which is painted as Super Serious Man Business We Have To Have A Duel To Settle This And The Fate of Pern Hangs In The Balance when the dudes are doing it, and Ladies Being All Emotional And Catty Why Can't They Just Behave Themselves when it's the women, but you know). And a little bit of interesting Pern backstory, which honestly is the thing I remember loving about this series.