Lioness,
I'd read your initial post here about the Skies of Pern being out, which I just bought and finished, so I have to say thanks for mentioning it in the first place, as I am a die-hard Pern fan (definitely Anne McCaffrey's best series) and didn't know the book was out. Yippee! What an excellent book! And I agree with you and Fljotsdale that this definitely leaves an area open for the next book.
Wish I could be on Pern!
AliCat