Dragon Harper, or just let it die, please

I checked Dragon Harper, by Todd McCaffrey (and supposedly Anne McCaffrey, too) out of the library, in some sort of nostalgic search for a visit to the world of Dragonsong and Dragonsinger, which I loved many years ago and still pull off the shelf occasionally for a re-read. I don't think I'll be able to finish it, though. It suffers from the problems I had with Dragon's Kin, only more so. Or maybe they're just bothering me more.

( the ugly details... )

I could go on, but given that I'm only on p. 65 of about 300, I think I'm better off abandoning this one. And the series as well...which I did once before back when Dolphins of Pern appeared. It's dead. I shall read no more.