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Title: The Riddlemaster of Hed
Series: Riddlemaster #1
Author: Patricia McKillip
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 229
Format: Digital Edition
Title: The Riddlemaster of Hed
Series: Riddlemaster #1
Author: Patricia McKillip
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 229
Format: Digital Edition
Synopsis: |
Morgan, King of
Hed, reveals, unwittingly, that he has beaten a ghost hundreds of
years old at a game of Riddles and won a legendary crown, and
possibly the hand of a princess. Unfortunately, this sets him on the
trail of a riddle of himself and the 3 stars that adorn his head. He
plans on ignoring the riddle and to settling down and ruling Hed, an
island of farmers, but when his life and the lives of those he knows
and loves are put in danger, Morgan realizes that he has to find the
answer to the riddle.
His journey takes
him to many a land and he learns how to shapeshift, to become as the
trees and he finds a harp and a sword, both with the same 3 stars and
all prophesied about millenia before. He finds that a threat that
destroyed the Earthmasters is rising anew and now threatens all the
lands again.
Morgan makes his
way to Erlenstar Mountain, seat of the High One, the last of the
Earthmasters. The book ends with him finding out that the High One is
the High Wizard that destroyed all the other wizards and is also one
of the Masters of Cathnard, the school of Riddling.
My Thoughts: |
I can completely understand why I gave this 3 stars back in 2007.
Morgan is one of those characters who fights against destiny more out
of a mulish desire to be left alone and will make choices, no matter
how bad, based on that mulish side of him. I still had issues with
him this time around but it wasn't nearly so bad, as I had a LOT of
sympathy for the poor guy. I know I'd be the same way now.
The other reason is that this has touches of McKillip's lyrical
writing style but is trying to tell a straight on fantasy story and
it can be hard to do that. Much more prose'y and so where I don't
mind the slow pace and hiding of information because of the poetry of
her later writings, this didn't have that advantage. I was frustrated
at times where a character wouldn't reveal info for no apparent
reason. Since this was a re-read though, I know there is a reason and
I just haven't gotten to it yet. It is amazing how my attitude can
change when I know that an apparent mystery isn't just arbitrarily
set forth but has a point by the author.
While the writing is more prosaical than her later stuff, I did not
find that a strong point for this book. I'd also be hesitant to
recommend this trilogy as a first try for someone new to McKillip.
Let them taste the beauty of her writing from when she is more
accomplished and then they'll be able to appreciate what she has set
forth to accomplish in this Riddlemaster trilogy.
Overall, I really enjoyed this with the occasional bout of
frustration. I think I'm making the correct decision to not
immediately dive into the second book but to wait until this trilogy
comes back to its turn in the reading cycle. Time is a great
ameliorator.
★★★★☆
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