Reviews

The Riddle-Master of Hed by Patricia A. McKillip

outcolder's review

3.0

I like fantasy worlds that have the ruins of ancient lost civilizations, I mean, it’s a familiar enough trope, but I dig it. There is an even cornier thing here but I don’t want to spoil it, I’ll just say that the same thing happens sometimes in spy thrillers, and it’s another thing I like. The magic isn’t easy, and as the main character learns it, it feels very meditative and cool, another positive. I was worried the shape-changing stuff would bother me, but it was actually also really cool, especially the turning into trees. Still, the logic of it all seemed fuzzy, the “riddles” are more like pub quiz trivia and the main character is solving mysteries without much detective work... I just felt like it could have been so much better. I guess at the time she wrote it, publishers and readers were different than today, I think if she had written it a decade later it would have been twice as long and with more dead friends. Still, really solid fantasy; I will read the rest of the series... hoping it gets weirder, looking forward to important female characters in the next volume.

smartflutist661's review

adventurous medium-paced

4.0

Just when you think you're completely over "oh no, not Destiny..." stories.... It helps that Morgon wasn't a whiny little shit about it, just stupidly stubborn. I was initially very confused by the "riddles," because they're... not? They're just Jeopardy questions? But this doesn't detract from the story at all, and the story was interesting enough with enough mystery (and moved quickly enough) to keep me going. I've got the omnibus edition, definitely intrigued enough to continue.

danilanglie's review

2.0

This honestly really couldn't hold my attention very well. I sense a lot of similarities with other fantasy I've read that was written around this time - it felt kind of... Earthsea-ish to me? Not necessarily in a bad way, it just didn't grip my attention. I had high hopes at first, I really liked the stuff with the siblings at the beginning, and the start of the journey, going back to the riddle school and all that. But then it just became kind of a meandering series of episodes leading vaguely toward a conclusion I found I didn't really care about? I don't know. It's possible I didn't give this book a fair shake, and I should have tried to pay better attention to it, and absorb the gifts it had to offer. But I have to give it low marks just based on my reading experience.

jazjaz's review

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

echo123's review

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

tstone's review

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

wyntercreations's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

7hm's review against another edition

4.0

Really easy read. Love the idea of a chosen one who wants to be a pacifist. 

alikatson's review

I remember thinking this book was amazing when I read it as a kid. To the re-read list!

forthirtydollarsnameawoman's review

I stayed for the mysterious undertones, before it turned out to be repetitive, convenient, and predictable.

The cover is most-likely whitewashing. I wonder if the siblings' blood ever plays a role in the trilogy/it turns out they are not related or if it continues in this post-race fashion (which would be awesome for fantasy imo, with mixed people not experiencing racism = true escapism). 

While some parts felt derivative, others were refreshing precursors to modern fantasy. Overall, not terrible, and I do love when characters have names like Deth, yet I do not have the patience to continue.