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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
I first read this when I was about 15. I got caught up in the adventure and magic.
I re-read it a few years later. The adventure was still wonderful and I appreciated the characters around Morgan were believable.
I read it when I was felt stuck between what everyone expected me to do and what I knew I could do. The reality of the world and the politics came in to focus more.
I read it for inspiration because the language McKillip uses has always created strong beautiful images for me.
I read it again sometime after I met my now fiance. This time around I found the interactions between Morgan and Raederle a lot more meaningful. The language, the themes, the characters and the basic story are just as good if not better with each reading.
I re-read it a few years later. The adventure was still wonderful and I appreciated the characters around Morgan were believable.
I read it when I was felt stuck between what everyone expected me to do and what I knew I could do. The reality of the world and the politics came in to focus more.
I read it for inspiration because the language McKillip uses has always created strong beautiful images for me.
I read it again sometime after I met my now fiance. This time around I found the interactions between Morgan and Raederle a lot more meaningful. The language, the themes, the characters and the basic story are just as good if not better with each reading.
I find I either love or loathe tbis author, unfortunately this was a giant miss for me.
A book that ricochets from spellbinding and mesmerising to perplexing and tedious, by the end of this I'm very conflicted and more than a little glad to be done.
The whole book and world it is set in revolves around 'riddles' which aren't riddles at all but rather unanswered questions, and matters of truth. It deals extensively with themes of identity- who we are born to be, who we make ourselves to be and who others make us. While sometimes this is explored in a very interesting way, at other times it leaves us mired in too many layers of metaphor, or struggling with yet another character who lied about their identity.
I can certainly admire McKillip for her work here- it is singular in purpose and does have some lovely prose. Everything is tied back in to the true nature of things; the majority of the magic involved deals either with shape-shifting (thus concealing true nature) or controlling powers by fully understanding them and their name (Earthsea-style); characters wear disguises and constantly struggle with them and with themselves; and the structure of the book becomes a longer and longer question until finally we receive the answer which ties it all together.
Despite the final answer tying things together quite nicely, there are large sections in the middle, particularly in the second book, that are just meandering. Our characters trek backwards and forwards over the landscape, chasing each other again and again, and most often there is little in the way of climax at the end. This gives the whole trilogy a very strange pacing, and it honestly gets tiring before the conclusion.
It also suffers from the classic fantasy idea of the only people who matter in the story being royalty- justified in universe but still makes the fantasy world feel very claustrophobic, like noone exists but the kings and queens of the realm.
McKillip's eerie and otherworldly but at the same time very grounded writing style seems to suffer for being dragged out to a full length novel. This does not compare favourably to The Forgotten Beasts of Eld. Still an enjoyable read despite the frustrations.
The whole book and world it is set in revolves around 'riddles' which aren't riddles at all but rather unanswered questions, and matters of truth. It deals extensively with themes of identity- who we are born to be, who we make ourselves to be and who others make us. While sometimes this is explored in a very interesting way, at other times it leaves us mired in too many layers of metaphor, or struggling with yet another character who lied about their identity.
I can certainly admire McKillip for her work here- it is singular in purpose and does have some lovely prose. Everything is tied back in to the true nature of things; the majority of the magic involved deals either with shape-shifting (thus concealing true nature) or controlling powers by fully understanding them and their name (Earthsea-style); characters wear disguises and constantly struggle with them and with themselves; and the structure of the book becomes a longer and longer question until finally we receive the answer which ties it all together.
Despite the final answer tying things together quite nicely, there are large sections in the middle, particularly in the second book, that are just meandering. Our characters trek backwards and forwards over the landscape, chasing each other again and again, and most often there is little in the way of climax at the end. This gives the whole trilogy a very strange pacing, and it honestly gets tiring before the conclusion.
It also suffers from the classic fantasy idea of the only people who matter in the story being royalty- justified in universe but still makes the fantasy world feel very claustrophobic, like noone exists but the kings and queens of the realm.
McKillip's eerie and otherworldly but at the same time very grounded writing style seems to suffer for being dragged out to a full length novel. This does not compare favourably to The Forgotten Beasts of Eld. Still an enjoyable read despite the frustrations.
There are parts of this book that are really beautifully written, and the first book in the trilogy is great (and ends on a super cliffhanger!) but there is just something indefinable missing from it all that left me unsatisfied and made it hard to actually finish.
The Riddle Master Trilogy: A fantasy masterpiece!
Wonderful Oregon author Patricia McKillip died this year (2022). I've been rereading her older works, and finding her writings that I had missed. Of course I had to re-read my favorite of her story arcs! This time, I picked up "Riddle-Master," an omnibus edition containing all the books in the Riddle Master trilogy. "The Riddle Master of Hed," "Heir of Sea and Fire," and "Harpist in the Wind." It had been some years since I last read these titles, and it was a joy to revisit the great characters. These titles should be on the 'must read' list for anyone who enjoys epic fantasy stories!
Wonderful Oregon author Patricia McKillip died this year (2022). I've been rereading her older works, and finding her writings that I had missed. Of course I had to re-read my favorite of her story arcs! This time, I picked up "Riddle-Master," an omnibus edition containing all the books in the Riddle Master trilogy. "The Riddle Master of Hed," "Heir of Sea and Fire," and "Harpist in the Wind." It had been some years since I last read these titles, and it was a joy to revisit the great characters. These titles should be on the 'must read' list for anyone who enjoys epic fantasy stories!
This is the first book I read by Patricia McKillip. I was looking for a good fantasy author and she was touted as "the best fantasy author you're probably not reading." I was understandably curious.
I enjoyed the story of Morgon, the Riddlemaster and Prince of Hed as he leaves his idyllic farmstead and embarks on a journey to fulfill a destiny already mapped out centuries before he was born. Morgon's internal conflict is highly engaging and I didn't hesitate to pick up Book 2 in this series.
I enjoyed the story of Morgon, the Riddlemaster and Prince of Hed as he leaves his idyllic farmstead and embarks on a journey to fulfill a destiny already mapped out centuries before he was born. Morgon's internal conflict is highly engaging and I didn't hesitate to pick up Book 2 in this series.
5 stars for its quality and for its position as a milestone in fantasy.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
My absolute favorite series of all time. Re-read it for the first time in over a decade and was delighted that it was as wonderful as I'd remembered.
this series refuses to exposit, simply stating things plainly, assuming you have context, which i enjoy. things happen; you piece together why, or you don’t. rather like a riddle master, if you will.