Scan barcode
naomi_k's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, and Animal death
Moderate: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Dysphoria, and Kidnapping
Minor: War and Sexual assault
heidi_may91's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
el_reads17's review against another edition
4.0
3.5/5 One of the negatives is that sometimes the descriptions are so long-winded that you're tempted to skip the paragraph. Also the whole journey aspect is almost exactly like the first book-- I wanted something different.
ikiteahill's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death, Animal death, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Slavery, and Suicidal thoughts
charlotekerstenauthor's review against another edition
So What’s It About?
Maerad is a girl with a tragic and bitter past, but her powers grow stronger by the day. Now she and her mentor, Cadvan, hunted by both the Light and the Dark, must unravel the Riddle of the Treesong before their fractured kingdom erupts in chaos. The quest leads Maerad over terrifying seas and vast stretches of glacial wilderness, ever closer to the seductive Winterking -- ally of her most powerful enemy, the Nameless One. Trapped in the Winterking's icy realm, Maerad must confront what she has suspected all along: that she is the greatest riddle of all. A sequel to THE NAMING, this second book in a captivating quartet about the ancient world of Edil-Amarandh is a sweeping epic readers won't soon forget.
What I Thought
In The Riddle, we reach the portion of the classic epic fantasy journey where the protagonist is Overcome By Their Inner Darkness aka My Least Favorite Part. I’m just not particularly interested in the classic good/light vs. bad/dark inner conflict because it often seems to play out just as annoyingly as it does here. Basically, Maerad spends the second quarter or so of the book being really childishly rude and petulant and annoying, and then this culminates in her killing a woman. I really didn’t dig this. For starters, the escalation from Maerad being a brat to her taking a person’s life felt very jarring. Second of all, I feel like her temptation with evil could have been addressed without something quite as drastic as a murder - or, alternatively, the repercussions of that act really should have been emphasized more. Yes, she suffers intensely and goes through great privation for the rest of the book, but I never find it very satisfying when a character “atones” just by suffering a lot randomly after doing something bad instead of actually grappling with what they did in any meaningful way.
I also didn’t feel the emotional reality of Maerad’s grief for anyone who has died or who she is separated from in this book. Croggon has a habit of listing these characters' names and then saying “Maerad missed them all so much,” and then the detail and emotional weight stop there. Additionally, I’m iffy about how the relationship between Maerad and Cadvan develops here - she kind of realizes she has a crush on him but then gets freaked out when she gets a sense that he might reciprocate. Which….yes….that should freak you out, Maerad!!!!! I never really know what to do with these teen girl/ancient man relationships and I’m just hoping that it doesn’t turn into an actual romance here.
There are a few things that are objective weaknesses but didn’t actually bother me. The plot here is very repetitive: there’s a travel section, there’s a stop with Bards, there’s a travel segment, Ardina saves Maerad, rinse and repeat. There is a LOT of traveling just as there was in the first book, which again seems like it should be boring but is very enjoyable instead for some reason. It might be that we get to see all kinds of new places and cultures from the Pilanel fortress to the isolated Wise Kindred the Kinterking’s surreal palace. There are so many lovely touches like the joyous festivities on the island Thorold, the bird room in Ossin, the old hermit lady with visions, all the wolves and dogs that Maerad can talk to and the kind young Jussock man with whom she bonds while she’s their captive. I would say that this is definitely a weaker book than the first one, but it was still full of atmosphere and charm and that wonderful classic fantasy feel. On to The Crow!
Maerad is a girl with a tragic and bitter past, but her powers grow stronger by the day. Now she and her mentor, Cadvan, hunted by both the Light and the Dark, must unravel the Riddle of the Treesong before their fractured kingdom erupts in chaos. The quest leads Maerad over terrifying seas and vast stretches of glacial wilderness, ever closer to the seductive Winterking -- ally of her most powerful enemy, the Nameless One. Trapped in the Winterking's icy realm, Maerad must confront what she has suspected all along: that she is the greatest riddle of all. A sequel to THE NAMING, this second book in a captivating quartet about the ancient world of Edil-Amarandh is a sweeping epic readers won't soon forget.
What I Thought
In The Riddle, we reach the portion of the classic epic fantasy journey where the protagonist is Overcome By Their Inner Darkness aka My Least Favorite Part. I’m just not particularly interested in the classic good/light vs. bad/dark inner conflict because it often seems to play out just as annoyingly as it does here. Basically, Maerad spends the second quarter or so of the book being really childishly rude and petulant and annoying, and then this culminates in her killing a woman. I really didn’t dig this. For starters, the escalation from Maerad being a brat to her taking a person’s life felt very jarring. Second of all, I feel like her temptation with evil could have been addressed without something quite as drastic as a murder - or, alternatively, the repercussions of that act really should have been emphasized more. Yes, she suffers intensely and goes through great privation for the rest of the book, but I never find it very satisfying when a character “atones” just by suffering a lot randomly after doing something bad instead of actually grappling with what they did in any meaningful way.
I also didn’t feel the emotional reality of Maerad’s grief for anyone who has died or who she is separated from in this book. Croggon has a habit of listing these characters' names and then saying “Maerad missed them all so much,” and then the detail and emotional weight stop there. Additionally, I’m iffy about how the relationship between Maerad and Cadvan develops here - she kind of realizes she has a crush on him but then gets freaked out when she gets a sense that he might reciprocate. Which….yes….that should freak you out, Maerad!!!!! I never really know what to do with these teen girl/ancient man relationships and I’m just hoping that it doesn’t turn into an actual romance here.
There are a few things that are objective weaknesses but didn’t actually bother me. The plot here is very repetitive: there’s a travel section, there’s a stop with Bards, there’s a travel segment, Ardina saves Maerad, rinse and repeat. There is a LOT of traveling just as there was in the first book, which again seems like it should be boring but is very enjoyable instead for some reason. It might be that we get to see all kinds of new places and cultures from the Pilanel fortress to the isolated Wise Kindred the Kinterking’s surreal palace. There are so many lovely touches like the joyous festivities on the island Thorold, the bird room in Ossin, the old hermit lady with visions, all the wolves and dogs that Maerad can talk to and the kind young Jussock man with whom she bonds while she’s their captive. I would say that this is definitely a weaker book than the first one, but it was still full of atmosphere and charm and that wonderful classic fantasy feel. On to The Crow!
testkristin3's review against another edition
4.0
Loved the series and looking forward to the next re-read!
corners_of_cozy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
arwenstelter's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
annapox's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Blood, Confinement, Murder, Self harm, and Violence
Minor: Alcohol, Hate crime, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, and War