A review by elemenoreed
The Riddle by Alison Croggon

3.0

All I can say is: thank goodness for the Winterking. He made this novel much more interesting and saved it from receiving a possible 2 or 2.5 star rating. The book starts off immediately following the events of the previous book. And it goes on much as the first book did. Travel, interesting respite, travel. Even though interesting things would crop up every now and again, the book seemed to be following the same formula as the first and it was hard for me to stay interested. But then, about halfway through, something actually happens and Maerad is left on her own. This makes for some very interesting character development for Maerad. It was nice to see her put on her big girl pants on purpose, rather than by accidentally stumbling into them in the midst of a disaster she doesn't understand. She ends up making it to her goal on her own, through a new setting of beautiful white snow (which was a refreshing change from forest after forest after forest...). She encounters an odd mix of people and allows her instincts to guide her through a myriad of strange circumstances. And then she is caught by the Winterking, who knows quite a lot about the Treesong and about Maerad herself. He has the Matrix-like ability to create an illusion that is believable and pleasing to those on whom he exerts said ability. Their relationship is quixotic and, regrettably, too short. It is hoped that he will play a role in the next book. By the end of the book, her quest is given a fresh direction and I was left feeling more respect for Maerad as a leading lady than I had been previously. I am looking forward to reading the next book.