Customer Reviews

The Riddle-Master of Hed

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I disdain much of the world of adult fantasy, which is populated by sword-and-sorcery Tolkien ripoffs. Patricia McKillip is one of the few authors who are truly worthy of being called a writer of epics and classics.

Her world is a relatively simple yet complex one, in which the Prince of the poor farming country of Hed, Morgan, is found to have solved the mysterious Riddle of Peven, an old King who had to give up his crown to Morgan. Also, the man who solves the Riddle will also get to marry a princess, Raederle, the second-most beautiful woman in the world. (She is also the star of book two)

But as Morgan ventures away from Hed, he learns that strange things are happening. Sinister shapechanging creatures are creeping in like a plague, and he begins to question the history of his world. Long ago, there were wizards in the city of Lungold, and now there are none. Their knowledge is left behind in the riddles that often crop up during the book -- but Morgan begins to suspect that the man who founded Lungold, Ghisteslwchlohm, is still alive.

Why Ghisteslwchlohm destroyed the city, and whether he is alive are only two of the strange mysteries (riddles?) that Morgan must face. Accompanied by Deth, the harper of the High One (a person who reads lots of McKillip knows that she loves harps), Morgan sets off to find the mysterious High One at Erlenstar Mountain. And the people he meet along the way help reveal the strange destiny that he has: the Star-Bearer, for the three stars on his brow. He learns new skills of shapeshifting and magic along the way to Erlenstar Mountain, where a shock awaits him...

Frankly a summary can't really express the complexity of this novel. This is only the bare bones of it. McKillip's prose in this book is not as lush or dreamy as her future books, but what there is in this relatively slim book (no 900-page tomes, thank God) is amazing. Like Tolkien, the villains of her books are more nebulous than cackling men in silly black armor -- the shapechangers are all the more sinister for their creepy lack of presence, but their effect on the lands in the book. The scene where a shapechanger sings a song about Hed to Morgon is one of the creepiest I've seen in ages.

There are no elves, dwarves, faeries, or similar fantastical creatures in this book. It came to me with a bit of a shock at the end that there were only humans in this -- humans who can learn magic, who make mistakes and who have to search for the truth instead of having it handed to them on a plate. The magic is learnable -- and isn't flashy or show-offy, but subtle and pervasive. Similarly, the shapechangers' menace isn't overdone -- a few passages, a couple of sinister confrontations that seem almost dreamlike. And this makes them all the more freaky.

McKillip's fondness for little in-jokes shows here, as the riddling Morgan is the prince of "Hed"; he comments in one scene that "Deth harped at his father's wedding". And she doesn't do overwrought, complex names like N'garle Tor'bane: simple names like Aum, Peven, An, Re, Rood -- aside from Ghisteslwchlohm, the most complex name is Raederle's, and it all adds to the poetry of the prose.

And McKillip also does something that Tolkien also did, and which many fantasy authors don't do: She leaves many things up to our imagination. For instance, the Great Shout: We're not entirely sure what it is, we're not sure how the characters do it, but we do know that it is awe-inspiring and we want to learn it too. Similarly, we don't get lengthy monologues about the magic that Morgan learns how to transform into a vesta, but the FEEL of it is clear and present.

Morgan is a great reluctant hero, whose main hope is to marry Raederle, go home to Hed, and fix Snog Nutt's roof. He gets sucked into one situation after another while trying to turn back on his destiny, and deny that it would have dire consequences. The reader breaths a sigh of relief when he finally accepts it and moves toward Erlenstar (isn't that a great name?). Deth is amazingly ambiguous, a likeable character though he is secretive and may not be entirely trustworthy. He's also a nice change from the Gandalf/Merlin stereotype. We also get likable supporting characters like Morgon's buddy Rood, shapeshifting Har, the stately Morgol of Herun (who reminds me of Galadriel) and her brave daughter.

I'm looking forward to reading "Heir of Sea and Fire" and "Harpist in the Wind," the next two books in the trilogy. (They aren't available independently, but are now available as a single volume--a beautiful one at that) These books are truly epic classics, a must-read for any lover of fantasy.

As other reviewers have said, "The Riddle Master of Hed" is an extremely complex book with many plots. The book is a short novel but due to the amount of plots, characters, and scenes this book seems like it is much longer as it feels like a massive epic. The novel goes by very quickly and it will seem that you're done with the book in absolutely no time. The novel is the first book of an epic fantasy series, titled "The Riddle Master Trilogy," and due to my fondness of this book I will most definitely read the next to books of the trilogy.

Morgon of Hed is a Riddle Master (read the book to see what these are) that has three stars on his head. Morgon has no clue what the stars represent and when he takes a trip and discovers that he is the only one that can play a harp with the same three stars that are on his forehead, he is curious to see what the stars mean. Meanwhile, darkness is brewing in the world and shadow figures that look like people he knows are trying to kill him. Morgon takes a quest with friend Deth to see what Morgon's stars are about. Along the way Morgon learns a lot about the world that he lives in.

As with other books by Patricia McKillip the world in the book is very original and is not cliched with elements from other novels. Everything in her world is astoundingly original, especially the Riddle Masters. Morgon's quest in the world is very believable and does not seem like a dumb quest with no purpose. I'm sure that the next two books of the series will advance on the importance of Morgon of Hed's quest.

Morgon is a hero that everybody can relate to. He is in a world where there are problems and things that happen to him have effects on him, good and bad. Morgon is developed very well and is very, very believable. Other characters that pop in the book, such as Deth, are believable as well and are well developed.

McKillip's descriptions and prose are, as always, superb. It is a true pleasure to read about what is going on because of McKillip's easy to read writing style. Children and adults will enjoy "The Riddle Master of Hed" equally. This is a very original fantasy novel that any lover of the genre will appreciate. This is easily one of the better fantasy novels that have been written.

Happy Reading!

Be warned. If you are a reader that prefers fast-food fantasy -- where everything is action-packed, color is delivered simply by creating a more outlandish 'species' than other writers have, and the characters' thoughts, motives and feelings are spelled out and defined for you -- then you will not like these books. McKillip does not insult her readers in that way. (Don't get me wrong, there is plenty of action, color, and character.) I have read this trilogy many times, and each time it grips me just as strongly, while it reveals something I hadn't noticed before. But it isn't the action that grips you. It's the quiet moments of doubt, vulnerability, and wondering. Moments when it seems that eternity is holding it's breath, waiting silently for it's fate to be read. Believe me, it's not as corny as I make it sound. Read the book (if you're an intelligent reader). The characters will become more real to you than many of the people you know.

I first read 'The Riddle-Master of Hed' some years ago, and loved it then. But as our library didn't have the sequels, and I hadn't then heard of inter-library loan, I gave up on finding the rest of the trilogy. A few days ago, however, I stumbled across the whole thing in my aunt's house, and she lent them to me. I read all three books less than a day; I simply couldn't get out of them. I'm convinced Patricia McKillip is one of the finest fantasy writers in the field. Not only are her plots tight and skillfully and imaginatively woven, but her imagery and writing style are one in a million. I can only think of Robin McKinley as a comparison. I found myself cheering Morgon and Raederle along, sharing in their confusion and sorrow and joy. I heartily congradulate Ms. McKillip for contributing such wonderful books to literature. Anyone who reads 'The Riddle-Master of Hed' will never be the same.

_The Riddle Master of Hed_ is the first of three inseparable books in the _Riddle of Stars_ trilogy, and cannot be appreciated fully without the others. Lovingly called "the Harpist books" in our family, the trilogy is a classic equal to the works of Tolkien, Lewis, etc. and will hopefully be recognized as such. When I first read the _Riddle Master of Hed_, I was permanently hooked by the third chapter and went through the excruciating wait for the sequels. Since that time, I have had four children and read the entire trilogy to them three times over (punctuated by spurts of Tolkien, Kipling, Bronte, etc.). We unanimously agree that Patricia McKillip is one of the most outstanding authors of our day. Her writing is poetically beautiful, and her flow of words, read silently or aloud, is unique and unmatched by any other author....and 15 years of reading aloud (and 30 years of reading to myself) is sound basis for judgement. I identify with Morgon and am convinced that his journey is one that we all must make. The _Riddle of Stars_ trilogy leaves no reader unchanged; it has the power to transform all who seek the High One as single-mindedly as he. Thank you, Patricia McKillip!

Reading "The Riddle-Master of Hed" is like trying to solve the riddle of someone else's partially-glimpsed dream. You enter a rich world of metaphor, sometimes baffling but always beautiful. A standard hero's quest is overgrown with fabulous beasts, children of stone, and death-dealing harps.

When Land-Ruler Morgon of Hed wins a bride and a crown in a riddling contest with a ghost, he wipes the cow manure off of his boots and sets sail from his tiny island kingdom. Unsure as to whether his beautiful, red-haired prize has any interest in marrying a farmer-king, Morgon sets course for the College of Riddle-Masters at Caithnard, where he was once a student and where his bride's brother still resides. His companion for the journey is Deth, the thousand-year-old High One's harpist.

Morgon and Deth are shipwrecked, and once Morgon regains his memory he discovers that he has unknown, shape-changing enemies who will stop at nothing to destroy him. As he flees through the kingdoms of his world, he is befriended by the various land-rulers and is gifted with a harp and a sword that are decorated with three stars--identical to the birthmark of stars on his forehead. He also learns how to change his own shape into beasts and trees.

Finally Morgon makes his way to Erlenstar Mountain with Deth, the harpist, hoping that the High One will solve the riddle of his stars and defend him against his implacable enemies.

Warning: don't read "The Riddle-Master of Hed" without the last two books of the trilogy at hand. The ending of the first book is a completely unexpected sucker-punch, and although "Heir of Sea and Fire" ends by reconciling Morgon with his bride Raederle, they are both still being pursued by a very nasty wizard and an equally nasty horde of shape-changers. You have to read to the very end of this absorbing trilogy before you find even a tentative glimmering of peace and happiness at the end of "Harpist in the Wind."

"Riddlemaster Of Hed" is a book I return to at least once a year, because I have to. It has emotional and plot depth, adventure, and a believable, desirable fantasy world. The book begins by throwing the reader into the world and letting them sort of figure it out as they go along for the compelling ride.

Soon, however, as the "riddles" begin to pile one atop another until there are so many that the whole of them seem as though they cannot be answered, the book becomes something the reader cannot put down. One must find out the answers. When Morgon tells Deth that he is afraid to even begin to untangle the riddles, we feel the same way, but like Morgon we are compelled to go with him as he seeks answers to his identity, which begins to look like the key to everyone's destiny.

There is a full tapestry of characters, rich imagery which is always true to the world in which Riddlemaster is set. Once you read this book, you will add it to your favorite bookshelf, and you will read the next book, and then the next book, until the entire trilogy has finally unraveled the many "riddles".

Don't just read this book. Let it seep into your mind and become part of your consciousness. You will find yourself wanting desperately to be able to do the "Great Shout", and you will long to be able to learn to do the things Morgon learns on his quest for answers. You will trust Deth even when it seems so foolish...

This book is more than Morgon's quest for identity and answers. It is ours, too, for there is a little bit of Morgon in all of us.

"The Riddle-Master of Hed" follows the young prince Morgon on a meandering journey in search of answers both literal and figurative. He travels through sparsely detailed lands and encounters a series of mentor figures. Except for the harpist Deth, these mentors fade away as quickly as they appear. Morgon's travels are driven by a strange sense of prophesied personal destiny. However, the nature of what is at stake, and what role Morgon might be able to play in it, is never detailed beyond vague conjecture. Morgon repeatedly remembers his homeland of Hed with fondness, but these memories provide scant motivation because the reader's only glimpse of Hed comes in the first chapter.

The plot bounces through random encounters that have little overall connection save Morgon's befuddlement over his vague destiny. He acts like a realistic character when he changes his mind during his wanderings and decides not to return to Hed, but this type of constant shifting of his goals and his destinations gives the reader whiplash. The narrative also repeatedly skips ahead in time, days or even weeks, indicated only with quick phrases such as "The next day..." This format of jumping ahead without scene breaks leaves many scenes dangling without closure. The conclusion of the novel arrives abruptly, in the middle of the quest. It does answer one major question, but the rest of the encounter is completely unresolved.

"Riddle-Master" clocks in at a lean 200 pages, short even by the standards of 70s speculative fiction. The succinct narrative leaves many of the interesting and exotic locales so thinly described that the reader can barely visualize them. McKillip's prose is smooth and emotive. Her narrative gives tangible form to esoteric topics, like the many riddles and their strictures. These mental puzzles and how Morgon wrestles with them are the highlight of the novel.

McKillip's fantasy vision shows deep originality. Her fantasy world is refreshingly free of the Tolkien-esque humanoid races found in most late 70s fantasy, and she focuses on mental challenges rather than physical ones. However, "The Riddle-Master of Hed" remains a flawed opening to the trilogy in its circuitous plot and in the hazy visualization of the setting and Morgon's place within it.

The riddle that Morgon must solve appears straightforward at first: why was he born with the sign of the stars upon his brow? But as Morgon works diligently to find the answer, he discovers that the seemingly small and personal knot of this riddle ties together the strands of power, and even consciousness, that run throughout his entire world. When Morgon begins to unravel it, he looses forces that have been bound for millenia, enemies both to him and all others who share his way of life. His diligence turns to desperation as his foes, implacable as the tide, advance from without to submerge his world and strike from within at friends only a hand's-breadth away. Morgon finds himself at the center of a web of deadly riddles that enmeshes fierce warrior kings and wise pig-herders, white-bearded wizards and wandering harpists, a red-haired princess and herds of the purple-eyed Vesta that flow in vast numbers over the wastelands. All are bound together against an enemy they aren't even aware of.

This superb trilogy leaves you with perfect jewels of scenes to admire again and again: an ancient, gleaming crown, hidden under a dusty bed; lovely Raederle running, laughing, up a hill, jeweled combs cascading from her hair; ancient children of stone, their features blurred by the millenia, turning listlessly towards the first light to enter their cavern in centuries; the sickening, sideways lurch of a foundering ship, the crew inexplicably vanished, a wall of green foam pouring over the railing. A rich, full story of many tastes.

For those whose experience in fantasy is limited to the clunker Tolkien-ripoffs that swarm our bookstore shelves these days, "The Riddle Master of Hed" will be a decidedly unique experience. The philosophy that McKillip used when writing this book is almost the opposite of what many of today's authors do. Here the plot is the central thing, and nothing gets included unless it contributes to the central story about Morgon's travels and his struggle to unravel the mysteries of his world. No time is wasted on character development scenes or on long descriptions. The story practically flies from one event to the next. Consequently, despite being only 200 pages long, you get more plot from this book than from certain 800-page stinkers I could name.

So what's it about. Well, a Prince named Morgon lives in his peaceful island kingdom after recently wining a crown in a riddle-contest. He travels to the mainland to claim his prize, a marriage to a princess, but more than a few surprises are in store when he gets there. There's lots more twists and turns before the big shock at the end, but why should I spoil it for you. "The Riddle Master of Hed" may disappoint those who want in-depth character development, but it will delight anyone who loves puzzles, surprises, and originality.