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The Riddle-Master of Hed
(Riddle-Master #1)
by
Long ago, the wizards had vanished from the world, and all knowledge was left hidden in riddles. Morgon, prince of the simple farmers of Hed, proved himself a master of such riddles when he staked his life to win a crown from the dead Lord of Aum. But now ancient, evil forces were threatening him. Shape changers began replacing friends until no man could be trusted. So Mor
...more
Paperback, 240 pages
Published
March 12th 1980
by Del Rey / Ballantine
(first published 1976)
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Lora
I just finished this book. It does not have a satisfying conclusion by itself.
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Start your review of The Riddle-Master of Hed (Riddle-Master, #1)

There's just something frustrating about this book.
It just doesn't quite seem to get where it's going.
The story starts out with this really run-of-the-mill prince. That sounds like an oxymoron, but it's not. He's ruler of this really simple, down-to-earth place called Hed and is just an incredibly unpretentious character. Despite being the prince, he ends up wrestling his brother in a mud puddle within just a handful of pages. It's hard to really get into the story at first, because although he ...more
It just doesn't quite seem to get where it's going.
The story starts out with this really run-of-the-mill prince. That sounds like an oxymoron, but it's not. He's ruler of this really simple, down-to-earth place called Hed and is just an incredibly unpretentious character. Despite being the prince, he ends up wrestling his brother in a mud puddle within just a handful of pages. It's hard to really get into the story at first, because although he ...more

This was very disappointing for me. I was expecting an epic sweeping quest with adventures and magic and destiny! And I guess it was there, but the writing quality was not what I would have expected, given the way people I trust have talked about this book. I think safe to say it does not hold up.
Things that were fun:
-All the fixin's. It's very classic epic fantasy with the chosen one and mysterious prophecies, god like figures, wizards and the rest.
-A few glimmers of hope. There were 2 spots I ...more
Things that were fun:
-All the fixin's. It's very classic epic fantasy with the chosen one and mysterious prophecies, god like figures, wizards and the rest.
-A few glimmers of hope. There were 2 spots I ...more

Fantasy without any fantastic. 'Riddles' without any riddles! More accurately, what here is described as riddle-figuring is actually history/mythology research. But I guess that 'The Primary-and-Secondary-Document Seeker of Hed' doesn't exactly roll off the tongue.
Characters should be great by what they do. I don't want to be told how clever and destined-for-great-things a character is- I want to be shown it without the bells and whistles. Unfortunately, only a bit more than nothing occurs here ...more
Characters should be great by what they do. I don't want to be told how clever and destined-for-great-things a character is- I want to be shown it without the bells and whistles. Unfortunately, only a bit more than nothing occurs here ...more

2019 Review It's been a long time since I reread this. I have a lot of fond memories & found it quite good again, although I really like more realism in my novels now. This is an epic fantasy, quite lyrical in nature. It's more like a complex fairy tale & beautiful in that way. If you like that sort of thing, this is a 5 star read that I can't recommend highly enough.
Unfortunately, I seem to have become a grump. A farmer who has that much of a problem with death? Bacon doesn't grow at the stor ...more
Unfortunately, I seem to have become a grump. A farmer who has that much of a problem with death? Bacon doesn't grow at the stor ...more

There are books that I pull from my shelves to re-read every few years. They may be romantic thrillers or science-fiction or fantasy or classics. What they all have in common is superb story-telling, characters who are as familiar to me as friends and family, and worlds so detailed and engrossing that I am transported there as soon as I open the book. Patricia McKillip’s Riddle-Master trilogy are books that I have loved ever since I first read them. The world she creates is magical and complete
...more

Mar 21, 2013
Garth
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fantasy,
exceptional-book
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.

A very impressive novel. McKillip is both an impressive storyteller and author, showing her intricate skill in this the first part of the Riddlemaster Trilogy. Mysterious, at times chilling, and with fascinating characters, "The Riddlemaster of Hed" reminds me of Le Guin and, to some extent Tolkien, authors who I believe to be masters of fantasy literature. McKillip's descriptions and dialogue are very well constructed, pulling the reader (or at least me) in to read quickly yet also deeply. At t
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No Mr. Wolfe, you CAN go home again.
(Well, at least sometimes.)
I first read The Riddle Master of Hed in 1978. I was 14 years old, had read The Lord of the Rings the same year, and at the time, consider them pretty much on par. Riddle Master captured me with the same sense of unfolding wonder of a world with a deep history, more than half lost in mystery, that unfolded slowly as a crucial element of the ongoing story. Fourteen year old me immediately placed The Riddle Master trilogy among the cla ...more
(Well, at least sometimes.)
I first read The Riddle Master of Hed in 1978. I was 14 years old, had read The Lord of the Rings the same year, and at the time, consider them pretty much on par. Riddle Master captured me with the same sense of unfolding wonder of a world with a deep history, more than half lost in mystery, that unfolded slowly as a crucial element of the ongoing story. Fourteen year old me immediately placed The Riddle Master trilogy among the cla ...more

A lovely trilogy that somehow manages to balance an epic scope while being focused on just two people trying to figure out who they are. This first book is about Morgon, a farmer with a knack for answering riddles (a bit more like Zen koans) who was born with three stars on his head.
Yes, this is the "Chosen One of the Ancient Prophecy" trope that I hate so much. I think there are a number of reasons it works for me here. First, there isn't a concrete prophecy looming over each action. Morgon do ...more
Yes, this is the "Chosen One of the Ancient Prophecy" trope that I hate so much. I think there are a number of reasons it works for me here. First, there isn't a concrete prophecy looming over each action. Morgon do ...more

Morgon of Hed rules his small kingdom. But it's nothing fancy and Morgon even has to help his subjects mend their roofs. He's more of a village chief than a king, really. But he has one thing going for him - he is a whiz at solving riddles. This is how he defeated the ghost king of Aum and got away with his life. Morgan has a destiny - three stars on his forehead proclaim it to everyone. The question is - would he accept it or not?
This is the gist of the story here. Is Morgan going to go forward ...more
This is the gist of the story here. Is Morgan going to go forward ...more

I love this trilogy far beyond reason, so I won't try to give a reasoned review. I will give a few words of advice, though. The first book is in no way a stand-alone story. The trilogy only makes sense if you read the entire trilogy... much more like a book of the Lord of the Rings than a Harry Potter book that can be enjoyed on its own terms apart from the rest of the series. Secondly, there is a major shift in viewpoint between the first & second books of the trilogy, so don't expect Morgan of
...more

Aug 05, 2016
Jenny
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
favorites,
books-i-need-to-reread-and-soon
*****4.5*****
This book surprised me. I found it in the local used bookstore, and I liked the cover and the title, but I put off reading it because I didn't know if it would be compelling enough. Well, I was captivated right away by McKillip's writing style and by her protagonist, Morgon. Then, the story line drew me in. The plot is so mysterious: who is Morgon? why does he have three stars on his forehead? why do so many people want to kill him?
Answers and partial answers are revealed slowly, b ...more
This book surprised me. I found it in the local used bookstore, and I liked the cover and the title, but I put off reading it because I didn't know if it would be compelling enough. Well, I was captivated right away by McKillip's writing style and by her protagonist, Morgon. Then, the story line drew me in. The plot is so mysterious: who is Morgon? why does he have three stars on his forehead? why do so many people want to kill him?
Answers and partial answers are revealed slowly, b ...more

Lovely language and delicate mythos but I just couldn't get over the riddles that weren't riddles. The wordplay was too much for me and although it is a slim book, it felt much longer because the main character kept dragging his heels and complaining through the whole book. It had a feeling a bit like Taran Wanderer (which I love) so I can see why people would love this but it wasn't for me, alas!
...more

“When you open your minds and hands and heart to the knowing of a thing, there is no room in you for fear.”
Sorry I missed this when first published in 1974. Better than most post-LOTR imitators. McKillip may feel that she’s surpassed this earlier effort, but this is a deeper, more satisfying tale than many more famous competitors, which admittedly is a low bar.
“Truth,” the Master Ohm murmured, “needs no apology.”
It took the entire book to get the protagonist interested in his quest, along the ...more
Sorry I missed this when first published in 1974. Better than most post-LOTR imitators. McKillip may feel that she’s surpassed this earlier effort, but this is a deeper, more satisfying tale than many more famous competitors, which admittedly is a low bar.
“Truth,” the Master Ohm murmured, “needs no apology.”
It took the entire book to get the protagonist interested in his quest, along the ...more

See my review of the omnibus volume. I stumbled over this book back in '77 or '78 and then had to wait till I could find the next volume. Very frustrating. A good series, I find the first volume to be the best of the 3 though I've read reviews of those who disagree.
...more

Repetitive and painful to read. I do not like the writing style at all. Every time Morgon goes to sleep, someone tries to kill him. Every single time. If it gets dark or someone yawns or they've been traveling a long time and someone says they should rest, you immediately know someone is about to try to kill Morgon -- again. In pretty much the same way, because it's always this shape-shifting creature. I'm less than half way through the book even though I've been trying to read it for months, an
...more

I picked this one up as part of my reading project for this year. I'm really trying to read more books written by ladies pre-2000 in SFF. This definitely fit the bill, but unfortunately it didn't grip me anywhere near as much as I had hoped for...
This tells the story of Morgon, Prince of Hed, who manages to unravel a riddle and earn himself notoriety and magical propechy. Morgon never really knew what he was getting by completing the Riddle, but let's just say it becomes something much much gre ...more
This tells the story of Morgon, Prince of Hed, who manages to unravel a riddle and earn himself notoriety and magical propechy. Morgon never really knew what he was getting by completing the Riddle, but let's just say it becomes something much much gre ...more

Didn't finish.
In the first chapter, Main Character (MC) and his siblings have a fight in front of their subjects involving a rose bush and a poured bucket of sour milk. The siblings are angry because MC went on a riddle quest and won the quest by asking, "What was the monster that knocked on a door, that one time?" This is not a riddle, but anyway. Then MC buys a harp and goes on a ship back to visit the college he attended, so he can tell the brother of his future bride that he is the one who w ...more
In the first chapter, Main Character (MC) and his siblings have a fight in front of their subjects involving a rose bush and a poured bucket of sour milk. The siblings are angry because MC went on a riddle quest and won the quest by asking, "What was the monster that knocked on a door, that one time?" This is not a riddle, but anyway. Then MC buys a harp and goes on a ship back to visit the college he attended, so he can tell the brother of his future bride that he is the one who w ...more

Good story, quite imaginative. I read it a second time, the entire trilogy, and liked it much more. The first time through, I didn't read it, I only listened to it. I lost a lot that way, including some nuance and details on the complexities of this plot. The story gradually pulled on my heartstrings, especially through the complex characterization of Deth, the harpist.
Simon Prebble is a fine narrator, but he didn't add anything to this story. He didn't differentiate between characters enough so ...more
Simon Prebble is a fine narrator, but he didn't add anything to this story. He didn't differentiate between characters enough so ...more

Most of this book was Morgon begrudgingly or outright telling prophecies and such to go fuck themselves. He wanted absolutely nothing to do with riddles about his fate. Man, I really felt for him. All he wanted was to go home to be with his siblings, but instead he's roped into a huge adventure that makes him question everything he thinks he knows about himself.
See Morgon was born with three stars on his head. And these three stars keep showing up in un-answerable riddles. So Morgon goes off to ...more
See Morgon was born with three stars on his head. And these three stars keep showing up in un-answerable riddles. So Morgon goes off to ...more

4.5 stars, Metaphorosis Reviews
Summary:
Morgon has a crown gathering dust under his bed. And his sister is none too happy that he risked his life riddling with a ghost to get it. When the High One’s harpist turns up and tells them what else the crown means, Morgon sets out to find out who he really is.
Review:
This book is one of the things that got me interested in fantasy to begin with. There were others – Donaldson, Lewis, Vance, Zelazny – but this series was among the most accessible. I wasn’t ...more
Summary:
Morgon has a crown gathering dust under his bed. And his sister is none too happy that he risked his life riddling with a ghost to get it. When the High One’s harpist turns up and tells them what else the crown means, Morgon sets out to find out who he really is.
Review:
This book is one of the things that got me interested in fantasy to begin with. There were others – Donaldson, Lewis, Vance, Zelazny – but this series was among the most accessible. I wasn’t ...more

Aug 20, 2012
Abigail Hartman
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Abigail by:
Jennifer Freitag
Shelves:
fantasy
Rereread: December 2020
I've read this three times?! Why? I mean, it's interesting and I enjoy aspects of it, but I had the same sense of tedium with Morgon's unwillingness to accept his destiny: we spend so many pages plodding along with him from place to place. (Although I do like a lot of the characters he meets along the way.) Not to mention the good old McKillip writing style of "I'll never explain anything to my readers ever." I was thinking about rereading the whole trilogy, but now I'm am ...more
I've read this three times?! Why? I mean, it's interesting and I enjoy aspects of it, but I had the same sense of tedium with Morgon's unwillingness to accept his destiny: we spend so many pages plodding along with him from place to place. (Although I do like a lot of the characters he meets along the way.) Not to mention the good old McKillip writing style of "I'll never explain anything to my readers ever." I was thinking about rereading the whole trilogy, but now I'm am ...more

Some books keep you up at night reading, dreaming, questioning. This book put me to sleep every time I opened it. I think the cause of my novel-induced narcolepsy was a combination of things.
First and most importantly, Morgon's stops along his journey were so unrelated and unconnected that I would just be getting used to the city and the character he was meeting when BAM! some random shape-changer, trader, or disappearing sailor would try to kill him in some not-so exciting way and we'd move on ...more
First and most importantly, Morgon's stops along his journey were so unrelated and unconnected that I would just be getting used to the city and the character he was meeting when BAM! some random shape-changer, trader, or disappearing sailor would try to kill him in some not-so exciting way and we'd move on ...more

This is beautifully written, as all of Patricia McKillip's work is. However, something in the density of it makes it difficult -- not to read; I sped through it, in that sense, but to understand exactly what it going on and how we should feel about it. I've had that problem with one or two of McKillip's other books, so I think it's something about her style which may or may not be a problem for other people. I wouldn't actually start here, with McKillip: I first fell in love with The Changeling
...more

This is one of those border books that not everyone has heard of but is actually probably my favorite book ever. I have read it and reread it probably a hundred times and will reread it for comfort up there with Pride and Prejudice and Unbearable Lightness of Being-- all books I could read over and over without getting sick of them. For anyone who would look at this and dismiss it as stupid fantasy writing they are missing the huge parable that dies not make sense until you read the last chapter
...more

I'll review this book a little different than usual. Reason being I had extremely high expectations regarding this. I love riddles, mazes, creepy castles, Celtic themed fantasy, with a deep and interesting lore.
The good: Awesome idea for a fantasy setting, decent world building, the idea of riddles being involved, interesting magic, quest, mysteries, riddle college, and Celtic themes.
The bad: weak characterization, insanely boring dialogue, slow chore like pace, no real riddles, and it's just ...more
The good: Awesome idea for a fantasy setting, decent world building, the idea of riddles being involved, interesting magic, quest, mysteries, riddle college, and Celtic themes.
The bad: weak characterization, insanely boring dialogue, slow chore like pace, no real riddles, and it's just ...more

May 29, 2013
AnHeC the Paperback Obliterator
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
favorites
Now, I should start with admitting I'm partial to this book. I've read it as a kid, it was a gift from my parents (whole 3 books). And I loved it. It had some wisdom in it, that I needed at the time. And a few of my favourite quotes hit me still today.
So, let's get on with review.
I liked the main character. I liked the fact, that he didn't necessarily seek glory. Didn't want to save the world, so to speak. An unwilling hero. A guy that loves peace and quite and books (^^) but life has other idea ...more
So, let's get on with review.
I liked the main character. I liked the fact, that he didn't necessarily seek glory. Didn't want to save the world, so to speak. An unwilling hero. A guy that loves peace and quite and books (^^) but life has other idea ...more

Storyline: 3/5
Characters: 2/5
Writing Style: 3/5
World: 4/5
The Riddle-Master of Hed was published a little late for getting away with the hurried pacing and thin characterization, but some of the components here are just so rich to give excuse to the many deviations from Great Book demands. It is easy to see how this would be a classic. It has several hallmarks of an epic: the eye-opening personal evolution, the quest, the introductions to powerful objects and great events. McKlllip adds to that b ...more
Characters: 2/5
Writing Style: 3/5
World: 4/5
The Riddle-Master of Hed was published a little late for getting away with the hurried pacing and thin characterization, but some of the components here are just so rich to give excuse to the many deviations from Great Book demands. It is easy to see how this would be a classic. It has several hallmarks of an epic: the eye-opening personal evolution, the quest, the introductions to powerful objects and great events. McKlllip adds to that b ...more
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Patricia Anne McKillip is an American author of fantasy and science fiction novels, distinguished by lyrical, delicate prose and careful attention to detail and characterization. She is a past winner of the World Fantasy Award and Locus Award, and she lives in Oregon. Most of her recent novels have cover paintings by Kinuko Y. Craft. She is married to David Lunde, a poet.
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“If you have no faith in yourself, then have faith in the things you call truth. You know what must be done. You may not have courage or trust or understanding or the will to do it, but you know what must be done. You can't turn back. There is now answer behind you. You fear what you cannot name. So look at it and find a name for it. Turn your face forward and learn. Do what must be done.
-Deth to Morgon, Prince of Hed-”
—
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-Deth to Morgon, Prince of Hed-”