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Title: Riddle-Master Author: Patricia A. McKillip Rating: Not available Avg. Score: 5 Submit Comment Hits: 58

Review of Riddle-Master

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Comments for Riddle-Master

• Posted on 2008-07-19
  A wonderful trilogy that rereads well over the years
  
  This trilogy has long been one of my favorites, so I was upset when my copy of it became moldy. (My husband stored it in the basement without my realizing it, and it was too late when I found it.) I purchased a replacement from ebay, but it had an even worse mold problem. Sigh. Anyway, I ended up buying this version, because it's the newest reprinting I could find, and I could get a nice, new copy. That's important for this trilogy, because I reread it often, which is the main point I want to convey in this review. I have read this trilogy multiple times over three decades, and I still notice different nuances each time. The characters have an amazing depth, and the plot is extremely rich, with so many connecting details that you can always find something new each time you read it. I particularly like that the female characters are strong, interesting people who take charge of their own lives -- no screaming princess waiting to be rescued! There's also a tremendous amount of humor in the books. Between all this and the beautiful writing style, they're definitely among the best books in the fantasy genre.
  Score: 5
• Posted on 2008-06-24
  A Jewel Re-discovered
  
  My mother read this book for the first time as a young woman. Always, when we discussed books, she would tell me about this book - how wonderful it was, how much she enjoyed it and how she wished she could read it again. I spent months tracking down out of print copies of the series but seeing my mom's eyes light up when I gave them to her made it all worth while. :-) I own a copy myself now, and like her I adore the books. In fact, I'm going to buy her another copy that she can read (and leave the rare copies alone!)
  Score: 5
• Posted on 2008-06-13
  Beautiful
  
  I picked up the trilogy on a whim one day at the bookstore. At first, the writing style was a little awkward for me to get used to, but as soon as I did it was impossible for me to put down. The story is spectacular, and I love the secrets and surprises woven consistently throughout all the books. Patricia McKillip created a fantasy story with all the elements, and did it without being cliche. The end of the book is so beautiful, I would recommend it to anyone that loves a good story. Five Stars!
  Score: 5
• Posted on 2008-05-16
  The reason I kept reading fantasy
  
  There are some fantasy epics that all literature professors, and most normal people, would consider essential reading for any well-educated person -- J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S.Lewis, Lewis Carroll, etc. So, yeah, I read those a long time ago. But beyond that, there's not much fantasy literature that's essential reading. So, for a long time, I didn't read any. In my drive to be educated, I stuck to the classics (which are classic because they're great literature, usually). But one day, maybe 15 years ago, Patricia McKillip's Riddlemaster fell into my hands. I can't remember exactly when, and I can't remember how. I can't even remember enough to tell you exactly what the trilogy was about. It's been that long ago.
  
  All I can remember is sitting for hours, slack-jawed and amazed. The imagery was so beautiful, the writing so elegant, the ideas so powerful. Some of the imagery has remained with me; I can still remember the awe I felt when Morgon learned how to change into a tree, how to harp the wind, and who Deth was. I don't really remember the details of the story very well, but I still feel it.
  
  I was sad when I finished the Riddlemaster trilogy, but excited to have found something I loved so much, so I went looking for more beautiful fantasy literature. It's been my favorite source of entertainment since.
  ~FanLit.net
  Score: 5
• Posted on 2008-04-13
  He said, she said
  
  The Riddle-master trilogy has been compared to Tolkien's LOTR. The Riddle-master story is well written, and the characters thought provoking. Like LOTR, this book tells about an average, simple man caught up in a story of destiny bigger than he ever imagined. However, it is obvious when you read Riddle-master that the author is not an English scholar, like Tolkien. Few of us are, but her editors should have done a better job. Most annoying is the repeated use of pronouns. Whole pages of dialogue between two male characters only refer to "he" without any clue as to which character is speaking. This is a problem through out the book. This is also a problem with three female characters who are all referred to in a conversation as "she" instead of giving us some kind of way to distinguish the speaker. History is not explained, which is also a difference from Tolkien. On the plus side, Riddle-master is faster paced than Tolkien, and slightly more believable since the character's feet actually hurt. Perhaps the author, like Tolkien, will go back and reedit before the next printing. Tolkien revised his work with nearly every printing. I think this is the best piece of fiction written in the last 40 years. A tremendous accomplishment.
  Score: 5