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A review by bergsteiger
The Riddle-Master of Hed by Patricia A. McKillip
2.0
This was a rather disappointing book for me. I don't particularly love fantasy books that try to make every twist and turn a mystery. Especially when there are overlaps between dreaming and reality that serve no purpose other than to obscure the thread of the plot as the hero gropes blindly forward. Throw on top of that, a Tolkeinesque focus on the elite of society working together to battle the great evil of the age, and it becomes a very detached read.
I also loathe heroes that have no skills, read a simple farmer, who can suddenly break blades with the strum of a harp, shape change, and swordfight. Again, there is nothing here that made me invested in the story. There is no effort and growth by the hero, just a sudden, inexplicable access to God like powers, coupled with periodic tantrums where he turns around to head home, before, yet again, being convinced/driven back to his "quest". Ultimately, it read like a long-winded summary with no real depth to the characters or the plot.
The hero's quest ends with a "twist" that was simply the last straw. I think it was meant to be this cliff-hanger that would drive you into reading the rest of the trilogy, but it had the opposite effect on me. It drove home that I didn't want to spend any more time on this series.
Start elsewhere if you are just getting into fantasy. If you are looking to pick up some of the books from this era that you missed then certainly give it a go--the prose is actually quite good. Just understand that this is neither a new, nor particularly well-crafted story. 2 stars.
I also loathe heroes that have no skills, read a simple farmer, who can suddenly break blades with the strum of a harp, shape change, and swordfight. Again, there is nothing here that made me invested in the story. There is no effort and growth by the hero, just a sudden, inexplicable access to God like powers, coupled with periodic tantrums where he turns around to head home, before, yet again, being convinced/driven back to his "quest". Ultimately, it read like a long-winded summary with no real depth to the characters or the plot.
The hero's quest ends with a "twist" that was simply the last straw. I think it was meant to be this cliff-hanger that would drive you into reading the rest of the trilogy, but it had the opposite effect on me. It drove home that I didn't want to spend any more time on this series.
Start elsewhere if you are just getting into fantasy. If you are looking to pick up some of the books from this era that you missed then certainly give it a go--the prose is actually quite good. Just understand that this is neither a new, nor particularly well-crafted story. 2 stars.