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A review by violinknitter
The Riddle-Master of Hed by Patricia A. McKillip
5.0
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 Hed to show up in the first few pages of HEIR... he doesn't.
McKillip is not for everyone. Reading a McKillip novel is often like visiting a foreign country: your guide may explain parts of the culture & language to you, but there will be much swirling around you that you do not understand and that no one will explain to you. Personally I love that in a book. I love to feel there is much more to the world and the story than I am being told. But not every reader enjoys the experience of *not* having everything explained and clearly laid out. If you like to have all the answers by the end of the book, McKillip may not be the fantasy writer for you. (Her language, though!!!! Oh, my goodness, her prose is some of the most beautiful prose I have ever read.)
McKillip is not for everyone. Reading a McKillip novel is often like visiting a foreign country: your guide may explain parts of the culture & language to you, but there will be much swirling around you that you do not understand and that no one will explain to you. Personally I love that in a book. I love to feel there is much more to the world and the story than I am being told. But not every reader enjoys the experience of *not* having everything explained and clearly laid out. If you like to have all the answers by the end of the book, McKillip may not be the fantasy writer for you. (Her language, though!!!! Oh, my goodness, her prose is some of the most beautiful prose I have ever read.)