Riddle-Master by Patricia A. McKillip
First sentence: Morgon of Hed met the High One’s harpist one autumn day when the trade-ships docked at Tol for the season’s exchange of goods.
Patricia A. McKillip’s trilogy, collected here in one volume and with a new introduction, is quite a voyage. The hero, Morgon, is destined to solve the riddle of the three stars on his forehead. Obviously set apart for a grand destiny, he longs only for a peaceful existence on the simple island where he, as prince, possesses a unique communion with his land. Unfortunately, peace is not in his future.
The first book, The Riddle Master of Hed, tells of how Morgon journeys from Hed in the company of the High One’s harpist, intending to make the long trek to ask the High One himself the meaning of his birthmark. Along the way, pursued by enemies, Morgon meets the rulers of the other lands and learns that all is not well in the world.
In Heir of Sea and Fire, which takes place a year later, Raederle, Morgon’s intended, goes searching for him. She learns that she is heir to a different kind of magic, which might be the destructive force that Morgon has been struggling against.
The conclusion to the trilogy, Harpist in the Wind, I found less satisfying than the first two books–I particularly liked Raederle’s story and was sorry to lose her as the protagonist. Most of the time, I was simply confused about who was whom and what was happening, as there’s rather a lot of fighting with magic. When the great reveal occurs, when Morgon finally unravels the riddle of his birthright, I admired the hints that had been dropped along the way but thought that, for all the good adventure, the conclusion might have been accomplished more succinctly.
Admirers of Patricia A. McKillip, Patricia C. Wrede, Robin McKinley, Sherwood Smith, and other authors of high fantasy will like this trilogy. Some, like me, might find they prefer McKillip’s more recent work.
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