The Riddle

The Second Book of Pellinor

By: Alison Croggon

Narrated by: Eloise Oxer

Length: 19 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

Maerad is a girl with a tragic and bitter past, but her powers grow stronger by the day. Now she and her mentor, Cadvan, hunted by both the Light and the Dark, must unravel the Riddle of the Treesong before their fractured kingdom erupts in chaos. The quest leads Maerad over terrifying seas and vast stretches of glacial wilderness, ever closer to the seductive Winterking - ally of her most powerful enemy, the Nameless One. Trapped in the Winterking's icy realm, Maerad must confront what she has suspected all along: that she is the greatest riddle of all.

Listen to another Pellinor title.

©2005 Alison Croggon (P)2011 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Still, I read on.

Like many middle books it moves slowly; all the more reason to get thru it quickly (and high speed resolves complaints about the voicing of the non-protagonists). Basic storyline is everyone she loves is killed and she moves on alone till becoming captive of and falling in love with some North King of Cold (such a familiar love story). And like other stories, when there is a need for it, a mechanism for truth revelation is provided, be it a power, scrying, veritas truth serum, Wonder Woman’s lasso, or CNN. Then when the narrative demands, long unresolved arguments over the substance of truth and its knowability ensue. And this untutored ex-slave is oh-so-elegant in her prosaic deliberations. Still, I read on.

Chapters out of order

If you could sum up The Riddle in three words, what would they be?

Good book

Any additional comments?

Chapter 19 of section two is actually half ch. 19 and half chapter 21. It is confusing.

Wonderful story, slight problem with audiobook

Any additional comments?

As another reviewer mentioned, one of the chapters has parts of a chapter switched, with the second part first and the first last. Since I've read this book before it wasn't *terribly* confusing, but for a first time reader/listener, I have the feeling it would be quite confusing considering there's nothing to indicate that this is what's happening.

worth the effort

Author gives amazing descriptions of both beauty and whats not. A great example of narrator excellence!!!

Great story, didnt like the narrator.

Where does The Riddle rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I love this series and I have read all the books. I got the audiobook as something familiar to listen to on a long drive and I thought it would be nice to revisit the story. The story is as good as ever but I did not like the narrator's voice. It was too breathy and that often brought me out of the story.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Hem - is my favorite in the series.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Eloise Oxer?

I will probably finish out the rest of the books because I like the story so much. Apart from that I will avoid books read by Ms. Oxer

Wonderful, but skips, PLEASE FIX!!!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I love these books and the story telling. However, toward chapter 29 it skips to the middle of the next chapter. It's very confusing... I tried to re download from my cloud and it did not help. If I didn't own the book and know the story well, it would have been very confusing.

What could Alison Croggon have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Please make sure Audible has the chapters chronologically correct. You are a brilliant author. :)

What about Eloise Oxer’s performance did you like?

She was amazing!

Any additional comments?

Please fix this problem so others can enjoy it too.

I enjoyed it more than the first book

Like the first book, it kept my interest. It wasn't superbly fantastic but I enjoyed listening to it and generally liked the narrator's narration.

wonderful

I absolutely loved this book. my only problem is that two of the chapters are mixed up. chapter 38 actually comes after chapter 40 I believe. By far my favorite narrator

Just wish the one scene were in the right place

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

There is one scene that was out of order. I wish that weren't the case... I doubt that it is the case in the print version. Otherwise, I think it was great.

What did you like best about this story?

Maerad is a deeply rich and complex character. I enjoyed listening to her thoughts and how they conflicted with one another. I think we all see the contradictions between the different roles in our lives and get frustrated and confused by them. The author mirrored the reality of that very well.

Which scene was your favorite?

I loved her flight from Arkon and Maerad's inner turmoil. Having gone through a divorce, I undestand the confusion and inner chaos. You still care about that person, but you know they are not good for you. They make you feel trapped, but also loved. It is a difficult situation to be in.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, but I listened to it many times.

Any additional comments?

Looking forward to listening to the next one.

love it!

absolutely loved it. can't wait to read the next book!!!! the plot is incredibly wonderful