The Riddle-Master of Hed

Riddle-Master Trilogy, Book 1

By: Patricia A. McKillip

Narrated by: Simon Prebble

Long ago, the wizards had vanished from the world, and all knowledge was left hidden in riddles. Morgon, prince of the simple farmers of Hed, proved himself a master of such riddles when he staked his life to win a crown from the dead Lord of Aum.But now ancient, evil forces were threatening him. Shape changers began replacing friends until no man could be trusted. So Morgon was forced to flee to hostile kingdoms, seeking the High One who ruled from mysterious Erlenstar Mountain. Beside him went Deth, the High One's Harper. Ahead lay strange encounters and terrifying adventures. And with him always was the greatest of unsolved riddles - the nature of the three stars on his forehead that seemed to drive him toward his ultimate destiny.

Listen to more in the Riddle-Master trilogy.©1976 Patricia A. McKillip (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Great performance!

Very much enjoyed this one. Love McMillip. The reader did a nice job. Would listen again.

❤️❤️Wonderful❤️❤️

I adore this trilogy. I'm so happy to have found this, and can't wait to hear the last two.

Best Series I've Ever Read!

In Short: Great book! Great narrator!

This is my most favorite series. The character and their development are excellent along with the world of the stories.

Simon Prebble is an excellent narrator who is easy to listen to.

It all comes together

I've been listening to Patricia McKillip's novels for a few weeks now, never having read them as a kid. She is brilliant, a truly charming story maker and story teller. This book seems to begin in a very meandering sort of way, but comes together more and more towards the end, which is really stupendous. The mystery of Deth's identity, for example, built up over the course of the whole book, comes together beautifully. Just like the solving of a riddle.

Patricia McKillip's magical worldview is very organic and does not feel forced or contrived in any way. This only becomes more true the further along you get in the story, as Morgon goes through various stages of initiation into the higher mysteries of his world; they are certainly magical, but feel completely natural as well.

I enjoyed the narrator very much; his vocal characterizations are very well done.

Warning cliffhanger

I enjoyed this story the people were entertaining but the ending didn't end. Cliffhangers Are one of my pet Peeves.This book says it's the 1st in a series but you don't have any idea of how they got to where they are.

Wonderful!

It has been many years since I read the Riddle-Master of Hed trilogy, but it remains one of my all-time favorites. If you like fantasy that is poetic, evocative and descriptive without being rambling, this may be one of the authors for you. In this audiobook, the performance by Simon Prebble is outstanding, very nearly perfect - which is quite a feat considering all the fantasy names. I already bought the other two audio books in the trilogy, and will be enjoying them during my long commute.

Some Amazing Things with Some Minor Issues

There is simple talk and then there are the conversations that happen in this book. Wow. Things are rarely put simply. However, it makes for an excellent read in that regard. One of the minor issues that bothered be was how many times the main character balked at being the hero. A decent amount of it was pure stubbornness, I suppose and maybe that trait is what actually bothers me. The beginning was like pulling a mule through the desert and then the ending came in a rush like the mule chased a carrot over a gorge. I understand the hushed conversational tones being very theatrical. However, with the complex conversations it is very bad if one or even two words are not heard in the dialogue. At some point, I will still want to pick this series back up and continue the tale. The issues were only minor ones.

Beautifully told fantasy

I read this book many years ago and find it to be a beautifully written fantasy, and looked forward to hearing it. I liked the clear way the speaker told the story, though since he doesn't really do voices I did frequently have to back up and listen again to figure out who was talking to who. Not a big issue as it's not that long a piece. Overall excellent.

Fantastic Fantasy

Oh my. Much to think on. Much to consider. There are wizards, sort of. And harpists. And shape shifters. And, all manner of odd beings. It's a bit confusing at first, but parts of the story are also ordinary, such as farmers taking their goods to trade and so forth. So many things or persons are not what they seem! Exciting!

This is my first experience with this author and it was quite enjoyable. The story is creative and compelling and the protagonist is interesting and also developing as he encounters new and sometimes completely puzzling events.

Bravo!

I listened to this book on audible and will probably read it again on my Kindle eventually to be sure I have understood the major parts before moving on in the series.

An old favorite

This series has been a favorite of mine since high school, and this recording did not disappoint. This first book is a bit slower to start out than the next two, but it's worth it in my opinion.