Harpist in the Wind

This is the third and final part of the Riddle-Master Trilogy, and you should definitely read the two earlier books first, this is definitely no standalone, you should really think of it as one novel in three parts. The first book, The Riddle-Master of Hed belongs to the title character, Morgon of

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Hed, Riddle-master and Farmer-Prince who finds the most challenging riddle of all is his own identity and destiny. The next book is the story of Raederlie, Morgon's love who in Heir of Sea and Fire goes in search of him and finds out much about her own identity and powers.

Now in Harpist of the Wind they're together trying to find out what has happened to the "High One" the "sustainer of the land-law of the realm" that ties the rulers to an awareness of their lands. Despite the multiplying of mysteries in the books, by the end of this one they're all tied up neatly--and with a fairly unpredictable but logical twist. I'd also say that Mckillip develops her world deftly--like most high fantasy it definitely has a medieval European feel, but it feels it's own place. Even minor characters are well-drawn, and the style is smooth and the narrative flows well.

It's a good read. Not a great read. I read this trilogy because it was recommended on the "Seven-League Shelf" of the "cream" of fantasy. I don't think it rates as among the best in the genre I've read. I wouldn't place this with others on the list such as The Gormengheist Trilogy, Lord of the Rings, The Once and Future King, Carroll's Alice books. I don't consider it extraordinary in style, nor did it move me to tears or laughter nor did I find it gasp-worthy. But entertaining? Yes, certainly. And some have told me that McKillip's best book isn't this trilogy but The Forgotten Beasts of Eld. I'd certainly be interested in trying that someday after reading these.

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This is a great classic story and one that is worth reading. McKillip's writing is just so beautiful and haunting that you have to read it to understand. It might be an older series of books, but its creativity really stands up.

And here we are at book 3... so let's look at the series as a whole. I appreciate that McKillip doesn't waste time dilly-dallying around - people travel from one place to another in the space of a sentence - but at the same time, if you happen to space out for a moment while you're reading, you can

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end up very confused! The archaic style of language made it seem like pieces of the story were sometimes missing, and the magic system left something to be desired, simply because by the end of the book, it seemed like anything was possible by just using your mind to perform magic, without defined rules. I found myself asking "but HOW is that possible?" multiple times, and was often frustrated by the vague way that people talked to each other.

That said, yes, I will read more McKillip in the future. I think it's good to try different styles of writing, and I thought that the story in the Riddle-Master trilogy was pretty good. I mean, I read them all pretty quickly, so that has to say something! I'm holding out hope that the 'master of fantasy' title that others have placed on McKillip will be proven to me in the future... I think if you enjoy fantasy, you'll get something out of the trilogy, and it's a fairly quick read. Just don't expect the epic qualities that you'll find in some other fantasy novels, and take everything just as you read it.

In the end, I didn't love the trilogy, but I liked it enough to say: It's worth your while to spend some time in the world McKillip created.

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Have I mentioned this is one of my all-time FAVOURITE series? I read the Riddle Master trilogy a long time ago, in my teens. I find that some of my favourites from that era aren't as good re-reading them now as I remember them. This series, however, not only stands up to, but surpasses my memories

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of it.

The first book was about Morgon of Hed searching the realm for answers; the second was about Raederle of An searching the realm for Morgon. This final installment brings both of them together with their new-found powers to save the world they know from an inhuman enemy.

I love the way Patricia McKillip writes; she has a way of showing you the vulnerabilities of her characters. I really connected with the deep love and respect that they have for one another; not just lovers, but friends and family, and that is an integral part of the story. Maybe my hormones are still all over the place after having children, but I must confess to shedding a couple of tears; Ms McKillip can really play my heartstrings. She writes very evocatively, bringing a landscape to life or creating an atmosphere with a few simple words.

I would recommend this as an absolute must-read for any high fantasy fan. If you've already read it - go back and read it again!

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v3 of the trilogy. this one's a tough call. it's really all one book, the trilogy, and i expect that if it got published today it wouldn't get split up. here the connections between Morgon and the harper and the High King get explored, and power is the only real issue, and there's not a whole lot

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of room for characterization or indeed story, yielding a very abstract sort of narrative. beautifully expressed, but not so deeply felt by the reader, i think. so as the conclusion to a single book, it works; as a volume in itself, it's not so satisfying. i wonder if the writer wouldn't do the whole thing up much differently if she was writing it now. don't get me wrong, it's a classic, important book of its kind. psst: but her later work is better.

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Final book in Patricia McKillip's "riddlemaster" trilogy. She ties up the final and driving riddle of the stars on the "riddle master's" forehead and his place in the destiny of the land. Very rich imagery.

The conclusion of this great trilogy. I've found this trilogy appeals to a wider range of readers than many others, even people who don't normally read fantasy enjoy it. It is not high adventure swords and sorcery fantasy, it is high fantasy with an emphasis on people and subtle plots and subtle

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action. Very good.

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This is a good fantasy trilogy. It, of course, follows the standard plot of lowly no-name individual turns out to be pre-destined savior of the world which, as we know it, is about to end. In the first book, I felt that the detail was a little lacking and characters obtained knowledge or moved

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along from one place to another without much conflict, but by the end of the 3rd book she seemed to overdo the detail. She spent an inordinate amount of time explaining how the main character got from place to place. But overall, the story was interesting enough to keep me reading and to enjoy it.

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Ever since I started reading fantasy fiction ten years ago, I've heard of McKillip's Riddlemaster trilogy. Most of what I heard was praise, but what essentially drew me to read those books was the LOVE people attached to them. They weren't merely fun, many said, but the sort of books you read and

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reread just to enjoy the world she'd built.

So I set out with fairly high expectations. I love fantasy, and I love riddles. This trilogy had to be awesome. Except it wasn't.

The story was supposedly about a multitude of riddles concerning Morgon, Prince of Hed, and the fate of the realm. So the first book was mainly about his travels to discover that other identity he was supposed to have. Morgon travels from point A to point B, meets person X, then moves from point B to point C, meets person Y and so on. He's constantly nagging at the reader's patience thinking "Who am I?" till you simply no longer care.

By the time you're done with the first book, you learn the outine of the world (thanks to the frequent location names that you have to look up in the map) and that's it.

The author's idea of a riddle is anything you simply don't know the answer to. Not a complex puzzle that has to be solved, just missing data. It didn't work for me at all.

But I had to continue because it's a habit of mine to read every story to its end.

Comes book two, Raedarle, Morgon's betrothed, embarks on a journey around the realm to find Morgon. More travel stuff. More "Who am I?" stuff, even more annoying than him.

By the third book I'm no longer interested in either of them. Interestingly, I'm more curious about the seafolk and Ghisteslwchlohm. Anyhow I trudged on just to learn the final riddle. And it was quite good on its own. If only it wasn't overburdened with the weight of so much sleep-inducing filler.

The plot, from a critical point of view, is actually very well cooked. But the way she put that plot to the pages (boring travellogues), and the way she portrayed her main characters (whining, innocent do-gooders) killed any potential this trilogy has for greatness in my opinion.

That said, I'm sure if I'd read it ten years ago I would have liked it much more. Because in the end, the plot is quite interesting if you overlook the structural flaws and the rather dull characters.

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Loved this trilogy when I first read it in the early 1980's. But it drags on and often seems to go over so many crises of the same type, that I now wonder why I found it so gripping. Moral of the story (for me), don't try to re-read an old favourite. For the reader looking for a great McKillip

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read, try one of her other titles first.

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I recently finished rereading [The Riddle-Master of Hed] trilogy by Patricia McKillip. It's been decades since I last read these little novels. They remain favorites from my youth. When I spent a semester in Costa Rica in the 1980s, the only books I brought to sustain me were this trilogy for my

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fantasy selection and David Brin's [Startide Rising] and [The Uplift War], which felt like a duology at the time.

I worried that rereading this high fantasy trilogy would tarnish the sheen of fond remembrance. No such thing! I still savored the lyrical prose, the imagery and metaphors, the characters, the world-building, all of it. I thought then and still think that these would translate well to the cinema given the advances in special effects that really bring magic alive on the screen. But of course, I'd hate to see how Hollywood would butcher the story.

In the first book, we're introduced to Morgon and the people and places of the High One's realm. Over the course of a year, Morgon discovers he's tangled up in a destiny that goes far beyond his peaceful, agrarian life in Hed, or even his college years studying with the Riddle Masters in Caithnard. In the second book, [Heir of Sea and Fire], we're introduced to Raederle. It's spring again, and no one has seen or heard from Morgon or Deth for a year. Raederle sets out to find out what happened to Morgon, accompanied by his sister Tristan and Lyra, the land heir of the kingdom of Herun, who had met Morgon two years ago and is haunted by his refusal to accept her help and his possible death.

[Harpist in the Wind] is the third book of the trilogy, in which the meaning of Morgon's destiny as the Star-Bearer is revealed, the shapechangers are at last identified, and all the realms of the High One are swept into a war of the living and the dead, the ancient past and the present. It is the prophesied ending of the age of the High One. Along the way, we meet wizards, magical creatures, riddles, harps, forests, marshes, mountains, and all sorts of people.

These books remain charming classics for me. They were a perfect bedtime read--comforting and familiar and uncomplicated.

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The amazing end to the amazing trilogy that brought riddles and harping and a mystery of three stars to its conclusion. The language and the world are pure McKillip, and the lead-up to the final confrontation/meeting between Morgon and Ohm is everything it promises to be.

My only question on this

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book is how neatly the threads are tied and the battle is finished. In the world of this book, Morgon repairing the wall by becoming stones is too easy; in the writing of a young author, it is a good way to bring a book to its close and move from one difficult situation to the conclusion.

And the final meeting with Deth the Harpist is heart-wrenching. The love that he shows is finally explained in such a way that it still brings tears to my eyes. Great writing and great emotion.

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The lyrical language gets in the way of the plot sometimes, but it still felt unique and satisfying.