This is book 2 in the Riddlemaster Trilogy, and it reads very much like a second book: further questing, many of the characters we met in the first book are separated, and more questions get raised than answered. It didn't end on as drastic a cliffhanger as the previous book, but it still demanded that the third book be started as soon as possible... if only so you can figure out what the heck is going on. I found the repeated "who am I?" questioning to get a bit redundant, and I still couldn't figure out the world's magic rules, but I still enjoyed the book and burned through this one pretty quickly. It's definitely a bit archaic in terms of style and language (did anyone else find this? at all? is it just me?), and there were parts of this book that made little sense to me, even when I re-read them three times... sometimes it seemed like pieces of information or description were missing. But, I guess that's alright, considering I'd still recommend the series. Book 3 is a bit longer, however, so I'm hoping all these questions are answered in due time. ( )

As the follow on to The Riddle-Master of Hed, I was expecting good things from this book but feared that, as with a few series, the middle part of the trilogy would be the worst. Thankfully, my fears were unfounded.

Heir of Sea and Fire focuses mainly on a different character to the first, which I think helps the feeling of it being a 'new' story as opposed to the intermediate part of a tale where the beginning and end are the thrilling part.

Raederle is the woman Morgon has been 'destined' to marry, but through this book she begins to explore her own power, her demons and where her life is heading.

I don't want to say too much in fear of spoilers about the first part, but the twists and turns continue to surprise and delight, and touches such as the 'king wraiths' and their chilling darkness, and the various forms in which different characters appear make it just as good as the first. ( )

http://tamaranth.blogspot.com/2008/12... ( )

The second book in McKillip's "riddlemaster" trilogy. This volume follows the "riddle-master's" promised bride from her journey from her home in the south of the land slowly following him northward after a year's absence. She has some talent with magic and discovers more and more on her journey, finally able to fully shape shift. We end with her finding her future husband. McKillip, as always, is a master of rich visual imagery. ( )

This second volume of McKillip's riddlemaster trilogy tells us the story of Raederle, the princess of An who is destined to marry Morgon. As the book begins, Morgon has been missing for a year, and we learn that the land-rule of Hed has passed to his brother Eliard. Raederle, along with Morgon's sister Tristan and Lyra, daughter of the ruler of Herun, sail north seeking news of Morgon. She learns that the "odd things" she can do are caused by the presence in her lineage of a shape-changer, the very group that is at war with Morgon and her world. Raederle learns to accept and use her powers in order to fight for Morgon.

The second installment is not as rich as the first, which introduced us to Morgon, the world, and numerous memorable characters. McKillip does well in developing Raederle's character and setting more pieces in motion for the final volume. The book adds depth to our understanding of the world and clarifies some of the riddles that Morgon, now with Raederle's help, must solve to complete the story. ( )