Heir of Sea and Fire (1977)

The second book of a great 3 book fantasy series. Unlike many series, this second book is just as good as the first, if not a little better. The action and characters shift to other parts, but this was still fascinating. McKillip does an excellent job of drawing you in and making her world an entertaining place. Definitely not standard fantasy, but still some of the best ( )

In some ways I think this is my favorite book of the trilogy. Raederle is a fantastic character and I love the way the whole thing builds to the third book. [May 2011] ( )

Heir of Sea and Fire is the second book of the Riddle-Master Trilogy, and I liked it even more than the first book, The Riddle-Master of Hed. The trilogy was recommended on the "Seven-League Shelf" of the "cream" of the fantasy genre. It's fairly standard high-fantasy in being set in a quasi-medieval or renaissance setting of lords and swords with shapeshifters, wizards and ghosts. Morgon of Hed is a Farmer Prince and Riddle-master. In the first book we learn that he'd won a riddle-game that won him a crown. It also wins him the hand of Raederle, whose father vowed her to the winner of the riddle-game. In the previous book besides a few mentions, we only see her in a brief memory of Morgon.

In this book she comes into her own, and the story is centered on her. Morgon has seemingly disappeared, and Raederle is determined to go after him. In that quest she learns as much about her own identity and powers as about what has happened to Morgon. She's a resolute, determined and resourceful character and I thought this was a better ride than the first book, and it ended on a more satisfying note, even if there's certainly enough left hanging to make a reader eager to read the conclusion, Harper in the Wind. ( )

I love the Riddle-Master trilogy; it is beautifully written, sweet and funny, heart-breaking and heart-warming, and still one of my all-time favorites. I am re-reading the series for the umpteenth time, but it's so worthwhile; I am discovering how funny it is, when the first time, as a teenager, I read it so earnestly. I've just re-read 'Heir of Sea and Fire', the sequel to 'The Riddle-Master of Hed', and the writing still evokes a wistfulness in me.

The series still tugs on my heart-strings. I love the interplay between characters, especially family members, and the juxtaposition of ethereal magic against every-day farm concerns. And the descriptions are delicious : coloured sails collapse like 'weary sighs' as boats come into harbour.

As a child, Raederle was promised, by her father, the King of An, to whoever recovered the long-lost crown of An. Morgon, Prince of Hed, did so, but has been lost on a journey to the Northern Wastes. Raederle determines to journey there herself, accompanied by the land-heirs of other kingdoms. Along the way, she makes discoveries about events and about her heritage that have ominous repercussions for the realm.
( )

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. ( )