In his quest for a new life for himself and his people, he must face great dangers - not only to himself but to his promised bride, his land and his very way of life. He must wander strange, foreign lands full of untamed magic in the form of riddling wraiths, mysterious harpists, a lost crown, a magical sword and an all-knowing High One who rules over all. Although he wants only to rule and work the land of his birth, Morgon must search out a very different destiny - one dictated since birth by the mark of three stars imprinted on his forehead. In a land where wizards have long since vanished, Morgon, Prince of Hed, is confronted with a challenge much different from that faced by his land-bound predecessors. I apologize for being vague or confusing, I don't know how to communicate my feelings about the book or properly describe why I'm frustrated.One of modern fantasy's most assured and original trilogies - comparable to The Lord of the Rings and The Book of the New Sun in scope and grandeur.

Should I start reading the book over and try reading it slower? Did I miss something important in the beginning or maybe many small things that add up to importance? I know McKillip was a talented writer and this book, and series, are loved by many people. I don't quite get what's happening in the book or how the world works.

'The Beasts of Eld' hooked me by page 4-5, but 'Riddle-Master' hasn't hooked me even after 60 pages. There's a map at the beginning of the book, so I can use that to track places, but there's no index/appendices that keeps track of people or why they're important outside of what's happening in the story. Even the main character feels very enigmatic to me. There are so many different people and places mentioned, that I'm having trouble keeping up or really caring about anyone. I'm a little over 60 pages in to 'The Riddle-Master of Hed' and confused as to what's going on. Unfortunately, I'm struggling through the first book in the series. I read that her Riddle-Master series was also very good, so bought the trilogy in one, large, book. McKillip is an excellent writer and I have never encountered anything truly similar to her writing style before.

I felt like I was a kid again, breaking into 'The Hobbit' or 'The Book of Three' for the first time. I loved reading that book and it is now one of my favorite books ever. I read McKillip's 'Forgotten Beasts of Eld' over a year ago.

Riddle master trilogy