The Riddle

The Riddle is the second installment in Alison Croggon's Pellinor series, set in the mystical realm of Edil-Amarandh. The book continues the quest of Maerad, a young Bard with extraordinary powers, and her mentor Cadvan as they search for the mysterious Treesong. The story follows their journey across treacherous seas to the island of Thorold, where they seek refuge and knowledge at the Bardic School of Busk. During their time at the school, Maerad advances her Bardic training while Cadvan researches ancient texts for clues about their mission. Political tensions rise as the First Bard of Norloch attempts to claim supreme power over the Seven Kingdoms, forcing the characters to navigate increasingly dangerous alliances and threats. The narrative incorporates detailed appendices on the world's linguistics, history, and magical systems. The Riddle explores themes of power, loyalty, and self-discovery against the backdrop of a complex fantasy world inspired by classical mythology and medieval traditions.

Readers call The Riddle a strong continuation of Croggon's Pellinor series, with deeper character development and world-building than Book 1. Many note the medieval fantasy atmosphere and poetic writing style. Readers liked: - Detailed descriptions of the School of Bards - Growth of Maerad's character and abilities - The balance of action and quieter moments - Celtic and Norse mythology influences Common criticisms: - Slower pacing in the middle sections - Too much focus on traveling scenes - Some repetitive internal monologues - Less plot advancement than expected Ratings: Goodreads: 4.1/5 (13,800+ ratings) Amazon: 4.5/5 (180+ ratings) Multiple readers compared the writing style to Tolkien and Le Guin. As one Goodreads reviewer noted: "The world-building is rich without being overwhelming, and the magic system feels organic to the story rather than forced." Main complaint from Amazon reviews: "Takes too long to get to major plot points, with excessive description of journeys."

The Earthsea Cycle by Ursula K. Le Guin A young mage discovers their power while studying at a school of magic on an island, unraveling ancient mysteries that threaten their world.

The Old Kingdom Series by Garth Nix The story centers on a magical protagonist who must master ancient powers while traveling through a richly detailed fantasy world filled with complex magical systems.

The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini A tale of mentorship and magical training set in a world where politics and ancient powers intersect with the protagonist's personal journey.

The Chronicler of the Winds by Henning Mankell The narrative weaves together mythology, music, and magic in a journey that explores the power of storytelling and ancient knowledge.

The Dark is Rising Sequence by Susan Cooper A young person discovers their connection to ancient powers while navigating a world where Celtic mythology meets medieval tradition.

🎭 The Pellinor series began as bedtime stories Alison Croggon told her children before she decided to write them down. 📚 The books are presented as translations of an ancient text called the "Naraudh Lar-Chanë" (the Riddle of the Treesong), complete with scholarly footnotes and appendices. 🗺️ Croggon created three complete languages for the series, drawing inspiration from Welsh, Anglo-Saxon, and Ancient Greek. 🌟 The series draws heavily from Celtic mythology and follows the bardic tradition, where music and poetry are forms of magic. 📖 Each book in the tetralogy comes with its own set of original poems and songs, all written by Croggon, who is also an award-winning poet.