From A to Z: The Riddle by Allison Croggan

Dear Z,

My last book of 2014 was the first book of this series, The Books of Pellinor, and my first review of 2015 is of The Riddle the second book of the series. The Riddle follows Maerad and Cadvan immediately after the events of The Naming. However in The Riddle we learn a lot more about the diversity of the world Croggan has built and there is less focus on Barding in general. To understand the references in this review I do recommend reading my review of the first book here.

Maerad and Cadvan start the second book out at sea as they travel to the island of Thorold. Thorold also has a Bard school but the customs are varied from those in Annar that Maerad visited in the first book. Thorold reminded me of a mix between a Spanish coastal town and Norway. The people are boisterous and mostly very joyful. Their streets are filled with colors and there is an extended mid day break from work, similar to Spain. However they are also at the foot of large mountains and many goat herding villages abound in Thorold. In Thorold the reader gets a peak into how thing are going to turn sour between Cadvan and Maerad. As was said often in the first book, the ways of the heart are hard to understand.

However Thorold is not the only place Maerad travels in the Riddle. She returns to Annar though not for long and the reader gets a glimpse fo the Bard school Gent. Then she goes to the far North as is foretold in her foredream and sees Zmarkan, and goes to the winter hub Murask of the Pillanel people. Maerad herself is half Pilanel. The Pilani peoples travel in caravans doing trade in the southern lands and come back to the Zmarkan for the Midwinter Festival. Maerad has the chance to travel on boat, on horse, and by dog sled. She visits Bards who were not schooled in the Annarien traditiona sense. She even finds family.

And beyond her travels Maered meets another Elidhu, Arkan the Winterking. The Winterking’s reach is far and she comes up against his power throughout the book. He controls storm dogs with baying thunder and paws of cloud that can destroy forests. He also controls Iridugals mountain giants made of stone.

Overall The Riddle is thus far my favorite book of this series. Mind you I have not read the final book so i will give my final verdict then. But having read the first three previously I can say it is still the best one so far! If you love high fantasy you will love this series. It’s buy an esteemed Australian YA author! Go check it out!

Until the Next Read,

A

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From A to Z: The Naming by Allison Croggon

Dear Z,

The Books of Pellinor series is a high fantasy series that I originally got into at a very young age. I fell in love with it, so much so that for whatever reason out of all the trips to the bookstore I have made in my life I can actually remember the one where I picked The Naming out among several other books and then ended up picking it out to buy. This was back in the day of my parents buying my books at a teacher discount from Borders Bookstores. So anyway this books has been around on my shelves for a while. However between books would sometimes be a few years wait. This has lead to rereading. The Naming, the first book I’ve now reread three times. The sequel will now also have been read three times, and the third book will be reread for the first time and now finally the fourth and final book is free for me to read.

The Naiming, The First Book of Pellinor, takes place in the land of Annar. Annar is split into seven kingdoms ruled by Bards, not your rodinary Bards however. These Bards are more in tun to the traditional idea of a wizard. Bards use the Speech, a language that allows them to speak spells of great power and talk to animals. They have a long history told in song mostly. Within Annar there are the Bard schools where anyone born with the Gift can go and live and learn to be a Bard in service of the Light. However there are Dark forces at work as well, lead by the Nameless One a Bard who cast off his true Name to attempt to gain eternal life. Maered our main female protagonist comes into the world during a time where the Dark’s forces are gaining strength in Annar once again and Hulls or Black Bards are becoming uncomfortably common. The Light is weakening. Maered is found by the Bard Cadvan as a slave.

Within the Naming we follow Maered and Cadvan as they head to Norloch, the First School of the Light. As they travel they attempt to unlock Maered’s mysterious past as a child who had once lived in the school Pellinor that was sacked years ago. Event though that is odd enough it is soon found out that Maered is hunted by both the Light and the Dark, for she is the One,The Tiger Lily meant to save all of Annar. This leads them through many different adventures across the lands. The two face wers and hulls. They meet an Elemental or Elidhu in the forest and Maered becomes a Bard. As the narrative weaves on the reader learns more and more about not only the characters but this magical and rich high fantasy world. At the end we are et to learn even more about the more vast stretches of the land as well as about the true nature of Maered herself.

If you adore high fantasy such as The Lord of the Rings or Garth Nix’s Sabriel this will be right up your alley. If you want another high fantasy with a powerful female protagonist like in The Throne of Glass series or Girl of Fire and Thorns you will love Maered. Basically go read this series, you won’t regret it.

Until the Next Read,

A

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