The Riddle: The Second Book of Pellinor

by Alison Croggon Narrated by Eloise Oxer

Overview

Maerad is a girl with a tragic and bitter past, but her powers grow stronger by the day. Now she and her mentor, Cadvan, hunted by both the Light and the Dark, must unravel the Riddle of the Treesong before their fractured kingdom erupts in chaos. The quest leads Maerad over terrifying seas and vast stretches of glacial wilderness, ever closer to the seductive Winterking-ally of her most powerful enemy, the Nameless One. Trapped in the Winterking's icy realm, Maerad must confront what she has suspected all along: that she is the greatest riddle of all.

Editorial Reviews

School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up
Maerad, who was rescued from slavery and became a Bard in Croggon's The Naming (Candlewick, 2005), has her hands full here. Along with her tutor Cadvan, she has been charged with finding the Treesong, a source of power so ancient that nothing but the barest of rumors remain. Their journey is hounded by agents of a treacherous Bard professing to act in the name of the Light and by an enigmatic entity known as the Winterking, an ally of Maerad's adversary, the Nameless One. At the same time, the protagonist struggles to understand the light and darkness within herself. Deep currents of sorrow, loneliness, and love run through this haunting epic fantasy; Maerad's feelings of alienation and self-doubt will resonate with many adolescents. Appendixes help to further flesh out the characters and cultures of Croggon's Edil-Amarandh, an engrossing world that fantasy aficionados will be eager to revisit.
—Christi VothCopyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

Maerad's tale continues, luminous, desperate and bold. She and Cadvan run from the corrupted Light and the ominous Dark, staying with friends and beginning Maerad's formal schooling but dashing off when pursuit gets close. They head north, seeking the obscure Treesong, which holds the mystical answer to a riddle they don't understand. Maerad may hold answers in herself as well, but cryptically. Her full self has three layers: Maerad, former slave and current Bard; Elednor, foretold to confront the black chaos threatening her continent; and something deeper and more powerful, an Elidhu (elemental, possibly pre-mythic) being. Her magery skills are crucial to the quest but not strong enough to elide the Elidhu Stormking, who sends stormdogs, ice creatures, landslides and thugs to kill her protectors and kidnap Maerad. Trapped in the Stormking's seductive castle by both ensorcelment and confusion, Maerad struggles alone to decipher riddles and choose her next step. Croggon's world is rich and passionate, brimming with archetypal motifs but freshly splendorous in its own right. Supremely satisfying. (pronunciation key, rune key, maps, appendices) (Fantasy. YA)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940169699869
Publisher:	Brilliance Audio
Publication date:	05/18/2011
Series:	Pellinor , #2
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	10 - 13 Years

Read an Excerpt

"I live," said Arkan with a peculiar arrogance as they walked. "And I do not die. The wind lives, the snow lives, the ice lives, the mountains live. Rick and ice have their own voices, their own lives, their own breath, their own pulse. Do you deny them that?"

"No," said Maerad, unable to conceal the sadness in her voice. "But I like flowers."

"I will make you flowers if you desire them."

"They would be flowers of ice. Beautiful, but cold. It wouldn't be the same. But thank you."

They walked in silence for a time through the endless, beautiful corridors, and despite herself Maerad found she was admiring the beauties of Arkan-da with different eyes. The design of the pillars had changed subtly, she thought; she saw flowers within them, all with six petals, but infinitely various and intricate. She was always conscious of the man pacing beside her, although she did not look at him.

"Why do you wish to please me?" she asked, breaking the silence. "You could just as easily cast me into some dark dungeon. What difference would it make to you?"

"It is better if you do not hate or fear me," said Arkan. "Song cannot be made out of hatred and fear. That is what Sharma failed to understand."

"What is needed to make Song, then?"

Arkan turned and looked her full in the face, and Maerad's heart skipped a beat. "Do you not know?" he asked.

Maerad looked down at the floor and watched her feet. She did not want to answer._________

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