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The Riddle (Pellinor, Book 2) Paperback – July 10, 2007

by Alison Croggon (Author)

4.7 748 ratings

Book 2 of 4: Pellinor

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"Maerad’s tale continues, luminous, desperate, and bold. . . . Brimming with archetypal motifs but freshly splendorous in its own right." – Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Maerad is a girl with a tragic 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 kingdom erupts in chaos. The quest leads Maerad over terrifying seas and glacial wilderness, until she is trapped in the icy realm of the seductive Winterking. There, Maerad must confront what she has suspected all along: that she is the greatest riddle of all.

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Review

"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.
_________

THE RIDDLE by Alison Croggon. Copyright (c) 2006 by Alison Croggon. Published by Candlewick Press, Inc., Cambridge, MA.

About the Author

Alison Croggon is an award-winning poet whose work has been published around the globe. She started to write the books of Pellinor when her oldest son, Josh, began to read fantasy, and is currently working on the third and fourth books of the quartet. She lives in Australia.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Candlewick; Reprint edition (July 10, 2007)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 528 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 076363414X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0763634148
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 12 - 15 years
Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 920L
Grade level ‏ : ‎ 7 - 9
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.2 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.62 x 1.39 x 8.01 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #560,597 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #349 in Teen & Young Adult Werewolf & Shifter Fiction
- #1,065 in Teen & Young Adult Dark Fantasy
- #1,902 in Teen & Young Adult Epic Fantasy

Customer Reviews:
4.7 748 ratings

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Alison Croggon

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Alison Croggon is the award winning author of the acclaimed fantasy series The Books of Pellinor, an Amazon Top Ten Teen Read. You can sign up to her monthly newsletter and receive a free Pellinor story at alisoncroggon.com. She is also the co-author with Daniel Keene of the Newport City science fiction dystopia Fleshers, Book One of the Newport City series.

The latest Pellinor book, The Bone Queen, was a 2016 Aurealis Awards Best Young Adult Book finalist. Other fantasy titles include Black Spring (shortlisted for the Young People's Writing Award in the 2014 NSW Premier's Literary Awards) and The River and the Book, winner of the Wilderness Society's prize for Environmental Writing for Children.

She is a prize-winning poet, and has released seven collections of poems. As a critic she was named Geraldine Pascall Critic of the Year in 2009. She also writes opera libretti, and the opera she co-wrote with Iain Grandage was Vocal/Choral Work of the Year in the 2015 Art Music Awards. Her libretto for Mayakovsky, score by Michael Smetanin, was shortlisted in the Drama Prize for the 2015 Victorian Premier's Literary Awards. She lives in Melbourne.

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JB

Great book

Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2020

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First, thank you for including a gay character. I really appreciate that. Second, this is a great read and a great plot. I couldn’t put it down. Third, I live how this author creates so many different cultures and societies. Four, it is nice to see the characters grow and how none of them, neither the protagonists and the antagonists, are completely wholly all good or all bad. 4) when Maerad is going through some intense emotions including guilt, jealousy, fear, self loathing, and self doubt...I was there with her. I could identify with her emotions because I’ve had those same emotions.

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Danni Marie

Good book

Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2022

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I've read this series before. I just hadn't purchased the book until now. If you like this, read books by Tamora Pierce.

Reviewed in the United States on April 21, 2020

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A good sequel to the first. The personal growth of Maerad is well done. However I still feel that her age is less of a narrative choice than a publishers marketing choice. It doesn’t make much sense for a 16-17 year old to behave as she does. It’s more realistic for mid 20s. The age issue is a little distracting and makes me wonder if they were just trying to chase the YA market.

But still a fun read. I do love all the writing about the landscapes and cuisines of the book. Croggon really excels at building that part of her fantasy world.

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Kindle Customer

The Riddle: The Second Book of Pellinor ...

Reviewed in the United States on July 31, 2014

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Maerad is a girl with a tragic 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 kingdom erupts in chaos. The quest leads Maerad over terrifying seas and glacial wilderness, until she is trapped in the icy realm of the seductive Winterking. There, Maerad must confront what she has suspected all along: that she is the greatest riddle of all. Book two continues Maerad's story but takes her down a darker road. Her powers are growing but her knowledge and experience are lacking. Her mentor and companion, Cadvan, can only guide her so far. Her journey is sad and sometimes terrifying and Maerad must travel almost to the brink of despair. Words cannot express the wonder of this series! The characters come alive. I never want it to end!

Helpful

Amazon Customer

Intriguing Heroine's Journey.

Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2020

Verified Purchase

This continues the magical journey of a gifted young woman, from her life as a lowly slave to finding out about her hidden powers. The journey itself is filled with terrors and surprises, both for herself as well as for those around her. The twists of the plot may sometimes be astounding, but they are always satisfying. Writing itself is of high quality, a pleasant surprise. I will definitely buy the next book. 5 stars!

Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2012

Verified Purchase

This 2nd book in the Pellinor series was much better than the 1st book! Having read the 1st book, I knew the characters, the background, etc which made this a much easier read than the 1st book. Have a box of Kleenex ready! This book also had a more finished ending than the 1st book. I enjoyed reading this on my Kindle. The author uses creative writing & my Kindle allowed me to look up some of the words. Beware if you are reading on Kindle that the book ends at only 91%. This book didn't seem to get as bogged down in the descriptive narrative as the 1st book. I did almost no skimming, enjoying the reading of every word. That may have been because having read the 1st book I knew the territory.

Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2013

Verified Purchase

I bought this book a few years ago after I read the first book in the series, The Naming, and have been hooked. The whole series is phenomenal and I have read them over and over and over again. The writing isnt dumbed down like I feel alot of young adult novels are so it has great vocabulary usage and descriptive range. Really makes you feel like you've gone somewhere. It's somewhat like Harry Potter meets Lord of the Rings but with a female protagonist. Although the plot and story developments are all their own that's the best way I can give of describing it to give people an idea of the kind of novel it is.... Definitely a must read/give a try novel!

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Amazon Customer

Great continuation of a great story

Reviewed in the United States on October 8, 2018

Verified Purchase

I am enjoying this series. Sometimes a second book in a series feels the weakest, but this one had my attention the whole time while still moving the plot along and developing characters. It was a great read, not just a transition (but it does not stand on its own and requires book 1).

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Top reviews from other countries

Margaret Payne Maheu

While reading this series I often think that it would ...

Reviewed in Canada on July 27, 2014

Verified Purchase

While reading this series I often think that it would be an ideal choice for teaching about descriptive writing. Croggon is exceptional at imagery and you get a real visual of the landscapes your characters travel through and to.

ECamaldulensis

Beautiful story-telling

Reviewed in Australia on April 23, 2016

Verified Purchase

It's not just that the plot is utterly absorbing and compelling (it's hard to put down) it's that the descriptions of the landscape and the weather are truly beautiful.

nibbler65

Spellbinding

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 13, 2008

Verified Purchase

From the first chapter I was hooked, I had to go and buy the remaining three books in the series, this is an amazing & unique story, it will engross you with hours of enyoyment...
So many others have given detailed analyis of this book,I'd be repeating what they have written, needless to say Alison Croggan has excelled & created an entirely new world with enduringly loveable characters. A book you'll want to keep & add to.

Sandie E Reeves

A good read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 24, 2015

Verified Purchase

This sequel was as entertaining and thought provoking as the first. An enjoyable series to read, I am looking forward to the next one. Teenagers up will enjoy them though as an adult I am enjoying looking back and remembering those teenage feelings of first love and lack of confidence in an adult world. Good to have strong female characters in a book.

Bri

I'm actually discussed!!!

Reviewed in Canada on November 5, 2019

Verified Purchase

I love this series. But the hard cover I received, had me in horror! It is cracked, smashed, crumpled. And not to mention I also found food crumbs within the pages... If this is a book in "very good condition" I wouldn't even want to know what bad condition looks like.