Morgan, Prince of Hed, a small, quiet, agricultural province, begins the book with an argument with his siblings over a crown that he won from a ghost. It becomes apparent that Morgan aspires to more than the ruling of Hed. He spent several years at the university in Caithnard, learning riddles (unanswered questions) and strictures (lessons to be learned from the answer). Afterwards he took a trip to An to attempt to ask the ghost Peven a riddle that he did not know the answer to. Unlike the many who lost their lives before him, he succeeded. This entitled him to Peven’s crown, the black robe of a riddle-master, and most importantly, the hand of the Raederle, the princess of An. He was setting out to claim her, hoping that she would love him and be happy in the unimportant kingdom of Hed.

The voyage, however, is unsuccessful, as Morgan, and Deth, the High One’s harper who was searching for Morgan, set sail on a death-trap boat, a boat that appeared to be manned with sailors but who disappeared during a storm. Morgan was hit in the head as he washed overboard and spent several weeks in amnesia with Astrin where the reader learns about the Earth-rulers, a great race before them that could make huge buildings (among which Astrin does archaelogical work). Presently Astrin is forced to appear before his brother with Morgan. Morgan, espieing a harp on the table, begins to play the harp, astounding those around him, since the harp was mute for everyone else’s playing. It is none other than Yrth’s harp of Lungold, made long ago to be played by one specific man. This act triggers the return of his memories.

All continues to be unwell. Astrin has been estranged from his brother since his brother married a dead woman—she appears to be living but in reality is only a shape changer. Having failed to convince his brother of the veracity of his claims, Astrin left to dig in the ancient city. Now however, attacks on Morgan prove that the woman really is a shape changer (and that the low string on the harp destroys weapons). Morgan and Deth leave to seek an audience with the High One in Erlenstar Mountain, since Morgan is unsafe and also because he wants to ask the High One why he has three stars on his forehead (that also happen to be on Yrth’s harp).

Long before they reach Erlenstar Mountain, they are captured and brought to the Morgol of Herun. Apparently there is some sort of romance between the Morgol (who is female) and Deth, but it is there that Morgan learns that Master Ohm at Caithnard might possibly be the Ghisteslwchlohm who founded and later destroyed the wizard school at Lungold and that the wizards might no longer be around because they are hiding from Ohm’s control of them. A shape-changer attack gives him a vision of a sword with three swords and he leaves Herun to escape a growing destiny that would cause him to forsake the knowing-what-is-happening-with-nature gift of landrule.

He finds himself unsafe, however, and goes to the far north lands of Osterland to ask the wolf-king some questions. Morgan is overtaken by a snow-storm on his way there and is rescued by a vesta (a sort of elk) that turns out to be the king himself in vesta form. Morgan promises to answer some of the king’s questions and in return the king teaches him how to enter minds and how to take the vesta form. While in vesta form Morgan tracks down the king’s friend, the wizard Suth, who dies saying only to beware of Ohm.

Morgan takes up his travels again, coming to Isig, where he finds Deth waiting for him and where he dream-walks (rather unwillingly) to the sword. He also discovers that Deth was not, as he claimed, present when Yrth made the harp at Isig. Before Morgan and Deth leave to resume to quest for Erlenstar Mountain, Danan Isig teaches him the art of changing to a tree. During the trip, Morgan practices the mind shout and the Great Shout, which causes an avalanche that closely misses them.

His practice of the Great Shout is but preparation for when he meets the High One, who is none other than Ohm himself, with Deth as his harper—presumably Yrth—and whose destiny Ohm appears to have successfully controlled. His Great Shout ends the book.

The Riddle-Master of Hed is a tale with considerable background, told in a straightforward but elegant fashion. It achieve the element of realness that a rich, consistent history gives. Although it is a young adult book, adults looking for a good story will find one in McKillip’s telling. It fits nicely into the fantasy genre and although the hero does predictably travel most of the map shown in the first few pages, including a sojourn in the northern wastelands that appear not infrequently in fantasy novels, it is well written, with enough depth to satisfy adult readers. The ending is rather abrupt and the reader hopes that the two following books in the sequence are as well written (and available in the local library) as the first.