I have been revisiting series I read as a child over the past few years, and recently I picked up The Books of Pellinor quartet by Alison Croggon. I remember enjoying these books a lot when they came out and wanted to see if I still felt the same way.
I finished The Naming last week; I’m halfway through The Riddle, and I’m blown away by how well they have stood the test of time compared to other series I’ve reread.
Not only is Croggon’s prose beautiful and crisp, but I find myself frequently looking up words I haven’t heard of before. I love her wide vocabulary! I’m surprised I was able to grasp most of the story when I was younger. I’m also very invested in the relationship between Maerad and Cadvan, and I love how flawed both of them are.
A critique of the series has been that it’s essentially “The Lord of the Rings” lite, but I’m personally finding this series much more accessible. (If you liked the rich descriptions of landscapes and magic systems in The Lord of the Rings, I’m sure you will enjoy this series, too.)
Part of me wishes these books had come out more recently and gained traction on social media. I’m dying to talk about them with other people!
by TheDarkDelphinium