Synopses
Riddle-Master of Hed
The Riddle-Master of the title is Morgon, the Prince of Hed, a small, simple island populated by farmers and swineherds. He has three stars on his forehead, which no one has been able to explain. As the book opens, his sister, Tristan, discovers that he is keeping a crown hidden under his bed, and he must explain that he won it in a riddle-game with a ghost, the cursed king Peven of Aum. When Deth, the High One's harpist, finds out, he explains that another king, Mathom of An, has pledged to marry his daughter Raederle to the man who wins that crown from the ghost.
Morgon sets forth to claim his bride accompanied by Deth, but while at sea, his ship is sunk by mysterious shape changers. Shipwrecked, Morgon loses his memory and the power of speech. When Deth finally finds him again, and he recovers his memory and speaking ability, he resolves to travel to ask the High One about the shapechangers. The High One's home, located in the far north on Erlenstar Mountain, is seldom visited. As Morgon and Deth travel the length of the realm, they are repeatedly attacked by the shapechangers, and Morgon learns more and more dangerous knowledge about his three stars and the great powers that come with them. He also comes to know personally the land rulers of Ymris, Herun, Osterland, and Isig.
The book ends as a cliffhanger, with Morgon discovering who is posing as the High One.
Heir of Sea and Fire
In the second book of the series, the focus shifts from Morgon of Hed to Raederle of An. Raederle, the heir of sea and fire referred to in the title, was promised by her father to the man who won a riddle game with a ghost. In the previous book, this was revealed to be Morgon, but as this book opens, he has been missing for a year; since his power over the land of Hed has just passed to his heir, he is thought dead.
Raederle sets out for Erlenstar Mountain, where Morgon was trying to reach when he died. Along the way, she is assisted by Lyra, the Morgul of Herun's heir, and by Tristan of Hed, Morgon's sister. The first half of the book chronicles their journey north. Along the way, Raederle grows to understand her own significant powers as a descendant of both shape changers and witches. Her hidden ancestry makes her related to Morgon's enemies. Midway through the book, she discovers that Morgon is alive, while shapechangers and Ghisteslwchlohm, an ancient, evil wizard and traitor from ages past pursue him.
Sensing a powerful, dangerous force in pursuit across her land, Raederle uses her abilities to confound it, thinking she is protecting Morgon; but discovers that the force she thought was Ghisteslwchlohm is Morgon himself, who has stolen much of Ghisteslwchlohm's power during his long captivity, while the helpless man he pursued was Deth, who betrayed him. Confronted with this, and realizing how he appears, Morgon forsakes his revenge and allows Deth to escape.
Harpist in the Wind
Morgon of Hed and Raederle of An set out to discover the answers to the questions: Who are the shape changers who pursue them?, and Where is the High One, the source of the land law binding the realm together? Along the way they are helped by the wizards of the realm, recently released from the bonds in which Ghisteslwchlohm had held them by Morgon, and by the land heirs/rulers. After confronting Ghisteslwchlohm in the city of Lungold, where the wizard once had ruled, Morgon is imprisoned by the shape changers within Erlenstar Mountain, as they don't want to kill him. They, the exiled Earth Masters, need him to reach the High One, who prevents them from exercising full power. He escapes with the help of Raederle and someone who is later revealed to be the High One in disguise. Seeking refuge in the far north, he begins to learn the land law of each kingdom. Once he has partially learned all of the land law does Morgon discover that the High One had journeyed with him as Deth and the wizard Yrth; the High One tells Morgon at the top of Wind Plain that he (Morgon) is the High One's land heir. When the High One is killed by Ghisteslwchlohm, now possessed by the shape changers, with Morgon's three-starred sword, Morgon learns to shape and/or bind the winds to overcome the Earth Masters and bring peace to the land; he truly is the High One's heir.
Content from wikipedia.org