Preview of The Riddle-Master of Hed Summary:

The main social concerns in this novel and throughout the trilogy are the ambiguity of power and the futility of war. The protagonist, Morgon, is a man trying to avoid the responsibility of power which is his destiny. He must assume it, however, because he is a man of peace, and the survival of his world is endangered if he does not take on the burden of power.

In this complex and highly imaginative work several themes are explored.

One is the nature of identity. Morgon is a studious young man and an expert in riddle-solving in a society where the riddle is the principal intellectual exercise as well as medium of moral instruction. The riddle which eludes him, however, is that of his own identity, for he was born with three stars on his forehead which he does not understand. The riddle of...