Hi!!! So I want to read The riddlemaster triology because I absolutely love Mckillip’s work! Ombria in Shadow is my favourite!! You should really read it if you haven’t yet! But it seems like the triology is for young adults? And being in early 20s I was wondering if it’s anything like a normal cliche young adult fantasy?
Hello, fellow McKillip fan! I have indeed read and enjoyed Ombria in Shadow, though I think my favourite of her standalone novels is probably Alphabet of Thorn.
If you love McKillip’s work, definitely give Riddle Master a go. In terms of genre I would definitely not classify it as ‘YA Fantasy’, especially as the genre is currently defined and characterised. There are young protagonists (the main character is in his twenties) as well as plenty of characters who are...very much not young. And the series itself, in terms of style and themes and characterisation is far more epic fantasy (despite being shorter than even a single volume of many modern epic fantasy series) than anything else, really.
Are there specific cliches you’re worried about? I can probably confirm/deny without too much risk of spoilers, but overall most of the things I’d think of as cliche in current YA fantasy are not things I think of when I think of RM.
Also, if you love McKillip’s prose and style in general, RM is more of that beauty and worth it for that alone. But the story is also excellent, and the characters, and all in all I’d definitely recommend giving it a try.