Picking up three years where book 4 left off, The Riddle Walker continues the Story of Oleron as he is plunged into another quest- this time with his elder brother, Bhaird. The middle brother is pulled through time- from 1335 to an astonishing 1940's with his younger sibling, and they must work together, past their differences to prevent a monstrous plot centered in World War II- A plot that has it's roots in their own homeland... in their own time. But there are knots embedded in each brother- particularly Bhaird, that might prevent them from protecting the ones they love and saving lives. And they don't have much time.
What Alydia Rackham is best at, is showing characters who are forced to confront their own heart. Harboring thoughts and desires that are not right for years can have a startling and detrimental effect, and Rackham is fantastic at prioritizing storytelling over sermonizing.
It is a simple story, but rife with adventure, heartache, hard lessons, and exciting twists! A clean, fun read, appropriate for any audience, and it's quiet message will stick with you long after the last pages have been turned.
As in many of her stories, brotherhood is foiled beside subtle romance, and both gain their strength through each other, and with each other.
The rugged allure of Scottish history gives the tale an ethereal, enchanting quality, yet equally grounds the story as much as the stark portrayal of a Germany ravaged by war.
I recently watched Lord of the Rings, along with the two Hobbit films, and can see a great deal of similarities in how Tolkien portrays brothers, and how Alydia writes them. Set against a similar backdrop, one can well imagine "Beowulf Seeker" and "Riddle Walker" characters comparable to some of Tolkien's inspiring creations. Most notably, Boromir and Faramir, Aragorn, and Fíli and Kíli.
I could easily picture Dunmor as Aragorn and a mesh of Boromir/Faramir or Kili as Bhaird. (Of course, an older Sean Bean makes a perfect Scottish Lord. And let's cast him as Lord Alastair- since, after all, he dies, which Sean Bean likes to do.) :D
And thanks to some certain other works, I have a hard time picturing Oleron as anyone other than the Loki as portrayed by Tom Hiddleston in the first Thor film.
Any way you put it, Time Traveling Scottish Princes, A War, A Quest, A chasm to be filled, and a delightful, compelling message make for a fun read, and as with all of Rackham's stories, you are never, ever disappointed by the end.
~Kungfu Jedi :)
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Reviewed in the United States on January 26, 2014
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Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2019
