The Blue Sword (1982)

Listed as YA but not really in my opinion.  Well written, with lots of non-stop action and surprises. Character development was nicely done, and the world building and descriptions were gripping.

I could barely put the book down, I was so eager to see what was happening next. ( )

It was wonderful. ( )

In my reviews of Robin McKinley's other books, I have described her writing as gentle, pleasant, charming, graceful, cozy. In this, her third publication, she abandons the fairytale roots and lush woodland settings of Beauty and The Door in the Hedge for windswept deserts and invading demon armies, yet somehow she manages to retain that sense of coziness and domesticity, so that it is not surprising to hear people refer to The Blue Sword as a comfort read.

Our heroine, Angharad or—as she prefers to be called—Harry Crewe, is an orphan who has left the Homeland to live with Sir Charles and Lady Amelia at an outpost in Daria, a colony of the Homelander empire where her brother Richard is stationed with the army. Unlike most of her countrymen, Harry is drawn to this barren and strange land. But all is not well there. The Hillfolk, last remnants of the ancient kingdom of Damar, come to warn the Homelanders of a great army of Northerners marching on their border. The well-meaning Homelanders cannot help, and most (like Sir Charles) are skeptical of this so-called threat, but the meeting has another fated but unexpected outcome. For when the golden-eyed king of the Hillfolk, Corlath, sees Harry, his kelar—the magic in his Hill blood—directs him to steal her away. So Harry finds herself swept off and burdened with a destiny she never expected.

One doesn't really read Robin McKinley for fast-moving plots, and it took about half the book before I really became involved, even though I'd read it before, as a preteen. Those who dislike lengthy descriptions would best look elsewhere as well. Where she excels is in her creation of imaginary cultures, her soothing narrative voice, and the little touches that make her worlds come to life. There is not a person, a landscape, a building, an animal in this book that I could not see as clearly as if I were there myself.

Harry is, refreshingly, not conventionally beautiful or "sexy," nor does she have the trademark clumsiness that has become such a hallmark of YA heroines. (I'm looking at you, Bella Swan.) Instead, she is oversized, lanky, sensible, and dreamy. She is far more unique and memorable than all the women of Spindle's End put together, which is the last McKinley book I read. Corlath is fascinating too, both as a person and as a ruler, but their romance is so subtle as to be almost nonexistent—and certainly not racy, which I remembered it being for some reason. Ha. Luthe plays a much smaller part than I recalled as well, to the point where one questions why he's in the book in the first place. He dispenses a little wisdom but doesn't advance the plot really. My favorite characters weren't actually human: Aerin's faithful Hill horse Tsornin, or Sungold, and the hunting cat Narknon. McKinley's animals are always winning.

The clash of cultures is what really makes the book live and breathe, mostly because they parallel our own history. The expanding Homelander empire is clearly modeled after Imperialist Great Britain, while Damar distinctly resembles North Africa. It's fun to have a world where guns and Edwardian manners meet ancient traditions and magic.

The book really begins to heat up as Harry disobeys orders and goes her own way, and the Northerners approach. The final face-off is thrilling, but Thurra, the sorcerer-king of the North, is built up as so powerful (while remaining veiled in mystery) that it's hard to accept he'd be so easily defeated. And when I turned the last page, I felt strangely empty. The book takes us to a fascinating new world, but very little happens; it could easily be half its length and still retain all the major plot points and character development. When I first read it, years ago, I had just finished its Newbery Medal-winning prequel, The Hero and the Crown, and I found it disappointing in comparison. Though I did enjoy The Blue Sword, I now see why. Luckily I read the books in publication order this time, and thus still have Hero to look forward to. ( )

I'm rereading this for the ?th time as counterpoint to Game of Thrones. I love pretty much everything RMcK has written but have a soft spot for Blue Sword and Hero and the Crown...a little romance, a little fantasy, a little magic, a little adventure, a little you-go-girl. She crafts her stories so well and writes so smoothly, and has an effortless way of revealing her worlds to her readers. ( )

I'm rereading this for the ?th time as counterpoint to Game of Thrones. I love pretty much everything RMcK has written but have a soft spot for Blue Sword and Hero and the Crown...a little romance, a little fantasy, a little magic, a little adventure, a little you-go-girl. She crafts her stories so well and writes so smoothly, and has an effortless way of revealing her worlds to her readers. ( )