The Blue Sword (1982)

Four stars for what it is meant to be, and three stars for my particular situation. For what it is, it is a beautifully written story about fate and friendship. The horses are beautiful, and it has magic, mystery, battles, and splintered societies. For me, I think I am too old for this book. If I had read it when it was gifted to me (15 years ago or more - it's been sitting on my shelf for a while), I would have loved it more. Otherwise, all the focus on horses took me out of the story and reminded me of being a horse-loving tween. Reading this book right after reading Left Hand of Darkness dulled the story's culture clash. I enjoyed the story, and read it quickly, but I am not as sympathetic to the tomboy-ish heroine - even a twist on that motif - as I once was. A saving grace, though, is that she wasn't very tomboyish, just unsettled by something deep inside called fate. ( )

This is an excellent, short fantasy novel. The world it is set in parallels ours very closely, but it is not quite the same as ours. A young lady from 'Home' (England) ends up on a far away island on the edge of a hilly desert region after her parents pass away. She is fostered by a lord and lady there and reunited with her brother. It isn't long before she meets the native inhabitants that live nearby and the story goes on from there. This book is essentially a young-adult fantasy tale, not an epic and is missing all of the judgments of Colonialism, racism or other -isms, it is just a fantasy story about a young girl that becomes a hero. It is well written and enjoyable, though quite predictable. For its intended audience, which would be younger people not quite so jaded by decades of reading fantasy, this could be a lifetime favorite. ( )

I know I read this and liked it, and I probably re-read it at least once since Robin McKinley is one of my favorite authors. But that time was in my mid-20's and life has shaped me a bit possibly with this book's help to see myself as different and finding my place. It went out into the wild via Bookcrossing.com and I look forward to others having the chance to read it. ( )

This is one of those books I wish teenage me would have read as I know I would have absolutely loved it back then. The story features a strong female protagonist who survives a kidnapping and turns her circumstances around when she learns she's the chosen one and proceeds to save the world. She gets a special horse, a magic sword, has a jaguar-type cat as a companion and in general kicks ass. Yeah, teenage me would have been in heaven. 30-something me was charmed and sees the foundation of what will become many modern YA fantasy tropes. 80s fantasy can have that feel sometimes.

This book is beautifully written. You do have to watch out though as the story sometimes switches POV mid-chapter without any warning. I wasn't expecting it the first time and had to reread the section. It is easy to get used to though. I enjoyed the descriptive passages quite a lot and the world building gave just enough detail without being overwhelming. I greatly enjoyed the action scenes, especially Harry's training.

While technically The Blue Sword is the first in the Damar duology it works just fine as a standalone book. The adventure is fully resolved by the end and all loose ends are wrapped up. This was a fun read. ( )

It has been decades since I read this book. I wanted it to be as magical as I remembered it being and it was! Harry is such a strong character and finds she is stronger and more capable than she suspected.

Damar is also a complex and interesting world with a deeper history that is hinted at. I loved exploring that world with Harry. The book kept drawing me in.

Anyone who likes fantasy would most likely enjoy this book. As for me, onward to The Hero and the Crown! ( )