Cross-posted at: http://readingisgoodforyou.wordpress....

"Aerin could not remember a time when she had not known the story; she had grown up knowing it.

It was the story of her mother, the witchwoman who enspelled the king into marrying her, to get an heir that would rule Damar; and it was told that she turned her face to the wall and died of despair when she found she had borne a daughter instead of a son.

Aerin was that daughter.

But there was more of the story yet to be told; Aerin’s destiny was greater than even she had dreamed – for she was to be the true hero who would wield the power of the Blue Sword . . ."

I finished Hero a few days ago and I’m finally getting around to writing up the review. I must say, I really enjoyed this book and I’m glad I finally got around to reading it. Many reviewers have debated over which is better: The Blue Sword or The Hero and the Crown, but I think they are both well written, but different enough in content to love both books equally. With that being said, I am glad that I read The Blue Sword first, as stories of people like Aerin and Tor are merely hinted at, and aspects of Damarian culture, like their unique riding style, are simply taken for granted, but in The Hero and the Crown, the people are fleshed out and readers get to see how the culture originated. In my opinion, one should have their eyes opened, so to speak, to the mystery of the Damarian culture along with Harry in The Blue Sword, and that can’t happen if one has already read The Hero and the Crown.

There are many mentions of Aerin in The Blue Sword – she is a revered, beloved hero, her feats of courage an inspiration to her people. The beginning of Hero shows us a different side to the lady they call Dragon Killer. Ostracized for the despised Northern blood flowing through her veins and ridiculed for her lack of the magic Gift common to the royal family, Aerin has grown to be a shy and clumsy young woman when in the presence of her relations and the Court. Her best friend Tor, however, is privy to her feisty wit, her fiery passion – the part of her that so stubbornly desires to become someone worthy of the respect of her father and the people of Damar. And so, with the covert weapons training Tor provides and the loyal support of a down-trodden war horse, Aerin is propelled along the path leading her to become the Dragon Killer and, ultimately, the savior of the kingdom of Damar.

Never let it be said that I don’t love Harry, but once her full power was awakened in her, nearly everything required of her became almost ridiculously easy for her to accomplish (the central theme of The Blue Sword, of course, was Harry discovering her true place in the world, so this is acceptable). I do think I came to respect Aerin a bit more because of what she had to overcome both in her relationships with others and the tasks laid before her before she could achieve her destiny.

As I read, I found myself smiling as little bits of Damarian culture was explained (Oh, so that’s how those hunting cats came into play and I get now why the Hillfolk now ride sans bridle and stirrup). I also will admit that I coveted Aerin’s animal companions – why be bothered by those trash-talking cousins when you’ve got a faithful war horse and a dozen fierce wild cats and dogs on your side?

I do admit that while I was a bit confused by the rather medieval environment and lush landscape found in Hero when the Damar with which I was familiar was rather covered with sand and populated by desert nomads, this is eventually explained. And, yes, I was a bit thrown for a loop by Aerin's . . . err . . . relationship with the infamous Luthe, but it didn't detract from my overall enjoyment of this book (and despite its rather where-did-that-come-from nature, I found myself believing in it. Still have to root for my boy Tor, though, because he loved Aerin before understanding the true nature of her heritage). ( )

I read this one before even knowing of The Blue Sword, and after reading both I like The Hero and the Crown better. I like Aerin - I sympathize with her - and the first half of the book is an extremely enjoyable read.

However, to me, the end of the book feels rather muddled. There's an awful lot going on there, and for me the busyness of it takes away from what should be a dramatic final conclusion - except it's not, because there's so much stuff happening all of a sudden (Luthe! Giant battle! Falling in love with Tor!)

I do think it's a very good book, and I've reread it loads of times, but every time I get to the end my attention wanders. ( )

i didn't love the hero and the crown nearly as much as i loved the blue sword. this is not to say that i haven't read it three times. it is a very good use of the time invested into the reading of it and a must read for anyone who like the blue sword. ( )

I loved this book! ( )

A young princess struggles with her place in the court and life. She becomes a dragon slayer and adventurer. The story has some interesting movement back and forth in time which was quite a nice element along with the fairy-tale-like feel. ( )

this was a pretty good read, i thought. not innovative, but of its type engaging and well written. ( )

One of my favorites, to be read again and again over the years. I tell people that I think that the way the author drew Talat the war horse as a full and viable character without anthropomorphizing him in any way shows the touch of a true animal lover. (Dogs and and cats in her other stories benefit from the same masterful touch).

I love Aeren for being clunky and awkward, disdained and disliked... and still being willing to give everything she's got if she can only help save her people from the dragon. Not that she hoped for a "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" happy ending where everybody ended up liking the outcast who had become useful, either...

Especially I love a moment during the battle between Aeren and Agsded. The task was almost impossibly difficult and there was a moment when she pressed back "just a little, but still a little" (I paraphrase). Keep going!!

Good stuff, good stuff. Oh, you betcha.

Amazing piece of fiction, and my first experience with McKinley. I was very pleased. This book sits near the top of my lists. ( )

Prequel to The Blue Sword, suffers from having to provide backstory to a story that doesn't need it. Aerin's problems aren't especially challenging and her confrontation with Agsded is particularly anticlimactic. Her relationship with Luthe is beautifully depicted though. ( )

Aerin is the daughter of Damar's king, but has never been accepted as full royalty, because her mother is said to be a witch-woman who ensnared the king. However, Aerin's destiny is to wield the power of the Blue Sword and become a heroine.

(Amy) I plucked this off the shelf in a recent instance of my "one book from each bookcase" method of padding my reading list, thinking I was picking it up to re-read - after all, it's a Robin McKinley book that's 25 years old, obviously I've read it before.

Oops.

So, yeah, that was a pleasant surprise. The story itself wasn't really anything special, but it lived up to my moderately high expectations for McKinley books. It wasn't spectacular or breathtaking, but what I wanted was a quietly enjoyable way to spend a few hours of this, my brainsleepy period, and a McKinley YA fit the bill perfectly. However, given that I read it with about three-quarters of my brain tied behind my back, I cannot, alas, give a proper review of it beyond this statement that I did indeed enjoy it.

Perhaps next time, when I am in fact re-reading it.
( http://weblog.siliconcerebrate.com/ze... ) ( )

Great concept, not well executed. This was one of those books I really wanted to like, and did in the beginning, but found it lacking in the end.

A heroine, great. Dragons, great (even if I usually prefer the dragons as wise comrades instead of brutes to be hunted). Starting with the outcast, educating her, and elevating her as we watch, to city protector, great. These story starting stones would have laid the foundation for a fantastic epic series. Instead, it's all introduced and finished in a two-hundred page book.

The opening chapters weren't too bad, if a bit slow moving or confusing given the language and flashback. After that, it was as if the author laid out an outline and ran out of time or pages to flesh it out. Everything felt rushed. Things that should have been new for the character were taken in stride as unsurprising and passed over for the next new thing.

Then the romantic aspect to the ending, which may have made sense in a longer series, felt sudden, forced, fake, and bizarre. Oh, by the way, that character we've been dealing with all this time, setting him up as her childhood friend, with now mutually newfound other feelings? He's not important. There's this immortal that will show up in a fever-induced dream who is your heroine's instant soul-mate. Oh and that? There's always duty to consider, so he must be set aside also, and we'll return to the original character who now must be the heroine's husband, for the sake of the city. But the consolation prize? She's no longer mortal now, so once this guy kicks the bucket, she can go back to her mysterious soul-mate. Say what?

I would still like to give this author another try, since I know this is only a prequel to a well hailed book. Other than that, this story mainly serves as fodder for my own imagination, and makes me eager to try other more well-known fantasy genre epics that might deal with the knight/dragon stories in more depth, and more to my satisfaction. I would only recommend this as a light read to someone who wants to toy with the genre but has no desire to read longer works. Even then, I bet those who read a lot of fantasy could provide better recommendations. Overall, good ideas were introduced, but the book left me wanting, and thus has very little reread potential. ( )

This novel is the prequel to The Blue Sword in which we meet Aerin, the “first” woman to wield the Blue Sword. This story gives a lot of background for the elements of The Blue Sword which bring flashes of recognition when you encounter them, but the story itself stands very well on its own. In my opinion (not shared by many I know who have read both) this is a superior story. It is better written, better plotted and has better characterizations. The details are finer and I was much more involved in Aerin’s fate than I was in Harry’s. Also there was a “proper” ending with detail and not just a “summary” of how people paired off. I think both stories should be read and in the order written, but if you must choose just one I would suggest this one, especially for adults. Highly recommended ( )

After I finished reading this I discovered that I had read it previously 16 years ago. I read the entire book this time without the slightest inkling that I had read it before. Obviously it didn't make much of an impression on me last time--although I guess enough of an impression to make me want to keep it with me for the past 16 years.

At any rate, this time it definitely did leave an impression. I loved the first half of this book. This won the Newbery Medal in 1985, but if I hadn't known better, I wouldn't have guessed that this book is targeted for younger audiences. This is the story of a king's only child, Aerin, a daughter from his second marriage. Rumor has it that his second wife was a witch who ensorceled the king into loving her so that she could bear his heir and take over his kingdom, but then died of despair when she gave birth to a daughter instead of a son. Aerin grows up in a court that never quite accepts her, knowing that her destiny lies elsewhere. This is the story of how she discovers exactly where her destiny lies.

Aerin's character comes as alive and as real as any I've read. The author pulled me into the story and had me caring a great deal for what was going to happen to Aerin. I didn't want to put this down.

But about halfway through the novel, things change a bit. All of the main battle scenes were ethereal and ambiguous and I didn't enjoy those parts. I felt like I was just slogging through those pages waiting for the story to rematerialize and get back on track. But once it did, the story picked right back up again. If it wasn't for these parts I would've given this 5 out of 5 stars. ( )

An excellent YA fantasy, coming of age story. ( )

I love this book. It has the elements of a fairy tale, a young princess whose mother dies in childbirth, a father who loves her, but is king and has to attend to the kingdom first, a jealous cousin, etc. What I really love, however, is the fact that the princess isn't perfect. She's clumsy, trips over her own feet, breaks things and then can't use the family magic to repair them, etc. She is also a scientist, intent on making a special elixir that will enable a person to withstand fire so that she can fight fire-breathing dragons. And of course, there's the horse. What 13 year old girl isn't in love with horses? Some romance but not enough to overshadow the action. And a quest or two to keep things interesting. A great antidote to regular fairy tales. ( )

The Hero and the Crown is the story of Aerin, the king's daughter, who is scorned for being a "witch-woman's" child. She feels that she doesn't fit into the Damarian society, as she looks different and doesn't display the Gift of the royal family. She finally finds her place as the Dragon-Slayer, but ends up facing a much bigger dragon, that almost kills her. She finds herself when she goes to heal with Luthe, a mage and becomes something not quite mortal in order to slay the evil Northerner who is threatening her land. While not a medieval fantasy, it is contains many of the same themes, a hero who doesn't quite fit in, magic, dragons, demons, and all sorts of other intresting themes. The story is very easy to follow, as it follows Aerin as she grows up and then through her battles. It is a prequel to the Blue Sword and explains some of the historical events talked about in it. I feel that is it a fantasy style coming of age story (with magic, swords, and dragons!). We see the main character struggle with not fitting in until she accepts herself and finds her own place. I would recommend this to 4th grade and above aged children, especially if they have read the Blue Sword. ( )

It's a tragedy that Robin McKinley has not revisited Damar since 1987 ( )

I first read this when I was 11. Now, as a 24 year old, I find it just as enjoyable as I did years ago. McKinley is one of those authors that can create tales that are entertaining and meaningful to youth and adults alike. There are a lot of little things that I did not pick up on as an 11 year old, but it was still a great, eye-opening read for someone just starting to read fantasy books. Aerin fits the bill of the outsider/misfit, royalty who just can't act the part and doesn't have many allies. But her kingdom, Damar, needs her, and soon she finds her place by following her heart and her own interests. She befriends Talat, her father's old warhorse, and turns him into a productive warrior again. She also teaches herself how to fight dragons, learns about her mysterious heritage, and soon finds that Damar needs her more than she could even imagine. ( )

As usual, I like this book despite not really liking Aerin. Somehow she strikes me as...not passive, exactly, but more done-to than doing. Which is weird since she defies all convention and goes out to become a warrior and all the rest...but it seems almost accidental. Talat because he's as lame as she is, the book by accident, start her down the path...anyway. I do like the story. And it's Damar, which is great all by itself! ( )

I first read this book in the 8th grade, when a sympathetic teacher gave me a copy. Since then, this has continued to be one of my "comfort food" books -- a book I pick off the shelf and cuddle up with once a year.

Aerin, the book's heroine, is a familiar character -- the outsider in a crowd, the girl who doesn't fit in. (Yeah, its something a pre-teen girl could relate to.) Despite being the king's daughter, she is struggling to find her place in the kingdom. Instead of following the usual path a princess (or sola, in Damar) should take, Aerin follows her own course and becomes the hero the kingdom didn't know they needed. I highly recommend this book for young adult readers, whether they are young or not.

http://archthinking.blogspot.com/2008... ( )

I wasn’t expecting much from The Hero and the Crown. I didn’t really like Sunshine by the same author very much and I couldn’t figure out why everyone has always loved Robin McKinley.

I get it now.

Aerin is the daughter of the King of Damaria, but her position has never been comfortable. For as long as she can remember, there have been many rumors floating around about her mother; that she bewitched the king, that she wasn’t entirely human, that she was a witch. The situation isn’t made any easier by the fact that Aerin’s hereditary magic hasn’t developed. She longs to be of use somehow, and with the discovery of kenet, a fire-proof salve, she discovers her calling when she begins to kill dragons. Her skill doesn’t save her, and before the end she must learn a great deal about herself in order to save her country.

This book brought me straight back to my childhood, even though I’d never read it before. It reads like a fairy tale and reminded me a great deal of one of my favorites, Princess Nevermore by Dian Curtis Regan, although they have very little in common except for this fairy tale tone. McKinley’s writing spoke to the little girl in me and I fell totally in love - with Aerin, with Tor, and perhaps especially with her horse, Talat, who may be my new favorite fantasy companion. (It’s between Talat and Pantalaimon from His Dark Materials.) Aerin’s journey was wonderfully done and I was very happy to allow myself to sink into this world. Perfect escapism.

There’s very little else to say about a book I loved so much. This is an ideal book for young adults, in my opinion, and I’m not at all surprised that it won a Newbury Medal. I’m sorry I didn’t discover it sooner!

http://chikune.com/blog/?p=185 ( )

What's neat about McKinley is that she revives popular legends and fairytales like Robin Hood and Sleeping Beauty. For that reason much of her work seems to straddle the line between adult fiction and young adult/children's fiction. I first encountered The Hero and the Crown when I was in fifth grade or so -- post-Nancy Drew but pre-Dean Koontz and Nightwylde. So this was a nostalgic read for me. While not the most engaging, this book fits the bill when you're in a fairytale kind of mood. It is slow at points but the quality of McKinley's writing is worth appreciating. And even though it's aimed towards a younger audience, both the story and the characters are sophisticated and complex. ( )

This was a reread, though it's been many years since the last time I read it, but there has been much discussion about it on various threads lately so I thought I would come back to it.

I think this has always been one of my childhood favorites, though I wasn't sure why at the time - perhaps it was the dragons or Luthe, or just the fact that I'm partial to redheaded characters.

Now as an adult, I can appreciate the masterly way McKinley writes this story. I've recently read many books on the art of writing and grammar (in my pursuit to be an English teacher) and I find her prose to be astounding. I love the way she tricks you very eloquently into reading flashbacks without realizing they are until you're back at where you started. It's amazing the way she can say in three pages what some authors would take thirty. I like that she doesn't feel like she has to pad her books with unnecessary details - if nothing interesting happens in two years, she doesn't mention it. She rarely breaks her prose with gaps on the page either - instead she actually segues from paragraph to paragraph, changing ideas and time periods without the need to break the readers' concentration.

I'm not sure I can praise this book highly enough. Now to address xicanti, I do understand your sentiments about the middle of the book. When I was younger the entire sequence of the dragon head on the wall taunting her completely freaked me out! I think I understand it better now. Also I think the middle is a way to show that even heroes (or heroines) find themselves lost at some point along the way. I love the scenes with Tor falling in love with Aerin, and most especially the scenes with Luthe! I think I've had a crush on Luthe since I read the book the very first time.

One of my all time favorite sets. A classic fantasy adventure with a great shero (female hero). I read this as a young adult and it really shaped how I judge books and writing, this being a example of the right way to do it. Fantastic story and characters that make you think about your life without telling you to think about your life. A great book. ( )