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Harry, bored with her sheltered life in the remote orange-growing colony of Daria, discovers magic in herself when she is kidnapped by a native king with mysterious powers.Tags
Recommendations
Member Recommendations
lquilter Readers of The Blue Sword by McKinley should also enjoy Tamora Pierce's various Tortall adventures, among which, "Alanna: The First Adventure" (the first volume of the "Lioness Quartet"), is the first and best-known, but all of them are worthwhile.
110
lquilter Both McKinley's "The Blue Sword" and Yolen's "Sister Light, Sister Dark" / "White Jenna" feature young adult women, who have warrior attributes.
41
flemmily Warprize is simpler than The Blue Sword, and the world is not quite as interesting as the unique and compelling Damar. But both books tell the story of a girl carried away by a barbarian culture.
32
humouress An orphaned girl is sent to family far away and has fantastic adventures with animals, although 'Rose Legacy' is aimed at a younger audience.
beyondthefourthwall (One of the reviews points out that 'Firegold' was probably inspired by 'The Blue Sword', but they're both very much worth reading.) Young person who is a bit of an outsider discovers profound links to a group of elusive people living in the mountains, and undergoes various trials among the mountain-folk in order to develop their abilities (physical/magical) and prove themself.
Member Reviews
{First of 2: Damar series. Children's, fantasy, adventure}
(Re-read)
This Newbery Honour children's book, although published in 1983, is set in a parallel universe in what could be Queen Victoria's empire in our world. The writing is a little formal and gives it the feel of having been written in colonial times, although it is still extremely readable.
I was always predisposed to like this book because (although crippled by inordinate shyness) I always wanted to ride a horse and wield a sword and have adventures and Harry gets to do all these. And then when I first read it, it was so well written that it's been on my favourites list ever since.
Harry (Angharad) Crewe has had to move from Home (England) to Istan/ Ihistan (Afghanistan?) which show more is at the northern boundary of Daria (India). (McKinley based the landscape of the Damar books on Kipling's British India.) She doesn't fit in although she tries to and it's not because McKinley takes the modern/ easy route of other people being mean to her; everyone is welcoming and the two most popular girls are
It's just that she is out of her element; she's always been a little bit more adventurous at home than is quite acceptable by society and now she has to be on her best behaviour and she has the added handicap of being too tall for most men to dance with. Though the local natives are friendly and adapt to the conquering Homelanders, the Hill-folk who live in the mountains just to the north of Istan have a certain mystique and it may be there that Harry finds her place.
I like the way McKinley outlines people's emotions and also gives the animals personalities without using anthropomorphism. For example, Tsornin (translated to Sungold in Homelander speech), her warhorse
Or (Narknon is the large hunting-cat that has adopted Harry)
I love the little touches in the last chapter, the way it wraps up all the loose ends into a happy ending, especially Lady Amelia and Sir Charles.
Describing a small girl visiting the City for the first time:
Although I identified with Harry when I first read The Blue Sword however many decades ago, I now think she's awkward rather than shy and a lot more resilient than me. Of course, this is a children's book and she has youth on her side. Other reviews remind me that some events may move a bit faster than they would for you or me but given the richness of the writing, the magic of Damar and that this book is less than 300 pages long, I am more than inclined to overlook a minor niggle.
Still, and always, a five star book.
5***** show less
(Re-read)
This Newbery Honour children's book, although published in 1983, is set in a parallel universe in what could be Queen Victoria's empire in our world. The writing is a little formal and gives it the feel of having been written in colonial times, although it is still extremely readable.
I was always predisposed to like this book because (although crippled by inordinate shyness) I always wanted to ride a horse and wield a sword and have adventures and Harry gets to do all these. And then when I first read it, it was so well written that it's been on my favourites list ever since.
Harry (Angharad) Crewe has had to move from Home (England) to Istan/ Ihistan (Afghanistan?) which show more is at the northern boundary of Daria (India). (McKinley based the landscape of the Damar books on Kipling's British India.) She doesn't fit in although she tries to and it's not because McKinley takes the modern/ easy route of other people being mean to her; everyone is welcoming and the two most popular girls are
the admitted beauties of the station; the entire 4th Cavalry, stationed at the General Mundy, were in love with them. But they were also cheerful and open-hearted, and she was fond of them.
It's just that she is out of her element; she's always been a little bit more adventurous at home than is quite acceptable by society and now she has to be on her best behaviour and she has the added handicap of being too tall for most men to dance with. Though the local natives are friendly and adapt to the conquering Homelanders, the Hill-folk who live in the mountains just to the north of Istan have a certain mystique and it may be there that Harry finds her place.
I like the way McKinley outlines people's emotions and also gives the animals personalities without using anthropomorphism. For example, Tsornin (translated to Sungold in Homelander speech), her warhorse
took her lessons afoot very badly, and would lace back his years and stamp, and circle her and Mathin till they had to yell at him to go away.
Or (Narknon is the large hunting-cat that has adopted Harry)
There was a friendship between the horse and the hunting-cat now, and they would chase one another around the obstacles of the practice field, Narknon's tail lashing and Sungold with his ears back in mock fury. Once the big cat had hidden behind one of the grassy banks, where Harry and Sungold could not see her; and as they rode by she leaped out at them, sailing clean over Sungold and Harry on his back. Harry ducked and Sungold swerved; and Narknon circled and came back to them with her ears back and her whiskers trembling in what was obviously a cat laugh.
I love the little touches in the last chapter, the way it wraps up all the loose ends into a happy ending, especially Lady Amelia and Sir Charles.
she was astonished when little Lady Amelia climbed or fell off her horse just in front of her, said, ‘Harry, my dear why did you never send us any word?’ burst into tears, and threw her arms around her former houseguest
Describing a small girl visiting the City for the first time:
- including Rilly, who was beside herself with excitement, and her mother, who was beside herself with Rilly -
Although I identified with Harry when I first read The Blue Sword however many decades ago, I now think she's awkward rather than shy and a lot more resilient than me. Of course, this is a children's book and she has youth on her side. Other reviews remind me that some events may move a bit faster than they would for you or me but given the richness of the writing, the magic of Damar and that this book is less than 300 pages long, I am more than inclined to overlook a minor niggle.
Still, and always, a five star book.
5***** show less
The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley is a story of epic proportions, it tells the story of Harry Crewe and how she was spirited away from her home by the mysterious Corlath, King of Damar, and went on to become that country’s beloved saviour armed with the legendary sword Gonduran, aided by the ancient magic that she finds within herself and accompanied by her horse Sungold and a hunter-cat called Narknon.
The Blue Sword was originally published in 1983 and it was interesting to compare this fantasy to the ones being written today. While Harry was understated and cool, modern heroines are more forthcoming and openly passionate. In fact, the whole book was understated in ways that left a lot to the imagination of the reader and I for one, show more enjoyed having the freedom to interpret the author’s words and paint my own pictures.
This Newberry Award winner was a wonderful read and one that I will long remember. The romance is understated but woven throughout the story and although the ending is no surprise to the reader, it was everything I had hoped for. With her quiet strength and honesty, Harry Crewe was a heroine that I loved rooting for and her journey from the restless, unsettled girl living in a frontier town to the Damalur-Sol (lady hero) of a remote hill country was truly magical. show less
The Blue Sword was originally published in 1983 and it was interesting to compare this fantasy to the ones being written today. While Harry was understated and cool, modern heroines are more forthcoming and openly passionate. In fact, the whole book was understated in ways that left a lot to the imagination of the reader and I for one, show more enjoyed having the freedom to interpret the author’s words and paint my own pictures.
This Newberry Award winner was a wonderful read and one that I will long remember. The romance is understated but woven throughout the story and although the ending is no surprise to the reader, it was everything I had hoped for. With her quiet strength and honesty, Harry Crewe was a heroine that I loved rooting for and her journey from the restless, unsettled girl living in a frontier town to the Damalur-Sol (lady hero) of a remote hill country was truly magical. show less
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 show more 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. show less
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 show more 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. show less
McKinley was among the first to write fantasy novels with female heroes (they are not heroines because all their heroic deeds are in the male-mode).
However, this is basically a RoMance (tm), no an epic fantasy.
The setting is a very thinly veiled version of the British Raj in 19th century India (which is at least a change from the endless Medieval worlds).
Angharad insists on being called Harry (for n apparent reason); she doesn't appear to have any intrinsic talents or skills except horse-riding, which wasn't all that uncommon for women in the Real World; she is a "rebel" in her native milieu (but not as interesting as Jane Austen's); her powers are suddenly revealed and not earned*; she doesn't really learn to control them, although she show more uses them; and (my pet peeve, having fenced some in college) she becomes a superior swordsman in only 6 weeks with no prior experience at all, and no obvious connection to her powers.
WHY IT IS A ROMANCE: the native king falls in love with Harry immediately; tolerates her Outlander notions without irritation; treats her in privileged ways no real tribal chief would, even in the Damarian egalitarian society (itself grossly unrealistic); and acts twitter-pated. In other words, he is a character on her Holodeck.
NOTE: this story occurs chronologically after those of books published later.
REFLECTION: the subgenre of hidden-hero-suddenly-saves-the-world is not unique to female protagonists. To me, it looks like the obverse of a victimhood-story, in that the source of the hero's power & skill always comes from outside them, and is not under their control -- just like the source of the victim's troubles.
Yes, the hero-candidate usually exhibits some determination, sense of duty, and (sometimes) personal growth, but the role is still imposed rather than earned.
*Harry is pretty durn obtuse to not even wonder why she has Damarian occult powers; brother Dickie doesn't reveal until the end of the book that great-great-grandma was a native. show less
However, this is basically a RoMance (tm), no an epic fantasy.
The setting is a very thinly veiled version of the British Raj in 19th century India (which is at least a change from the endless Medieval worlds).
Angharad insists on being called Harry (for n apparent reason); she doesn't appear to have any intrinsic talents or skills except horse-riding, which wasn't all that uncommon for women in the Real World; she is a "rebel" in her native milieu (but not as interesting as Jane Austen's); her powers are suddenly revealed and not earned*; she doesn't really learn to control them, although she show more uses them; and (my pet peeve, having fenced some in college) she becomes a superior swordsman in only 6 weeks with no prior experience at all, and no obvious connection to her powers.
WHY IT IS A ROMANCE: the native king falls in love with Harry immediately; tolerates her Outlander notions without irritation; treats her in privileged ways no real tribal chief would, even in the Damarian egalitarian society (itself grossly unrealistic); and acts twitter-pated. In other words, he is a character on her Holodeck.
NOTE: this story occurs chronologically after those of books published later.
REFLECTION: the subgenre of hidden-hero-suddenly-saves-the-world is not unique to female protagonists. To me, it looks like the obverse of a victimhood-story, in that the source of the hero's power & skill always comes from outside them, and is not under their control -- just like the source of the victim's troubles.
Yes, the hero-candidate usually exhibits some determination, sense of duty, and (sometimes) personal growth, but the role is still imposed rather than earned.
*
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 show more 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. show less
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 show more 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. show less
I’m glad I read Hero and the Crown first, though it seems to me you can read this duology in either order. For me, understanding the history of Damar, Aerin and the sword, helped me understand Harry’s world. Magic has changed since Aerin’s day, becoming rarer and seemingly only gifting those who wield it with destructive powers.
Harry is likable, though I wasn’t as invested in this story as I was Hero. Maybe because I read Hero first? But there’s a lot of depth and feeling here, like in Hero (which just made me want to re-read Hero) and I was happy to see Harry had a feline friend and a smart horse, much like Aerin.
McKinley has such a way with words. Yet again, we get a YA book with the ‘chosen one’ trope, but I loved it! show more Harry is sensible and calm, dealing with her struggles to find a place that feels like home in a way that made me feel for her. She’s tough and powerful, yes, but she has to learn to develop her powers properly, ride a horse, wield a sword. We get to see her become badass and self-aware, rather than just be told she is.
If, like me, you struggle with finding enjoyable YA fantasy, I highly recommend this duology! show less
Harry is likable, though I wasn’t as invested in this story as I was Hero. Maybe because I read Hero first? But there’s a lot of depth and feeling here, like in Hero (which just made me want to re-read Hero) and I was happy to see Harry had a feline friend and a smart horse, much like Aerin.
McKinley has such a way with words. Yet again, we get a YA book with the ‘chosen one’ trope, but I loved it! show more Harry is sensible and calm, dealing with her struggles to find a place that feels like home in a way that made me feel for her. She’s tough and powerful, yes, but she has to learn to develop her powers properly, ride a horse, wield a sword. We get to see her become badass and self-aware, rather than just be told she is.
If, like me, you struggle with finding enjoyable YA fantasy, I highly recommend this duology! show less
I generally enjoy McKinley's work, but I have to give this one only 3 stars because of the shockingly thinly-veiled orientalism present in the novel. Questions of colonialism are part of the plot of the novel, as you have the colonizers in tense peace with the colonized in a let's-just-leave-each-other- alone kind of relationship. The peace is almost dissolved when the leader of the indigenous nomadic tribe comes to the colonial border town and asks for help in a coming war with another group, the degraded, magically warped barbarians from the north. The white colonialists of course say no; why should they help a people they want to conquer? Let the others wipe them out for them, right? McKinley definitely offers commentary on this show more mentality, and this is not where my criticism lies. No, my biggest issue with this book and the power relations she explores, is the blatant orientalism expressed. The main character, who has blonde hair and blue eyes, begins to feel a certain longing for and comfort in the desert, which as a foreign transplant, she is not supposed to feel. The desert and the desert peoples are the colonial Other; they are not to be considered equals, interesting, or, and especially, not desirable. So what happens when this too, tall, too strong, blonde haired, blue-eyed teenage girl meets the leader of the desert tribes? Why, she can't stop thinking about him, of course! And when he comes back to abduct her from her home (because his mystical magic aura told him too) she puts up no protest, and is more than willing to adopt these brown-skinned, exotic but frightening others as her own. Indeed, she even has some of their blood running though her veins, to the great shame of her older brother. Not only is she 1/8th desert tribe, she is also the wielder of great desert-people magic and the true heir of the titular blue sword. Only she can unite all of the nomadic desert tribes against this new foe (if you want a better version of this story, read T.E. Lawrence's The Seven Pillars of Wisdom)My other major issue with this book is that it's supposed to feature a strong female lead. Sure this girl can ride a horse. Sure she can fight with a sword. But for a girl who lets herself be abducted, marries her abductor, and can only wield the true power of the blue sword with the help of her soon-to-be husband, I find little to recommend her. Finally, McKinley's prose in this book is uneven at best, disjointed at worst. There are several places where characters shift between an overly stiff, formal tone in one sentence or paragraph, and in the very next are using contractions. I give this two stars for trying. show less
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Author Information
42+ Works 50,667 Members
Some Editions
Awards and Honors
Awards
Distinctions
Series
Work Relationships
Is contained in
Has as a student's study guide
Common Knowledge
- Original publication date
- 1982
- People/Characters
- Angharad "Harry" Crewe; Corlath; Mathin; Luthe; Tsornin (horse, Sungold); Aerin (show all 15); Gonturan (sword); Charles Greenough (Sir); Amelia Greenough (Lady); Richard Crewe; Jack Dedham (Colonel); Kentarre; Narknon (cat); Thurra; Harimad-sol
- Important places
- Damar (fictional); Daria (fictional); Homeland (fictional); Istan (fictional); General Mundy (Fort | fictional)
- Dedication
- To Danny and Peachey, who first lead me to Damar
- First words
- She scowled at her glass of orange juice.
- Quotations
- [Harry] had always suffered from a vague restlessness, a longing for adventure that she told herself severely was the result of reading too many novels when she was a small child.
The man's eyes were yellow as gold, the hot liquid gold in a smelter's furnace. Harry found it suddenly difficult to breathe, and understood the expression on Dedham's face; she almost staggered. Her hand tightened on the bri... (show all)dle, and the pony dropped its head and mouthed the bit uncomfortably. The heat was incredible. It was as though a thousand desert suns beat down on her. Magic? she thought from inside the thunder. Is this what magic is? I come from a cold country, where the witches live in cool green forests. What am I doing here? (p. 32)
"You have already begun to see the hardness of the choices that you will soon be forced to make; and the choosing will not be any easier for your not knowing why you must choose. Take strength from your own purpose, for you ... (show all)will know what you must do, if you let yourself; trust your horse and the cat that follows you, for there are none better than they, and they love you.. And trust the Lady Aerin, who visits you for your reassurance, whether you believe it at present or not; and trust your friendships. Friends you will have need of, for in you two worlds meet. There is no one on both sides with you, so you must learn to take your own counsel; and not to fear what is strange, if you know it also to be true. It is not an enviable position, being a bridge, especially a bridge with visions." [Luthe speaks, p. 164] - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)They took the children with them -- Aerin was followed by Jack, and Jack by Hari, as the years passed -- for Luthe was fond of children.
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