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The Blue Sword (1982)

by Robin McKinley

Other authors: See the other authors section.

Series: Damar (1)

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
6,0431321,544 (4.28)483
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.
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Recently added byRini55, LibrarySpencer, private library, Kitti_foil, lucyldridge, cyborgpulsebooks, Ldiggity
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  1. 100
    Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce (lquilter)
    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.
  2. 81
    Graceling by Kristin Cashore (foggidawn, Aerrin99)
    Aerrin99: For stories that feature interesting and strong woman matched with equally interesting and strong men, with a dash of danger, adventure, and magic tossed in, try either of these books!
  3. 71
    Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith (shoujo85)
  4. 51
    The Darkangel by Meredith Ann Pierce (Jenson_AKA_DL)
  5. 40
    Song of the Lioness by Tamora Pierce (TomWaitsTables)
  6. 63
    Sunshine by Robin McKinley (lavender81)
    lavender81: A young adult meets a vampire ... a magical tale!
  7. 41
    The Books of Great Alta (Sister Light, Sister Dark / White Jenna) by Jane Yolen (lquilter)
    lquilter: Both McKinley's "The Blue Sword" and Yolen's "Sister Light, Sister Dark" / "White Jenna" feature young adult women, who have warrior attributes.
  8. 31
    Warprize by Elizabeth Vaughan (flemmily)
    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.
  9. 11
    Jaran by Kate Elliott (PhoenixFalls)
  10. 00
    Firegold by Dia Calhoun (beyondthefourthwall)
    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.… (more)
  11. 01
    The Rose Legacy by Jessica Day George (humouress)
    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.
  12. 13
    The Crown of Dalemark by Diana Wynne Jones (LiddyGally)
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▾Member reviews
date ▼ | votes
Showing 1-5 of 132 (next | show all)
A little too reliant on Fate and Chosen One status, but I liked Harry a lot. ( )
  wonderlande | Jan 1, 2023 |
again, loved
  graceandbenji | Sep 1, 2022 |
The Blue Sword introduces the desert kingdom of Damar, where magic weaves through the blood and weaves together destinies. New York Times–bestselling and award-winning author Robin McKinley sets the standard for epic fantasy and compelling, complex heroines. Fans of Sarah J. Maas, Leigh Bardugo, and Rae Carson will delight in discovering the rich world of Damar.

Harry Crewe is a Homelander orphan girl, come to live in Damar from over the seas. She is drawn to the bleak landscape, so unlike the green hills of her Homeland. She wishes she might cross the sands and climb the dark mountains where no Homelander has ever set foot, where the last of the old Damarians, the Free Hillfolk, live.

Corlath is the golden-eyed king of the Free Hillfolk, son of the sons of the legendary Lady Aerin. When he arrives in Harry’s town to ally with the Homelanders against a common enemy, he never expects to set Harry’s destiny in motion: She will ride into battle as a King’s Rider, bearing the Blue Sword, the great mythical treasure, which no one has wielded since Lady Aerin herself.

Legends and myths, no matter how epic, no matter how magical, all begin somewhere. ( )
  Gmomaj | Aug 22, 2022 |
Slow and boring at start, but rest of book very interesting and well-written. ( )
  MarkLacy | May 29, 2022 |
The only thing that would improve this book is the loss of the constant use of the word "and". Otherwise, still as good as I remember. ( )
  fuzzipueo | Apr 24, 2022 |
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Showing 1-5 of 132 (next | show all)
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▾Published reviews
▾Other authors

» Add other authors (1 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Robin McKinley—primary authorall editionscalculated
Craig, DanCover artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Reinert, KirkCover artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Thorn, LoriCover designersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Warren, DianeNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
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Canonical title
Original title
Alternative titles
Original publication date
1982
People/Characters
Angharad "Harry" Crewe
Corlath
Mathin
Luthe
Tsornin (horse, Sungold)
Important places
Damar (fictional)
Daria (fictional)
Homeland (fictional)
Istan (fictional)
General Mundy (Fort | fictional)
Important events
Related movies
Awards and honors
Newbery Honor (1983)
ALA Best Books for Young Adults (1982)
A Horn Book Fanfare Best Book (1983)
ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults (2003.03 | Flights of Fantasy: Beyond Harry and Frodo, 2003)
Iowa Teen Award Nominee (1984-1985)
Epigraph
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 bridle, 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 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
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Disambiguation notice
Publisher's editors
Blurbers
Original language
Canonical DDC/MDS
Canonical LCC
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▾Book descriptions
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.
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WorldCat

Genres

Melvil Decimal System (DDC)

813Literature › English (North America) › American fiction

LC Classification

PZ7.M1988Language and Literature › Fiction and juvenile belles lettres › Fiction and juvenile belles lettres › Juvenile belles lettres

Rating

Average: (4.28)
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1.5 2
2 33
2.5 13
3 177
3.5 52
4 456
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