Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

The Blue Sword (Damar #1)

4.24 of 5 stars 4.24 · rating details · 27,511 ratings · 1,516 reviews

Harry Crewe grew up a tomboy in forests, until her brother joined the Homelanders guarding the far desert reaches. Now an orphan, she joins him. Only a few months later, asking for military aid against advancing Northeners, comes Corlath, the Hillfolk King. After exchanging a single glance, his inner magic compels him to kidnap her, without knowing why. She does not know t...more

Paperback, 288 pages

Published November 2nd 2000 (first published 1982)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

Best Books For Anyone and Everyone

88th out of 101 books — 50 voters

2012: What Women Born In The 70s Have Read So Far This Year

284th out of 1,031 books — 66 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Dec 22, 2012 Anila rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: pre-college-summer-reread, favorite-2011-reads

Added at the bottom: the perfect song for this book. Seriously, if it's ever made into a movie, this song should be in the trailer.

The description on this book's GR page is not my favorite synopsis. I think my little well-loved paperback says it better:

This is the story of Corlath, golden-eyed king of the Free Hillfolk, son of the sons of the Lady Aerin.
And this is the story of Harry Crewe, the Homelander orphan girl who became Harimad-sol, King's Rider, and heir to the Blue Sword, Gonturan, tha...more

like 39 likes · see review

Jan 23, 2011 Mariel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: blue

Recommended to Mariel by: black

Robin McKinley's The Blue Sword blue me away. (What can I do for swords?) I don't know how to handle the feeling in a review. I'm in it to the hilt. It's sheathed in my memory.... No, I got nothing! (Blue words!) (Stop it, Mar!)

Reading that someone likes world-building and atmospherics doesn't really convey why I thought this was awesome so I won't try and be a normal reviewer for once. McKinley knows what she's doing. She's a master(sword bater!). This is not a glorified fanfic. All of those th...more

like 18 likes · see review

Aug 09, 2007 Eliza rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: EVERYONE EVER.

Shelves: romance

I've read this book so many times over the year that this time I went out and bought a new copy because my cover is in tatters. But I reread it again and loved it again, unsurprisingly. McKinley still amazes me with how fully realized Damar is as a place, how familiar the Homeland and its desire to civilise feels, and how freaking scary the Northerners are. (Seriously, y'all. Motherfuckers are SCARY.)

This is the perfect escapism book, partially because that's what Harry, our delightful heroine,...more

like 31 likes · see review

Jul 16, 2011 MrsJoseph rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, 100-books-in-2011, format-paperback, series, fantasy-sword-and-sorcery, young-adult, favorites, heroine-woman-warrior, purple-chair-reads

There is no way I can give a review for this book. Quite simply, this book is amazing - and I'm a total fangirl of it. I've already read it once this year, but I just got a new copy of it. I see another re-read in the very near future.

What I can say is that I have owned and replaced this book many times. I can also say that this is a book that I love to share with others.

like 7 likes · see review

Jun 29, 2008 Elizabeth rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed, fantasy-sci-fi

This book changed by reading-life. Before I was sixteen, I did not find a lot of books that reminded me of me. I read lots of books: classics, current, intellectual, and silly, and I didn't see myself in any of them. The female characters were boring or flat, often prostitutes or supportive but otherwise lifeless wives. None of them ever did anything. Where were the books about women who took action? Where were the stories about young women who weren't worried about going to a dance? And then I...more This book changed by reading-life. Before I was sixteen, I did not find a lot of books that reminded me of me. I read lots of books: classics, current, intellectual, and silly, and I didn't see myself in any of them. The female characters were boring or flat, often prostitutes or supportive but otherwise lifeless wives. None of them ever did anything. Where were the books about women who took action? Where were the stories about young women who weren't worried about going to a dance? And then I was home sick and a friend brought me a bag of books. She pulled out The Blue Sword and said read this one first!

I really had never read any fantasy before. I thought I wouldn't like it but The Blue Sword was captivating. I read it through in a day, and then I read it again. Here was a young woman who didn't quite fit in her environment. She felt uncomfortable in society. She chafed under paternal supervision. And then she's swept up in an adventure. She discovers she's stronger than she thought and capable of taking on burdens she didn't want and finding friends and home and love in it all.

What do you want? I was sixteen. I loved it. And from there, I went on to read lots of fantasy and science fiction. For a long time, it was the only place I could find women characters that I could identify with. Over time, I discovered these same characteristics in other women characters: Jane Eyre, Elizabeth Bennet, Margaret Hale, et al., but Harry Crewe was first. Reading The Blue Sword is like hanging out with a good friend (albeit one with a strange obsession with horses and large cats). She isn't sure of herself, she gets through challenges as best she can, and throughout all of it, the writing is subtly funny and irreverent. I smile a lot when I read this book.

I've read this book a dozen times since that first time and I'm well aware that critics are right when they complain about McKinley's meandering style that is sometimes very hard to follow. I usually skip the first fifty pages (after you read it once, you don't need it again). But McKinley treats the reader like a friend. As Harry learns information, we learn it, too. And she adds details that make the world real (like teaching us the language of Harry's new home as she learns it). This can be annoying sometimes -- I just don't care about the names and types of tents the Hillfolk use -- but she means well and it's generally benign.

So I am grateful to my friend, for introducing me to Harry Crewe and Robin McKinley, and I'm grateful to McKinley for leading me into the wonderful lands of fantasy.(less)

like 26 likes · see review

Mar 01, 2008 Debbie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, fantasy-scifi

Effusion warning: the following is not a review - it's more like a wordy shrine to Robin McKinley.

This is one of my favorite books of all time. One of the many reasons is that I discovered it all by myself (well, not quite by myself; a librarian put it on the shelf where I could find it - thank you, librarian!).

I was browsing the shelves at the Lee Library, and I think it was the title that first caught my attention. If I remember correctly, I took it down and flipped through it. I wasn't comple...more

like 6 likes · see review

Oct 31, 2008 Melody rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I loved this book. With all my heart. It starts with a girl who doesn't quite fit, then builds from there. There are demons and heroes and enchanted swords and true love. Also legends and big loving cats and semi-supernatural archers. Did I mention evil? Oh, and kings and proto-British cavalry? And horses from the fever-dreams of Alec Ramsey! Palatial tents. The best kinds of friendship, the kinds which transcend rank and sex and age.

The plot is classic, the story arc undeniably satisfying, and...more

like 7 likes · see review

Mar 23, 2010 Tatiana rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fans of Kristin Cashore, Megan Whalen Turner

Recommended to Tatiana by: Heather

Shelves: 2010, fantasy, ya, favorites, newbery

This book proves once more that standards for YA fiction have gone significantly down over the last 10 years. You just rarely come by this kind of writing any more.

"The Blue Sword" is an age old story of a young woman who after years feeling not belonging, invisible, and insignificant, finds her strength after being kidnapped by a mysterious Hill-king who possesses magic powers. Gradually she discovers an ancient magic inside herself, comes to terms with her abilities, acquires friends and love...more

like 48 likes · see review

Apr 12, 2010 Hannah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Hannah by: Tatiana

Shelves: 2010-reads, ya, sci-fi

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked The Blue Sword.

Fantasy/Sci-Fi isn't my forte. I wouldn't normally read this genre, but for the fact that it came so highly recommended by a GoodReads friend, who had read one of my own recommendations not so long ago!

The Blue Sword is a rich, detailed book that you can lose yourself in. The descriptive writing reminded me alot of one of my favorite authors, Mary Stewart - not in content, but in the way both authors can bring the reader fully into a...more

like 3 likes · see review

Jun 23, 2008 Cassie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everyone.

Recommended to Cassie by: John Wiswell

An amazing ride. Beautifully descriptive with plenty of action and magic, The Blue Sword has earned a place on my "books I read over and over again" shelf.

The Blue Sword I found most fascinating and enjoyable for its setting. It takes place over three locations: Home, Damar, and The Hills. Theses places put me in mind of England, Gibraltar, and Morocco for the transitions from cool and simple green lands filled with leaves and gentle horses into unknown deserts filled with magic and mystery. Tru...more An amazing ride. Beautifully descriptive with plenty of action and magic, The Blue Sword has earned a place on my "books I read over and over again" shelf.

The Blue Sword I found most fascinating and enjoyable for its setting. It takes place over three locations: Home, Damar, and The Hills. Theses places put me in mind of England, Gibraltar, and Morocco for the transitions from cool and simple green lands filled with leaves and gentle horses into unknown deserts filled with magic and mystery. Truly, this book could be read just for the description of tents and horses. As a girl who was never into the Black Beauty series and never romanticized horses as a child, I nevertheless found the horses and riding to be some of the best descriptions in the book.

What romantic interest there is between the characters is unexpected, not at all formulaic and therefore sweet and wonderful when it takes you by surprise.

The hill magic, kelar is also a fantastic addition to the text and rather than feeling pasted on or "Hey look, magic!" it is a rare part of life that is treated as both a gift and a maddening annoyance.

The presence of a female warrior protagonist is refreshingly human. Harry is far from the standard chainmail bikini clad, sword wielding, confidence oozing chosen one. As a reader I empathized with her confusion, bruises, discomfort, and annoyance. Harry often has moments of stating that she would really rather skip the mystery and know what is going on. When she gains skills and defeats foes, there is a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. My favorite part is that I actually didn't know what was going to happen. Harry is not the sort of heroine where you don't even frown when she meets the main bad guy because of course he'll be defeated. However, the situation is not so doomed as to be completely hopeless, where a victory would be utterly improbable and the result of a deus ex machina. You have faith in Harry's fighting abilities, as well as concern at the hordes she encounters.

I loved this book. Love love love love loved it.(less)

like 3 likes · see review

Jun 17, 2007 anenko rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, fantasy-and-paranormal

Harry, having recently been orphaned, is sent to live with here older brother far away from Home. Her heart is quickly captured by the desert, and she finds herself longing for a land whose inhabitants view her and her people as outsiders--and worse, invaders.

Circumstances change drastically when the king of Damar, Corlath, arrives at the military base where Harry is living in order to warn the Homelanders of the threat the Northerners pose to both of their peoples. There is a previously unreco...more

like 2 likes · see review

Mar 25, 2013 MrsJoseph rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-read-reviewed, reread-2nd-copy

RE-READ!

Yaaaaay, baby!

----

I love this book so much. I really identified with Harry's desire to fit in, her feelings of being different and the loneliness she felt.

And...this is the book that cemented my undying love for horses! I want a Tsornin of my own!

like 3 likes · see review

Oct 24, 2012 Myongsun rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I went back to this book as an adult to see if it jibes with my teenage memory of how awesome it was. This book is really very good - the worldbuilding is top-notch and I really cared about most of the characters. What was surprising to me is how much less I cared about the romance - Corlath is a real person with real feelings about what he has done to Harry and that's fine. The focus is on Harry's growth and adaption to this new land. Now, I have a greater appreciation of Harry's relationship w...more

like 1 like · see review

Feb 10, 2013 Annie Oosterwyk rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

This is my first book by Robin McKinley and I know it won't be my last. It was a very satisfying adventure with a strong female character- and after the schlock they've been printing lately, very refreshing. Also- no second and third book to wait for. I like to think they just squeezed it into one book by making the font smaller.

It reminded me muchly of Tamora Pierce's Terrier series, with the inherited magical powers and animal familiars. The scenes of the desert were very welcome today as a bl...more

like 1 like · see review

Feb 22, 2011 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-have-re-read-time-and-time, favorites

She scowled at her glass of orange juice. To think that she had been delighted when she first arrived here – was it only three months ago? – with the prospect of fresh orange juice every day…

How do I explain the feeling I get when I read those words, the beginning sentences of this book? It is like a shiver goes down my back. Like I just bit into one of those oranges...and it is sweeter and juicier then I expected. Suddenly I feel like I am everywhere and nowhere. A part of me is already with Ha...more

like 2 likes · see review

Sep 22, 2008 Jean Tatro rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: everyone

Shelves: fantasy

It took me awhile to get into this book. Perhaps because for most of the year I've been reading first person urban fantasys and third person stories that keep a really close perspective. Before I realized that was the problem I was worried that the whole book would be like that. Thankfully it's not. Once the plot showed up for the party I had trouble putting the book down.

The world is rich and realistic. Even with the magic it feels like it could easily be a part of our world. The time frame it...more

like 1 like · see review

Jan 07, 2011 Brittany rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: yafantasy

I read this book for the first time in junior high. I know that because I can remember finding it on the dark wooden shelves as a battered hardback, gleaming slightly in overcast light from the skylights above. I absolutely adored this book. It's one of the first fantasy books I ever read, and one that got me started on the genre. Frankly, it's all Harry Crewe's fault. She (and a handful of other heroines including Cimorene, Eilonwy, and Sophie Hatter,) was independent, funny, a bit different th...more

like 1 like · see review

Jan 19, 2009 Alisa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

like 1 like · see review

May 19, 2011 Charlotte rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book has a marvelous sense of place. As much as I enjoyed the characters, the beauty of the dessert and clash between cultures were really what stood out. The plot has a very archetypal structure, making satisfying if not particularly surprising. Harry is multifaceted and appears not only strong and controlled but worried and lost, as the situation demands it. I thought she grew in very realistic way and her self-discovery went side-by-side with our discovery of her. I wish I'd first read i...more

like 3 likes · see review

Aug 10, 2007 Flo rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: pretty much everyone

Just like so many other readers, this book is one that I have gone back to over and over again. It is just a beautifully crafted story that as a young girl made a huge impact on me. We follow our heroine Harry to Home, a place where she isn't home at all. The story that unfolds is magical and inspiring as she discovers herself and her destiny. For a long time I would keep a look out, hoping that Robin McKinley would write another book about this beautiful world. Guess I'll just have to read it,...more

like 1 like · see review

Nov 28, 2011 Ms. Library rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: pretty-good, ya-fantasy

I love Mckinley for so many reasons: She manages to make her worlds feel so magical, and she has such a definitive writing style. She allows her heroines to be flawed but yet brave and wonderful, and she writes all different kinds of female characters. I absolutely love her work, because I find myself relating to so many of her characters and their insecurities.

This isn’t my favorite, and I liked Hero and the Crown better: I still loved this book, but it wasn’t as good as the prequel in my opin...more

like 1 like · see review

Mar 20, 2009 Karen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

One of my favorite books from childhood, this qualifies as young adult fantasy, but is still a very good read for grown-ups.

It features a compelling heroine, who is neither whiny, nor stereotypically "spunky," but who has a sort of dignity rare in YA fiction. The setting quickly leaves an empire reminiscent of Victorian England for a mysterious and exotic desert land that calls to the heroine, where she discovers a mysterious destiny (you knew that was coming, didn't you?).

The story is beautif...more

like · see review

Mar 18, 2009 Katharine rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, childrens-lit

I like Robin McKinley and always meant to read her Damar series. I found this on my brother-in-law's bookshelf just when I was feeling sick with a cold and in need of something escapist. It fit the bill perfectly.

As a classic fantasy, The Blue Sword has all the traditional elements: destiny, legendary swords, great battles, and evil Dark Lords. In the hands of a lesser writer it might end up cliche and predictable. But Robin McKinley has enough ability with description and character and detail...more

like 1 like · see review

Mar 11, 2009 Delaina rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This story was written in the early wave of modern feminist fantasy, as the author was one of those fantasy-loving girls who saw no stories with strong female protagonists (or, if you're talking Tolkien, any strong females, period) while growing up. Ms. McKinley remedied that by writing what she wanted to read as a girl.
To the story: it concerns a girl called Harry, who finds herself thrust into the care of her older brother, Richard, a military attache stationed abroad, when their father dies....more

like · see review

Mar 20, 2013 Kathrese rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This title was a Newberry Honor book in 1983. There are many editions of this book as of this writing, and this title certainly deserves its longevity. Robin McKinley’s world-building is perfectly balanced, with just enough detail to fire the reader’s imagination but not so much that it gets in the way of the story. Her characters are well-drawn, believable, and diverse. The reader will become attached to several of the supporting cast and wish to know them even better. RECOMMENDED

I think The Bl...more

like · see review

Feb 25, 2013 C.E. Murphy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I had a hard time reading this for purely physical reason: my copy of THE BLUE SWORD is very probably 30 years old, and the fragile yellowed pages are losing their tenuous grip on the broken spine. I was afraid it would fall apart in my hands, and thus was weirdly careful with not only the book but the reading of it. I believe I'll seek out Robin McKinley at the nearest possible opportunity, ask her to sign my beloved and battered book, and retire it with honors alongside my equally ancient and...more I had a hard time reading this for purely physical reason: my copy of THE BLUE SWORD is very probably 30 years old, and the fragile yellowed pages are losing their tenuous grip on the broken spine. I was afraid it would fall apart in my hands, and thus was weirdly careful with not only the book but the reading of it. I believe I'll seek out Robin McKinley at the nearest possible opportunity, ask her to sign my beloved and battered book, and retire it with honors alongside my equally ancient and beaten-up signed copy of DRAGONSONG.

The truth is, had discussion about HERO in my last Recent Reads post not pointed it out to me, it probably never would have occurred to me how passive a character Harry is. She is (in essence) The Chosen One, just as Garion is, and throughout the book, the story impels her forward rather than her own choices driving the story forward. The major break from that is of course her departure from Corlath's army, but with how it's written, even that is arguably her kelar forcing her rather than her own will.

It doesn't matter. Not to me, anyway. THE BLUE SWORD is very close to my heart, because it's one of the very first books--possibly the first book--I read with an awareness of genre, with an awareness that I was reading A Fantasy Novel. I first read it when I was ten, the year after it came out, as one of the books for Battle of the Books, and it utterly swept me away. I was in love with Harry, I was in love with Corlath, I was, dear God, in love with Tsornin.

And I still am. I was right, in re-reading HERO: Aerin is the stronger heroine, and HERO probably the stronger book. And indeed, upon re-read I discover that Harry's big magic scene at the end of THE BLUE SWORD is acid-trippy as well, though not as mind-numbingly weird as Aerin's. As an adult, it's easier to admire Aerin's stubbornness and the trials and tribulations she goes through to achieve her happy ending, and to appreciate that Harry essentially gets it all handed to her on a platter.

But when you're ten and you're caught up as Harry was, stranger in a strange land, but a land that speaks to you, and you are taken away to be important in that world...well. Yes. It's ultimate wish-fulfillment, and McKinley has said as much about that book, but it's okay. And I think that will never go away, so I think THE BLUE SWORD retains its place of preference in my heart. After all, a little wish fulfillment never hurt anybody. :)

But *God* I wish there were more Damar books. I know she doesn't write sequels, I've known all her reason for twenty years, I respect them, I'm not pleading with her to write more, but *oh* how I wish there were more. (less)

like 5 likes · see review

Feb 02, 2013 Alice rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I cannot decide wether The Blue Sword was for me or not.

Perhaps I have outgrown fantasies in which the heroine becomes powerful quickly, where the enemy is vanquished easily, when the end comes swiftly and without mercy. Perhaps those novels were for little Me, and now I can no longer enjoy shallow childish stories.

Even so, I truly wanted to be enraptured by The Blue Sword , it reminded me so much of the Pierce series, Alanna, Beka Cooper; and i wanted to relish the fact that I could read so...more

like 1 like · see review

Oct 03, 2012 Alexis rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone who wants an escape

Shelves: books-that-will-never-get-old

I will admit. I first read this book when I was about ten. It blew my mind then, and I didn't even catch half the references. All I knew was that Harry was one kick-ass girl, and was the type of person I'd love to grow up to be. She freaked out when there was something to freak out over, but she never crossed that line into "whiny princess" land. Her reactions were relatable. And I loved her journey from girl to woman.

Angharahad "Harry" Crewe is a young woman who was recently orphaned. She is t...more I will admit. I first read this book when I was about ten. It blew my mind then, and I didn't even catch half the references. All I knew was that Harry was one kick-ass girl, and was the type of person I'd love to grow up to be. She freaked out when there was something to freak out over, but she never crossed that line into "whiny princess" land. Her reactions were relatable. And I loved her journey from girl to woman.

Angharahad "Harry" Crewe is a young woman who was recently orphaned. She is travelling to live with her brother who is positioned at one of the most far out, uncivilized outposts as a soldier. Harry was never a very normal girl. She loved to ride and to run more than she did to sit and sew. But she soon settles in to an awkward sort of existance at the outpost with her brother's commanding officer and his wife. The only people she really gets along with are the old soldiers. Those who choose to stay in this desert wasteland and like it for its desolate beauty. Soon enough Harry gets kidnapped by the desert king, Corlath, and is brought to their encampment. She is trained as a warrior after she sees a war in a vision and speaks fluent Darian, despite her lack of knowledge of that language.

I won't say any more for fear of ruining the story, but rest assured, it is FAR from cliche.

Now I'm almost in my twenties, and Harimad-sol is still one kick-ass heroine. I must have read this book fourty times if I've read it one. It never gets old. NEVER. And I've gone through almost three paperback copies already, because they rarely left my backpack through highschool and college. Harry was always there when I felt myself freaking out. After all, no matter what I was going through, at least I hadn't been kidnapped by some half-mad desert king. And the feeling that Harry grows to understand, that of belonging with those who don't belong, is always one I can relate to.
If I can read "The Blue Sword", I'll calm down immediately. I can honestly say that "The Blue Sword" is one of the few books that I can reread indefinitely and not get tired of.(less)

like 1 like · see review

Sep 15, 2012 Susan added it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-books-read, fantasy, children-young-adult

I love this book. I haven't read it for many years, but it called to me for a reread. Harry has come to Damar after her father's death to be with her brother. There is something about the land that draws her like nothing else ever has. When Corlath, king of the Hillfolk, comes to Istan to warn of a threat to all of them there is something about him that speaks to her also. After his warnings are ignored, Corlath leaves, but returns in the dark of night to steal Harry away, as his powers demand....more I love this book. I haven't read it for many years, but it called to me for a reread. Harry has come to Damar after her father's death to be with her brother. There is something about the land that draws her like nothing else ever has. When Corlath, king of the Hillfolk, comes to Istan to warn of a threat to all of them there is something about him that speaks to her also. After his warnings are ignored, Corlath leaves, but returns in the dark of night to steal Harry away, as his powers demand. This begins a journey for Harry that opens up a whole new world and way of life to her.

I absolutely love both Harry and Corlath. Harry is miserably unhappy in the Homelander settlement. She is used to being able to do things and her life is now very restricted. She also doesn't feel like she really fits in anywhere. She finds a couple people there that seem to feel the same way about Damar that she does, that see the beauty of that land. When Corlath kidnaps her, she doesn't understand why. She also feels like she doesn't fit in there, as she is mostly ignored at first. When the magic of the Hillfolk finds her, Corlath starts to soften toward her and begins to understand why he was called to take her. His elite guard, the Riders, begin to accept her when they see that she possesses the same magic the king does. Then Corlath has one of the Riders begin to train her as a female warrior. Her journey through the fear of her kidnapping, the culture shock of her training, then her melding of her two worlds is an incredible story of growth. It is not easy for her. We see the difficulty of her training, the culmination of that training, and then the decisions she has to make along the way. Corlath is a man with an impossible job. He has a very small kingdom that is being threatened by a less than human foe. His attempts at getting some help fail, but his powers require him to steal away the Outlander girl without telling him why. Their initial days together are rough because he doesn't want her there and she can tell. But when her visions make it obvious that she will play an important role, Corlath takes steps to make sure she is ready. I loved the way that Harry eventually takes to the training, though it is difficult at first. We also see her discomfort with the way everyone seems to be counting on her, though she is determined to do her best. She also has no trouble standing up to Corlath and trying to make him see what she tries to tell him. She wrestles with her decision on what she has to do, but ultimately does what she feels is right. The characters in this book are so well done that they feel absolutely real to me. I can feel their torment and their happiness and I can't help rooting for them, even when I know what will happen. My favorite part in the entire book is Harry's reappearance at the Outlander fort. I also love her training sessions and her return to Corlath at the end. I highly recommend this book and its prequel The Hero and the Crown to everyone, but especially those looking for strong female role models for girls.(less)

like 1 like · see review

Aug 28, 2012 Richard Claypool rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

To set the stage for my review, let me digress, and tell a bit about myself. I was born blind, and got books from the library for the blind. Ours was, to say the least, a dump. I'd order books, maybe get what I wanted, never got any help. I read LOTR when I was eight. Then, at around 10, this book came along. I loved it, and wanted to read more books of this nautre. It wasn't until I was 17 that I learned that style was fantasy. So, as one might judge, this book has a soft spot in my heart. So,...more To set the stage for my review, let me digress, and tell a bit about myself. I was born blind, and got books from the library for the blind. Ours was, to say the least, a dump. I'd order books, maybe get what I wanted, never got any help. I read LOTR when I was eight. Then, at around 10, this book came along. I loved it, and wanted to read more books of this nautre. It wasn't until I was 17 that I learned that style was fantasy. So, as one might judge, this book has a soft spot in my heart. So, I'll try to limit my feelings to this kurrent reading of the book, but know that it has a warm place in my heart.

Mckinly has always had this ability to create awesome female protagonists who are kind of the shutout, the nonmale version of the large breasted barbarian princess. Going through hard times, they emerge, victorious at the end.

The Blue sword follows this patern. Harry moves from the homelander main core to the provances, the backwater. Strangly, she's drawn to the wild desert, and it's mysteries. Kidnapped, we feel for her, and watch her grow as a person, and strong woman.

Now we hit a nasty problem in our story. Thanks to magic, and blood, she wins the day, saves the world, and wins the king. It's a plot device that's been used millions of times. I'll give Mckinley a bit of slack. She wrote this in 1982, before the glut of fantasy came on the jmarket. Still, ending was just a bit too contrived. There's excitment, heroism, the faceles evil northern hords, but, magic was used, and the day was won. This was the big grype that many sf authors had about fantasy. Wave a wand, and everything is solved.

I read a review that made the northens scarey and bad. I just found them to be another faceless characterless army.

All that said, it's a good introduction to fantasy, moves along well, and is a satisfying read, even after all this time. It prooves that one need not write a doorstop novel to have it be a piece of effective storytelling.

At the end, the book isn't so much about the war, or how she gains her power, but how this tall wild girl grows into a place, a time, and a crown. We all love a fairytale ending from time to time.

I really should clean up my thoughts on this books, but I won't. It's almost like a back and forth argument with myself over the book's proes and cons.

(less)

like 2 likes · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Wild Things: YA G...: August 2012 The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley	7	60	Dec 30, 2012 09:53pm

combine
Other Editions (31)

More editions...

Genres

Fantasy

2,102 users

Young Adult

594 users

Romance

143 users

Adventure

113 users

Science Fiction Fantasy

88 users

Fantasy > Magic

82 users

Young Adult > Young Adult Fantasy

53 users

Fantasy > High Fantasy

49 users

Young Adult > Teen

40 users

Childrens

31 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Robin McKinley

Born in her mother's hometown of Warren, Ohio, Robin McKinley grew up an only child with a father in the United States Navy. She moved around frequently as a child and read copiously; she credits this background with the inspiration for her stories.

Her passion for reading was one of the most constant things in her childhood, so she began to remember events, places, and time periods by what books...more

More about Robin McKinley...

Books by Robin McKinley

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About The Blue Sword

3 trivia questions
1 quiz

More quizzes & trivia...

Quotes from The Blue Sword

“[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.” — 135 people liked it

“...My friend, there are some things that I cannot tell you. Some I will tell you in time; some, others will tell you; some you may never know, or you may be the first to find the answers.” — 121 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: The Blue Sword
avg rating	preview: The Blue Sword Goodreads rating: 4.24 (27511 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10809011-the-blue-sword?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1300403263l/10809011.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10809011-the-blue-sword?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley[/url]

The Blue Sword (Damar #1)

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website