My rating:

add to my books

The Hero and the Crown (Damar #2)

by Robin McKinley

4.19 · rating details · 13,105 ratings · 898 reviews

The dazzling prequel to The Blue Sword follows the adventures of the Damarian king's daughter, Aerin, as she fights to claim both birthright and love. "Splendid high fantasy . . . superb, filled with tender moments, good characters, satisfying action, and sparkling dialogue".--School Library Journal. Newbery Medal Book, 1985; ALA Notable Book, 1984; ALA Best Book...more

Mass Market Paperback, 227 pages

Published April 15th 1987 by ACE Charter (first published October 15th 1984)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

There is a good chance some of your friends read this book. Sign in to see!

Friend Reviews

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

Lists with This Book

Best Kick-Ass Fantasy Female Characters From YA and Childrens

26th out of 943 books — 2,887 voters

Best "Strong Female" Fantasy Novels

18th out of 1,228 books — 2,745 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 16,674)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Jun 19, 2007

Sean rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: anyone

Shelves: fantasy, feminist

When I was a kid, I frequented two areas of the library: the children's section and the adult fiction section. The young adult shelves and the nonfiction shelves might as well have been made of glass for all I noticed them.

One year when I was in my early teens, the family was getting ready to go on the dreaded yearly camping trip. "Dreaded" because it meant a week in the outdoors, with no books. Well, almost no books: Mom's rule was that we each could take two—only two??—so...more

like 15 likes

· see review

Jul 18, 2010

Tatiana rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: fans of fantasy with strong heroines

Recommended to Tatiana by: Heather

Shelves: newbery, rc-just-a-game, 2010, fantasy, ya

The Hero and the Crown is a sort of distant prequel to Robin McKinley's Newberry Honor winner The Blue Sword. For some unknown to me reason, this prequel received more critical recognition, specifically, the book was a 1985 Newberry Medal winner. IMO, this novel is weaker.

Aerin is the only daughter of the king of Damar. The problem is, she is also an offspring of a woman who was accused of being a witch and an enemy of the country. Even more, unlike all members of the royal family, A...moreThe Hero and the Crown is a sort of distant prequel to Robin McKinley's Newberry Honor winner The Blue Sword. For some unknown to me reason, this prequel received more critical recognition, specifically, the book was a 1985 Newberry Medal winner. IMO, this novel is weaker.

Aerin is the only daughter of the king of Damar. The problem is, she is also an offspring of a woman who was accused of being a witch and an enemy of the country. Even more, unlike all members of the royal family, Aerin possesses no special magic powers. This, once again, brands her as an insignificant person unworthy of the status of the heir to the throne in the eyes of the Damarians. Left to her own devices to prove her worth, Aerin dedicates her time to training herself to become a dragon slayer. This occupation takes her on a path of discovering and awakening her dormant powers...

First of all, I admire McKinley's writing style. There is no doubt she has a great command of English language. Her writing is sophisticated to such a degree that I can hardly imagine young children (and The Hero and the Crown is in fact classified as a children's book) being able to properly comprehend it.

The world of Damar is described in rich detail. I couldn't help myself thinking that McKinley has much more story left to tell about this country.

I am also quite fond of the way the author portrays animals in her books. She definitely has a lot of love for horses and knows them well.

What I do not appreciate about this book, and maybe it's just a personal pet peeve of mine, is the romantic story line. I-love-two-men-at-the-same-time theme just doesn't jive well with me. I guess I am old-fashioned that way, but I do not approve of a heroine who is in love with an immortal guy and has sex (!) with him, then days later marries the second (who she also loves!) with a plan to go back to the first once the second mortal one is dead. I have absolutely no idea why Luthe was even placed as a love interest in this book.

Another thing, I agree with those reviewers who have said that the story loses some ground in Part 2. This is where a lot of magical stuff happens that is not always fully explained. The magic and the heroine's "destiny" take away from her personal development.

Nevertheless, The Hero and the Crown is a worthy contribution to YA fantasy literature and is one of a few books that portray strong heroines whose lives are not directed and defined by their hot brooding boyfriends but motivated by love for their country and loyalty to their people. What a relief!(less)

like 10 likes

· see review

Oct 22, 2011

Elizabeth rated it

Shelves: dragons-on-display, childhood-favorites, fantasy-sci-fi, 2011, gods-myths-heroes, reviewed

Robin McKinley makes me happy. She brings me joy, laughter, feeling of satisfaction and a smile that comes from finishing a good book. She does it over and over again, and not just with this book. Most of my young adulthood, from the first time I read Beauty at twelve, and The Blue Sword at sixteen, has been supported by her wonderful stories. Yes, wonderful stories, when was the last time you heard anything described that way? She has had the ability to create worlds, vivid, complex, and beauti...moreRobin McKinley makes me happy. She brings me joy, laughter, feeling of satisfaction and a smile that comes from finishing a good book. She does it over and over again, and not just with this book. Most of my young adulthood, from the first time I read Beauty at twelve, and The Blue Sword at sixteen, has been supported by her wonderful stories. Yes, wonderful stories, when was the last time you heard anything described that way? She has had the ability to create worlds, vivid, complex, and beautiful ones, with characters I can cry for (and with), in a couple hundred pages. What has been lost (methinks) in this age of the fourteen book and tens of thousands of pages series is that ability to tell a good story in a compact and clever way, with wit and love, and without a thousand pages of trudging through the wilderness. There is trudging in this book and in a few short pages McKinley manages to convey the struggle of it, the uncertainty, the fear, without making me feel like I have trudged. I don't need to trudge; it's not my quest. I am a voyeur here, comfortably at home, and I want to empathize with the characters, not wish them to drown in a swamp or maybe get eaten by that damn spider or even give Gollum the god-damn ring so the book might end sooner and I'd be released.

I don't feel that with McKinley, not here anyway (we shall not speak of that dragon book, okay? Thanks). This is McKinley at her best. I love some of her books more but this one is so good, structurally, and with a character in Aerin that may be her best heroine. After reading it so many times now, I feel like I'm Aerin's big sister, watching her, unable to help or be there to comfort, but, somehow, just by reading the book, sharing her story, I am there for her, a silent friend offering love and support, whether she is aware of it or not. How many fictional characters do you talk about this way? Margaret Atwood has written that the challenge in writing a novel is to create the intimacy with the unknown multitude of readers that one would have if one were writing a journal and the writer knew the only reader were herself. McKinley does that here. I feel for Aerin. I get, with perfect understanding, how she feels about Tor, when she isn't sure herself, and it isn't the author winking at me, or having Aerin behave stupidly (the usual failing of teen fiction). Aerin isn't able to admit her feelings, isn't sure of herself, so how can she be sure of a feeling for someone else? It's a gentle viewing of her feelings that makes me love her, and McKinley. I feel like Aerin has shared them with me. I am on her level, by her side, and there is no intrusion from the author making me feel superior or making me annoyed at the author for appearing superior (another common failing, not limited to teen fiction).

Some people are going to find this book simple. They'll find the story isn't long enough. There isn't enough detail (so jaded are we all by the ten thousands of pages). I don't miss those things. I don't need them here. I long for a sequel, for another book what is clearly a connected series that never came into being, but I will never be unsatisfied with what has been written here. I have not been left hanging. Nothing is unresolved. It is a complete and charming book. I love her for it.(less)

like 34 likes

· see review

Mar 21, 2008

Melanie added it

Shelves: fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This one isn't rated for a reason...

I don't really know what to rate it overall, and wish I could rate it in parts. I suppose I could average it out and give it three stars, but that doesn't seem to fit.

So I'll rate it in my review, which is very long and rambling.

The First Half: *****

I really liked it. The characters were likeable (or unlikeable if that's what they were meant to be) and everything flowed nicely. I really liked the main charact...more

like 15 likes

· see review

Feb 03, 2011

Cait rated it

Shelves: novel, rated-five-stars, all-of-my-reviewed-books, currently-shelved-bedroom, series-damar

I loved this book as a kid and I love it still as an adult. It's one of those books that's so much a part of my life that it's hard for me to believe that not everyone has read it. Maur still creeps me out, Talat still makes me teary, and Aerin's surka rash as she climbs the tower remains the best thing ever.

like 9 likes

· see review

Oct 27, 2008

Melody rated it

I never doubted for a moment where this book was going, but McKinley's hand at the wheel was so sure I didn't mind going along for the ride. Her characters were multi-faceted and enjoyable to read about. I especially liked the realistic portrait of love and the choices that sometimes come with it towards the end. The derring-do was great fun, and the plotting brisk. It felt like a fairy tale, an old tale many times told, with a certain underlying gravitas. Well-written doesn't exactly cover it. ...more

like 5 likes

· see review

Nov 19, 2010

Kat rated it

Shelves: favorites, sword-and-sorcery, fantasy

I bought a paperback of this book when I was in elementary school through one of those school book order programs (I was ADDICTED to them), and it was the first Robin McKinley book I ever read. It is now so battered and worn that I have actually been thinking about buying a new hardcover of it. I seriously think I've read it at least 50 times. The world is developed very well, and I positively loved the main character. I can't say I identify with her, as I'm a very different person, but ther...more

like 4 likes

· see review

Mar 13, 2007

keidra rated it

· review of another edition

Before she went crazy, Robin McKinley wrote some of the most awesome young adult fantasy out there. Her heroines were smart and plucky, with a bit of tasty pathos to keep things interesting. Aerin, the main character of HATC, is a dragon-slayer in training, while remaining decidedly introverted and bookish and not quite the most coordinated chick in town. She also has a love triangle (with SEX!)involving her second cousin and an immortal wizard dude. Needless to say, she was quite the hero for ...more

like 1 like

· see review

Nov 02, 2010

Jon rated it

· review of another edition

Recommended to Jon by: Science Fiction/Fantasy Book Club

Shelves: fantasy, fiction, award-winners, read-in-my-40s, young-adult

Aerin may be the king's daughter, but you wouldn't know it from the looks, the stares, the snickers, the pranks, or the court gossip. Her father loved and married Aerin's mother after his first wife died childless. But being from the North, of unknown heritage and lineage, suspicions of witchcraft at worst and being a commoner at best, followed Aerin like a fog of misery. Her royal Gift failed to manifest as she entered and traversed adolescence, which further fueled the rumors of her inadequ...more

like 7 likes

· see review

Mar 01, 2008

Debbie rated it

Shelves: favorites, fantasy-scifi

Anytime I read The Blue Sword, I have to read The Hero and the Crown right after. I suppose I am unwilling to leave Robin McKinley's world too soon, so I extend my stay as long as I can.

The legendary Aerin from The Blue Sword is a solitary young woman in The Hero and the Crown. She grows up in her father's castle surrounded by those who hold her and her ancestry in suspicion and must find her place among them.

McKinley has a gift for creating heroines who do great, heroic ...more

like 3 likes

· see review

Nov 10, 2007

K rated it

Recommends it for: anyone who likes fantasy, adventure

Shelves: teens, fantasyscifi

This book was absolutely wonderful, and is now one of my favorites. It is as good as any fantasy book I have ever read. Superb heroine, plot that weaves together sinister, beautiful, and mysterious elements, lovely storybook writing style that achieves poetic quality in places. Just magical and haunting and so well developed.

And somewhat of a surprise! I had not liked Sunshine very much and thought The Blue Sword was only "okay," but now I want to re-read Blue Sword j...more

like 3 likes

· see review

Mar 29, 2009

Chris rated it

Shelves: fantasy, feminst, favorites

I got a copy of this in 6th or 7th grade. I've read it so many times that it is being held together by a rubber band. I enjoyed it because it was the first real fantasy book I read where the hero is a young woman. She's not just the sidekick, but the hero. She's also flawed and not supergirl or ravishing beautiful. It's a wonderful book because of that. In many ways, it is the perfect book for any quiet girl simply because a loner, an outcast proves herself needed. Perhaps the success of ...more

like 5 likes

· see review

Mar 26, 2009

Stacey rated it

Recommends it for: fantasy fans

Recommended to Stacey by: no one

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I this one in a couple of days.I like this one as well. Aerin grows up trying to stay in the background because she is not accepted by her father's people because of her mother's unknown background. Her only friend is Tor her cousin. She doesn't seem to possess the "Gift" that all royalty are suppossed to possess which makes her feel even more unaccepted. Her cousin and her husband do everything to put her down and try to discourage her in everything.
Spurned on by her cousin ...more I this one in a couple of days.I like this one as well. Aerin grows up trying to stay in the background because she is not accepted by her father's people because of her mother's unknown background. Her only friend is Tor her cousin. She doesn't seem to possess the "Gift" that all royalty are suppossed to possess which makes her feel even more unaccepted. Her cousin and her husband do everything to put her down and try to discourage her in everything.
Spurned on by her cousin she ingests the plant that all royalty are suppossed to be able to handle and eat without harm. This sickens her for months and months. While she recouperates she befriends her father's old warhorse who has been lame since his last battle. She is the only one who he lets near him. She eventually is able to ride him. Also at this time she reads up about dragons and finds a recipe for a substance that makes one fireproof. She develops it after 2 years during which she has her cousin Tor teach her swordplay. Once she has perfected her formula and worked on her riding and swordplay she hears reports of dragons invading a village. Before her father can send someone to confront them she goes and kills them.
She shows them to her father who binds her to his service. She goes on raids killing dragons until the reports of invaders come to the castle. When her father and cousin go with the soliders to counterattack a messenger arrives with news that the last of the great dragons has come back to attack and destroy the villages.
Aerin hears that her father and the army cannot go after the dragon right away since that have to confront the invaders from the north.She tells the messenger to wait and has him take her to the dragon.She confronts him sustaining msssive injuries but eventually killing the dragon. Weeks pass while she stay at the scene of the attack trying to recover. She discovers a red stone near the body of the dragon and takes it with her. When she is strong enough she slowly tries to make her way home finding her father and cousin on the road looking for her.
They take the head of the dragon home with them to show Aerin's achievement.She is weeks and weeks trying to recover where she sees a strange man in her dreams calling her to find him. One night she feels the urge and flees with her horse far into the mountains where she finds the man from her dreams.
He is able to save her life but only by making her immortal. He then tells her that her mother was immortal and she must go to kill her uncle who is immortal too and behind her county's enemies and releasing the dragon she killed.
Once she recovers she journies to her uncle picking up and army of large dogs and large cats along the way. They help her to find her way into her uncle's stronghold where she spends centuries climbing stairs to confront him. She does by using the blue sword given to her by the strange man who healed her. He finds her and brings her back through time to her own time and she falls in love with him. She knows though that she belongs to her father's people and her cousin who she is also in love with.
She comes to her people's rescue from their enemies bringing her army of cats and dogs with her and she helps to save them all. She marries her cousin and rules by his side knowing she will outlive him to return to the other man she loves but loving her cousin all the same. (less)

· see review

Mar 11, 2009

Delaina rated it

Fans of McKinley's award-winning novel "The Blue Sword" learn in this story how the fabled magic sword found it's way into the royal family of Damar.
Aerin--clumsy, shy, and bullied (but not beaten)--is an unusual princess. She has none of the magic (called kelar) that supposedly courses in great waves through the large and extended royal family -- and she's the legitimate daughter of the reigning king! After her cousin taunts her into a magical dare that debilitates her for the be...more

like 3 likes

· see review

Jan 04, 2009

Diana rated it

Recommends it for: any woman who needs a dose of empowering inspiration

Recommended to Diana by: Heather Sehmel McGovern

Shelves: favorites-to-read-again

This book was first leant to me by a graduate school friend who had read it when she was a teen, and she just knew I'd like it. When we graduated and went off to our separate lives, she gave me the same copy of the book she had leant me as a gift. It is one of my prize possessions - one of those books I'll never part with and probably only very rarely lend out to others. It has pride of place on my shelves. This the first McKinley book I ever read, and, even though I was already past 40 when...moreThis book was first leant to me by a graduate school friend who had read it when she was a teen, and she just knew I'd like it. When we graduated and went off to our separate lives, she gave me the same copy of the book she had leant me as a gift. It is one of my prize possessions - one of those books I'll never part with and probably only very rarely lend out to others. It has pride of place on my shelves. This the first McKinley book I ever read, and, even though I was already past 40 when I read it, I was thrilled and taken into McKinley's Damarian world the way I know I would have been if I had been 12 or 14. I wish that there had been books like this when I was that age (although I had my own favorites, there weren't that many with truly empowering female roles for young adults then, or, at least, not that many that I found). I have since become a major fan of Robin McKinley - I love her writing and the very clear purpose she has in providing empowering roles for young women. My all-time favorite is Deerskin, because the hero, Lissar, does NOT adopt or don male accoutrements to succeed, instead "winning" her quest through what can be called more "traditional" feminine traits - showing the empowerment that can also be achieved without having to "play like the boys." The Hero and the Crown, however, even though Aerin DOES learn to wield a sword, does not give us a female hero who loses her feminine aspects entirely - she relies on her inner strengths, learns to conquer her vulnerability, struggles with learning to fit in and being the "odd one out," and uses her BRAIN and intelligence rather than simply "brute" external strength in order to succeed. I love that McKinley has given young girls a model that can adopt and exhibit what can be called gender-flexible traits - women as well as men can be physically heroic and vulnerable and nurturing and prone to doubt. In The Hero and the Crown, Aerin is the full package, which is what I love about her. I gave this book along with The Blue Sword to my niece on her 12th birthday, and she loved them.(less)

like 3 likes

· see review

Jan 16, 2012

Shiloh rated it

Shelves: dissertation, fantasy, mythology

Aerin is the daughter of Damar's king and a woman from the north, whom everyone refers to as the "witch-woman." Shunned and feared among the people, Aerin finds companionship with a lame warhorse, Talat, and teaches herself to slay dragons. Her dragon-slaying leads her to the truth about her heritage and victory over the new scourge that plagues Damar.

This was the first Robin McKinley book I ever read as a teenager, and it continues to be one of my favorites of all time. Aeri...more

· see review

Dec 11, 2011

Cat rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: library264

Title: The Hero and The Crown
Author: Robin Mckinley
Year: 2007
ISBN: 978-0441013050
Type: Book
Genre: Fantasy Fiction
Length/Pages: 304 pp
Publisher/studio: Ace Trade
Ages: 10 and up

Annotation/Teaser: Aerin's kingdom may rejected her, but duty will not allow her to reject them in return. She must save her kingdom from evilness.

Plot Summary: Aerin was a king's daughter. She meets with a great deal of disapproval, from the king an...more

· see review

Oct 25, 2011

Kaya rated it

Everyone knew the story:

It was the story of the witchwoman who enspelled the king into marrying her, to get an heir that would rule Damar, but she turned her face to the wall and died with despair when she found that she had born a daughter instead of a son. Aerin was that daughter. Now, Aerin’s father’s kingdom is on the verge of rebellion and the fabled dragon Maur has awakened. Aerin’s life was never great, but now it’s a catastrophe. Can she prove to her father, her country an...more

· see review

Aug 01, 2011

Mlle. X rated it

Shelves: fantasy, favorites, ya-or-teen-protagonist, gorgeous-writing

Books of this kind don't get much better than The Hero and the Crown. It's got all the usual trappings of a fairy tale/fantasy: kings, nobles, wizards, mages, dragons, demon mischief from the north, magic lakes, etc. It's about a painfully isolated young girl and an impossible quest. Or two.

But the characterization is excellent and the writing is gorgeous. Actually, the structure of the book is pretty remarkable as well - Part One is mostly a flashback but the way it's done is just su...more

like 1 like

· see review

May 01, 2011

Jessica rated it

Shelves: re-reads, young-adult

I remembered really liking this fantasy novel in junior high, and I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting another of McKinley's books, The Outlaws of Sherwood, earlier this year. However, in spite of its Newberry Medal, I didn't find that The Hero and the Crown held up particularly well, at least in part due to its stilted "ye olde" courtly language. The story itself is good but is slow to get started, making me really wonder during those first few chapters what I had seen in it the first time...more

· see review

Mar 23, 2011

Mariel rated it

Recommends it for: Sean Connery is a bigger sell out than Jeremy Irons recommended

Recommended to Mariel by: Jeremy Irons is a big dragonian sell-out

Shelves: asleepanddreaming, thelostgirls, theyhavelargertalons

(I'm an idiot. The L name is Luthe and Tom is really Tor. I failed my challenge.)

Eh and I were talking about how much it sucks to try to capture the awesomeness of the Newberry winner The Hero and the Crown in the comments section of her review (I love her review and it is a travesty it only has three likes. I like it a million times!). One thing led to another and I ended up challenging myself to a review using predetermined things to include. It may not be poetic but it will at le...more

like 4 likes

· see review

Jan 28, 2011

Isabel Kunkle rated it

Recommends it for: Everyone, ever.

I read this first when I was ten or eleven--I think it was the first book where I was conscious of Reading Fantasy instead of reading a book that happened to involve dragons and stuff--and have reread it every couple years since. Not on a schedule or anything, but it's a fantastic go-to book when I'm out of new stuff, since it just doesn't get old.

There are a lot of other reviews, because McKinley is great and this book is amazing--thus the five stars--so I'll just note something tha...moreI read this first when I was ten or eleven--I think it was the first book where I was conscious of Reading Fantasy instead of reading a book that happened to involve dragons and stuff--and have reread it every couple years since. Not on a schedule or anything, but it's a fantastic go-to book when I'm out of new stuff, since it just doesn't get old.

There are a lot of other reviews, because McKinley is great and this book is amazing--thus the five stars--so I'll just note something that struck me on the last re-reading.

On one level, Hero is Classic Geek Changeling Fantasy. Awkward heroine who nobody likes grows up, finds that she's secretly more awesome than everyone around her and has an epic destiny, does great deeds, and gets the boy. (view spoiler)(less)

· see review

Nov 08, 2010

Emily Michelle rated it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This is the third Robin McKinley book I've read, and I've come to the conclusion that I just don't like her. I feel like this makes me a bad person--I mean, nobody doesn't like Robin McKinley--but although she writes beautifully about richly imagined worlds, I never like her characters.

The Hero and the Crown was no exception. Actually I loved the first half of this book, with the story of the princess Aerin who has never felt like she fit in with the royal court. She's determined to ...moreThis is the third Robin McKinley book I've read, and I've come to the conclusion that I just don't like her. I feel like this makes me a bad person--I mean, nobody doesn't like Robin McKinley--but although she writes beautifully about richly imagined worlds, I never like her characters.

The Hero and the Crown was no exception. Actually I loved the first half of this book, with the story of the princess Aerin who has never felt like she fit in with the royal court. She's determined to find her place, though, and despite having little inborn talent or natural brilliance, she buckles down and applies herself to learning swordplay, horseback riding and herb lore, eventually becoming a famous dragon-killer, all with the support of her best friend Tor, the future king, who's secretly in love with her. Good story, right?

It's the second half where it falls apart for me, taking the story in a new and (in my opinion) less interesting direction. Our heroine becomes immortal and is trained as a mage by a mysterious man who has a thing for her, in the same way he had a thing for her mother. It's in the second half that lack of good characterization really kills the book for me. Luthe, our mysterious man, is never really given much character or color, other than being a bit of a creeper, and then suddenly he becomes the romantic interest, and it's meant to be tragic that he and Aerin can't be together yet. But if I'm never given enough characterization to understand Luthe, how am I supposed to care about him? The second half says less and less about Aerin's mind and character as well, until at the end I can't figure out why she does anything she does and why I should care. In the end, I only finished because I wondered what would happen with Tor, the only character that I cared about. And even he doesn't get a fabulous ending, because Aerin is waiting for him to die so she can get back to Luthe. I suppose McKinley was trying to pull away from the fantasy cliche of finding your one true love and riding off into the sunset together, but if I'm reading a fantasy book, it's probably safe to say that I'm comfortable with fantasy cliches.(less)

like 5 likes

· see review

Sep 27, 2010

Jenny rated it

Shelves: young-adult-adventure, young-adult-fantasy

Aerin, though daughter of King Arlbeth and First Sol of Damar, has always been overshadowed by the other half of her heritage. "Witchwoman's daughter," some call her. And worse, her inability to perform even the simplest of magic proves that she has no place in the royal family. So she pursues other destinies.

After years of experimentation, she learns the long-lost secret of kenet--dragonfire ointment. And so, as unrest increases and Damar moves toward outright war with th...more

· see review

Sep 20, 2010

Ben Mason rated it

This book has always been a favorite, and is now more so for very personal reasons. I think it is better than the Blue Sword, and I actually read this one first, and then the Blue Sword, and did not know until years later that they were written in reverse order. I know how much it bothers me when book sets list the Chronicles of Narnia in book-world chronological order, rather than the order in which C.S. Lewis wrote them, and I'm glad that for this series (which is only two books) that hasn't h...more

· see review

Aug 18, 2010

Katie M. rated it

Recommends it for: teens, women, fantasy fans, people in general

Shelves: dragons, feminist-interest, high-fantasy, young-adult

I'm pretty sure I read this as a preteen, but I'd completely forgotten how awesome it is. Aerin is just the sort of female character I like to see, especially in YA novels: brave, resourceful, complex, and eventually powerful despite vulnerabilities and imperfections. She's a member of the royal family, albeit a misfit black sheep royal, but this princess slays her own dragons. She falls in love, but the love is never even close to all of who she is, in a welcome contrast to certain recent po...more

like 1 like

· see review

Jun 10, 2010

Holly rated it

Recommends it for: Dragon/sword/magic fantasy fans

Recommended to Holly by: Angie

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult

Aerin-sol has a lot to live down. Story goes that she’s the daughter of a witchwoman from the North who enspelled the King into marrying her so that she may bear a son and heir to Damar. All almost went according to plan until Aerin was born instead, and the witchwoman died of heartbreak. Worse still is that Aerin does not have the Gift, the knack for magic that all members of the royal family possess. So the rumors and wariness of the hafor, the household folk, and the daily mocking of her l...moreAerin-sol has a lot to live down. Story goes that she’s the daughter of a witchwoman from the North who enspelled the King into marrying her so that she may bear a son and heir to Damar. All almost went according to plan until Aerin was born instead, and the witchwoman died of heartbreak. Worse still is that Aerin does not have the Gift, the knack for magic that all members of the royal family possess. So the rumors and wariness of the hafor, the household folk, and the daily mocking of her lower relatives remains in full force. But Aerin tries not to care, going about her quiet life avoiding the spotlight. Her swordplay, preference for horsebackriding and dislike of frills and lady charms doesn’t escape the eye of the gossiping court, however. Nonetheless Aerin continues to practice and learn all she can. Because she knows she has a different destiny than most and one day she will prove their wagging tongues wrong and earn the honor the first sol and heir of the King deserves.

I wasn’t too sure if I’d like this book, but I went in feeling fair and hoping that I would. After all those strong recommendations of Beauty and not loving it I was admittedly worried that Robin McKinley was just not for me and fearful of trying another title. It never set well with me because she’s such a successful and beloved YA fantasy author. How could I not like her? It took Angie over at Angieville’s carefully considered recommendation of The Hero and the Crown before I felt reassured enough to give McKinley another chance. The first few chapters were a little slow-going, due to the explanation of the political sol/sola hierarchy system and the endless terrorizing of Aerin by her jealous cousin Galanna. What stayed with me was that classic first line:

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

Awesome. Who could not be intrigued to read on? That I liked Aerin from the time she timidly but courageously asked her father in front of the court if she could go to the North with the army on their next expedition helped too. When she already knew the answer but still asked, I knew she was going to be my type of heroine. Alternately reserved and outspoken, at times uncannily resourceful and flawlingly human, in Aerin are the origins of the strong, plucky, and independent contemporary fantasy heroine, who isn’t acted upon as she waits at home for the male characters to do the work. She’s assertive; she acts to change her circumstances for the better. Even when she has a terrible rash and is climbing an infinite staircase. Especially when she’s fighting dragons with no training or plan beyond her painstaking research into fire-repelling kenet.

As far as the other characters are concerned, they were just icing on the cake. Talat is more much than the average horse and is like Aerin in many ways. Courageous, loyal, long-suffering and a four-legged person who’s come a long way to be the trusty steed of a hero. Aerin’s cousin, lifelong friend, and heir to the throne Tor is very endearing. He loved her from the beginning, never thought Aerin was no one and went on to discreetly teach her swordplay and even give her a sword despite his misgivings, since he knew Aerin all too well. There are tender moments between Aerin and her father, King Arlbeth and a sweet relationship for Aerin with immortal mage Luthe. Honestly the whole Luthe part threw me for a loop and made me worry for Tor but I had faith that everything work in the end and it did. I also liked how McKinley didn’t brush over the journeying and recovering. Aerin goes through a lot of physical and other pain, and that we experience it all with her makes it the more epic and rewarding. What’s next for me? Another Robin McKinley? Didn’t think I’d ever be saying that.(less)

· see review

May 17, 2010

Stephanie rated it

· review of another edition

I read this book after reading "The Blue Sword," which takes place in the same universe. I usually skip plot summaries, since you can find those anywhere, and they don't usually reveal much about the depth of the plot. That being said, I'll go straight to the relevant details.

I started out liking this book a lot more than "The Blue Sword." (Note: blue sword has a rather interesting abbreviation. the BS?) I could sympathize with Aerin a lot more than I ever did wit...moreI read this book after reading "The Blue Sword," which takes place in the same universe. I usually skip plot summaries, since you can find those anywhere, and they don't usually reveal much about the depth of the plot. That being said, I'll go straight to the relevant details.

I started out liking this book a lot more than "The Blue Sword." (Note: blue sword has a rather interesting abbreviation. the BS?) I could sympathize with Aerin a lot more than I ever did with Harry. Harry is the kind of person who's so undramatic she can be kidnapped by a bunch of foreign men and worry most about making friends with their horses. Wouldn't a normal person be just a little freaked out? Anyway, in HC Aerin starts out much more angsty--and with good reason. Her mother was a witch and even though Aerin is the princess, most of the court either dislikes and/or ignores her. To make matters worse, in a culture where the royal family is expected to be magic, she has no apparent abilities at all. This situation is so much more interesting than the typical one with the hero who has godlike action skills without ever apparently needing to practice (i.e. BS).

The beginning of the book confused me a bit with a flashback extended over several chapters, but it ended up tying in nicely with the opening. However, I don't think the second half of the book was as engaging as the court intrigue of the first part. Too bad Galanna and Perlith had to pretty much disappear. They were much more developed than the real villain.

At one point Mckinley did catch me off guard: I love the fact that Aerin's first real dragon-slaying turned into such a fiasco. I was completely expecting her to just rack up more brownie points as a heroine ("haha, everyone looked down on me, but now I killed a DRAGON!") but when she returns everyone's just more afraid or her (Joan of Arc was called a witch too), and the dragon's head goes all Lord of the Flies on everyone. It even talks to her. "Silly child. Did you think the beast was something you could kill?" (That's Golding, not Mckinley. But I got the creeps both times.)

Unfortunately the promising twist didn't save the rest of the novel for me. I wasn't sure where anything was going, and the villain didn't show up enough to be remotely compelling. He's just some black sheep uncle Aerin needs to dispose of. I wished for a Disney villain who would be squabbling with his minions and doing a big musical number in the first act about how evil he is. Things just sort of appear and disappear with no apparent logic. What the heck was the dragon stone about? Why does the dragon's head have to appear after the climax when its been lying around for half the book? What is the climax? There's dragon slaying, a magic/sword duel, a battle, the crown retrieval, and Aerin is on her deathbed about three times. I kept waiting for the real end to happen.

I also got mad at Aerin for ignoring Tor (one of the only people who's nice to her) for 9/10 of the book and then having sex with a random immortal magic guy who dunks her in a lake. Don't they have chastity rules in this pseudo-Medieval world? And the animals really started to annoy me. Mckinley needs to know not every heroine needs an army of animal sidekicks. If Aerin spent half as much time on her human relationships as she did getting that horse to like her, she would probably be a lot less socially awkward and the book would have been a lot more interesting.

[edit:] Reading over some other reviews I realized that another irritating thing about this book is the language. So few people can do the stately poetic language thing well, and everyone else just sounds silly. You actually have to think in the cultural mindset that uses the language, not just parrot fancy words. This book had too many lines like, "Aerin waved the sword, sparkling like some earthbound star, lopped off the heads of another couple-dozen mindless minions who could not avail against this new goddess, and thought, 'well, that's rather interesting. I wonder where my cat has got to.'"

Overall I was expecting to rate this higher than "The Blue Sword," but it comes to about the same. A promising situation with a more initially sympathetic main character, but the book ultimately didn't deliver on the premise.(less)

· see review

Apr 19, 2010

kaitlyn rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: newberied-and-honored

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Sometimes I read books just to read, and not necessarily for the book itself. I think this was one of the times when I was just reading and didn't give the story the attention it deserved. At first I was totally overwhelmed by McKinley's use of commas and semicolons. It's not that she didn't use them right or anything; there were just a LOT of them and I kept getting distracted.

I didn't really enjoy this story. I read it quickly and in every chapter I skimmed at least one paragraph t...more

· see review

Feb 27, 2010

Cid Tyer rated it

Shelves: 2010-books, favorites

I read this first in junior high and I don't think I ever reread it. Such a shame. I think this book does many things well. It's intelligently written, and yet doesn't divulge into frivolous details. That's something I could use a few lessons in. I know this was written after The Blue Sword, so there is a good deal that draws on the lore established first in that book but changed to fit this setting. It's a great story of a girl who does things. I like the McKinley books for that reason. ...more

· see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 555 556 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (22)

More editions...

Genres

Fantasy

1,194 users

Young Adult

368 users

Fantasy > Dragons

51 users

Science Fiction Fantasy

50 users

Adventure

47 users

Romance

42 users

Young Adult > Teen

38 users

Fantasy > Magic

31 users

Childrens

26 users

Young Adult > Young Adult Fantasy

25 users

See top shelves...

Readers Also Enjoyed

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...more

More about Robin McKinley...

Books by Robin McKinley

Beauty: A Retelling of Beauty & the Beast

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Pin It

Trivia About The Hero and the ...

8 trivia questions

More quizzes & trivia...

Quotes from The Hero and the Crown

“He laughed, tried to make it into a cough, inhaled at exactly the wrong moment, and then really did cough.” — 51 people liked it

“He will apologize, or I'll give him a lesson in swordplay he will not like at all.” — 31 people liked it

More quotes…

Groups That Shelved The Hero and the ...

What's The Name of That B...

3648 members

last activity 6 minutes ago

shelf: read

Comfort Reads

1135 members

last activity 0 minutes ago

shelf: read

The Mortal Instruments

1050 members

last activity Feb 20, 2012 02:50pm

shelf: read

title link	preview: The Hero and the Crown
avg rating	preview: The Hero and the Crown Goodreads rating: 4.19 (13105 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/77366.The_Hero_and_the_Crown?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170900106m/77366.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/77366.The_Hero_and_the_Crown?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley[/url]

The Hero and the Crown (Damar #2)

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Readers Also Enjoyed

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website