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The Hero and the Crown (Damar #2)

4.23 of 5 stars 4.23 · rating details · 23,493 ratings · 1,103 reviews

From childhood, Aerin had been haunted by the story of her mother - a "witchwoman" who enspelled the king and then died in childbirth, leaving behind a newborn daughter and an heirless land. Left to her own devices, Aerin grew up wild, doing her best to live up to her reputation as the disappointment of the realm. But little did the young princess know the long-dormant pow...more

Paperback, Ace, 292 pages

Published January 2007 by Penguin Berkley (first published October 15th 1984)

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Jun 19, 2007 Sean rated it 5 of 5 stars · 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 we spent hours dawdli...more

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Jul 18, 2010 Tatiana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fans of fantasy with strong heroines

Recommended to Tatiana by: Heather

Shelves: newbery, 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, Aerin possess...more 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, 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)

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Oct 22, 2011 Elizabeth rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 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...more 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 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)

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Mar 21, 2008 Melanie added it · review of another edition

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 character, Aerin. She had spunk, for lack of a better way...more

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Feb 03, 2011 Cait rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: novel, rated-five-stars, all-of-my-reviewed-books, currently-shelved-guestroom, 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.

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Oct 27, 2008 Melody rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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

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Nov 19, 2010 Kat rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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 there ar...more

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Mar 13, 2007 keidra rated it 5 of 5 stars

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 m...more

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Mar 28, 2013 Priscilla rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: newberry-award-winners

I LOVED the first 2/3 of this book. Then, it started to drag and I had a hard time finishing it.

Aerin is a princess in the city of Damar. Her father is a good, righteous king and her mother died shortly after giving birth to Aerin. The people love her father, but they believe her mother was a witch and they don't trust her daughter. As a result, Aerin becomes a bit of a loner, her only real friend is Tor, the boy who will inherit the throne. All members of the royal family should develop magical...more

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Nov 02, 2010 Jon rated it 4 of 5 stars · 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 inadequate...more

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Mar 01, 2008 Debbie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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 things in a completely h...more

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Nov 10, 2007 K rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition 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 just to appreciate better th...more

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Mar 29, 2009 Chris rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, favorites, youngadult, feminist-fiction

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 the boo...more

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Mar 26, 2009 Stacey rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition 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 she ingests the p...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)

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

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 better part of a...more

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Jan 04, 2009 Diana rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition 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 I r...more 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 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)

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Apr 29, 2013 Jill Williamson rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This story is about Aerin, a princess whose mother was the king's second wife. Many people thought the second wife was a witch, so Aerin doesn't get much respect. She's clever, though, and likes to fight. So she sets about learning how to create a lotion that makes her flame resistant. Then she goes out and kills some dragons, earning respect by her deeds.

I've heard people rave about this book, so I was eager to read it. And I thought I'd be able to read it quickly too, since it was 227 pages. N...more

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Mar 13, 2013 Ann Carpenter rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, newbery, re-read

In some ways I wish this book was only Part One, since I liked that section far more than I liked Part Two. I think the second half had too much in it that seemed like it was setting the stage for The Blue Sword (which was written before this one), though I could be wrong since I haven't read that one in at least twenty years and can't remember a thing about it. Maybe it's just that I prefer dragon-hunting to saving the kingdom. I thought Aerin's character growth from shy, retiring young girl to...more

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Feb 19, 2013 Bt rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Bt by: Liked "The Blue Sword"

This book didn't quite sit right with me. I mean, I'm still giving it four stars, but I ended the book... dissatisfied. It was really close to being one I really liked. Awfully close. But it fell short in a few places. If you want to hear most of my feelings experessed in a far clearer and more interesting way than I could say it myself, I suggest you read this review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/.... If, however, you just want to hear me say it, I'll give it a go.

What I didn't like:(vi ...more This book didn't quite sit right with me. I mean, I'm still giving it four stars, but I ended the book... dissatisfied. It was really close to being one I really liked. Awfully close. But it fell short in a few places. If you want to hear most of my feelings experessed in a far clearer and more interesting way than I could say it myself, I suggest you read this review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/.... If, however, you just want to hear me say it, I'll give it a go.

What I didn't like:(view spoiler)[
-The killing of Agsdad was so anticlimatic. They fought for a couple paragraphs and then Aerin randomly throws something at him and -oops!- it just happened to be, like, the most powerful gem in the whole world and -surprise!- he's dead! Hey, cool! ... So all of Aerin's great skill and training as a mage, blah, blah, blah is not used. Turns out all she needed to do was be able to pick up shiny stuff and throw it a couple yards. Who knew?

-The whole thing with Luthe. I read The Blue Sword first, and I loved him as a character in that. I started out liking him here, too, but after a while... I suddenly didn't any more. He lost all his coolness and just turned into another typical love interest. The story would have been stronger and more fun if he'd just been friends with Aerin. And Aerin's going for him seemed out of character with the strong, faithful, dutiful Aerin I was used to. I really hate how authors feel they have to turn every young, attractive member of the opposite sex into a love interest. That's just not the way it works.

-The love triangle in general was wierd. It seemed to me that Aerin decided that she actually loved Luthe, and I'm not sure why she couldn't just stay with him if she wanted to. The resolution was just messed up, though. It wasn't romantic, just messed up. It looks to me like a recipe for slowly-growing unhappiness on all sides. I thought it really cast a shadow over the end of the book.

-I'm not really sure what happened with Aerin between this book and The Blue Sword. I assumed she was a sort of a ghost-thing in The Blue Sword but is she actually still alive like a normal person if she's immortal? Is she with Luthe? Did she ever go back to him or did she just leave him hanging forever?

-A lot of other things seemed unresolved. For instance, what was the deal Luthe made to keep Aerin? The red man in the dream says that Luthe gets someone and he gets the other. Who is the other? Who is "Lily," a name Luthe mentions once but who I don't think we ever hear about again? What was that whole time travel thing!? (hide spoiler)]

Overall, though, it was pretty good. I liked The Blue Sword better, though. I don't particularly recommend this, but, despite my complaints, it's not bad or anything. But I'm glad I read The Blue Sword first.(less)

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Feb 05, 2013 Marirosa Mia Garcia rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

(Original review at Pleasedontreadthisbook.com)

Marirosa Mia: Seriously, Julie, I'm starting the think that my "to read" pile is a treasure trove of gems, because here's another one! I've been a fan of Robin McKinley since my friend Annie told me to read SUNSHINE, which led me to DEERSKIN, then SPINDLE'S END and more. Well, McKinley does it again in my opinion. THE HERO AND THE CROWN focuses on Aerin, fiery haired daughter of the King of Damar, who longs for more than her noble duties (a plot tha...more (Original review at Pleasedontreadthisbook.com)

Marirosa Mia: Seriously, Julie, I'm starting the think that my "to read" pile is a treasure trove of gems, because here's another one! I've been a fan of Robin McKinley since my friend Annie told me to read SUNSHINE, which led me to DEERSKIN, then SPINDLE'S END and more. Well, McKinley does it again in my opinion. THE HERO AND THE CROWN focuses on Aerin, fiery haired daughter of the King of Damar, who longs for more than her noble duties (a plot that sounds - on the surface - similar to that of Pixar's BRAVE, which isn't necessarily bad, as I have a feeling BRAVE will be just as cool as this book). Little by little Aerin explores her true calling: dragon killer. Finding her way is not without its scars. Aware that a hero doesn't need to win every battle unscathed, McKinley doesn't protect her heroine from all the dragon fire that comes her way. Julie, what did you think of THE HERO AND THE CROWN?

Julie: Do you know what arrived in the mail today? Robin McKinley's THE BLUE SWORD. Why? Because as soon as I finished THE HERO AND THE CROWN, I needed to have its sister novel. That's how much I love THE HERO AND THE CROWN. I love its peaceful tone. Much happens in the novel, but you can just sink down into the language and float along, enjoying the ride. McKinley is a master of structure and pacing, too. She tells us enough to let us know that there's an important moment coming, but then holds off a while, building the characters and their relationships and alluding to other momentous occasions, before delving into that first moment. So we're intrigued from the start, and the character building is so compelling we never feel frustrated by the delay. Were you also amazed by her weaving of storylines, Mia?

M: You beat me to it, Julie! I totally want to snag a copy of THE BLUE SWORD from my local library. And yes, I agree with everything you said below. There's something about McKinley's writing (like Diana Wynne Jones's) that even from the very beginning makes you say: Oh, this is going to be good. And you settle yourself a little deeper into your couch as you go along. As you said, she has a way of weaving her story such that you can feel it building in your bones, and you can't wait to finally get to that scene that she's created for you to find. I love Aerin. I love her perseverance. I love that a lot of her success can be attributed to her patience and intelligence in addition to her bravery. I like that her relationship with her father is a bit like two people who are constantly pleasantly surprised by each other. What about you, Julie?

J: I love Aerin too. I love how much she accomplishes through sheer courage and determination. And I love how some of the problems that loom large for her as a child are shown later from a different perspective. The book worked for me almost through and through. I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll carefully say that I wasn't particularly compelled by a battle she has toward the end of the book with a person of great power. And I don't think romantic scenes are McKinley's forte. Do you agree, Mia?

(rest of the review - it gets a bit long! - at PleaseDontReadThisBook.com) (less)

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Nov 10, 2012 Aoife rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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

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Oct 27, 2012 Kristen Smith rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really liked this book until the morals got lost.
Here is a well-written tale of a girl who, because of her parentage, feels utterly out of place and without gifts in the royal court she is supposed to inherit. It is a time of lesser dragons and some magic. The theme of the book is how a girl finds her place in life and learns to accept it.
This book was in my library's juvenile fiction section and won the Newberry Medal for children's lit which is completely mind-boggling to me because there is...more

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Oct 07, 2012 Richard Claypool rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book could have been better, but still well worth the read.

Good points. Rich and vivid descriptions of the land, animals, and people. A strong, imperfect female protagonist. I find flawed women more believable, and sexier than perfect ones .. think Rhapsody. Fighting for a dream, for country, and for the needs of her country against extreme odds.

Things I did not like in this book. Again, as in the sword and the crown, magic is, imho, overused to create an epic, unsatisfying conclution. Whil...more

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Sep 07, 2012 Myongsun rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, juvenile

I read this book because I wondered if it held up since I was a teen, when I loved it to pieces. (Really, the cover is really ratty from re-reading. I was surprised when I recovered it from my parents' house. Verdict: This is a very good book. I could barely put it down. The background has already been set with The Blue Sword, but more information is given. Better information. This book is trying to make Damar more of a whole fantasy universe with a very deep history and a better mythology (drag...more

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Aug 09, 2012 Ellie (a.k.a. QE3) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

4.75?

I was poking around in the children's section the day before yesterday, just browsing, and I came across this. Well, I'd read Robin McKinley's book Beauty before, and liked it, so I figured I'd give this a try.

The Hero and the Crown is AMAZING, much better than Beauty! I am so glad I found it. (Although it should really be in the YA section.) I haven't read a book this good in a long while. The writing was beautiful but not flowery, and Aerin was a great heroine. The minor characters were...more 4.75?

I was poking around in the children's section the day before yesterday, just browsing, and I came across this. Well, I'd read Robin McKinley's book Beauty before, and liked it, so I figured I'd give this a try.

The Hero and the Crown is AMAZING, much better than Beauty! I am so glad I found it. (Although it should really be in the YA section.) I haven't read a book this good in a long while. The writing was beautiful but not flowery, and Aerin was a great heroine. The minor characters were well written as well, and they became more than minor characters, even though they didn't appear very often.

When Aerin goes off to fight the villain, I became a little confused. Actually, when Aerin finds her way to some--place--where she spends a while recovering from injuries and learning--something--that's when I became rather muddled. (As is probably evident.) Still not really sure what happened at that...place. Or when she fought the villain. But I got the general idea of it.

And I unfortunately was not too pleased with the romance. It was a love triangle, basically, only (view spoiler) I did love Tor, and wasn't overly fond of Luthe until nearer to the end, where for some reason he became more tolerable. But aah, Tor... <3

The overall amazing-ness of the story, characters, and the writing cancelled out whatever little issues I had with the romance, I'm glad to say. I will definitely be checking out the "sequel" to this, The Blue Sword.

It's really sad how lots of good books (a lot better than many of the books written today!) which were written back in, say, my mom's day or a bit later are now pretty much forgotten. Stuffed onto bookshelves and smushed between Harry Potter and The Hunger Games. Not to say that I dislike HP or THG! They're two of my favorite series. But please, give this book a try. It's worth it.(less)

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Aug 05, 2012 Nicole rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I just love Robin McKinley's books, and every time I read one that I haven't read before I'm surprised by how much I like it. I shouldn't be surprised. I should know by now that she's a good writer that I really enjoy, but apparently I don't.

I chose to read The Hero and the Crown before The Blue Sword because it comes first chronologically. I've never read one of the Damar books before, but as I read it I realized, "Hey! A bunch of these things show up in her short stories!" I've read a lot of h...more

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Jun 16, 2012 J. Wootton rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Hero and the Crown is the quintessential tale of dragonslaying, as good as but even more classic in its iconography than The Hobbit, and less whimsical than Farmer Giles of Ham. The high court of Damar, as seen through the eyes of an ugly-duckling princess, is delightfully portrayed; and the posthumous influence of the Great Dragon, Maur, lends the tale depth and meaning beyond the simple sword-and-sorcery quest structure. Even to succeed in facing down such a monster, McKinley suggests, is...more

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Apr 06, 2012 Suz rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, women-sff-authors, award-winner

Remember back in the day when it didn't take 15 1000p books to tell an awesome story? I miss those days.

So this book is one of those fantasy classics I should have read, I was told to read, and never did get around to. And once again, I am heartily sorry I didn't, though I am pleased to have done it now.

The main character, Aerin, is a half-noble girl child of a king, one whose mother was reportedly a witch, so the nobles (and most of the townsfolk) don't take much of a liking to her out of sheer...more

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Apr 02, 2012 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I first read this in the fifth grade, and I was blown away because of the strong female protagonist. I still am. It's a great read. The first part of the book is particularly good because magic isn't necessarily a huge factor in the lives of the people. It's there, but it seems to have faded somewhat. The hero has to do research and apply practical methods to accomplish what she does.

I think we must've only read the first part of the book when I was a kid, because when I reread it as an adult,...more

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Feb 29, 2012 Stephanie Jobe rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I love Tamora Pierce but this is my joy and my life and I don’t know how to describe the feeling I still get when finishing this book. Aerin is everything a YA heroine should be. She is imperfect but likeable, oblivious in an endearing sort of way. I suppose I should summarize… Aerin with her orange hair does not look like her father’s dark skinned, dark haired people; she looks like her mother and so is a constant reminder of the witch woman. Her cousin Tor has been her best friend since she wa...more I love Tamora Pierce but this is my joy and my life and I don’t know how to describe the feeling I still get when finishing this book. Aerin is everything a YA heroine should be. She is imperfect but likeable, oblivious in an endearing sort of way. I suppose I should summarize… Aerin with her orange hair does not look like her father’s dark skinned, dark haired people; she looks like her mother and so is a constant reminder of the witch woman. Her cousin Tor has been her best friend since she was a baby slung on his back while he jumped hurdles on his mare. After an illness she spends some time in the library and finds a recipe for a fireproofing balm in the back of a book about dragons and thus she begins on a journey that will bring out the strength that was in her all along. I feel like that is sounds so corny. I think Aerin holds much more depth of character than Harry or Beauty and I think she grows much more over the course of the book. Things are not as simple in Aerin’s world. Love is a complicated thing. (Maybe McKinley can take credit for why I’ve never liked boys my age.) The wonderfully tactile descriptions are still there and all the appropriate ties are made to The Blue Sword though reading her blog makes me wonder about the people in Aerin’s visions. There is so much power in the writing (unlike my current inability to stay focused even on a blog post) like the pain I feel every time the burning happens. I can still remember being a young thing that didn’t quite get why she would leave wonderful Luthe for Tor, though later I was on Team Tor and then eventually I got it. Talat will always be the greatest horse ever and I still want a yerig and folstza of my own. I’ve convinced the love of my life to give this a try so I look forward to seeing what happens. So side note we were looking at review blogs in class and someone teased we should have looked at mine and I said I am definitely a biased blog. Sometimes I think about trying to do an actual review blog, professional development and all that, but I truly enjoy just having a place to put my thoughts and throw them out into the world and to keep track of my adventures in other worlds. I sure hope it doesn’t bother anybody.

Newbery Winner 1985

(This is the second book of the kingdom of Damar.)(less)

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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

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“He laughed, tried to make it into a cough, inhaled at exactly the wrong moment, and then really did cough.” — 66 people liked it

“He will apologize, or I'll give him a lesson in swordplay he will not like at all.” — 42 people liked it

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