[SOLVED] Fantasy book where the last drop of dragon's heart blood turns into rubies. [s]

[Rachel]

All I can remember is that the book was medieval fantasy, and I'm pretty sure it was YA. It had a teenage girl in it who ends up creating this fire-repellent balm to put on herself when fighting dragons. She also ends up killing a dragon (I think) and finds out that the last drops of their blood turn into rubies. I want to say that the rubies are infused with a feeling of evil, but that could be my imagination.


This book is really old. I read it several years back, and from the condition of the book in the library it seemed like it was already old.

I'll probably love you forever if you can find this book for me.

[MB (What she read)]

Are you by any chance thinking of Robin McKinley's The Hero and the Crown?

[Kerry]

It sounds like The Hero and the Crown to me. It's not actually the rubies that are infused with the feeling of evil, it's something else, but I don't want to add a spoiler.

[Snail in Danger (Sid)]

Yeah, definitely The Hero and the Crown. (And it's not that old! But being an often-requested library title can definitely age a book before its time.)

(I can remember arguing with a classmate over which one of us would get to borrow it from the class library first. And no, this story doesn't end with us getting into a dispute which resulted in the book's destruction. :)

[Rachel]

Thank you so much! I hereby pledge my undying love for all of you!

I now go to claim this book and read it again to freshen my memory.

[Samantha]

You should also check out Robin McKinley's follow up 'The Blue Sword'

[Snail in Danger (Sid)]

[pedant]The Blue Swordwas published first, IIRC. Though it does take place after Hero.[/pedant]