Harry Crewe, the Homelander orphan girl, is pleased with her new home. Life in Istan is certainly easy, but a voice in her ear whispers that the home of her heart is among the Hillfolk, among the descendants of Lady aerin, who once wielded Gonturan, the Blue Sword.
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"I first read this when I was 11 years old. This book is still my favorite and I constantly lose copies to family and friends who borrow it. Robin McKinley is a fantastic writer who has the ability to let the reader know what is going on with every main character by switching flawlessly into a third-person description from their perspective. The main character is a woman I can identify with; out of place and trying to find somewhere her tall frame can fit. I recommend this to anyone who likes reading about an unlikely hero conquering fears and tests in order to conquer over evil."
— Alexandra (5 out of 5 stars)
" I heard so many good things about this book, but it just didn't work for me. "
— Alana, 2/15/2014" Classic high fantasy of the finest caliber. "
— Susan, 2/8/2014" I never thought I would like fantasy but I loved this book, it was my first fantasy read. Loved the story, I only wished the romance was a little more obvious. I actually had to go back after I finished reading to try and find where it was supposed to be romantic because the sonopsis mentioned romance and I didn't feel it. "
— Victoriacolver, 1/16/2014" Rating clarification: I haven't read this book since I was about eleven or so, so my critique may be somewhat inaccurate compared to what it may be today. Hell, I barely even remember what it's about. I remember it being pretty awesome though. "
— Sean, 1/16/2014" One of my favorite books "
— Chian, 1/9/2014" amazing. i reread this book at least once a year "
— Olivia, 1/7/2014" Boring. Just... boring. I could not get myself interested in this one at all. "
— Effie, 12/26/2013" I haven't read this since I was a teenager but I remember loving it. Sometimes it's nice to a have a pretty little story that ties up all the loose ends before concluding. "
— Tricia, 12/25/2013" This is a wonderful book. I loved reading about Harry's adventure into Damar. And I love the subtle romance between Harry and Corlath. The descriptions are fantastic! "
— Robyn, 12/21/2013" Amazing story. It is my hands-down favorite book. The main character is a tough young woman who is kidnapped and then taught to fight with the best. She's snarky and kick-ass. A must read! "
— Katy, 12/18/2013" Slow beginning but gets good half way through "
— Leann, 12/15/2013" REALLY great book! :D Harry is an Amazing character!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Fantastic ending :) "
— Jessie, 12/9/2013" I actually would have given this somewhere between 3 1/2 and 4 stars. Good read. "
— Nicole, 11/8/2013" I really loved this when I was a girl. "
— Gwenyth, 10/28/2013" I cannot even estimate how many times I read this book. It has my pre-highschool name and phone number in it. ~K "
— Adam, 10/9/2013" I would actually would give this book 3.5 stars. I enjoyed the story but couldn't get into it until a third of the way through and then I couldn't put it down. "
— Karla, 8/12/2013" Another one that I listened to on audiobook. I enjoyed the story and the characters. "
— Jen, 7/2/2013" An okay read. Well-written, but not oh-my-gosh great. We'll see if I feel the same after I finish the 2nd book (The Hero and the Crown). 'Beauty' and 'Sunshine' are my favs by this author, and the only others of her books that I've read so far. "
— Cary, 6/19/2013" This book moved really slowly and I only got about halfway through before I decided to stop reading. "
— Renee, 6/12/2013" I'm shocked at the average rating readers give this. I found it boring. Another run-of-the-mill fantasy story. it's incredibly slow until the last 50 or so pages. Granted, I don't typically care for fantasy fiction but I couldn't get into this at all, even when I made myself pretend I like fantasy. "
— Jill, 4/11/2013" I tried... Just couldn't get into it. I thought since it had such high ratings I might like it. Oh well. I guess Tolkien & C.S. Lewis are as far into fantasy as I get! "
— Katie, 4/4/2013" This book is one of my all time favorites. I have to re-read this book every other year or so because I love the characters so much. This book has a very strong female protagonist that women of any age will be able to empathize with and relate to. "
— Teresa, 2/4/2013Robin McKinley has won various awards and citations for her writing, including the Newbery Medal for The Hero and the Crown and a Newbery Honor for The Blue Sword. Her other books include Sunshine, the New York Times bestseller Spindle’s End, two novel-length retellings of the fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, and a retelling of the Robin Hood legend, The Outlaws of Sherwood. She lives with her husband, English writer Peter Dickinson.