The Hero and the Crown

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Summary: A touching, inspiring, compelling, and amazing read.
Review: This novel is wonderful. The reader is transported into Damar and a world of magic, love, hope and the life of Aerin, the misfit princess. This book eloquently describes Aerin's struggles and triumphs as she makes a name for herself. She does this for the love of her city and her people, though they do not love her in return. This is my all time favorite novel. I've read and re-read it so often and bought SO many copies, I highly recommend it to anyone who wants a fantastic fantasy novel to get lost in. Be forewarned, once you pick it up, you'll not put it down until the end.

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Summary: Book of strength and resilience
Review: This book is my favorite, of favorites, I have a copy that is worn to bits, reading after reading, I have read it once every year, for the past 8 years, this book transcends the idea of a tale, immerses the reader and makes them feel greatness.

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Summary: A book that totally draws you in--and fills your heart.
Review: From the first I loved Aerin above all the characters I had seen in any fiction--because I was , like her, awkward and (feeling) unattractive, and couldn't seem to share the interests of other girls around me. It was nice to see somebody like me in a fantasy, where most of the beautiful, totally feminine, self-possessed heroines really p___ me off. But what really made the book un-put-downable was the totally grim, almost scary atmosphere. Gothic shadows seemed to linger everywhere, indoors and outdoors, within the character's hearts and in their memories, even within their words. And mysteries, most of them unnamed, stayed behind even after the story was ended. I read the book over and over again, dreamt of it, daydreamed about it, wrote about it, and still I could not clear the shadows(not unpleasant ones)it had left in my mind. It all seemed so disconcertingly real. I hope The Blue Sword, which I finally got hold of after all these years, will give me some answers to all those questions and release me somewhat from the gripping spells it has cast on me. Oops. What am I saying? I'm making it sound like a horror story! The Hero and the Crown is, whatever the "atmosphere", a well-written, heartwarming book--I recommend it for readers of fantasy everywhere, and to anyone who enjoys a well-told story.

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Summary: Magical and inspiring
Review: I discovered the Damar books relatively late in life, but still found them a great pleasure. I enjoyed "The Blue Sword" more, I think, because it starts out in a Victorian, colonists-in-a-foreign-country situation that we're all familiar with (at least from literature) before going off into fantasy, so it felt more "real," while this one puts you in a magical world from the beginning. And knowing Aerin's history takes some of the suspense out of this one, although the author more than makes up for it by complicating her emotional life. Still, what I enjoy the most in McKinley's books is all here: even though the situations are fantasy, the characters ring true, the heroine's conflicts are something we can all identify with (feeling unwanted and clumsy and unattractive), and the world she lives in is messy and chaotic -- just like ours! The author's "messages," while presented painlessly, are strong ones too: the most gifted people may be the latest bloomers; gifts can be used for good or ill; courage and persistence win out over showy brilliance; love grows slowly; and true love is neither selfish nor irresponsible.

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Summary: A great book after a cold start.
Review: This book has a somewhat boring beginning, but once you get towards the end of part one it gets very interesting. It is a very well written book that everyone would love. A good read!

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Summary: The Hero and the Crown is a wonderful book!
Review: The Hero and the Crown is very heartwarming. It shows that if you truly believe you can do something, you can (ie Aerin and the ointement and the dragons). Robin McKinley did a superb job in her describing everything she needed to and she wrote an excellent plot. This is a book I will not soon forget.

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Summary: Great book for all fantasy fans!
Review: This book was great! It really got me into fantasy books, and I can't wait for the sequel that Amazon.com said would come out! It is fun and has an unforgetable plot and character.

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Summary: Beautifully Wrote
Review: Robin Mckinley has wrote many books. Yet after reading most of them, I still feel this is her best. She really got into the story and molded it with a new talent that is not often seen with authors. I would recomend this book to anyone, it is one of Robin Mckinley's best.

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Summary: A Deep-Thinking Story from a Skilled Author
Review: This book was amazing. The characters were very real, almost to the extent of popping off the page. I loved Aerin, and all her bravery and loneliness; Tor, with his sensibility and love for Aerin; and of course Luthe, the man who saved Aerin's life. I very often wonder what will happen with Luthe and Aerin, and hope that it comes to a happy ending. This story was well-written, and well thought out. It is beautiful, although slightly gory, and I wouldn't change a thing about it. It, and The Blue Sword, lived up to the expectations I hold for Ms. McKinley. ~RK

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Summary: A Jewel Of A Book
Review: This is one of the best books I have ever read. Read some of the other reviews of this book, too, to fully comprehend how this book grabs you in and won't let go. Even after I finished I couldn't stop thinking about Aerin-sol, the unwanted Damarian princess. (My friends said I was "zoned" for days after.) This is an extremely intense book, and really must be read three times to fully enjoy it. Unlike most other reviewers, I was an "ancient" 16 when I read it the first time. Read this before you read "The Blue Sword" because "Sword" gives away the ending; it also gives you the wrong impression that "Hero" is a happy book (Robin McKinley must have based Aerin on someone she really hated, for all the times that Aerin's sick or wounded). "Hero" was written after "Sword," but you should read them as close as possible to one another and then read them over again to get all the details. I think "Hero" is darker than "Sword" because McKinley wanted us to be reading a new story -- it's not really like "Sword's" picture of Aerin at all. Once you've read these two, go out and read the rest of McKinley's books. --Abigail