The Hero and the Crown

Locations
Call Number: R Newbery Medal 1985, Teen Book / Fiction / Fantasy / McKinley, Robin
On Shelf At: Pittsfield Branch, Traverwood Branch

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown Kids Reference 0-week checkout	R Newbery Medal 1985	0-week checkout	Library Use Only
Pittsfield Teen Books 4-week checkout	Teen Book / Fiction / Fantasy / McKinley, Robin	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Traverwood Teen Books 4-week checkout	Teen Book / Fiction / Fantasy / McKinley, Robin	4-week checkout	On Shelf

"Prequel" to The blue sword.
Aerin, with the guidance of the wizard Luthe and the help of the Blue Sword, wins the birthright due her as the daughter of the Damarian king and a witchwoman of the mysterious, demon-haunted North.

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Exciting read submitted by AnnAsplund on June 14, 2014, 9:44pm This is a good fantasy novel, in class with the Tolkien's books. It has magic, and people over coming obstacles, and it is one of few books that has an amazing female heroine, and is a definite good read!

Unexpected Horse Read submitted by shpowers on June 21, 2014, 12:52pm As others have said, this is an amazing fantasy novel with excellent writing. Robin Mckinley has a beautiful voice and is so talented that she is certainly underrated as an author. What is not so clear from the cover or the summary is the prominent role of horses and riding. Aerin nurses an injured war horse back to health, and slowly invents a whole new style of riding, all while battling dragons. The horse information is accurate (in so far as information in a fantastical world can be) and the author's love of horses shines through her main character's relationship with her mount, Talat. A worthwhile read for anyone looking for an engrossing plot, rare writing talent, and a good horse book.

Damar series submitted by kjshaffer on August 9, 2015, 4:14pm This is an incredibly well written book. Another example of awesome young adult fiction by Robin McKinley. This book absolutely deserves its Newberry Medal. It is one to read and re-read.

One of My Favorites submitted by www.net on July 22, 2018, 10:59pm This is one of my favorite books to read, and I never get tired of it. I think all of the characters are well thought out, and the plot interesting, even after knowing what happens.

Nice discovery! submitted by rkraut on July 16, 2022, 4:59pm I enjoyed this book very much before I realized it was a Newbery Award winner. I liked it better than The Blue Sword, and I think there are some other books in the series but it seems AADL does not have them.

Great Fantasy submitted by sdunav on August 17, 2023, 2:15pm Like J.R.R. Tolkien, McKinley combines the mythical and the down-to-earth perfectly. And she writes about a young girl, the rescue of a beautiful and intelligent horse, dragons, and secret powers - I would have read this and re-read it countless times if it had been out when I was an adolescent. Now, I noticed how cleverly that McKinley portrayed Aerin as a likable, irreverent, smart outsider.

There are a few things that bothered me. McKinley does an incredible job of world-building, but the Damarian names for things jarred sometimes. I didn't mind sol and sola (princes and princesses) so much, but hafor (for "folk of the household") and yerig and folstza and a few other terms interrupted the narrative unnecessarily.

There are two love stories in the book - I liked them both, and the more than "happily ever after" ending was a refreshing change. Although there's nothing particularly explicit about Aerin's relationship with Luthe, I think that it makes the book more appropriate for older Newbery readers. Plus, the writing (though exquisite), can be rather intense.