ktcarlston's review against another edition
2.0
Fantasy is rarely my first choice in books but there are definitely plenty of fantasy books that I can and do end up loving this one, however, was not one of them. It just seemed to move so so slow - some of the descriptions in the different world was hard to follow and when I realized that the author kept calling the horse's names differently - sometimes referring to the horse in Outlander language and sometimes referring to the SAME HORSE in Homelander language I about lost it. Stop making it hard for the reader. Just stop. Anyway - I know, I know, this book wasn't written for me but I'm hard pressed to find a lot of friends who would think that it was written for them.
kimu's review against another edition
5.0
Got bogged down in the battle scenes for a bit. Happy to have finished it again. I don't love this one as much add The Hero and The Crown, but yes, I do really love it.
noctadea's review against another edition
Summer vibes. Will pick this back up in warmer weather.
tjwallace04's review against another edition
4.0
I regret that I did not discover "The Blue Sword" and Robin McKinley as a child. This is exactly the kind of book I would have adored and read over and over again. But at least I have discovered McKinley now and can dig into the treasure trove of her work as an adult. And "The Blue Sword" is a story that appeals across all ages. It is just quality writing. It has good bones. There is not any fluff or the manic bids for compulsive page-turning that I see in a lot of contemporary YA fantasy. It is just a good story, carefully told. I loved the main character Harry and wish that I could have even a smidgen of her aplomb and bravery. I get emotionally derailed if I get stuck in traffic or an appliance stops working; meanwhile, Harry faces abduction, life-changing revelations about herself and her heritage, and a dark and frightening task with incredible equanamity. And yet she feels like a real, human character with whom you can empathize, not a robotic heroine. She is kind of an astounding character now that I stop and really think about it. And I admit that I was very disappointed to see that "The Hero and the Crown" is not about her because I was thinking it was a sequel. But Aerin's story should be fun to read too. Onward in McKinley world!
me2brett's review against another edition
5.0
I first read this book as a child, and I continue to read it on a regular basis. A wonderful mix of fantasy and I suppose a parallell kind of history, with the cleverness of writing which McKinley does so well.
readerpants's review against another edition
5.0
I've read this book well over a hundred times in the last twenty years; it's probably my favorite comfort read ever, and I know the text even better than the screenplay of The Princess Bride. This is the first time I've read The Blue Sword since reading [b:Chalice|2828595|Chalice|Robin McKinley|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51WQRmzM3nL._SL75_.jpg|2854698] a few months ago, and I tried to read it with fresh and critical eyes just to satisfy my curiosity about McKinley's writing style.
Fresh eyes were impossible after such a long acquaintance, but I did realize that it's more floridly written than I had ever noticed... and in a way that would get in the way if I were reading it now for the first time. I mean, I'm completely intolerant of overwriting, and yet this is a book that I read over and over; and what's more, I was thrilled to find echoes of its style and vocabulary in every other book McKinley wrote, up until the last one. Huh.
Regardless of how my tastes in prose have changed, this one still feels like a big cozy hug of a book to me. I know I'll pick it up again in a few months when I'm faced with an empty library shelf and a cold foggy afternoon with my kitties.
Fresh eyes were impossible after such a long acquaintance, but I did realize that it's more floridly written than I had ever noticed... and in a way that would get in the way if I were reading it now for the first time. I mean, I'm completely intolerant of overwriting, and yet this is a book that I read over and over; and what's more, I was thrilled to find echoes of its style and vocabulary in every other book McKinley wrote, up until the last one. Huh.
Regardless of how my tastes in prose have changed, this one still feels like a big cozy hug of a book to me. I know I'll pick it up again in a few months when I'm faced with an empty library shelf and a cold foggy afternoon with my kitties.
maddydeason's review against another edition
2.0
This is another one of those books I think I would have loved in middle school.
1. She has absolutely no reaction to being kidnapped?? No fighting back or even "yay get me out of here I want adventure!" Just....no reaction. Also, not a fan of the fall-in-love-with-your-kidnapper trope. STAHP PLS.
2. This book is like the Last (lady) Samurai but in a "fantasy" land aka its just ye old Britain with magic. Empire girl lives among the Hillfolk and instantly appropriates all their culture and is the most skilled of all! Complete with 2 magical animal sidekicks, and an all-powerful magic sword!
3. There are no real conflicts because magic solves everything.
Mostly I was just really bored.
1. She has absolutely no reaction to being kidnapped?? No fighting back or even "yay get me out of here I want adventure!" Just....no reaction. Also, not a fan of the fall-in-love-with-your-kidnapper trope. STAHP PLS.
2. This book is like the Last (lady) Samurai but in a "fantasy" land aka its just ye old Britain with magic. Empire girl lives among the Hillfolk and instantly appropriates all their culture and is the most skilled of all! Complete with 2 magical animal sidekicks, and an all-powerful magic sword!
3. There are no real conflicts because magic solves everything.
Mostly I was just really bored.
travelgirl77's review against another edition
1.0
In my search for a Hunger Games type book, I somehow came across The Blue Sword. Although it has a high rating, I found it very difficult to follow and never really felt a connection to the protagonist. It was very boring and I had such a hard time caring what eventually happened. I ended up skimming through much of the book, just to finish it and find out if there was any redeeming value. Just not my cup of tea.
book_nut's review against another edition
5.0
A reread (after many years) for me. And still just as breathtaking as it was when I first read it.
karolinatx's review against another edition
4.0
I've been making up for some gaps in my young adult reading, and Robin McKinley's books seemed a must. I read [b:The Hero and the Crown|77366|The Hero and the Crown (Damar, #2)|Robin McKinley|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170900106s/77366.jpg|2321243] first, knowing that it was written after The Blue Sword, but chronologically first. Having done so, I don't have much advice -- I'm not sure if I did it the right way or not -- this is a similar dilemma as that of reading the Narnia Chronicles (do you read them chronologically or in the order they were written?). Perhaps, ideally, you would do both. In any case, I enjoyed The Blue Sword immensely, but definitely feel that The Hero and the Crown is a better book. The characters seem more solid, the plot is more mature. Regardless, both of these books should be a must on any YA fantasy reader's list. Also recommended are Lloyd Alexander, Madeline L'Engle, and Sabriel by Garth Nix.