A review by tjwallace04
The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley

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!