Shelly's Book Blog

The Hero and the Crown, by Robin McKinley, won the Newbery Medal in 1985. It is a prequel to The Blue Sword .
This is truly fantasy fiction at its best. I've read a few of McKinely's other books (Beauty: a Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast, and Spindle's End), so I knew to expect imaginative, richly detailed prose, as well as a compelling story. I was not disappointed. One thing I really enjoyed about this story was that the protagonist is a strong woman -- yes, the "hero" of the title is a woman. It was also hugely gratifying to see the small-minded characters in this story shown a thing or two by this courageous, determined, and gifted outsider whom they had shunned for years.

This is long and complex story, though, and I would only recommend it to avid fantasy fans. Renaissance Learning pegs it at Reading Level 7.0 and 15 points, so it's a good book for skilled readers who are looking for something challenging.