- Author: Robin McKinley
- ISBN: 9780441013050
- Genre: Fantasy
I purchased this book in an attempt to collect all of Robin McKinley’s books.
Robin McKinley is one of those Fantasy authors who I’ve never heard anything negative about her writing. When I found out that she wrote several fairy tale retellings, I began trying to find all of them. While this isn’t a retelling, it’s still Fantasy, so I bought it along with the second book, The Blue Sword.
I would have finished The Hero and the Crown in a single day if I had started it earlier. I tried to finish it before I went to bed, but by 4 am, I couldn’t keep my eyes focused on the page anymore. So, I finished it the next day. The only part of the story I didn’t care for was the romance. I know the two characters involved had spent a lot of time together by the time they fell in love, but it didn’t feel that way. Perhaps that’s because I read the book so quickly, or maybe it’s because that part of the story didn’t take up a lot of pages. Regardless, I would have preferred them to just be close friends. That’s how I feel about a lot of fictional relationships, though, especially if the romance isn’t necessary to the plot. Why is it that every time there happens to be both a male and female character in a book they have to fall in love with each other?
Putting the romance issue aside, I absolutely loved this book. There is a significant part involving the main character, Aerin, and her relationship with her horse that I thought would bore me because I’ve never had any real interest in horse stories. Surprisingly, that was one of the most engrossing parts of the story. In other words, Robin McKinley succeeded in making me care about a horse, when up to this point in my life, the only horses I’ve liked are My Little Ponies. So, if you happen to love horses, Robin McKinley, quest narratives, or High Fantasy, take a lazy day during the weekend (but start earlyish) to read The Hero and the Crown.
#COYER Scavenger Hunt #40: Read a book with a strong female protagonist.