Damar Books

The Blue Sword ****
by Robin McKinley
Book Type: Fantasy
Summary: Harry Crewe is an orphan girl who comes to live in Damar, the desert country shared by the homelanders and the secretive, magical Free Hillfolk. When Corlath, the Hillfolk King, sees her for the first time, he is shaken-for he can tell that she is something more than she appears to be. He will soon realize what Harry has never guessed: She is to become Harimad-sol, King's Rider, and carry the Blue Sword, Gunturan, which no woman has wielded since the legendary Aerin, generations past. . . .
My Review: I really enjoyed this book. It's fairly fast paced, a lot happens in a short amount of time. I love books that have a strong female lead. I don't know what it is, it's kind of empowering. This is definitely a book about girl power! :) This girl just thinks of herself as awkward, gangly, unattractive, and different. When she finds herself in a new world that she knows nothing of she takes it in stride. She cries once and accepts her circumstances, never complaining, never trying to fight her destiny. She becomes incredibly powerful in a short time and is able to save the people she loves in a feat she didn't know she was capable of. It's a beautifully created world full of mystery, legend, and magic.

The Hero and the Crown ****

by Robin McKinley
Book Type: Fantasy
Summary: Robin McKinley's mesmerizing history of Damar is the stuff that legends are made of. The Hero and the Crown is a dazzling "prequel" to The Blue Sword.

Aerin is the only child of the king of Damar, and should be his rightful heir. But she is also the daughter of a witchwoman of the North, who died when she was born, and the Damarians cannot trust her.

But Aerin's destiny is greater than her father's people know, for it leads her to battle with Maur, the Black Dragon, and into the wilder Damarian Hills, where she meets the wizard Luthe. It is he who at last tells her the truth about her mother, and he also gives over to her hand the Blue Sword, Gonturan. But such gifts as these bear a great price, a price Aerin only begins to realize when she faces the evil mage, Agsded, who has seized the Hero's Crown, greatest treasure and secret strength of Damar.

summary found on goodreads
My Review: This book is as great as the first one. For all of the same reasons! Haha, it's a powerful female lead who feels that she is an outcast and turns out to be incredible! Aerin changes the world just by doing what she knows is right. Plus she is a dragon-killer, how cool is that? Most people who fight dragons need a lot of people to help fight, but Aerin does it all by herself. She is strong, determined, and honestly-cool. :) The only thing I didn't like about this book is that she randomly has sex with one of the other characters, there aren't any details or anything... But it just kind of bothered me that it was thrown in there. It doesn't add to the story at all. But whatever, it's still a really great book!