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    The Blue Sword
    The Blue Sword
    The Blue Sword
    Audiobook12 hours

    The Blue Sword

    Written by Robin McKinley

    Narrated by Diane Warren

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    From the New York Times bestselling author of Sunshine is the Newberry Award–winning classic novel that had enthralled readers for decades.

    This is the story of Corlath, golden-eyed king of the Free Hillfolk, son of the sons of the Lady Aerin.

    And this is the story of Harry Crewe, the Homelander orphan girl who became Harimand-sol, King’s Raider, and heir to the Blue Sword, Gonturan, that no woman had wielded since Lady Aerin herself bore it into battle.

    And this is the song of the kelar of the Hillfolk, the magic of the blood, the weaver of destinies …

    “This is a zesty, romantic heroic fantasy with an appealing stalwart heroine, a finely realized mythical kingdom, and a grounding in reality that enhances the tale’s verve as a fantasy.”—Booklist
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateJan 18, 2013
    ISBN9781470356415
    The Blue Sword
    Author

    Robin McKinley

    Robin McKinley has won various awards and citations for her writing, including the Newbery Medal for The Hero and the Crown, a Newbery Honor for The Blue Sword, and the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Adult Literature for Sunshine. Her other books include the New York Times bestseller Spindle’s End; two novel-length retellings of the fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, Beauty and Rose Daughter; Deerskin, another novel-length fairy-tale retelling, of Charles Perrault’s Donkeyskin; and a retelling of the Robin Hood legend, The Outlaws of Sherwood. She lives with her husband, the English writer Peter Dickinson; three dogs (two hellhounds and one hell terror); an 1897 Steinway upright; and far too many rosebushes.

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    Reviews for The Blue Sword

    4.5/5

    178 ratings93 reviews

    What did you think?

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      I first read this book when I was in the 6th grade, and I loved it so much I asked the teacher if I could keep it. She said yes, and it still sits proudly on my shelf today, dog-eared but still much loved. Every year or two I take it out and read it again, and every time I find myself as entranced by the people and world that McKinley creates. I have read other books by McKinley, including The Hero and The Crown, but none has captured my imagination quite as well as this does.

      2 people found this helpful

    • 5/5
      I fell in love with The Blue Sword and Beauty as a young child, and they were both favorites of mine while growing up and have read them more times than I can count. To this day they are both still my all-time favorites.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      I loved this book. With all my heart. It starts with a girl who doesn't quite fit, then builds from there. There are demons and heroes and enchanted swords and true love. Also legends and big loving cats and semi-supernatural archers. Did I mention evil? Oh, and kings and proto-British cavalry? And horses from the fever-dreams of Alec Ramsey! Palatial tents. The best kinds of friendship, the kinds which transcend rank and sex and age.

      The plot is classic, the story arc undeniably satisfying, and the writing superb.

      Where was I when this book came out? I wish I'd had it earlier, but I'm glad I have it now. Another for the permanent collection.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      When Harry's father dies, she is sent from her home (an England-like country) to a colonial army outpost on the outskirts of Daria where her brother is stationed. She actually kind of loves the desert and the hills beyond, but they make her feel restless, as well. When the king of the free hillfolk appears at the fort one day, little does Harry know that her entire life is about to change...I've loved this book since I was a teenager, though not as much as I love the prequel, The Hero and the Crown. Harry's journey is written with such a deft hand, and the setting is so beautifully realized, that reading it makes me feel as if I've been there, and I'm always reluctant to leave. If you haven't read these two books, they can be read in any order, and I highly recommend both.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Robin McKinley (along with Tamora Pierce), was one of the first to write very strong female protagonists in fantasy novels. This has been one of my favorites since first discovering Robin McKinley in sixth grade. Harry Crewe is a stubborn, strong, tall, unfeminine orphan who is shipped to the Homeland colony Damar. There she catches the eye of the king of the Hillfolk, not because of her beauty, but because she possesses a certain magical gift that is inherited from the Damarian royal bloodline. Harry is kidnapped by the Damarians and trained into a woman warrior - and falls in love with the Damarians and the king along the way. It is adventure, romance, and a strong, fierce heroine - just what every twelve year old girl loves. Anyone who loves the Tamora Pierce novels will love this as well.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      This was a fun blast from the 1980s fantasy genre: full of long sentences and paragraphs, dense and wordy, with points of view all over the map. Even so, I admired the story and especially the characters, who shine with McKinley’s knack for vivid imagery and wry metaphor. And who doesn’t treasure an author who loves semi-colons as much as I do? Writing styles have changed; I have not read any of McKinley’s current works, but appreciate this flashback to the style that I grew up with. It certainly influenced the writing of many authors (and me, too). It proves the maxim: a good story soars above minor nitpicks. This is a good story, and it soars.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      The Blue Sword is one of my ultimate comfort reads, the rare sort of novel that you first encounter in your teens that only gets better every time you revisit it. Of Robin McKinley's fine body of work, this novel is arguably one of the best, and proves her place as one of the best fantasy authors writing today. A young woman named Harry — short for her hated name, Angharad — has come to the border town of Istan in Damar, a possession of the Homeland crown, as a charity case. Her brother is a subaltern in Her Majesty's army, and when their father died he was left with an entailed estate and an unmarried sister on his hands. Harry is extremely tall and awkward, lacking the beauty that might have made her position easier. Though Lady Amelia and Sir Charles are kindness itself to Harry, her real comfort in her new life is derived from a secret joy in the harsh, beautiful desert. Little does she know that she is about to involuntarily make its acquaintance on much closer terms — and join a desperate attempt to save Damar from the onrush of the demonic Northern army.What a brilliant idea, to model a fantasy world from life during historical British imperialist rule. "Homeland" is very similar to England, and its characters are properly British in their ideas and manners. Damar's desert culture provides a lovely backdrop for the action of the story, and becomes more than that over the course of the story. It is almost a character in its own right, and forms a large part of the characters' motivations. This is definitely a fantasy novel to read for its world-building.The characters are wonderful. Harry is fascinating because she is very observant and stubborn, though she tries to meet the expectations of those around her. Her wry sense of humor makes the events of the story feel believable, and she is a good judge of character. But we also get to see her insecurities and fears, which make her accessible and well rounded. I love the snippets of magic and history that we get, that are later explained in The Hero and the Crown. Corlath is also well written, and of course Tsornin and Mathin and the others all have distinct personalities conveyed well in a few words. McKinley's economy of language is so precise and tight. Every word adds something meaningful to the story, lets us in a little closer to what is happening both externally and within the characters. This isn't always the case with her work — the denouéments of several of her novels are so wildly descriptive and powerful that they are sometimes unclear as to what is actually taking place — but this doesn't happen here. The end of the story is as satisfying as the language in which it is told. And as I was rereading this time, I couldn't help but wish for a really faithful film adaptation of this story. It would be amazing onscreen if it were done well, if the actors could convey all the unspoken undercurrents in the relationships. With its tight plot, compelling characters, authentic cultures, and deft writing, The Blue Sword is a wonderful example of top-notch fantasy writing. It's one of my all-time favorite books, and I can't recommend it highly enough.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      My favorite book ever. I don't even know how many times I've read or listened to it.
    • 5/5
      This is my favorite young adult book of all time. I have read it upwards of 20 times and it never gets old! Her style is so appealing, and the world she creates is very intriguing!
    • 5/5
      Angharad is left an orphan and goes to live in a desert country where she discovers her destiny. Not your ordinary coming of age story.
    • 4/5
      This is an excellent, short fantasy novel. The world it is set in parallels ours very closely, but it is not quite the same as ours. A young lady from 'Home' (England) ends up on a far away island on the edge of a hilly desert region after her parents pass away. She is fostered by a lord and lady there and reunited with her brother. It isn't long before she meets the native inhabitants that live nearby and the story goes on from there. This book is essentially a young-adult fantasy tale, not an epic and is missing all of the judgments of Colonialism, racism or other -isms, it is just a fantasy story about a young girl that becomes a hero. It is well written and enjoyable, though quite predictable. For its intended audience, which would be younger people not quite so jaded by decades of reading fantasy, this could be a lifetime favorite.
    • 3/5
      A noble woman is kidnapped by a strange people but comes to understand and champion them. I had a hard time engaging with Harry because she was so withdrawn; however, I think this was appropriate given the plot. I prefer The Hero and the Crown to this which is a bit more straight forward narrative.
    • 5/5
      When Harry Crewe's parents die, she is forced to accept the hospitality of her military brother's commanding officer and his wife. Charles and Amanda are nothing if not kind and Harry loves them, but she is bored with the rich life and no responsibility. She falls in love with the dry and forbidden Hills of Damar, which call to her adventurous spirit. When she is kidnapped by the mysterious Hill King, Corlath, and treated with all honor, she discovers her destiny through the help of an unrelentingly fair teacher, Mathen, a magnificent horse named Sungold, and a magical blue sword, Gonturan. Harimad, as she is called by the Hillfolk, assumes the uncomfortable responsibility of being a bridge between two worlds.I have lost count of the number of times I have read this novel, one of my "comfort" books. I must read it at least once every few years and I bought it in high school over 25 years ago. I love the world of Damar with its magic and honor, horses and noble characters. I love the adventure and the romance, the old-sounding language, the Kings and Queens who are just and good, caring and living among their people. My favorite setting in the story is Luthe's woodland, which I picture as an ancient aspen grove. Sometimes, I want to be Harimad, swept into an adventure in a new land, given a magnificent horse and taught to reid without bridle or stirrups, physically and spiritually challenged to overcome fears and to leanr my own destiny. I would not want to go to war, though, as Hari did! (I wrote this on 6/12/2005.)
    • 3/5
      I'm just partway into this book, and am enjoying it but for one comment from a friend of mine, who pointed out that it's unfortunate that the white girl has to rescue the minority people here. Food for thought.
    • 4/5
      This Newbery Honor Book should appeal to most fantasy lovers and especially to young adults. The characters are interesting and well developed, the mythical kingdom presented in a way that the reader comes to see it as “real” with a history and a presence. Maps would have been useful to help follow the action, but the descriptions were so well done that I could nearly see the map in my head. The heroine of the story must learn “from scratch” about this kingdom and in the process we get to know it very well. I liked it well enough to want to read the prequel, The Hero and the Crown. As a YA book I highly recommend it and give it 4 stars.
    • 3/5
      I wish I loved this, but I don't. I love Robin Mickinley's stuff don't get me wrong, but this was not enough on the right side of good that I could enjoy.

      So Harry, who seems cool, interesting spunky character gets kidnapped and thrown in to the world of Hill-folk & its master Corlath. (Corlath seems hunky when he flashes his golden eyes..)
      She takes this a bit too easily. No struggles, just 'OK, yeah cool, I've been kidnapped, must stay stoic...oh I love this place...yeah Im great at dealing with this stuff...wow...'yeah..
      There is not realistic growth, she just seems to swim perfectly into the mold that is expected of her from a prophecy via kelar and float until suddenly whoom she fells some mountains and beats a giant army easy peasy (after all that bloodshed..) Totally fine with that -_-

      The whole story was so solemn, though I loved the descriptions and customs and reading about her experiences in the new world, I couldn't really connect with anything. McKinley seems like she was delving deep into the world of Hill-folk and showing how much Harry absorbed but it felt like we were just skimming the surface.

      I enjoyed the characters until she got kidnapped then somehow everyone was behind this glass wall I couldn't touch, acting on their best behaviour, even their outbursts too solemn to be taken seriously.

      That romance, where the HECK was that romance? It was like the elephant in the room, no scrap that, the elephant that ran away leaving a hole in the wall T_T
      I almost flew through the chapters trying to get a glimpse of more than the overly subtle barely there hints that they MIGHT have feelings for each other. And then wham bam they declare their SOLEMN feelings for each other in front of everybody. Ugh the proposal...was..SOOO...solemn.
      I'm overusing that word -_-

      I liked Jack. Yep Jack was a cool guy. Btw the brother was pretty non existent. But when he did appear he suddenly did a 180 turn no hard feelings. Everyone was totes on her side, no questions asked.

      I think there are great aspects to this books, it had potential to be written better.
      Overall didn't leave me satisfied.
      3.5/5 for me.
    • 3/5
      A noble woman is kidnapped by a strange people but comes to understand and champion them. I had a hard time engaging with Harry because she was so withdrawn; however, I think this was appropriate given the plot. I prefer The Hero and the Crown to this which is a bit more straight forward narrative.
    • 4/5
      Harry Crewe is uprooted from her birth home and transplanted to the desert, where she finds a strange kinship with the natives. When she is kidnapped, she becomes one of them.This is a book I remember from my own youth with a great deal of fondness. Harry is a strong heroine, tough and feisty. It lives up to all my recollections of it. My only criticisms are of the long ecological and political descriptions (a la Dune!). Also very strange is Harry’s quiet acceptance of being kidnapped explained weakly by “fate” or kelar. The romance is understated and very well-done.
    • 5/5
      A coming-of-age story, a tale of discovery, a romance -- Robin McKinley's fantasy has become a classic, a story every girl and woman can read and enjoy. She takes many of the elements of fantasy -- the child with the strange, unknown heritage; the dashing desert prince; a magical education; swordplay; and the runaway who saves the world -- and binds them into a tale that can be read over and over again. Harry Crewe isn't perfect, but she has spirit and curiosity and determination. Corlath is reckless, a bit xenophobic, and sometimes even petty, but his heart is in the right place. The two together become the only hope for lasting peace. Despite the fact that The Hero and the Crown is the prequel to this book, read this book first. There are elements in The Blue Sword that should be introduced to the reader in that volume; otherwise, much of the mystery of the story falls a bit flat.
    • 4/5
      One of the blurbs on the book calls it the first in a series about the land of Damar; unfortunately, so far (more than 20 years later) it's a series of two. I'd love more. The Blue Sword is romantic adventure with the McKinley patented wry twist - exciting, great fun, and very grounded.
    • 4/5
      A childhood favorite. A young woman finds magic, adventure and romance in a magical mountain kingdom.I wish she’d write more books in this universe. Daria is basically Afghanistan at the time of the Raj. Quazi Britain to the south and demons (sorry Russia) to the north.It’s a wonderfully realized world. Full of layers of texture and a sense of historical depth.And Angahard, or Harry as she prefers to be called, is a wonderfully restless girl dream. As a girl, I wanted to steal away. Be given a beautiful horse like sunlight. Discover magic in my heritage. Duel on horseback. Have an adventure. Have this adventure in this place.But really, reading it in a book is so much tidier and less dusty.
    • 5/5
      Outlander Harry Crewe, new to their newly colonized homestead in Damar, feels a connection to the deserts beyond her new home…a connection that she doesn’t understand until she meets—and is taken by—the Damarian king, Corlath. For Harry is part of a prophecy that tells of a female warrior’s destiny to save Damar from their enemies. In doing so, Harry becomes a part of a culture that’s strange and mysteriously familiar at the same time, and cannot even begin to comprehend the extent to which her legacy will be imprinted on Damarian history.Well, they don’t really write high fantasy as they used to, now do they? There has to be a reason that Robin McKinley’s THE BLUE SWORD, first published in the 1980s, is still being widely read and adored, and that is because it is arguably the absolute best in its genre, an unmatched blend of strong characters, political intrigue, and quite simply the best damn fantasy world ever imagined and written.It’s a little strange for me to read THE BLUE SWORD for the first time, nearly ten years after I picked up The Hero and the Crown and read it to pieces for about four years straight, it having been my favorite book in middle school. THE BLUE SWORD was written before The Hero and the Crown. I can hardly wrap my mind around that! The depiction of the Damarian landscape is incredible: ranging from endless red deserts to the hidden valleys and villages within the mountains. Robin McKinley’s language is not quite lyrical, per se, but there is a certain hypnotic rhythm that her descriptions possess. That, combined with the scope of the worldbuilding—the politics, myths, fashions, traditions, everyday duties—is entrancing. McKinley inspires awe in readers.Harry, of course, serves for many as the blueprint of the admirable fantasy heroine. True, at times it feels like the mysterious magic of Damar is carrying her along, instead of her leading it. But her magnanimity, her determination to succeed even as she does not completely understand what’s happening to her, is inarguably admirable. Corlath’s appeal, I think, comes less from his specific characteristics, and more from his inexplicable status as the archetypal complement to Harry’s heroine role. However little or much we perceive of Harry and Corlath’s personalities, beliefs, or desires, however, they are a pair for whom we feel absolute sympathy.I have little more to say because I feel like this is one of those instances where the more I try to examine what made this book move me so, the less impressed I will be by it. So I’ll just say that the scope of what it accomplishes is unparalleled, and if you read it at the right stage of life—say, on the brink of adolescence, just when you’re searching for a role model—then THE BLUE SWORD will undoubtedly become your bible of sorts.
    • 5/5
      This is a little different than Robin McKinley's typical fairy tale rewrites, but in my opinion much more captivating and enjoyable. McKinley easily creates a world that you want to join. The first couple of chapters can be a bit slow, but if you hang in there, I promise you won't regret it. There is plenty of action, wonderful characters, and a love story that isn't overdone or cliche.
    • 5/5
      [Re-read 2013]

      Things I discovered re-reading this beloved favorite of my childhood:

      I really love Harry and she is a much more distinctive and specific character than I remembered (my recollection had been of her being more of a cipher/everywoman but that must have been just part of the way I read this as a kid)

      She lives in a world where they celebrate Christmas (there is a reference to Richard's letters sent Home at Christmas). And she compares something to a "mark of Cain" at one point. I had completely missed this, or forgotten it.

      There is not a lot that actually *happens* (externally) in this book (compared to The Hero and the Crown, for example) yet I was still absorbed by Harry's internal struggles as she finds her place between two worlds, all the details of Damarian life, and just spending time with the characters.
    • 4/5
      After moving to a remote corner of the Homelander empire after her father dies, Angharad, known as Harry, is surprised to find that she, an outlander, loves the harsh desert. However, when she is taken by the mysterious Hill king, she finds that her destiny lies in the Hills and that the fate of her adopted country lies with her. McKinley’s epic fantasy is set in a richly imagined world, with both detail and suspense. Neither the romance between Harry and the Hill king nor the war again the demon Northerners lose anything by being less explicit than many current dystopian novels, making The Blue Sword appropriate for strong readers in younger grades and for teen readers looking for adventure without graphic sex or blood. Social commentary on colonialism runs throughout the book, but does not disturb the narrative. Readers will be pleased to find that there is a prequel in the form of The Hero and the Crown. As one of the early fantasy heroines, Harry has survived the test of time, even if the tone of her story seems to have gentled over the years.
    • 4/5
      Years ago, I came across this book in my middle school library. By the time I got around to re-reading, most of the details had escaped me, but rediscovering the story of Harry and Corlath and the Hills of Damar was a wonderful journey. Nowadays, I can be a bit of a cynic when it comes to point-of-view and technical nuances, but all the same, I came away with no criticism, only the satisfaction of having entered into a tale well told.

      Sweeping imagery. Wry commentary. Horses and languages and sashes.
    • 4/5
      Kinda fizzled at the end, but a pretty decent read.
    • 5/5
      Slow and boring at start, but rest of book very interesting and well-written.
    • 5/5
      One of my absolute favorite books of all time. Almost reads like a British novel of 1800s India crossed with high fantasy. Witty , intelligent, heartfelt, pulse pounding and utterly engrossing. A coming of age story with a marvelous, strong-willed heroine who doesn't fit into the world she was born in.
    • 3/5
      Harry's father dies and she is sent to Daria. Once in Daria she begins to love the country although she does find herself a bit bored. Then she is abducted by the local king and grows to become a strong commander and legend in her own right.

      I finished this book last night and it was completely amazing. This is another book that I wasn't sure what to think about because I had heard that a lot of people weren't happy when it was awarded the Newberry and I think I understand why but I really wish people would give it a second chance. This book is very much high fantasy with a very complicated created world that does McKinley credit. If you aren't a fantasy fan, this could also be a huge turn off.