The Hero and The Crown - 5 stars!

     The Hero and The Crown is one of many amazing stories Robin McKinley has written, and is my favorite of her books. It is set in Damar, a country not unlike medival Europe, and follows the journey of Aerin, the eighteen-year-old first-sol of Damar.

     Aerin is the only child of Damar's king, but because her mother was a witchwoman from the North, the palace folk distrust her. Her only real friends are her cousin Tor, her nurse-maid, Teka, and her father's lamed war stallion, Talat. But she rises beyond everything Damar expects of her when she slays the Black Dragon Maur and brings the Hero's Crown back to Damar in time to save her country from destruction. 

     Aerin is a memorable character, a stubborn and sometimes awkward girl who grows up to become a stubborn and sometimes awkward young woman. She is loyal to those she loves, but prefers to hide from trouble rather than face it, a trait that I can only sympathize with. From her fiery red hair to her surprising discovery of a fireproof ointment called kenet, Aerin proves herself to be resourceful when she must be, and more determined that anyone gives her credit for. In Aerin Robin McKinley has crafted a unique and memorable heroine, and that's the most we can ask for.

     In The Hero and The Crown, McKinley writes a captivating story in a very down-to-earth style that is distinctly her own. Her characters are well-crafted and well-written, from Aerin and Tor to Aerin's childhood enemy Galanna and the mysterious mage Luthe. The story was full of vivid detail and feeling, and McKinley put in plenty of surprising plot twists that sprinkle most of her writing: surprises that are interesting, magical, and at the same time very human.

     In my opinion, The Hero and the Crown is a good book on every level. It had memorable and multi-dimensional characters, an amazingly detailed world, and a well-crafted story. The narrative never dragged, despite several chapters of flashback into Aerin's childhood - that part of the story fit in smoothly with the rest. I would recommend The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley to fantasy readers of all ages. 

Link to author website: http://www.robinmckinley.com/