The Hero and the Crown :: Education by Design Store

Customer Reviews

The Hero & The Crown - Excellent Book

2008-04-05
I first read this book when I was about 12 years old and as a young girl was captivated. I could relate to Aerins feeling of being the black sheep and her rise from being the unwanted sol to the hero of the story was a fairy tale I could make my own. I loved the book so much that over the years I read it over and over and never let go of it from move after move, from my first marriage, to my first house, through my divorce and coming into my own, 4 children and finally meeting my own Luthe. Sometimes many years passed before I picked it up and read it again. I am now 33 and my copy is old and torn and ragged, the cover nearly torn away, but I wouldn't give it up for anything. I don't know what made me look online to see if I could find a new copy, for in my heart I thought mine was the only copy in the world - it is that valuable to me. But when I found it was there, I was delighted and had to instantly buy it and the sequel, which I was surprised to learn of. I have 2 daughters now, 14 & 13; and I have encouraged them each to read the book. I will not make them, for when they finally pick it up I want them to experience the same deep love of a story of a girl who becomes a woman and feel all of the sorrow, tribulation, triumph and

A Favorite

2008-03-20
My absolute favorite McKinley novel. It has everything a fantasy should have in it: magic, dragons, an unlikely heroin, romance, danger, revenge, coming-of-age, good overcoming evil, *sigh*. I loved this book, despite moments of unexplained magic when I really didn't know what was going on.

beautiful and haunting

2008-03-01
This book is for someone who likes beautiful, lyrical prose and deep character development. Several moments in this book, especially the battle with Maur and the psychological battle with his skull, pull you into the action. I could hear the crashes and grating bone as Aerin and Tor painfully roll the skull out of the castle. One of the strongest themes in this novel is the idea of beauty and courage meeting loss and sacrifice. This mix impresses a haunting, bitterweet sadness on the reader as they finish the last line, as Aerin stays with Tor, and leaves immortality and love behind for a time.

I recommend this book for people who want to be swept away into a vibrant world of pain, beauty, and honor for a little while.

For older readers: If you like fantasy, check out Guy Gavriel Kay's The Lions of Al-Rassan.

Amazing Enrapturing

2008-02-27
Once you read this book you will never get it out of your head. I read it back in elementary school from the library and years later searched out the title because I kept thinking about it and wanting to read it again. This is one of the most beautiful pieces of fantasy you will find. I would also highly recommendThe Blue Sword which takes place in the same world though much later.

/the Hero and the Crown

2008-02-16
I loved this book when I read it years ago. It is now the third time I have bought it for friends.

It Was A Pleasure To Do Business With:

2008-02-10

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.

Dev's Assignment

2008-02-08
Arien is the orange hair princess who is the daughter of a witch who enspelled the king into marrying her. Arien felt invisible to most people in the City. One day Arien made something yellow that was fireproof to regular fire and dragonfire. After that Arien decided to kill dragons in every town whenever she had time.

I would recomend this book because it has alot of dragons.

Aerin eats a funny plant

2008-02-06
I LOVED THIS BOOK! Robin Mckinley really knows how to tell a great story. You must read this and then go right on into Blue Sword (a new favorite of mine). This book and Blue Sword are the kind of books you just want to read over and over again. One doesn't like to abandon the beautiful and very real feeling stories.

truly great read

2007-11-18
This book is really good,a wonderful way to pass a rainy day or two.Along with "The Blue Sword" they are twice as nice!

True love + action

2007-10-28
This is one of the most beautiful books I've ever read, and I find myself continuously reading it, over and over again. In high school, I read it because Aerin was the misfit who became the hero; she was what I wanted to be. She had adventures and an amazing life, even though no one thought she would--which is, basically, what every teen wants to believe. When I was in college, I read it because it was action packed--dragon fights and battles with monsters, and everything exciting that studying ancient, dusty volumes of ancient, dusty literature wasn't. Now that I'm 26, I read THE HERO AND THE CROWN because of the love. There IS a love story here, and although it is isn't central to the plot and most people are more for the action/adventure, it's the love story that engrosses me...and the idea that true love sometimes has to be forgotten for the greater good...and that true love can never fully be forgotten.

Basically, this book is beautiful and wonderful for anyone, at any age. You will read it over and over again, too.