The Hero and Crown by Robin McKinley

from goodreads

2 stars

The sun is finally out and the snow is starting to vanish. I can actually see grass, and mud, in my backyard and I am pretty sure I can also see the shoots of some bulbs peaking their heads up and out of the dirt. Every time I look into the yard I envision my kids playing harmoniously outside, my little one not eating dirt or grass at all and me lazing in my hammock with my book, reading in peace.

I know, I know. That is just a crazy fantasy. I don't even have a hammock yet. But sometimes it is the crazy fantasies that help keep you going.

Synopsis

Aerin is the daughter of King Albreth of Damar. Her mother was from the north (that's where all the crazies live) and died during childbirth. The court of Damar and the residents don't know what to make of Aerin and don't quite trust her as she is a "witch's child". Aerin seems to make the best of a crazy situation and becomes a great swordswoman and dragon hunter. This leads her to an even greater adventure, finding the lost crown.

My Thoughts

To the people who decide who wins a Newbery Award. What were you thinking exactly. Can you clue me in, because I don't quite get it. I really didn't like this book. And I know that just because I don't like a book doesn't mean it can't win an award. But this book was so awkward to read. I felt like I had to reread every paragraph. I was constantly getting lost and not quite sure what was happening. And then Aerin goes on a crazy big adventure and it seems like it is over before it begins. Or, she is one way and then the next paragraph, boom she is different. I had no idea how it happened. (I know this is vague, I just don't want to give away too much of the story incase you want to read it.) I also found that the story line in the first half jumped around a lot. One minute we are in one timeframe, the next we are in a completely different timeframe. It would have been nice to get the memo. Because of this it was really hard to get into the story. And if I read one more description of someone doing something "as a lover" would do I am going to go crazy. This is a kids book after all.

I also had a problem with the weird love triangle near the end. Does she really love the person she ends up with or is she just biding her time until he is dead so she can get with the other guy. It is really weird and I don't know how I should feel about it.

That being said, the world that McKinley thought of was very interesting. I would love to know more about it. The ideas of different Sols i.e. levels within the aristocracy is very interesting. As well, I would like to know more about the Mages. She does a good job of introducing you to the world but doesn't do a good job of explaining how it came to be. Perhaps I need to read The Blue Sword for that. I don't know.

I looked on goodreads just to see what other people thought of the book and rated the book. I was surprised that most people rated it a 4 or 5. I guess choppy writing and crazy timeline jumps don't bother most people. So, you might still like it. Perhaps kids would like it more. The book is probably aimed at aged 10 and up.

The only reason why I finished it was for a church book club and I felt obligated. I would have shelved it long ago. For not a very long book it took me over a week to finish it, mainly because I had to reread sections so much.