You know what’s the sign of a true hero? When at the peak of pain he faints… and does not wake up in a bed of clean white linen in a peaceful room where he slept deeply for the last three days. (Not even the likes of Frodo and Harry were immune to this easy escape) You recognise a true hero when he wakes up, his ankle is still broken, he’s still in a pool of mud and he manages to get himself out of that mess. With this in mind, I have nothing but r.e.s.p.e.c.t. for the heroine of The Hero and the Crown.
This is the story of Aerin, princess of Damar. Her mother was the king’s second wife, said to be a witch who won his heart through magic. It is also said that she died of despair when her child turned out to be a girl. Her father is kind but strangely ineffective against the (not so) veiled attacks from the rest of the royal family and the rumours spread by the people of Damar. As if that’s not enough, Aerin’s own magic (her birthright as royalty), is either embarrassingly late or completely missing. She’s out-of-place and disregarded, but consoles herself by making friends with her father’s injured horse and experimenting with the magical potions found in an obscure book.
If you’re a regular fantasy reader, you’ll recognize this plot as the proverbial story of the ignored and ill-used child who turns out to have rare powers and who, by a series of adventures, saves the kingdom. Not very ground-breaking apart from having a girl/woman as the action hero. I was actually hoping that Aerin had no powers at all but still saved the day using the knowledge she took from her books. But alas, it was not to be. There was also an incredible amount of sorrow throughout the whole book, mixed with lots of physical pain. Aerin is not a character who tries to see the bright side, she doesn’t laugh at herself or uses wit as a weapon. There’s deepness and darkness about her, even in the midst of victory. I’m sure this will hit a cord with many people, but it only made me distance myself from her. I prefer my heroines bright-eyed and tongue-in-cheek.
In the end, I felt the same about this book, as I did about The Wizard of Earthsea: I wish I had read it when I was an awkward pre-teen. Now I found it only kind of… Meh. Still, I would definitely recommend it to a child of mine, especially a daughter. In an age of passive Bella Swans, girls need all the kick-ass female heroines they can get.
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August 18, 2010 at 7:49 pm
Nymeth
I’ve yet to read this, but I’m sad to hear you felt meh about Le Guin. I began to read her as an adult and I still completely fell in love with her work. I do agree that sometimes you miss that specific window of opportunity to really experience what a book has to offer, though.
August 19, 2010 at 7:39 pm
Alex
Did you start with the Earthsea series? I will probably appreciate more her books for adults.
August 18, 2010 at 11:13 pm
Teresa C
This is very YA, in a good sense – I was lucky to be a teen when I read Earthsea and others like Lloyd Alexander. But it is not my favorite of her books either. Beauty might work better, I think it is the book of hers which charmed me totally ( though charm is very subjective). And I want to reread Deerskin, which is quite dark – it includes mental healing through dogs which might not be everybody´s cup of tea, but which I strongly believe possible.
I think you might like some of her more recent books more.
August 19, 2010 at 7:43 pm
Alex
Yeah, I’ve heard about Beauty and might give it another try. I guess I prefer my YA less… YA.
August 19, 2010 at 10:33 pm
Teresa C
I know exactly what you mean – I read Lloyd Alexander´s Westmark series as an adult, after reading Megan Whalen Turner and it was so so so YA; too much so.
You got to read Frances Hardinge. Drat it, I saw S today I could push a book on her for her to bring you, but I am not going to see her before you do now.
And Beauty is nice, but not sure if it would be the one I would recommend if you are going to try another Mckinley ( which I hope you do). Maybe one of the newer ones : a sort of gritty realistic raising-your-own-dragon story ( constant feedings and crying. As tough as a kid or tougher) or Chalice which is very charming and McKillip-esque.
August 19, 2010 at 11:00 pm
Alex
Anything along the lines of Summer at Castle Auburn, send it my way!
August 19, 2010 at 11:17 pm
Teresa C
No no, Hardinge is nothing like Summers at Castle Auburn ( though maybe McKinley´s Chalice might be a bit, a bit I Capture the Castle as well). Hardinge is much darker, more sarcastic, and just much darker. But very good – well two of her books are very good, avoid VerdigrisDeep (also known as Well Witched).
Would love to send it, but can not see S before she leaves! I will hold the loan offer as hostage until Christmas dinner/lunch !
June 5, 2013 at 6:10 pm
The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley | Tales of the Marvelous
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