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4.14 AVERAGE
4.14 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was on track to being five stars, until the second half of the book just veered way out there.
I'm hoping that ham handed second half was written in to explain stuff from The Blue Sword, otherwise I'll be even more disappointed.
Spoiler
After building up to be a classic "awkward unpopular girl grows up and wins admiration and respect through bravery and heroic deeds" tale for 100 pages, suddenly in part 2 all is abandoned and this became a weirder "awkward girl goes on metaphysical journey to discover her true destiny and falls in love with someone we've never seen before".I'm hoping that ham handed second half was written in to explain stuff from The Blue Sword, otherwise I'll be even more disappointed.
Hero's Journey with female protagonist. Inevitably, the power structure in the book remains a patriarchal monarchy in spite of the feats of the female heroine. But then, this is a common feature of fantasy. Otherwise, the book is engrossing and is a cut above the rest.
Went out of my usual reading preferences and sadly not too surprised that I didn't find it as good as others have. This was definitely not a bad story, just not to my liking. As expected the writing and the story are both good just not great, once again, to me anyway. McKinley remains a great author, I'll just be more picky in the future as to which ones I read.
rc from NetGalley
rc from NetGalley
I bought 'The Hero and the Crown' to read on our beach trip this summer. I fell in love with it and thought it was great...until the last 3/4. Maybe it was the beach cocktails but it got very confusing for me. So her "great battle" with her uncle took her years, okay. Then her new boyfriend has to take her back to the current time to help fight the evil Northerners. Soooo, why didn't he take her back to the beginning of the fight, to save her dad? And why didn't boyfriend go fight Uncle with her instead of her doing it alone? He seemed to talk smack about Tor, but no doubt Tor would have helped wage battle with her against her uncle, while boyfriend was too scared!
The last couple of chapters wrapped it up okay. But there was definitely a section in the middle that seemed to be a different book.
The last couple of chapters wrapped it up okay. But there was definitely a section in the middle that seemed to be a different book.
This must be the third or fourth time I've read this book but it's been a while and I'd forgotten how brilliant it really is.
I really enjoyed it. I read it as #2 was on a book list I came across. Waiting now for #2 from the library.
So I've been meaning to read this book for, I'm not kidding, 10 years.
I read The Blue Sword back then and it has remained a favorite of mine since. This story, like that one, reads like legend, heavy with fantasy troped and bold, memorable characters.
My only small complaints are the pacing at the beginning and the ease of magic in yhe world (not that people don't work and struggle, but endings are often ring with the inevitability of fate, not of that strength).
I read The Blue Sword back then and it has remained a favorite of mine since. This story, like that one, reads like legend, heavy with fantasy troped and bold, memorable characters.
My only small complaints are the pacing at the beginning and the ease of magic in yhe world (not that people don't work and struggle, but endings are often ring with the inevitability of fate, not of that strength).