Now, we all know that McKinley is one of my favourite fantasy authors. It has to be her great characters and storytelling ability. You identify with and are interested in her characters. You want to know what happens to them. You are pulled in to their story.
The story of The Blue Sword is a sort-of sequel to The Hero and the Crown. I say sequel because the book occurs in the same land and among the same people as The Hero and the Crown. Indeed, Aerin (the heroine of The Hero and the Crown) makes an appearance in this book. I say sort-of because the book takes place many years after Aerin's adventures.
The book begins with Harry Crewe's (short for Angharad) arrival in Daria at the fort where her brother is stationed with the army. Harry's father has just died and she is now an orphan. She has nowhere to go except to be with her brother and the lead diplomat, Sir Charles, of the new Homelander colony of Daria, is kind enough to take her in. Harry does not miss Home, and comes to love the harsh, desert-like surroundings of her new home.
However, there is trouble in Daria. The people of the North are trying to push over the hills and into the province. The original inhabitants of Daria, the Hillfolk, are trying to push them back with all their might, both magical and military. Their King, Corlath, comes to the fort to ask for the army's assistance. He is refused, but sees Harry. There is magic afoot, and Corlath knows that Harry is the key to something bigger. Harry must come live with the Hillfolk and learn their ways. Her presence is essential to halting the North.
I really love this book. I love the quiet stubbornness of Harry and her practical realism. I love the intertwining of magic with colonialism: Harry's homeland of Home sounds nothing more like Victorian England, and Daria as one of it's colonies. Yet the people of these colonies have magic, and ride fabulous horses, and live in tents. I enjoy Harry's journey. Everything is new to her and so we experience it for the first time too. It is neat to check back in with the people of Daria and see what changes have happened since Aerin's time, and hear the myths that have grown up about the events that occurred in The Hero and the Crown.
This is a great fantasy read for anyone who loves horses, swordplay, the desert, and magic. Further, it is just a great story. That is what pulls me into a novel is the great story. This story happens to be fantasy, but it is a great story nonetheless. I highly recommend this book - it is very enjoyable and an excellent read.
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