| $@%&! level: Low “Bedroom” level: Low (just a sort of hint at the end, really) Violence level: Medium (or possibly medium-high, depending on where you set the fantasy violence filter) Back Cover: “This is the story of Corlath, golden-eyed king of the Free Hillfolk, son of the sons of the Lady Aerin. And this is the story of Harry Crewe, the Homelander orphan girl who become Harimad-sol, King's Rider, and heir to the Blue Sword, Gonturan, that no woman had wielded since the Lady Aerin herself bore it into battle. And this is the song of the kelar of the Hillfolk, the magic of the blood, the weaver of destinies...The Blue Sword.” |
In some ways, this reads like a sequel, but I'm almost sure it isn't. I'm pretty sure the other book in the series is a prequel, but it must have been already mostly formed in Robin McKinley's mind, because she includes a lot of little details from that book. Since they mostly have to do with Luthe (who is a near-immortal magician) and Aerin (who is a woman out of myth and legend, as well as history), it's okay that they remain mostly mysterious for this story. Magicians and legends are supposed to have mysterious pasts and secrets that they never tell, right?
Aside from a certain feeling of kinship with Harry, I think I also like it because Harry manages to grow and change throughout the story, while still remaining essentially herself. It's almost like she always knew who she was and was just waiting for the right environment to properly be who she was. And while she might not get it quite exactly the way she would have chosen, she does get her wish, and a life that makes her and a lot of other people very happy indeed (even aside from the part about still being alive and their own country).
In terms of actual adventures, those are mostly reserved for the ending, because Harry has a lot to learn before she can do what she does. And she spends a lot of the intervening time in a state of frustrated cluelessness, either because no one will tell her anything or because she doesn't understand them. But whether she's having adventures or is just preparing to have them, Harry definitely lives in interesting times. And I personally enjoy watching her learn—and then school everyone else, including Corlath.