The Blue Sword, my favorite novel for many years running. I first discovered this book hiding amongst it peers, a treasure waiting to be found. The cover art had caught my attention – several horses thundering through a desert, the people on their backs clad in bright colors and carrying swords. As a horse enthusiast and lover of adventure, I couldn’t help but pick up the paperback and flip it over to read the description.
I was immediately swept into the Damarian land; a harsh desert where the residents either love or hate their surroundings. To the immigrants, the native Hillfolk are a mystery and they are content to leave it that way. However, with the threat of war, the young protagonist, Harry Crewe, is about to form a bridge between the two in a surprising and most unexpected way.
Robin McKinley spins a wondrous story: a new world, a new language, a new culture, grand horses, an epic battle between good and evil, folk stories, trials, success, and friendship. I have read this novel several times over and will be happy to pick it up and read it again when the details become blurred once more.
