The Hero and the Crown

By: Robin McKinley

Narrated by: Roslyn Alexander

Length: 10 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's Summary

Uncertain of the past, Aerin-sol, daughter of King Arlbeth, decides to forge her own future by challenging the lashing tongues of the dragon’s fire. Aerin’s proficiency as "the Dragon-slayer" sets her on a quest for the stolen Crown of Damar, believed to be in the hands of rebellious northerners who threaten to destroy the Damarian people and their home forever.

©1984 Robin McKinley (P)1992 Recorded Books

Second only to Blue Sword

The prequel to Blue Sword, it matters not which book you read first. The story is fabulous, and the readers of both books do a wonderful job. I had been requesting these books from Audible for years as they were only available from the publisher at about $80 or so. I finally broke down and purchased Blue Sword a couple of years ago, and was about to buy this book too when Audible released it! Thanks a million! These two books can be listened to again and again.

15 of 15 people found this review helpful

hello old friend

Any additional comments?

the hero and the crown is an old favorite of mine from my child hood, along with redwall and a wrinkle in time. i was over joyed to find it in this digital form and even happier that it was the same recording i'd grown up with. on the whole Robin Mckinley is a hit or miss writer her books are ether really good or just ma, hero and the crown and it's sequel blue sward are definitely hits and examples of some of her best work

6 of 7 people found this review helpful

This is one of my favorite fantasy stories!

Strong female protagonist. Decent world-building. Exciting plot. Some romance. It is well worth listening to!

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Love this story. Not a fan of the narrator .

Loved this story for years. Just listened to it for the first time and had a hard time staying with it. The narrator's voice kept pulling me out of the story, She didn't sound like a young woman. The protagonist starts out at 18, goes to about 15 then up to 20. There's a creaky quality to the performers voice that his r wasn't suited for this story.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

longtime favorite

Any additional comments?

I've had a paperback copy of this since the 80's. I love this book - it's the sort you can re-read and revisit. I was excited to see it in audible format - because hearing the book often gives a different perspective.I'm not sure I would have chosen the narrator. She was great - but didn't quite match the story. Aerin is a young woman and the narrator is an adult. I think I would have preferred a younger voice to match the protagonist.Again, the narrator did a lovely job - but I had a little disconnect between the voice and the tale. I'd still recommend the book - in any format - to lovers of fairy tales.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

a favorite read

the hero and the crown is the prequel to The blue sword two of them together make up some of my favorite books. I like the storyline I like the character I like the way she uses language and the way the book is written the conflict the struggles which end with both victory and loss

inspiring and transporting words

this story is so wonderful you wonder at why it wasn't a movie. but perhaps this story left better served by being kept out of Hollywood's hands

Disjointed

I sort of struggled to finish this. I've been looking for fantasy novels with female protagonists. While this one fits the bill I didn't grow any sort of attachment to the characters or interest in the plot. Things felt disjointed and I couldn't tell why anyone was doing the things they were doing or what their intentions where. This made it hard to follow or stay interested in what was happening.

Excellent!

One of my favorite novels. A beautifully woven tale of struggle, stubbornness, and survival, read by a fantastic narrator. The dreamlike quality of the novel is well complimented by the narrator's voice. I highly recommend this novel if you enjoy fantasy, heroines, and unusual tales.

This Newbery Award Winner is Timeless...

This has long been my favorite book. The story is Timeless. Robin McKinley deserved her award. You will enjoy this book no matter your age. I love the fact that the hero is a heroine!