The Hero and the Crown
Although she is the daughter of Damar's king, Aerin was never fully accepted as royalty. People would whisper the story of her mother, the witch-woman, who they said charmed the king into marrying her, and Aerin turned into an awkward young woman, persecuted by many in the court. But none knew her hidden strength and courage until she became the hero her kingdom desperately needed.
Themes & atmosphere
What you might want to know about The Hero and the Crown
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
Aerin is the daughter of the king of Damar but is treated as an outsider at court because of her dead foreign mother. She finds a battered book on dragon-killing in the castle library, mixes a fireproof ointment in her hidden workshop, and rides out with her old horse to face the kingdom's dragons.
Yes. The Hero and the Crown won the 1985 Newbery Medal. Robin McKinley also wrote The Blue Sword, set in the same world, which won a Newbery Honor in 1983.
Reading order is debated. The Hero and the Crown is chronologically earlier in the world's history but published second. Most readers start with The Blue Sword (1982) for first introduction to Damar.
The Hero and the Crown was written by Robin McKinley, published in 1924 by Open Road Integrated Media, Inc..
The Hero and the Crown is 246 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, The Hero and the Crown takes most readers 4 to 5 hours to finish.
The Hero and the Crown is a standalone novel by Robin McKinley, not part of a series.
The Hero and the Crown is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.