These are fantasies that any girl, from age 10 to 19, will definitely enjoy, and they make perfect gifts for your daughters, sisters, nieces, cousins, etc. If you decide to buy one of these books on the Internet, please follow these links directly. That way I'll get credit as an associate. Amazon.com guarantees security of ordering transmissions; all actual transactions are through their site. If you have any suggestions or questions about this particular website, how the Associates program works, or how to order from Amazon.com, e-mail me.
Robin's books are fantasies, with extremely believable characters. They pull you in and make you want to read more.
Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast
Robin's first book is a masterful retelling of the famous story, completely enjoyable and believable. You must read this book before you read her others (if at all possible). Some have rightly called it a modern classic.
Beauty is the daughter of a merchant. When his business collapses, she and her sisters must move to the country where they can afford to live. One day, while her father is returning from a trip, he seeks shelter in a mysterious castle, and that visit changes his family's life forever.
The Blue Sword
Robin's second novel, a Newbery Honor book. You won't be able to put it down. The Blue Sword is about Harry Crewe, a recently orphaned young lady who moves to the desert area of the continent Daria. By chance, she locks eyes with Corlath, the Hill-King, who had come to visit the Residency where she lived. It was, perhaps, fate, but their lives will never be the same. To tell you any more might give it away. This book was interesting in the beginning, and soon graduated to compelling and then impossible-to-put-down. I was reading this on a school night and used up 2 hours of precious homework time because I just HAD to know what happened. All the right details were there, but so subtle that the end was a pleasant surprise, and the writing was so vivid that my heart started racing during the exciting parts. Sometimes now I get a craving to read this book, just because the expereince of reading it is so enjoyable. You have to read this book at least 3 times to get all the details. Then read Robin McKinley's other books to get a true appreciation for her wonderful writing talent.
The Hero and the Crown
Robin's third novel is a jewel -- and a Newbery Medal winner. Hero is a sequel-prequel to The Blue Sword; it was written after but takes place before.
Aerin, the main character, is daughter to the King of Damar. She has lived her whole life thinking she's second-rate. Then the Northerners start causing trouble -- from rebellions to dragons. If Damar had the Hero's Crown they'd be safe, but no one has seen it for decades. Can Aerin save the country that doesn't even want her?
This is one of the best books I have ever read; it grabs you in and won't let go. Even after I finished I couldn't stop thinking about Aerin-sol, the unwanted Damarian princess. It's extremely intense, and really must be read several times to fully enjoy it. It doesn't really matter whether you read Sword or Hero first; they're really good in either order.
The Outlaws of Sherwood
A version of the Robin Hood story. Extremely enjoyable and somewhat intense. We get to know more of Robin Hood's band than just himself, Maid Marian, and Little John. It is also a unique characterization of Robin in that he isn't a talented archer. It has a realistic ending, which is unfortunate, because I was hoping for a fairy tale-good ending. But that's what Robin McKinley (wouldn't it be weird to write a book whose main character has your name but isn't your gender?) is all about.
A Knot in the Grain and Other Stories
Five short stories starring a female heroine. Four of the stories take place in the past, and involve magic. Two of the four revisit Damar (site of The Blue Sword and The Hero and the Crown), but don't get your hopes up too high -- only one character shows up again (it is nice to get to know him better though). The fifth is a modern story, but not without its own sort of magic....
Rose Daughter
When I first saw Robin McKinley's most recent book, Rose Daughter, on the shelves, I thought, "Wow! A sequel to Beauty!" Then, when I saw it was a retelling (again), I thought, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Of course, I read it anyway. It was not Beauty, but that's good -- in fact, it was almost as opposite as possible. The angle is completely different, from the sisters' temperaments (outspoken) to the mother and her motives (outspoken), the town to which Beauty's family moves (superstitious), the Beast and his background (more scholarly) and the climax and resolution. It's very complex, and if you read with any speed (I tear through books), you'll almost have to read it twice just to understand it. Also note down any pages where Beauty dreams; you'll need to look back on them later. This book is more pondering than McKinley's others, but I think it's still very much worth the read -- I haven't yet regretted reading a McKinley book.
Spindle's End
Robin returns to fairy tales again with this imaginative retelling of "Sleeping Beauty." But don't expect a passive heroine here -- Robin doesn't do passive! Spindle's End wasn't my favorite McKinley book, but it was still excellent. We are transported to a land in which magic is as thick as dust, and more harmful. The King and Queen's long-awaited first child is unexpectedly a daughter, and in honor of the event, they hold a grand celebration. Twenty-one fairies are invited to the baby princess's christening, to go with her 21 names and the 21 years "of her majority." We see the actual event through the eyes of Katriona, a young woman from the farthest corner of the kingdom. She watches in horror as a wicked fairy bestows a curse on the Princess after the 20th gift, and is even more surprised at the next task given her: care for the baby princess. We grow to love little Rosie as the girl who doesn't want to be one, and McKinley's pace is just right to get us to the princess's climactic birthday.
The style is like Rose Daughter's, but not quite as philosophical, and the subject matter is not quite as dark. Some of the characters are not quite as fleshed-out as in some of McKinley's other books, but the plot, story, description (less effusive than in Rose Daughter), and ending are superb.
For another review of Tamora Pierce's first four books, visit my sister's Book Review, then come back here to buy the books.
The Song of the Lioness Quartet
Book One: Alanna: The First Adventure
Tamora Pierce's first novel is really fun to read. I think the biggest thing about this book is that it's just plain INTERESTING (now there's a new one!). And hilarious. After reading The Song of the Lioness Quartet, my life seems so dull and ordinary. It's about Alanna of Trebond, a girl in Tortall (a medieval Europe of sorts, with magic) who doesn't want to be a lady, but a knight. So she switches places with her twin and goes to the palace to learn. You may think you've read this story before, but Tamora's entertaining take and imperfect heroine is completely original. You'll be, and I quote my sister, "laughing like a donkey." That's really embarassing. But read the book anyway. As a sidenote, keeping a character list for all the dukes is helpful.
Book Two: In the Hand of the Goddess
Funny, romantic, interesting, suspenseful, magical, fantastic -- what more could you ask for in a book? In the Hand of the Goddess continues Alanna's story; she's now a squire, on her way to becoming a knight. Duke Roger, the Prince's uncle, has come to the palace to train the young Gifted soldiers. His intentions seem pure, but Alanna's not convinced. In my opinion, this book isn't for young readers: they probably know about sex, but that doesn't mean they have to read about it.
Book Three: The Woman Who Rides Like a Man
Book Four: Lioness Rampant
This excellent, intriguing, suspenseful story really wraps up all the ends well. This book has political espionage, thrilling fight scenes, a speedy plot, and it all ends too soon. It definitely won't make sense if you haven't read the first three 'Song of the Lioness Quartet' books, but you've just read my reviews on the first three books, and if you haven't read books 1 through 3 I'm not doing my job. :-)
The Immortals Quartet
Book One: Wild Magic
All right, I confess. I read this book just to find out what happens to the characters of the first quartet. But after reading it, I read the next three books to find out about our new heroine, Veralidaine (Daine) Sarrasri. (I think Tamora knew that would happen, too, because Wild Magic has more in it about the lives of the main characters from the Song of the Lioness than the next three do.) Daine has a magic that hasn't been seen before; it's rarer than the Gift, and more unpredictable: it's wild magic. It means she can communicate with animals, among other things. And it's a good thing, too, because Tortall is being overrun with immortals -- creatures who won't die of old age, but can be slain -- and only Daine can sense when they're nearby before they're visible.
Book Two: Wolf-Speaker
This continues the adventures of Daine as she returns to her wolf-pack friends in northeast Tortall...and discovers some serious plotting going on.
Book Three: Emperor Mage
The third book sees Daine and a delegation of Tortallans travelling to Carthak for peace talks, and things get a little thicker than before (to quote from Dealing With Dragons, "the plot positively curdles"). Daine also gets a startling revelation (which we should've guessed by now) and meets up with a god or two. This was my favorite book of the series.
Book Four: The Realms of the Gods
In the final book of the Immortals Quartet, Daine gets an unexpected trip to the Divine Realms -- home of gods and immortals -- and must somehow get back to Tortall to save her land from enemies' scheming.
Patricia's Enchanted Forest Chronicles are also fantasy, but much lighter in tone than any of the other fantasies on this page. They are just as funny as Tamora Pierce's, but they don't quite take themselves seriously -- they poke fun at other fairy tales, for example. The tongue-in-cheek attitude is similar to that of the TV shows Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess. If you don't like those shows, don't have a cow; the plots are completely unrelated. It's just that those are the shows whose mood I think of when I read these books.
The Enchanted Forest Chronicles
Book One: Dealing With Dragons
Cimorene is a beautiful princess. Unfortunately, she doesn't want to be. She hates protocol and dancing lessons and meeting other royalty (especially royalty whom her parents wish she would marry). So she runs away and becomes a dragon's princess, and gets herself into a royal mess -- while enjoying herself and entertaining the readers. She is so matter-of-fact about everything that the author can stick in jokes about 16-year-olds who sleep for a hundred years and we just take it in stride.
Book Two: Searching For Dragons
Book Three: Calling On Dragons
Book Four: Talking To Dragons
Book of Enchantments
This is a collection of 10 unrelated short stories, from the humorous "Utensile Strength" (featuring characters of the Enchanted Forest Chronicles) to the serious "Earthwitch," from stories set in modern times ("The Lorelei") to what-if stories in enchanted lands ("Stronger Than Time" -- what if the prince never woke up Sleeping Beauty?), and everything inbetween. All are excellent and enjoyable.
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