Review - The Blue Sword

[wilderthan]

I liked The Blue Sword rather more than The Hero and the Crown. It felt a bit more consistent, to me, and there was more world-building in it. It's still obviously one of McKinley's early novels, but it's quite a good read all the same, as long as you don't expect too much of it. The characters were intriguing enough, though not greatly fleshed out, and Harry's apprenticeship, learning everything about what she has to do, is quite interesting. I saw the romance coming a mile off, but it didn't really convince me: it could've done with more foreshadowing. But I feel I'm saying that a lot, lately, about romance in fantasy novels, which is, after all, patently not the point of that whole exercise. As a fantasy novel, it's just fine -- not incredibly special, but a nice quick easy read.

Comments

[wilderthan.livejournal.com]

I've read some of her later stuff, which I enjoyed more.