The Blue Sword
by Robin McKinley

Subjects: Identity, Relationships (Romantic)
Genre: Fantasy

This is the story of Harry Crewe. Harry lives in a world with only two continents. One is the Homeland, a beautiful country with green rolling hills that reminds one a bit of England. Harry has always been a bit strange and never quite fit in, but now Harry's father has died. So Harry travels across the ocean to the other Darian continent, a strangely beautiful desert continent, to the last Homeland outpost to live with a brother, who is a soldier stationed there.  While at the fort, Harry hears strange stories about the Damarians, the hillfolk, who live in the mountains. These stories explain why the Homeland empire doesn't control the entire continent. Harry hears tales of how the Damarians can call lightening form the heaven and how the cavalry's horses in full gallop suddenly forget how to run and trip and fall, or rifles all misfire at the same time as hillfolk riding the finest horses you'll ever see come screaming toward you brandishing only swords. I think Harry would have been happy at the fort, but Harry was kidnapped without a trace, stolen from the ambassador's house in the dead of night inside the fort with the gates closed, the dogs out and the guards posted. Harry awakes in a new world where magic still lingers in the air, a prisoner of the Damarian king. This is the story of Harry's search for identity in a strange country.  As magic begins to awaken in Harry's blood, the most prized possession of Damar, the blue sword, carried by queens of Damar is given to Harry.  For you see, Harry, a woman must become the bridge between the two human races or else the army from the north, those descended from demon-kind will destroy them all.

Booktalk prepared by Janice Bailey, East Central High Librarian