by Robin McKinley

Name: Aerin
Appearance: tall with orange hair
Gift: it's difficult to explain and begins mid-novel
Story: The Hero And The Crown

Part 1: begins with Aerin asking her father (the king) if she can go with him to try to make peace with the North, but he refuses. The rest of part one takes you through Aerin's learning how to use weapons, practice of making a balm against dragon fire, hunting the dog-sized dragons that are known for preying on children, and befriending her father's wounded horse. Part one ends, then, where it started, when Aerin is starting to believe that all she's done won't amount to anything.
Part Two: begins with her father leaving for the North and a man who comes to the city begging for someone to save his village from the last living full-sized dragon. Aerin knows that she must help, but can't quite grasp what she's in for.
It's not until she's recovering from her fight with the dragon in the home of the mysterious Luthe, that Aerin discovers her true destiny.
I recommend this book to fans of The Song Of The Lioness Quartet .

Name: Harry
Appearance: tall and blond
Gift: also difficult to explain
Story: The Blue Sword

Harry seems like an ordinary young woman who doesn't know yet what to do with her life. But when she is kidnapped that changes everything of course. But she is kidnapped because of a gift, a gift shared by many of the last people from the old kingdom of Damar. Harry is to learn how to be a warrior woman from them because she has been chosen by the spirit of Aerin to be the next bearer of the Blue Sword.
When she catches on so quickly to everything she learns and is able to recieve visions of what she is to do, she begins to realize that she has the gift. (It takes a while for her to realize why she's been kidnapped since she also has to adjust to a new language).
This book goes very slowly for a very long time, but it is still interesting and rather cute and funny in some places. I feel the story really picks up in the same place as the first one, which the introduction of Luthe.

Chalice

Pegasus

More By Robin McKinley

	Name: Aerin Appearance: tall with orange hair Gift: it's difficult to explain and begins mid-novel Story: The Hero And The Crown Part 1: begins with Aerin asking her father (the king) if she can go with him to try to make peace with the North, but he refuses. The rest of part one takes you through Aerin's learning how to use weapons, practice of making a balm against dragon fire, hunting the dog-sized dragons that are known for preying on children, and befriending her father's wounded horse. Part one ends, then, where it started, when Aerin is starting to believe that all she's done won't amount to anything. Part Two: begins with her father leaving for the North and a man who comes to the city begging for someone to save his village from the last living full-sized dragon. Aerin knows that she must help, but can't quite grasp what she's in for. It's not until she's recovering from her fight with the dragon in the home of the mysterious Luthe, that Aerin discovers her true destiny. I recommend this book to fans of The Song Of The Lioness Quartet .
	Name: Harry Appearance: tall and blond Gift: also difficult to explain Story: The Blue Sword Harry seems like an ordinary young woman who doesn't know yet what to do with her life. But when she is kidnapped that changes everything of course. But she is kidnapped because of a gift, a gift shared by many of the last people from the old kingdom of Damar. Harry is to learn how to be a warrior woman from them because she has been chosen by the spirit of Aerin to be the next bearer of the Blue Sword. When she catches on so quickly to everything she learns and is able to recieve visions of what she is to do, she begins to realize that she has the gift. (It takes a while for her to realize why she's been kidnapped since she also has to adjust to a new language). This book goes very slowly for a very long time, but it is still interesting and rather cute and funny in some places. I feel the story really picks up in the same place as the first one, which the introduction of Luthe.
	Chalice
	Pegasus