A Robin McKinley Collection

by Robin McKinley

Newbery Award-winning author and fantasy icon Robin McKinley writes stories that enchant readers. Bringing together three of her most popular novels--"Spindle's End, The Hero and the Crown" and "The Blue Sword"--this boxed set is the perfect gift for her fans.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fairy Tales, Fiction, Retellings, Childrens, Magic

1 pages, Paperback

First published September 16, 2002

About the author

Robin McKinley is an American author acclaimed for fantasy novels and inventive retellings of classic fairy tales, often featuring resilient heroines and richly imagined worlds. She gained early prominence with Beauty, a reworking of Beauty and the Beast, and achieved major recognition when The Hero and the Crown won the Newbery Medal, establishing her as a leading voice in children’s and young adult fantasy. Drawing on a widely traveled upbringing and a lifelong devotion to folklore, she has reinterpreted stories such as Sleeping Beauty and Robin Hood while also creating original works, including the Damar novels and later titles like Sunshine and Dragonhaven. Her fiction is known for emotional depth, moral complexity, and sensory detail, blending adventure with themes of courage, identity, and compassion. In addition to novels, she has written short story collections, edited anthologies, and collaborated on projects exploring mythic elements. Her influence on modern fantasy has been widely recognized, culminating in her designation as a Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association. McKinley’s body of work continues to attract devoted readers across generations for its distinctive voice and enduring imaginative power.

Reviews

[Tamera Gardner · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are not enough words to describe how much The Hero and the Crown and the Blue Sword changed me as a child. I went from reading almost entirely non-fiction field guides about animals and dinosaurs to devouring every fantasy book I could get my hands on after reading these.

[Mandy]

I read The Hero and the Crown and the blue sword in about 6th grade for school and it started my reading obsession. I am excited to revisit it many many years later.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love robin mckinley. i have read all her books. she just invites me into her stories. one author i read her stories again. I also love older children's lit

[Ilse · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't actually read this book. I read Dragon Heaven by Robin McKinley and I didn't find it on this site so I'm adding this one to make sure that I finish my reading challenge this year. Thats taking into consideration the fact that I actually got a life, and a demmanding job and got sucked into Netfix and Youtube.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've reviewed these books individually.

[michayle hales · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spindle's End was more of a 3, but The Blue Sword and The Hero and the Crown are excellent.

[Ruth Hammon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the worlds Mckinley creates.

[Brandice · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my FAVORITE books EVER

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

SPOILER ALERT
My book review is on The Hero and the Crown it is a fantasy. This book was actually better then I thought it was going to be. This book is about a girl who isn’t liked and she decides she wants to fight the big dragon. Her mom was a witchwoman and now she is heir to the king.
Aerin does not have a mom because she was the witchwoman and the reason the witchwoman is not alive is because once she figured out she was going to have a girl she killed her self. She did that because she wanted a boy to be the next king which then would have been her son.Now no one liked aerin because she was the witchwomans daughter. So aerin had wanted to go and kill the dragon but she didn’t know how she could not get burn by its hot flames. So she went out and figured out a mixture so she would pour it over her and then she wouldn’t get burnt.
This book is very interesting I think the author did a good job showing that even no one liked her she went out and showed them that she is a good fighter and can do anything a guy can. The authors point I think was to show that girls are just as good as guys went it comes to fighting and all those things. I think that the author was a little to hard on aerin with the other characters. The problem that relates to us is that even thought everyone hates you overcome that and show them that you are just like them.
I would recommend this to people who are good with big words. Because this book has big words and names but I really liked this book in genral. I think you should read this book because it shows a lot of good points in it.

[Kelly]

I read these books ages ago, when female protagonists were not so hip. It's a great fantasy series, but it's been so long since I've read them, I can't fill in many details. Unfortunately that seems to be the case with books I've just finished as well.

[Jessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley (1986)

[Jewel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aw...stories of down-to-earth women warriors....can't get enough of them...

[Annery · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Hero and the Crown is the best book I have read. I read it the first time when I was 12 and have read it 4 more times since then. Each time I love it more.

[Lucianna Mee · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's amazing. Captured me from the start and I couldn't put it down.

[Anessa Olson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robin McKinley is one of my favorite authors.