The Hero and the Crown

The Hero and the Crown is a prequel to The Blue Sword, and I think it's the superior book. It tells the story of Aerin, the hero Harry spends much of The Blue Sword trying to live up to, and it reveals that she's just as human as anyone else. Mostly.

This story takes place a few generations before the other one, and there are some pretty significant cultural differences between the two. One of the fun parts of this book was seeing how many of those changes were initiated by Aerin. For example, she begins riding a horse without reins so as to better handle a sword while doing so, and that eventually filters out to the next generation of warriors. It really speaks to the sort of influential figure she becomes.

There were other fun parallels between the two books, including a conversation that is repeated verbatim several decades later. But the real reason I liked this book better is the pacing. That's tied somewhat to Aerin being a more active character. She takes the initiative to learn things she wants to learn and to do things she believes would be beneficial. So there aren't weird stretches where she's just going along, unaware of the why of her actions. It makes for a stronger, more interesting hero and story.

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