Dragons

I LOVED THIS BOOK!  After a week of dogsitting in an actual nice house (with a beautiful deck and this great thing called air conditioning) I am back in my house in State College.  The house is good enough for what I need (especially since my roommates are gone for the summer!) but theres no air conditioning and its hot.  So yesterday I packed up my laptop and went to Barnes and Noble for breakfast and blogging.  I decided to stay a little longer (they have those super comfy armchairs-how are you ever supposed to leave?) and start the book for today.  Four hours later I finished this book.

It was one of those things where you forget where you are and what time it is and how long you've been there because you were so absorbed in the story.  I love that.  Confession: I pretty much love fantasy.  Before I started this project I was devouring any book that had anything to do with wizards or quests or magic or anything like that.  So Robin McKinley's The Hero and the Crown was a much needed fantasy fix.

Shy Aerin happens to be the kings daughter.  She also happens to be more powerful than anyone else in her family (magic runs in their blood) but you would never know it-well at least not until the end (come on that's not a spoiler its a children's fantasy book our shy heroin is going to triumph its how she gets there that matters). My favorite parts of this book were the ones where Aerin stands up for herself.  For example her cousin Perlith embarrasses her at court.  After his less than sincere apology Aerin says, "I know perfectly well what you were about this evening. I accept your apology for precisely what it is worth." ZING!  If only I had read this back in the days when my mom would force my brother and I to apologize to each other (say it like you mean it).

Aerin leaves the castle without permission and slays her first dragon-a very public act.  Her father then gives her this advice, "Another lesson for you my dear.  Royalty isn't allowed to hide-at least not once it has declared itself." Is that why people are so afraid of greatness?  Because once we do something great, that's it, we're out.  No more hiding.  Thankfully our heroin was up to the challenge and she no longer needed to hide (even though she sometimes wanted to).

A few posts ago I talked about how kids can handle more than we think they can.  There was a line in this book that made me question that.  Aerin falls in love with Luthe the mage who saves her life after she is injured by the black dragon.  Up to this point their romance has been very PG and then there is this exchange.  "My love [says Luthe], I feel it only fair to warn you that I am feeling quite alert and strong tonight, and if you choose to sleep with me again, it is not sleep you will be getting."  "Then I look forward to no sleep whatsoever," Aerin said.  Well...adults know exactly what that means.  I think most children would just breeze over it (I listened to the musical Les Miserables over and over as a child and had no idea there were songs about prostitutes-among other things) and I am in no way saying this book is inappropriate for children.  It just gave me pause.  Because sleeping with someone and not getting sleep is definitely not kids stuff.

Finding out who you are, realizing your potential and saving the day...that's kids stuff.