Stories from the world of The Hero and the Crown and other magical places by a New York Timesâbestselling Newbery Medal winner.
Robin McKinley returns to the mythical setting of The Hero and the Crown and The Blue Sword in this âthrilling, satisfying, and thought-provoking collectionâ featuring two stories set in the world of Damar, plus three other fantasy tales featuring adventurous, pragmatic, and heroic young women (Publishers Weekly).
Thereâs mute Lily, in âThe Healer,â who has the power to help others, and receives a startling opportunity to find her voice when a mysterious mage stumbles into town. And Queen Ruen, who is at the mercy of a power-hungry uncle until she encounters a shape-changer in âThe Stagman.â In âToukâs House,â a maiden who has grown up with a witch and a troll has a chance to become a princess, but she must decide whether she would really live happily ever after. When a curse follows Coral to her new husbandâs farm in âButtercups,â the pair has a choice: Succumb to defeat or find a way to turn a disastrous enchantment into a fruitful new venture.
Finally, travel to upstate New York with Annabelle. In the title story, her family moves shortly after her sixteenth birthday, and just as she starts to adjust to her new life in a small town, a plan to build a superhighway threatens her new home.
But a strange box hidden in a secret attic in the new house may be the answer.
This is a delightful assortment of tales from an author with âa remarkable talent for melding the real and the magical into a single, believable wholeâ (Booklist).