Recommendations based on The Blue Swordby Robin McKinley

* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans

  1. The Hero and the Crown

    by Robin McKinley
    A young girl's quest to prove her worth, culminating in a battle to save her kingdom.

    Aerin is the only child of Arlbeth, king of Damar, and his second wife. Aerin inherits her mother's pale skin and fiery red hair, setting her apart from all other Damarians and causing her to be ... (Wikipedia)

  2. Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast

    by Robin McKinley
    An unconventional retelling of a classic fairytale, exploring themes of love and transformation.

    Roderick Huston, a wealthy merchant and widower, has three daughters; Grace, Hope, and Honour. When Honour was a child she asked what her name meant and afterwards said she'd rather be named Beauty, ... (Wikipedia)

  3. Sunshine

    by Robin McKinley
    Rae, a young girl, discovers her magical powers and must navigate a world of politics and power struggles to save her kingdom from darkness.

    The story is set in an alternate universe , taking place after the "Voodoo Wars", a conflict between humans and the "Others". The Others mainly consist of vampires , werewolves , and demons , though ... (Wikipedia)

  4. Dealing with Dragons

    by Patricia C. Wrede
    A young princess embarks on a journey of self-discovery, learning to stand up for herself and others.

    Princess Cimorene is frustrated by her life and persuades the castle staff to teach her fencing, magic, cooking, Latin, and other interesting subjects that are considered very "improper" for ... (Wikipedia)

  5. Dragonflight

    by Anne McCaffrey
    A young dragonrider embarks on a mission to save her kingdom from a mysterious threat.

    Dragonflight is the story of Lessa , the sole survivor of the noble ruling family of Ruatha Hold on the northern continent of Pern. When the rest of her family is killed by a cruel usurper, Fax , she ... (Wikipedia)

  6. Howl’s Moving Castle

    by Diana Wynne Jones
    A young woman embarks on an adventure to break a curse and reclaim her identity in a magical world.

    18-year-old Sophie Hatter is the eldest of three sisters living in Market Chipping, a town in the magical kingdom of Ingary, where fairytale tropes are accepted ways of life, including that the ... (Wikipedia)

  7. Crown Duel

    by Sherwood Smith
    A young woman's courageous fight against a powerful monarchy to restore justice to her kingdom.

    Battle on and off the field, with sword and fan, with might and manners... It begins in a cold and shabby tower room, where young Countess Meliara swears to her dying father that she and her brother ... (Goodreads)

  8. Sabriel

    by Garth Nix
    A young woman embarks on a quest to save her kingdom from an ancient evil, confronting her own mortality.

    The book opens with Sabriel raising a freshly killed rabbit from death. She is a young girl attending Wyverly College, an all-female boarding school in Ancelstierre. An undead creature enters the ... (Wikipedia)

  9. The Goose Girl

    by Shannon Hale
    A young princess must overcome great obstacles to reclaim her rightful throne.

    When crown princess Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee was born, she did not open her eyes until her aunt held her. The woman became her nursemaid and constant companion, nicknaming her Ani and telling ... (Wikipedia)

  10. Searching for Dragons

    by Patricia C. Wrede
    Princess Cimorene and her friends embark on a quest to rescue King Mendanbar's stolen sword and find the missing King of the Dragons.

    Mendanbar, the young King of the Enchanted Forest, is puzzled about several burned spots where he found dragon scales, but, more significantly, he finds that the magical network that keeps the forest ... (Wikipedia)

  11. A Wizard of Earthsea

    by Ursula K. Le Guin
    A young wizard embarks on a quest to master his own magical powers and battle a mysterious force of evil.

    Ged, the greatest sorcerer in all Earthsea, was called Sparrowhawk in his reckless youth. Hungry for power and knowledge, Sparrowhawk tampered with long-held secrets and loosed a terrible shadow upon ... (Goodreads)

  12. Calling on Dragons

    by Patricia C. Wrede
    An adventurous girl's mission to save an enchanted kingdom from the dangers of dark magic.

    This novel is the third in the Enchanted Forest series, told from the witch Morwen's perspective. Morwen, a witch who lives in the Enchanted Forest, is having trouble with people who believe that ... (Wikipedia)

  13. Taran Wanderer

    by Lloyd Alexander
    Taran sets out on a journey of self-discovery, seeking to learn his true identity and purpose in life.

    Taran and Gurgi have returned to Caer Dallben after leaving Princess Eilonwy at the royal court of Dinas Rhydnant for education in the ways of a princess . Taran has come to realize that he loves ... (Wikipedia)

  14. Abhorsen

    by Garth Nix
    A young heroine embarks on a perilous quest to save her kingdom from a powerful enemy.

    The Abhorsen's House is besieged by Dead Hands led by Chlorr of the Mask under the control of Hedge the Necromancer, who in turn serves Orannis the Destroyer. With the help of their familiars Mogget ... (Wikipedia)

  15. Night Watch

    by Terry Pratchett
    A comedic fantasy adventure story of a man who must save the world with the help of magic and unlikely allies.

    On the morning of the 30th anniversary of the Glorious Revolution of the Twenty-Fifth of May (and as such the anniversary of the death of John Keel, Vimes' hero and former mentor), Sam Vimes — whose ... (Wikipedia)

  16. The Phantom Tollbooth

    by Norton Juster
    A whimsical adventure through a magical land, searching for a way out of the boredom of everyday life.

    Milo is a boy bored by the world around him; every activity seems a waste of time. He arrives home from another boring day at school to find a mysterious package. Among its contents are a small ... (Wikipedia)

  17. Alanna: The First Adventure

    by Tamora Pierce
    A young girl disguises herself as a boy to achieve her dreams of becoming a knight.

    Alanna of Trebond and her twin brother Thom may be twins , but are very different; Alanna is a tomboy who dreams of being a knight, and Thom wishes to become a sorcerer. Unfortunately, Alanna is ... (Wikipedia)

  18. The Blue Castle

    by L.M. Montgomery
    A young woman's journey of self-discovery, learning to take control of her life and find true happiness.

    Valancy Stirling is twenty-nine, unmarried (and thus considered an " old maid "), and has lived her entire life with her nagging mother and gossip-minded extended family who actively discourage ... (Wikipedia)

  19. Terrier

    by Tamora Pierce
    An adventure of discovery, as a young girl discovers her true strength and courage to save her beloved city.

    The story is told in the form of a series of journal entries made by Beka Cooper as she trains to become a Provosts Dog, a nickname for the police men and women in the employ of the Lord Provost of ... (Wikipedia)

  20. Emperor Mage

    by Tamora Pierce
    A young girl's fantastical journey of self-discovery and growth, learning the power of her own magic.

    Daine is sent with a delegation that includes both Sir Gareths of Naxen, Alanna the Lioness , and Numair Salmalin , to the Emperor Mage of Carthak, in hopes that she can smooth the international ... (Wikipedia)

  21. Cry Wolf

    by Patricia Briggs
    A shapeshifter and a witch join forces to investigate an ancient supernatural menace.

    Anna never knew werewolves existed, until the night she survived a violent attack... and became one herself. After three years at the bottom of the pack, she'd learned to keep her head down and ... (Goodreads)

  22. Son of the Shadows

    by Juliet Marillier
    A young woman's journey to discover her true identity, uncovering secrets of her magical heritage.

    In this novel, Liadan grows up in Sevenwaters with her twin brother Sean and her older sister Niamh. They are the offspring of Sorcha and Iubdan (formerly Hugh of Harrowfield). Liadan follows in her ... (Wikipedia)

  23. Dragonsinger

    by Anne McCaffrey
    A young singer discovers her magical connection to dragons and embarks on a quest to save her people.

    The novel follows Menolly , now apprenticed into the Harper Hall, a type of music conservatory for harpers ( minstrels /educators) and other music professionals, as she begins her musical training to ... (Wikipedia)

  24. Lirael

    by Garth Nix
    An orphan girl discovers her magical powers and embarks on a quest to save her kingdom.

    Lirael, the protagonist of the second and third books, is raised as a Clayr, part of a vast family of precognitive women who dwell in a remote glacier within the Old Kingdom. As she lacks the Clayr's ... (Wikipedia)

  25. To Say Nothing of the Dog

    by Connie Willis
    Time-traveling historian visits Victorian England in search of an artifact, amidst a comedy of errors.

    Ned Henry is a time traveler in 1940 studying Coventry Cathedral after the Coventry Blitz of World War II . He is specifically searching for the location of the "Bishop's bird stump ", a MacGuffin ... (Wikipedia)

  26. The Ordinary Princess

    by M.M. Kaye
    A young princess who rejects her royal identity and embarks on an adventure to find her own special destiny.

    Along with Wit, Charm, Health, and Courage, Princess Amy of Phantasmorania receives a special fairy christening gift: Ordinariness. Unlike her six beautiful sisters, she has brown hair and freckles, ... (Goodreads)

  27. Dragonquest

    by Anne McCaffrey
    A group of brave adventurers traverse a world of dragons and magical powers in search of a powerful artifact.

    As it opens, tensions are rising between the Oldtimers, those dragonriders who came forward in time 400 turns (Pernese years) to help the undermanned contemporary dragonriders protect the planet Pern ... (Wikipedia)

  28. The Curse of Chalion

    by Lois McMaster Bujold
    A man's spiritual journey to heal the kingdom and free himself from a powerful curse.

    Cazaril was formerly a noble in the land of Chalion, but was betrayed and sold into slavery. He returns to a regional court where he is hired as tutor to Iselle (second in line for the throne of ... (Wikipedia)

  29. Green Rider

    by Kristen Britain
    A young woman becomes a messenger for the king and embarks on a dangerous journey to deliver a vital message.

    Karigan G'ladheon, a merchant's daughter, is cast out of her school in Selium by Dean Geyer following a duel in which she bested a wealthy aristocrat. Running away from the shame of her expulsion, ... (Wikipedia)

  30. Uprooted

    by Naomi Novik
    A young woman's battle to save her home from a magical force, while uncovering secrets of her past.

    “Our Dragon doesn’t eat the girls he takes, no matter what stories they tell outside our valley. We hear them sometimes, from travelers passing through. They talk as though we were doing human ... (Goodreads)