Robin McKinley

by antigone

Published July 7, 2005

Is anyone else obsessed with Robin McKinley? I'm reading Deerskin right now which I love, and I think The Blue Sword is just about the best book ever written. Her other books/stories are awesome too. Plus she's married to Peter Dickinson, which is Interesting Author Gossip. Or something.
Anyone?

Comments & reviews · 15
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Kepe
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Kepe commented Comment · Mar 18, 2008

A mix, but mostly fantasy and retelling of the disney princess stories.

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Monki
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Monki commented Comment · Mar 16, 2008

NEVER heard of her. What type of books are these?

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Adnamarine
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Adnamarine commented Comment · Mar 16, 2008

It was just strange with... I can't even remember the guy's name right now. But in the beginning the first time I read it I pictured him as this middle-aged, gruff... I don't know, person, and after it was obvious they were going to get together I had to completely reconfigure my whole opinion of him.

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Kepe
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Kepe commented Comment · Mar 15, 2008

The only one that I didn't really like was Spindle's End. It kinda disappointed me.

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Adnamarine
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Adnamarine wrote a review Review · Mar 11, 2008

Mostly I love all her books... except Rose Daughter was just STRANGE! How come you don't have Spindle's End on the list? That is a fantastic book by her. Deerskin was very sad, but good. That's one of my favorite fairy tales (Donkeyskin, which deerskin is based off of). But the Blue Sword has to be the best. Even over the Hero and the Crown. It took me the longest time to get around to reading it, don't ask me why. But it was amazing.

EnchantressMuffin commented Comment · Oct 15, 2007

I'm ashamed to admit I've never heard of her. :(

This is where Amazon.com comes in handy.

Peace, love, chocolate,
Muffin

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Esmé
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Esmé wrote a review Review · Oct 14, 2007

I only read two of those - "The Hero and the Crown", and "The Blue Sword." The first was read very long ago, but I distinctively remember liking it very much. As for the second one - I recently bought it, and read it, too. The author's amazing, and I have to get my hands on the rest of her books.

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smaur
Review
smaur wrote a review Review · Jan 28, 2006

I was going to write an obscenely long rambly thing about how amazing Sunshine is and how it's dark and funny and scary and smart at the same time, and so very engaging and different from her other novels (but at the same time, very similar; Sunshine has elements of Beauty and the Beast, although with vampires). And how, despite the fact that this is the first time she's written first-person narrative, it's done perfectly, so that you get the impression that the main character is sitting in front of you chatting over a cup of tea. But, I'm extraordinarily lazy and therefore won't. So, yeah: go read it.

The style itself is very different from her other novels, although her main character is, as always, a refreshingly intelligent/strong female character, but it's absolutely brilliant. Just ignore (for a while) that it's written by Robin McKinley, and abandon any preconceived notions that you might have of her writing, and you're set. The plot isn't stellar, but the dialogue and the subplots and the characters completely make up for that. Especially the subplots.

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DarkerSarah
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DarkerSarah wrote a review Review · Jan 19, 2006

Young adult fantasy, mainly. I've only read Blue Sword. It was very, very good. She's a very talented young adult writer. I think she also wrote, Beauty, a modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast. It's not fantasy, but it's one of the only books that has ever made me cry.

Dargquon Ql'deleodna commented Comment · Jan 19, 2006

i havent read any of her books, what type of books does she write?

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plutogirl
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plutogirl commented Comment · Jan 16, 2006

I've loved all of her books that I've read, but my favorites that she wrote are The Hero and The Crown and The Blue Sword.

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zelithon
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zelithon commented Comment · Oct 8, 2005

they are good but not fantastic drooly like terry prachetts bbooks i like the one with the dragon the best, but i havent read all of them.

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antigone
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antigone commented Comment · Jul 8, 2005

Yay!

Hmmm... I like Rose Daughter better I think but whatever. Doesn't reading the last pages spoil the ending if you do decide to buy it? That's cool though. I'm the same way about intriguing covers.

I usually go to the library cause I'm broke but I love new books. It's a good thing to be compulsive about, I think.

Caligula's Launderette wrote a review Review · Jul 7, 2005

ALL of them! Just read Deerskin for a second time. Loved it! I love all her stuff I've read. Blue Sword god that brings back memories. Read that and the Hero and the Crown when I was in middle school. wow.

I am addicted to Beauty and the Beast retellings and I absolutely love Beauty, not so hot for Rose Daughter but then again...

Glad to meet another McKinley fan.

Yeah a year ago my friend Molly and I went to the bookstore and we picked up Deerskin because of the cover, we both wanted to read it, but since I was buying so much more than she I let her take Deerskin. I get this call at midnight about how much the book rocked and then she lent it to me. Finally I have a copy of my own.

I have two really weird book traits:

- 1: I read the last few pages of a book to see if I like it or want to buy it
- 2: If it has a cool cover or if the cover intrigues me I'll buy it

I am such a compulsive book buyer...



Edna began to feel like one who awakens gradually out of a dream, a delicious, grotesque, impossible dream, to feel again the realities pressing into her soul.
— Kate Chopin, The Awakening