Confession: I’ve been quietly avoiding reading Robin McKinley books for decades because I feared they would be lightweight, derivative fantasy for girls. After reading Deerskin and Hero and the Crown, I have learned that McKinley actually writes substantive, original fantasy with strong female protagonists who challenge the status quo. While Deerskin is the superior novel, I enjoyed Hero and the Crown very much. All of the standard elements of the hero quest are included: the hero must leave her home, face danger, go to the underworld to bring back treasure, return home a changed person, etc., but McKinley manages to make this fresh and compelling by exploring how this story is different with a female hero (not a heroine, mind you) and by creating a sympathetic, well-rounded character in Airen. McKinley also writes very well about the relationships between humans and animals, avoiding the anthromorphism trap. Hero and the Crown won a Newbery Award in 1985.