Robin McKinley Books In Order

Publication Order of Damar Books

Publication Order of Folktales Books

Publication Order of Pegasus Books

Publication Order of Tales Of Elemental Spirits Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Short Story Collections

Publication Order of Anthologies

Robin McKinley is one of the most popular American authors who has written several highly acclaimed novels based on children’s books, fantasy, and young adult genres. Some of her books have won prestigious awards such as “The Hero and the Crown,” which was awarded the Newbery Medal for the best American children’s book of the year.

She was born on November 16, 1952, in Warren, Ohio, United States. Her birth name is Jennifer Carolyn Robin McKinley. McKinley’s parents were William McKinley and Jeanne Turrel McKinley, who worked as a Naval Officer and a teacher, respectively. Due to her father’s frequent naval postings, she had to live in several places such as New York, Maine, California, and Japan. As a result, McKinley grew up in various places among a variety of people. She received her schooling education from Gould Academy, a preparatory school located in Bethel, Maine. Later, she attended college first at Dickinson College in Pennsylvania, and then at Bowdin College in Maine. Eventually, McKinley graduated summa cum laude in 1975.

After completing her graduation, she stayed in Maine for a few years, working first as a research assistant and then as a bookstore staff member. Meanwhile, McKinley completed her first novel titled “Beauty: A Story of Beauty and the Beast.” It was accepted by the first publisher to whom McKinley submitted it for publication, and as the book became successful, she achieved prominence in the field of writing. As of today, she lives in Hampshire, England. McKinley was married to author Peter Dickinson, who passed away in 2015. The two had no children of their own, though Dickinson had children from his previous marriage. McKinley’s family comprises a couple of pet dogs nicknamed Darkness and Chaos. When she is not busy with her writing, she enjoys spending her time learning to play the piano, gardening, bell ringing, horse riding, and cooking.

Throughout her writing career, McKinley has written a wide range of novels, most of which are based on the fantasy genre. She has even reimagined several classic fairy tales with a feminist twist, featuring dedicated female protagonists who do not seek others’ help in solving their problems. McKinley has also written a couple of books based on the Damar land. Due to her success in creating the imaginary lands anthology, she describes herself as a ‘Damar’s historian’ and ‘scribe’. She believes that the stories came to her mind before she began working on her initial novels. Most of the heroines described in McKinley’s books reflect special qualities that she saw in herself during her youth. She often likes to write about strong heroines because she believes that girls have a strong potential for independence. She also feels that literature featuring female protagonists is insufficient and unsatisfactory.

The Damar Land series written by Robin McKinley consists of six books released between 1984 and 2009. The first book in the series is titled “The Hero and The Crown,” published by Ace publishers in 1984. The main plot of this book features the central character Aerin, and it takes place in the imaginary Damar lands. At the start of the story, Aerin has always lived and grown up with a special story close to her heart involving her mother and the witchwoman who used her magic to force her mother into marrying the king. The witchwoman brainwashed the king into believing he needed an heir to rule Damar, but when she found out she had given birth to a daughter, she turned her face towards the wall and died in despair for not giving birth to a son. However, there was more to the story that was kept hidden from Aerin. When she sensed something missing in the story, Aerin decided to uncover the truth related to her mother’s death. She believed her destiny was greater than what she had been told and went on to become the true hero, eventually gaining the power contained in the Blue Sword.

The second book in the Damar Land series, “The Blue Sword,” was published by Ace publishers in 1982. The story depicts Harry Crewe as the main character, an orphan girl. When she comes to stay in Damar, she learns that the desert country of Damar is inhabited by Homelanders and the magical and secretive Hillfolk. Harry begins to live a quiet life but is abducted by the Hillfolk King named Corlath and sent deep into the desert. Harry’s main problem, besides her kidnapping, is that she does not know the Hillfolk language, so she cannot understand the reason behind her abduction. However, Corlath has a hidden agenda; he wishes to train her in the arts of war and develop her into a deadly weapon, intending to make her a match for one of his men and fight alongside them. In the end, Harry must decide whether she has the courage to accept her new fate or not.