Preview of The Hero and the Crown Summary:

Aerin was not quite right as a king's daughter, tall, orange-haired, and a bit clumsy. Her mother, some said, was a woman from the North, a witch-woman.

She would rather learn to use a sword than to dance. And at age eighteen, she still had not shown signs of her Gift, the almost magical psychic powers that were the hallmark of the royal family.

While recovering from a nearly fatal dose of the royal surka plant, which she had eaten on a dare, Aerin discovers an ointment that protects her from dragonfire.

She also befriends Talat, her father's old, lame warhorse and invents a new way to ride.

Aerin's success in killing the small dragons that worry the countryside of Damar earns her a grudging respect from the court and genuine gratitude from the common folk. However, the country begins to be troubled by wars and the reappearance...