After McKinley's first novel, Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast, she wrote a collection of short stories called The Door in the Hedge. Two of the stories are original, and two are retellings of fairy tales. The Blue Sword is a fantasy novel set in an imaginary country called Damar. It was followed by another fantasy, The Hero and the Crown, which features a female protagonist. McKinley edited a collection of fantasy stories called Imaginary Lands, which includes one tale of her own called "The Stone Fey." All of these works reflect the influence of folk and fairy tales on the author's imagination. Sequels to The Blue Sword and The Hero and the Crown are anticipated.