books!

81. The Hero and the Crown
82. The Blue Sword both by Robin McKinley
I loved Robin McKinley when I was like 13, and read both of these books then. They were just as good on a re-read, 20 years later. Both of these are set in the kingdom of Damar, although they are separated by hundreds (if not thousands) of years. The Blue Sword was published first and The Hero and the Crown is a prequel. I kind of like reading The Hero and the Crown first, though, to get the deep back story. Anyway, both these books have strong female characters who have amazing destinies to fulfill, although they feel out of place in the society they are raised in. Both books are just magical with lots of action and some animal friends for the main character. I think I slightly prefer The Blue Sword, but everyone should read them both.