The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley

Mass market paperback format.  Highly recommended!  An excellent and fierce female-forward tale.

Robin McKinley’s richly woven saga continues to grip the imagination of readers and causes critics to hail her as a master of fantasy.

It is the story of Aerin, haunted since childhood by the legend of her mother-a “witchwoman” who enspelled the king and then died of disappointment after giving birth to a daughter, rather than the heroic son the kingdom needed. But little did the young princess know the long-dormant powers of her mother would wield their own destiny.

For though she was a woman, Aerin was destined to be the true hero who would one day wield the power of the Blue Sword….