The Blue Sword

The Blue Sword is a novel shaped by the exploration of identity and is fundamentally about one young woman’s discovery of who she truly is. It’s a coming-of-age story for Harry, who begins her journey as a displaced young orphan and ultimately embraces both her heritage and her chosen role as a warrior and queen, spotlighting the importance of self-discovery. 

In the opening chapters, Harry’s identity is nebulous. Although her background is genteel, she has no real claim to a future. Even when she lived at Home, she always felt out of place: “She had always suffered from a vague restlessness, a longing for adventure that she told herself severely was the result of reading too many novels when she was a small child” (9). Under the restrictions imposed by society, she learns to ignore her longing for more out of life, but she senses that she is destined for more.

Her kidnapping by Corlath catalyzes Harry’s journey toward self-discovery. While it does remove her agency from the situation, being taken from the Residency forcibly removes her from her passive, undefined role. With the obstacle of Homelander expectations removed, she can finally discover who she is.