Author: Kristin Cashore
Classification: YA Fiction, Fantasy
Source: Public Library
Overall Grade:
A
Would I read it again?
Yes!
Would I recommend it?
Yes!
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Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight—she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug.
When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change. She never expects to become Po’s friend. She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace—or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.
When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change. She never expects to become Po’s friend. She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace—or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.
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My Thoughts:
This book was not quite what I expected. I expected something light, fast-reading, entertaining, but altogether forgettable. What I actually got was not a whirlwind YA Fantasy, but a rollicking earthquake of a novel with real characters, a fantastic new world and a heroine that thinks and feels and kicks some major butt. Plus to top it all off, the book also has a smart plot that keeps your heart rate up the whole way.
My only complaint about Graceling is that the narrative started off a little slow for me. After the novel's initial scene follows several pages of details about the land of the Seven Kingdoms, its people and the general workings of the land. This was probably necessary to the narrative, but was most certainly boring.
However, once you fall into the world of Katsa there is no going back. I was so relieved to finally meet a heroine that feels real. That might sound a bit odd seeing as she's a Graced killer living in an imaginary world, but I felt myself instantly attaching myself to her because she is allowed to truly develop as a character throughout the book, which is also true of Po and which is also the main reason I think this book is different than most other YA fiction I've ever read.
PS: Check out my review of Fire, the prequel to Graceling!
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Overall Grade:
A
Would I read it again?
Yes!
Would I recommend it?
Yes!
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