Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Graceling (Graceling Realm, #1)

by Kristin Cashore

Discover the Graceling Realm in this unforgettable, award-winning novel from bestselling author Kristin Cashore

A New York Times bestseller
ALA Best Book for Young Adults
Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children's Literature Winner
Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, Booklist, and BCCB Best Book of the Year

"Rageful, exhilarating, wistful in turns" (The New York Times Book Review) with "a knee weakening romance" (LA Times). Graceling is a thrilling, action-packed fantasy adventure that will resonate deeply with anyone trying to find their way in the world.

Graceling tells the story of the vulnerable-yet-strong Katsa, who is smart and beautiful and lives in the Seven Kingdoms where selected people are born with a Grace, a special talent that can be anything at all. Katsa's Grace is killing. As the king's niece, she is forced to use her extreme skills as his brutal enforcer. Until the day she meets Prince Po, who is Graced with combat skills, and Katsa's life begins 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.

And don't miss the sequel Fire and companion Bitterblue, both award-winning, New York Times bestsellers, and full of Kristin Cashore's elegant, evocative prose and unforgettable characters.

Reviewed by angelarenea9 on

4 of 5 stars

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This review is posted on my blog

I'm very late to the game here, but when it comes to this book it's most defiantly better late than never! I know that the book world and the world of young adult has been raving about this book for, well, forever. I myself have had it on my to-read shelf since September of 2011! Well I finally got around to reading it and let me tell you, it is marvelous!

Right off the bat you get thrown right into the middle of a world, and in the middle of the excitement! There is no winding up period in this book, you learn about the world, and the political situations on the fly! As you race around with Katsa, you begin to learn about Gracelings and how this beautifully crafted world functions. There is something wonderfully realistic about a society that would fear and hate these gifted individuals, and their mismatched eyes, and it allows the book to have the touch of fantasy, while the majority of the world is carrying on as normal.

Katsa reminded me of a more likable Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games. I particularly loved that she focused on the important things going on in the world, and was not immediately swept away by a man. Although there is eventually a romance that unfolds, it is not overwhelming, and it does not eclipse the overall plot of this book. It felt more like a story of building trust, and a true relationship, than the terrifyingly unhealthy obsessions that I am seeing more and more.

I am really looking forward to the sequel, especially because this book actually contained what I would have thought would be the climax to this series, so I can't even begin to imagine what is coming next!

What's a book that everyone read long before you did, and are you feeling like you missed the excitement train?

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 19 July, 2015: Finished reading
  • 19 July, 2015: Reviewed