Review: Graceling - Kristin Cashore

Where I got it: My collection
Rating: 4 stars  
Cover Rating: 4 stars (I enjoy this cover.)
Genre: Young Adult
Publication Date: October 1, 2008
Publisher: Harcourt
Page Count: 471 p.
Buy it: Book Depository | Indie | Amazon
Add it: Goodreads

Some Graces are good, while others are easily exploited by the rulers of the kingdoms. Katsa has a killing Grace and her king loves it. He loves using her to instill fear into his people. Katsa tries to use her Grace for good on the side though, which is how she runs into Po. Po is Graced too. Katsa leaves him alive, though she could have killed him, and finishes her mission. What she doesn't expect is that she might need Po's help because they are on the same side.

I don't know why I waited so long to read this book. It was a really fantastic read. The characters were enjoyable. The setting was lush and vast. All around it was just a really great read.

I especially loved Katsa and Po. The interactions between the two of them were amazing. They played on each other so well. Po was a lot of fun. I like the ease with which he spoke and did everything, I'm sure part of it was his Grace. Katsa had a hard time getting out of the role she was forced to play for so long. She was in the mindset that she was who she was made to be instead of who she really was. She did lots of great things, but in her mind all the horrible things were piled higher. All the characters were fleshed out nicely and it made it easy to choose sides and favorites.

I loved learning more about this world. Each of the kingdoms came to life and I would love to visit and explore the sights. It was a very full world and I can't wait to dive back into it with Fire and Bitterblue.

I always think I don't like fantasy that much and then I read books like this and I remember how amazing it can be. Really I just appreciate any book that's well-written and has a great story. This book totally fits the bill and I will be checking out the rest of this series as wel as future books by Kristin Cashore. If you haven't gotten around to reading this yet. I highly recommend you check it out.

First Line:
"In these dungeons the darkness was complete, but Katsa had a map in her mind."

Favorite Lines:
"She glanced up at him, and in that moment he pulled his wet shirt over his head. She forced her mind blank. Blank as a new sheet of paper, blank as a starless sky."