Review Detail

Reader reviewed by Erica

Graceling
Kristen Cashore
Publisher: Graphia
Pages: 471

Rating: 4.5 stars

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.
She never expects to fall in love with beautiful Prince Po. She never expects to learn the truth behind her Grace--or the terrible secret that lies hidden far away. . .a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone. With elegant, evocative prose and a cast of unforgettable characters, debut author Kristin Cashore creates a mesmerizing world, a death-defying adventure, and a heart-racing romance that will consume you, hold you captive, and leave you wanting more.

I really enjoyed Graceling! It was a beautifully written fantasy with a strong female heroine! All the aspects a good fantasy should have were present. The plot was intriguing with plenty of twists and turns and a slow building romance.

I loved the characters. All the characters just glow with life. Katsa, the female heroine of the novel, grew so much throughout the book. Seeing the transformation from page one to the end was interesting to read about. Po was my favorite character of the book. He was just a great character overall.

The only thing that bugged me was that Katsa was so anti-marriage and that seemed to rule part of her life. She was so afraid of belonging to someone else, but I thought through the novel that trust could've grown.

This is definately a must read. I personally cannot wait for the sequel, Bitterblue, Kristan Cashore has planned! Fire will definately be the next book I read!