Review Detail

Lady Katsa's killing Grace first manifested itself when, at eight years old, she killed her cousin in a fit of rage, and ever since then she has been avoided by all the nobility save for Prince Raffin. She also bonds with Oll, who helps her to control her Grace, and it is that bond that brings her, years later, to King Randa's dungeons to free a Lienid who is unjustly held prisoner there. It is in Randa City that she meets Prince Po, a Graceling like herself, and, after a time, befriends him.

It would be a stretch to say that I am the last person in the world to read Graceling, but I certainly came to it later than most- a few months ago, this book was the Young Adult Fantasy of the Moment, and with good reason. I had heard nothing but good about Graceling when I picked it up, but I was a little skeptical, as I always am when a book's main strength seems to be its good reviews. Hence, it's hard to say what I was expecting from Graceling, but what I found delighted me- this is a thoughtful book that doesn't take itself too seriously, and that is what all good fantasy should be.

The only fault this book has is that, unlike some fantasy, it's not particularly accessible to non-genre readers.