Graceling (Seven Kingdoms Trilogy #1)

Reader reviewed by Lexie

I fully admit to picking this book up for the gorgeous cover
originally. Then I placed in my pile of TBR and forgot about it for a
few weeks. I picked it up again this past week and read straight
through it in two nights. The story moves along, each new plot thread
blending with the previous ones so that you're not certain when (or if)
something ended.

The book itself is divided into two parts.
Part One, 'The Lady Killer', focuses mainly on establishing our main
character of Katsa and what her Grace entails, as well as her
relationships because of it. Even though Katsa is eighteen years old,
she acts in a much more mature fashion and thinks in a more complex
way. Katsa also struggles with a growing conscious of what she has been
doing as her Uncle, the King's, strong arm enforcement. If he has a
petty problem with some minor Lord, he sends Katsa to handle the
matter. In this way he manages a fairly peaceful kingdom.

Part
Two, 'The Twisted King', takes us away from the familiar geography of
the first part and has us following where Katsa goes. Throughout this
part we learn a bit more of how Katsa thinks and her motivations, as
well as more about her companion's motivations and thinking. Though in
the first part Katsa has a secret society of do-gooders (The Council,
which tries to right wrongs throughout all Kingdoms, but not
necessarily to the benefit of the ruling King), and had bent the rules
in regards to other orders given to her by her Uncle, she had never
truly been free to do as she liked.

The relationship between
Katsa and Po is obviously more then Katsa realizes. It takes several
hearty blows--in the first part and later in the second--but the bond
between the two is so strong its hard for Katsa to ignore.

Our
villian, King Leck, actually isn't a paramount threat until about a
third to half way through the book. His machinations are felt from the
first chapter, but his threat level only becomes clear after a string
of unrelated events finally makes sense.

On the author's home page she mentions the next book shall be a prequel set roughly 30 years before Graceling, featuring a familiar character, due out in October 2009. She is currently working on the sequel to Graceling, set 6 years later and featuring Bitterblue as the main character.

(Reprinted here with author's permission)

Reader reviewed by kitty

for me it was my first time reading a book by that person and i found it really interesting
the main character was a great heroine if i ever saw one and her boyfriend wasn't so bad either
i guess what i'm saying is that its a great story for first timers and the long running readers 

Reader reviewed by Siera

I really enjoyed reading this book. It is very well written and the characters are very well developed. The plot of this book is kind of unusual which makes me want to read on! Some of the scenes in the book are pretty gory, though. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy reading about fiction and adventures.

Reader reviewed by TheBookworm

Absorbed My Attention

Graceling

By Kristin Cashore

Pub. Date: October 2008

4 out of 5 stars

PG-13 Violence, Profanity, and Sexual Content

Recommended

Endowed with a Grace of Killing, Katsa lives in a lonely, secluded world. Both feared and revered by most, she is the Kings deadly, perfect weapon. Yet she wont let the Kings ruthless content stop her from doing what is right. Everything is going according to plan until a mysterious Prince, Graced with Fighting, arrives at the castle. Katsas conflicting feelings and his breathtaking eyes cloud her thoughts. Though, while the Prince seems likeable, her senses are on high alert. Will this man, with the striking features and easygoing personality, be the downfall of Katsa and all she stands for and believes?

While reading, Graceling absorbed my attention.

I found the main character, Katsa, pretty likeable& most of the time. I dont agree with all of her decisions morally, so she isnt my favorite character. She did have some really wonderful moments though. The one extraordinary character was Princess Bitterblue. Not only was Bitterblue mature, wholesome, and good, she also brought out the best in Katsa. Katsas compassion and humanity grew into much more stable and visible elements while with Bitterblue. They both improved, physically and mentally, during their time together.

The book flowed with an urgent undercurrent that pulled me under while I oohed and aahed. I was glued to the plot, until about the last third of the book. The big showdown between good and evil was lacking terribly and left me unsatisfied. Then it slowed down to a snails crawl that irritated me. The parts that I loved beforehand began to blur by the disappointment of the ending.

Overall, I found Graceling a pretty, good book that was just lacking in a few scenes.

I believe this book will appeal more to high school girls. Its not suitable for people 13 and under. If this book sounds interesting to a guy, go for it but I would also like to suggest The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima and Rangers Apprentice series by John Flanagan. These books are great and I believe guys will be able to enjoy them more because of the fact that the books narrators are guys, not a girl like in Graceling.

Date Reviewed: March 6^th, 2009

For more book reviews and book information check out my blog at www.inthecurrent.blogspot.com

Reader reviewed by Lisa

in a sentence or so: Katsa
is Graced with killing. meaning, she's virtually indestructible and
capable of just about anything. while she's on a secret mission she
discovers a man who is Graced with fighting and, through some
unforeseen and very unfortunate circumstances, will be her companion to
stop a wicked king of unthinkable acts.

everyone born with a
Grace (noted by two different colored eyes) are sent to their king. the
king then decides what to do with them - keep them for his service, or
send them to live in their villages and freak people out for the rest
of their lives. and king Randa just could not pass up having an
advantage like his niece Katsa
in his court. with the ability to inflict immense pain to those who
defy Randa, she proved an amazing asset. obviously, she hated being
used like a wild animal in this way and started doing things her way. when Katsa
is rescuing a kidnapped noble, she discovers the reasoning behind the
actions and gets to know the people she meets along the way which
permanently alter the way she sees the world, her Grace, and her
purpose in life.

okay, so i had heard tons of buzz about this book on the ya lit circuit - both by bloggers and by the recognition it received from official channels.
and i can confirm that it was all worth it. the characters are complex
and thoughtful, while the plot is constantly twisting and creative. the
landscapes are so vivid and there is a sense of plausibility to the
whole story, which i personally find very refreshing in fantasy books.
it's kinda like a 'coming-of-age' in a way, because of Katsa's realization about who she is, what she does, and why
she does it. i don't want to geek out too much, because the mystery
behind what happens is part of what makes this such a great book.

i am blown away that this was the first book by Cashore.
she wrote with confidence and respect for her readers. and i LOVED that
the opening segment of the book was in the midst of action, not a long
drawn out explanation of what Grace's are, who Katsa
is, etc... you find out along the way - which keeps the pacing exciting
and fun. also, there is a map in the front. i LOVE maps in books.

at times heavy, at times funny, at times romantic, always exciting and adventurous and clever, Graceling was quite a journey and one that is well worth the read!

fave quotes: "She
practiced every day. She learned her own speed and her own explosive
force. She learned the angle, position, and intensity of a killing blow
versus a maiming blow. She learned how to disarm a man and how to break
his leg, and how to twist his arm so severely that he would stop struggling and beg for release. She learned to fight with a sword and with knives and daggers.
She was so fast and focused, so creative, she could find a way to beat
a man senseless with both arms tied to her sides. Such was her Grace." (11)
"Who were they, to take her fight away from her and turn it into some sort of understanding between themselves? He should've
taken more care of her face? She would knock his nose from his face.
She would thump them both, and she would apologize to neither." (90)

fix er up: coming
in just shy of 500 pages, the book is a bit of a beast. but trust me,
it's well worth it! it seemed intimidating at first, and then utterly un-put-downable after page 1.

Reader reviewed by Stephanie

In Katsa's world, those who possess a Grace, an unusually powerful skill, recognized by their different-colored eyes, are often shunned and avoided by the ordinary people. Katsa has it worse than most Graced, for her Grace is the Grace of killing, a Grace that her uncle, King Randa, uses to keep his subjects in line.

But Katsa is sick of always obeying her uncle's orders, being forced to perform these tasks she hates and having to hide her good side. Still, she sees no way out of her miserable, savage life...until she meets Po, a prince from a faraway island kingdom, whose secret business coincides with hers. Po is Graced with the art of combat, and they are well matched in fighting.

A friendship develops between Katsa and Po, and they are thrown together even more as they set off to defend their world from the clutches of a powerful and dangerous king. Katsa must contend with her wild nature if she is to get to know Po, if she is to learn about the truth about their Graces and characters. Together, they may just be able to save their world and make it a better place.

The characterizations of Katsa and Po in Graceling are incredible; it's impossible to not like them and feel for them as they struggle with their internal conflicts and emotions for one another. On the other hand, I felt like much of the plot-conflict in this novel was thrown in almost helter-skelter; conflicts were suddenly introduced and resolved in a matter of pages. I would have liked more back-story, so that I could've better understand Katsa and Po's world. That being said, Graceling is still an incredible debut fantasy novel, sure to appeal to all fantasy lovers who also like a good romance.

Reader reviewed by mearley

There was a lot to like about Graceling. Kristin Cashore created an interesting fantasy world where some children are born with a Grace. Some graces are practical-you might be graced with cooking or sewing and be in high demand in the king's kitchen or tailor shop. Other graces are scary. Katsa is graced with killing; no target can escape her.

By her teenage years, Katsa grew to despise her grace and the way the king used her against his enemies. She and a few trusted friends formed the Council which carries out missions of mercy instead of killing. Through the course of one of these missions, Katsa meets Po, a prince who is also graced. His grace places him on level footing with Katsa, a situation she is unaccustomed to!

My disappointment in Graceling comes from the message Cashore seems to be sending about love and commitment. Katsa is determined to never marry, but decides that she and Po can become lovers until one of them decides it's not working out anymore. It is unfortunate that love and sex are treated as trivial choices and the consequences are so easily brushed aside. Because of this, I will have trouble recommending Graceling to my middle school students.

Reprinted here with author's permission.

Reader reviewed by Beth

I picked up this book by chance, and was glad I did. I really enjoyed the unique twist on fantasy. The characters were well drawn, they were unfamiliar with greater problems, but there were also thing about them that made them easy to relate to. I would recommend this book to older teenagers who enjoy sword and shield fantasy novels.