Review : Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Summary (from Goodreads)

Title : Graceling (Graceling Realm #1)
Author : Kristin Cashore
Publisher : Harcourt
Publication Date : October 1st 2011

Goodreads - The Book Depository

His eyes, Katsa had never seen such eyes. One was silver, and the other, gold. They glowed in his sun-darkened face, uneven, and strange. She was surprised that they hadn't shone in the darkness of their first meeting. They didn't seem human....

Then he raised his eyebrows a hair, and his mouth shifted into the hint of a smirk. He nodded at her, just barely, and it released her from her spell.

Cocky, she thought. Cocky and arrogant, this one, and that was all there was to make of him. Whatever game he was playing, if he expected her to join him he would be disappointed.


In a world where people born with an extreme skill - called a Grace - are feared and exploited, Katsa carries the burden of the skill even she despises: the Grace of killing. She lives under the command of her uncle Randa, King of the Middluns, and is expected to execute his dirty work, punishing and torturing anyone who displeases him.

When she first meets Prince Po, who is Graces with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about 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.

Personal Thoughts

Ever since I read books like the Poison Study series, Touch of Power and Shadow and Bone, I've grown very fond of the YA high fantasy genre. It is a genre with huge possibilities, opening doors to highly imaginative and enthralling world-building. Graceling is a book that is almost venerated among YA high fantasy books. I knew, once I had read the shining reviews, that I had to give this series a shot just to see if it lived up to my other favorites. 

Graceling introduces the reader to a world where certain special people are gifted with a Grace, a certain skill that they are excellent at. Our main character, Katsa, doesn't exactly consider her Grace a skill since she has the Grace of killing. Used by the King Middluns as a weapon, Katsa is known and held in fear by everyone across the country for her deadly nature. When she meets Po however, her life drastically changes when she begins to learn what her true nature.

I loved the characters in Graceling. Katsa was by far one of the most incredible main characters I've ever had the chance of meeting while reading. She was a fiercely determined girl who knew exactly what she wanted. Independence and strength were her middle names. What I really loved about Katsa was that although she was pretty much a ruthless killer, she was overcome with guilt for murdering people. She was pretty much a puppet in the hands of her uncle, King Middluns, who used her as his weapon for all his dirty work. At times, I actually felt pity for her. I liked the Katsa really grew as a character throughout the series. While reading, I got to see glimpses of her kindness. Behind the cold killer was a girl with a golden heart. Once she came to the realization that what she was doing was truly wrong and that her uncle couldn't really bully her into doing something she didn't want to do, she became even braver in my eyes. Po,too, was a character that I adored. He was such a sweetheart with his flirty and teasing nature. I also liked that he saw Katsa for who she really was. In a way, he triggered Katsa to see the strength that she possessed. Also, I thought he was a great love interest. No matter what the situation, he was a constant support to Katsa. His love and devotion for her were heart-warming. Not once did he try to change Katsa's personality. He accepted her for who she was. In a way, I thought he balanced her fiery nature with his more calm one. Even the secondary characters in this book were brilliantly well-written. However, my favorite was definitely Bitterblue. To me, she was actually a mini Katsa, bold, intelligent and driven. Don't even get me started on the villain. He was a creepy sadistic, exactly how a villain should be.

The world-building in Graceling was solid and well-crafted. I enjoyed reading about the history of the Seven Kingdoms and I felt that the author did a great job at making sure the reader knew his/her setting well. For me, it was quite easy to visualize what was going on. While I did think the story had a slow pace on certain occasions, I also thought it was an intriguing and suspenseful read. Therefore, even with the slow rate at which the book progressed, I was heavily invested in the story line. To top it off, the author threw in twists and turns that I truly did not expect. The ideas behind the story were original and highly interesting, ensuring that the reader isn't bored. Honestly, the world that Kristin Cashore has created was magical and breath-taking. The adventures of Katsa, Po and Bitterblue were absolutely spell-binding.

I regret not having picked up this book earlier. Fans of YA high fantasy definitely shouldn't miss this great book! The riveting plot line, the sweet but complex romance and the captivating characters will charm you and will not let you sleep if you start the book before going to bed!

[Note : I would have given this book 5 stars, I did not approve of Katsa's mindset regarding a certain matter. It bothered me a little too much, so I had to lower my rating.]

Rating

Cover : 4/5
Plot : 4/5

Characters : 4/5

Writing : 4/5