Synopsis: "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.
When she first meets Prince Po, Graced 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."
My Review: The first time I read this book was February of last year, I re-read it multiple times last year because I loved it so much. I found it easy, with Cashore's writing, to really immerse myself in the world of the Seven Kingdoms. I fell in love with the characters, even in their bad times and with their downfalls. Katsa is such a strong character and it was great to watch her come into her own and finally become her own and be comfortable with herself. I was also great to watch her build friendships and relationships with the characters she meets along her journey, even trust others as she hadn't before. Po is of course amazing, though he can be a little self centered at times, but he is always patient with Katsa and tries to do what is best for others. But of all the characters I love Bitterblue the most. Even after all she has been through, or maybe because of it, she is strong, trusting and has more courage than so many others. She is prepared to face any challenge even if it is a large group of grown men with swords, to protect those she loves. A fantastic adventure in a beautifully created world that teaches us to each find our own strength.
When she first meets Prince Po, Graced 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."
My Review: The first time I read this book was February of last year, I re-read it multiple times last year because I loved it so much. I found it easy, with Cashore's writing, to really immerse myself in the world of the Seven Kingdoms. I fell in love with the characters, even in their bad times and with their downfalls. Katsa is such a strong character and it was great to watch her come into her own and finally become her own and be comfortable with herself. I was also great to watch her build friendships and relationships with the characters she meets along her journey, even trust others as she hadn't before. Po is of course amazing, though he can be a little self centered at times, but he is always patient with Katsa and tries to do what is best for others. But of all the characters I love Bitterblue the most. Even after all she has been through, or maybe because of it, she is strong, trusting and has more courage than so many others. She is prepared to face any challenge even if it is a large group of grown men with swords, to protect those she loves. A fantastic adventure in a beautifully created world that teaches us to each find our own strength.
My Rating: This is definitely a Four Paws and a Stump Wag book for me! I can't pull myself away from it once I start and when I finish the book I can't wait to get back into the world Kristin Cashore created and reconnected with the characters I love so much.
I love this book too. Have you read Fire??? I had a harder time with that one. Well, I loved the story but Cashore is a bit of a feminist and I felt like she pushed her feelings a little too strong in Fire. I don't know, what do you think?
ReplyDeleteI have read Fire, and am again currently, I will hopefully have a review posted sometime this week. I will say though I loved Fire, even more than Graceling! I honestly didn't get the feminist thing, so many have complained about it, but I read a book to enjoy it not pick apart a message the author may or may not have meant to put in the book. I think Fire has a terrific cast of characters and a story line that has so much depth. Ok, thats all I will say for now LOL I have to save some for the review!
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