Graceling

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

ISBN# 978-0-15-206396-2

Available now

Published by Harcourt, Inc.

Format: HC, 471 pages

Genres: YA, fiction, fantasy

I find it hard to believe that this is a debut novel.  I only hope she keeps up this level of storytelling in future books.  Speaking of future books, Fire is slated for an October release, and she's currently writing what's tentatively titled Bitterblue.  Fire will be a loose prequel to Graceling and feature the future king of Monsea, Leck.  Bitterblue will be a sequel, picking up a few years after Graceling, featuring Queen Bitterblue of course.

Welcome to the land of The Seven Kingdoms.  The kingdoms of Monsea and Lienid seem pretty idyllic places to live, but that could be because one is an island and the other is accessible only by a mountain pass or the sea.  The other five are ruled by petty kings that can't seem to hold an alliance for more than five minutes, and barely care, or even think much about their people.  In these kingdoms certain people are born Graced.  Graces are extreme skills and can be almost anything like sword fighting, swimming, mind reading, archery, etc.  Even they may not know what their Grace is right away, but they can always be identified because their eyes are two different colors.  Almost as soon as they are identified the Graced are sent to be raised by the king with their skill ultimately put to use.  So, we end up with petty kings that now have any number of potential weapons at their beck and call.

Katsa has the bad fortune of being Graced with killing and being raised by her uncle, King Randa, who uses her as his personal thug.  Over the years she has gotten increasingly sick of maiming and killing over every little slight so she's found ways around most of his orders.  She's even gone so far as to found the Council, which lets her and her friends help people in need without Randa ever knowing.  Their latest mission was to spring the father of the Lienid king from the dungeon of the Sunder king and get him to safety until they know why he was taken in the first place.  Everything goes as planned until Katsa runs into another Lienid who shouldn't be there on her way back to the horses.  She decides to knock him out, but wonders the whole trip back to Randa City if she's put them all in danger by not killing him.

When she returns to court she finds the mysterious Lienid has beaten her there, and that he is in fact Prince Po, seventh son of King Ror.  He's too cocky for her liking, but when he does corner her and ask about his grandfather she reunites them.  He also joins the council meetings to find out who took grandfather Tealiff and why.  While the Council is gathering information Katsa and Po make full use of his fighting Grace, constantly testing each other on the practice grounds since neither have to hold back nearly as much as they would with others.  When the Council comes up with nothing and Po learns how oddly his sister, wife of King Leck in Monsea, took the news of her missing grandfather he decides that is the only place left to search for answers.  On the way there they get closer than ever, but can Katsa, who's never had to depend on another person her whole life, let Po do what must be done alone once she proves vulnerable?

I loved this book!  The details of kings and kingdoms are pretty nonexistent until we come to Monsea and Lienid, but since since most of them don't play a part in the story I doubt you'll miss them much.  Although it doesn't look like it from my summary this is a love story, but a different sort than you might be used to.  If you read between the lines Katsa was almost surely on her way to becoming a psychopath by King Randa, but it's her few friends at court and finally Po that keep her from going over the edge.  When she feels herself falling for Po she fights it with every fiber of her being because how could she fall in love when she's never even been that sure of her friendships?  I love Katsa because she is such a strong character, not just physically, but she's also at home in her own skin.  Her lifestyle and wants may not be the same as other women, and she's ok with that.  I love Po, maybe just a little more, because he wants Katsa as she is even if that means they'll never be married and he'll never get to play the alpha male role.  There is some violence in this book, but most of it isn't very graphic at all so I think ages 13+ will find much to love about this book.  I highly recommend this book for fantasy lovers and those wanting something with a strong female lead.

Zhye