Review: Graceling by Kristin Cashore

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.

She never expects to fall in love with beautiful Prince Po.

She never expects to learn the truth behind her Grace—or the terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.

With elegant, evocative prose and a cast of unforgettable characters, debut author Kristin Cashore creates a mesmerizing world, a death-defying adventure, and a heart-racing romance that will consume you, hold you captive, and leave you wanting more.

Review:

I loved this book! The world that Kristin Cashore created is amazing, and the added map at the beginning was a nice touch. I loved the characters. The plot was amazing. I loved everything about this book. I was hooked from the very beginning and never grew tired of reading this book. In fact, I could not put it down!

The main character, Katsa is a strong woman from the very beginning. I love that she thinks for herself even when her uncle, the king, seems to control her. I am so glad she broke free of him after she grows into herself a bit more, and realizes that she is not a killing machine. I loved watching her gain more self-esteem as she got to know Po. Katsa is flawed, but that is just a part of what makes her so great.

Some other reviews that I have read of Graceling mention that they did not like the fact that Katsa is set against marriage. Personally, I did not have a problem with this. Sure, Katsa is against marriage, but I found this to be understandable because she does not want to be considered "property" and wants to be able to always make her own decisions. In the world that Kristin created, women seem to be under their husband's rule once married, so it is completely understandable why Katsa never wants to marry. She wants to be her own person and make her own decisions, but that is just my opinion.

That being said, Graceling is a great debut novel by Kristin Cashore. It is an amazing fantasy adventure. There were some twists that I did not see coming at all. I loved that it was not predictable. Did I mention I loved this book?

Rating: 5/5

Swords are for fighting,