Summary
In Katsa's world there are people who are born with extraordinary talents, called Graces. Gracelings are the property of the crown, and Katsa, who has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was a child, has been turned in to the king's personal thug. She rebels by undertaking missions on her own, which lead her into the middle of a political plot, complete with a Graced prince, an evil king whose manipulations have confused a kingdom and destroyed lives. As Katsa helps unravel the plot, she has to learn to get along with other people, and discover the truth about her Grace.
Citation
Cashore, K. (2008). Graceling. Orlando, FL: Harcourt.
Impression
I loved this book. Warrior girls, magic, political intrigue, a well developed love interest and a sadistic and capable villain--this book has just about everything I look for. I loved Katsa's fierceness and her determination to do the right thing, even though she was raised to be nothing more than a weapon. Her interactions with Po are really believable, and the plot really zips along. The book satisfies the Tamora Pierce fan in me. Love love love.
Reviews
"Starred Review. In a land of seven kingdoms, people with special talents, called Gracelings, are identified by their eyes—Katsa's are green and blue, one of each—although she's eight before her specific Grace is identified as a talent for killing. (While in the court of her uncle, King Randa, she swiped at a man attempting to grope her and struck him dead.) By 18 she's King Randa's henchwoman, dispatched to knock heads and lop off appendages when subjects disobey, but she hates the job. As an antidote, she leads a secret council whose members work against corrupt power, and in this role, while rescuing a kidnapped royal, she meets the silver-and-gold–eyed Po, the Graced seventh son of the Lienid king. That these two are destined to be lovers is obvious, though beautiful, defiant Katsa convincingly claims no man will control her. Their exquisitely drawn romance (the sex is offstage) will slake the thirst of Twilight fans, but one measure of this novel's achievements lies in its broad appeal. Tamora Pierce fans will embrace the take-charge heroine; there's also enough political intrigue to recommend it to readers of Megan Whalen Turner's Attolia trilogy. And while adult readers, too, will enjoy the author's originality, the writing is perfectly pitched at teens struggling to put their own talents to good use. With this riveting debut, Cashore has set the bar exceedingly high. Ages 14–up."
(2008, October). [Review of the book Graceling, by K. Cashore]. Publisher's Weekly. Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com
*Starred Review* Feared as a killer since her childhood, Lady Katsa uses her unusual Grace (superhuman gift) in the service of her uncle, King Randa. She is beginning to rebel against his orders to kill or maim his more disloyal subjects when her path crosses that of Po. A young foreign prince with a mysterious Grace as well as wisdom beyond his years, Po convinces Katsa that she can stand up to the brutal king and put her gift to better uses. When Katsa joins Po on a quest, she throws herself headlong into a rescue mission and finds romance, self-knowledge, and justice along the way. Although many fantasy writers create intriguing alternate worlds and worthy adventures, as Cashore does in this well-imagined novel, she also offers believable characters with enough depth, subtlety, and experience to satisfy older readers. Katsa is a heroine who can physically overpower most men she meets, yet her strength is not achieved by becoming manlike. She may care little for fine clothes, but from her first kill to her first experience of lovemaking, Katsa's womanhood is integral to her character. An impressive first novel, this well-crafted and rewarding fantasy will leave readers hoping for more.
Phelan, C. (2008, October 1). [Review of the book Graceling, by K. Cashore]. Booklist. Retrieved from http://www.booklistonline.com/
Uses
This is a book that seems really useful for readers' advisory type purposes--it is a handy recommendation for fans of other fantasy--Tamora Pierce and Megan Whalen Turner, as mentioned in the PW review, as well as fans of Diana Peterfreund's Killer Unicorn books and The Hunger Games. It has a really good balance of action and personal stuff.
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