Tell me your grace

Graceling (Graceling Realm #1) by Kristin Cashore

Rating: 4 out of 5 hearts
352 pages
Released: January 2009
Buy it @ book depository

In a world where people born with an exceptional skill, known as a Grace, are both feared and exploited, Katsa carries the burden of a skill even she despises: the Grace of killing.

Feared by the court and shunned by those her own age, the darkness of her Grace casts a heavy shadow over Katsa’s life. Yet she remains defiant: when the King of Lienid’s father is kidnapped she investigates, and stumbles across a mystery. Who would want to kidnap the old man, and why? And who was the extraordinary Graced man whose fighting abilities rivalled her own?

The only thing Katsa is sure of is that she no longer wants to kill. The intrigue around this kidnapping offers her a way out – but little does she realise, when she takes it, that something insidious and dark lurks behind the mystery. Something spreading from the shadowy figure of a one-eyed king...

Review

 

I'm a bit behind on reading this as all threee books in the trilogy have already been released, but now I can read them all without having to wait for them to be released. 

If you're a fantasy lover then you MUST read this series, I think you will really enjoy it. It was a unique and interesting story that I've never read before. As it explains in the blurb above, certain people are born with a special 'grace' and one of these people is Katsa, our main character.

Katsa is tough, she may have small flaws but overall she is strong physically and strong in mind about what is right. I became attached to her straight away, she may kill and hurt people but I thought she was a very inspirational role model. She stands up to what is right and decides that she no longer wants to do the bidding of an evil and corrupt king. 

We are introduced to Po in the beginning when he confronts Katsa and I knew right away he was going to be the love interest, I just didn't know how he was going to fit into the story. As we go on his love and fondness for Katsa slowly grows and gives you all those nice feelings. I wasn't expecting what happened to him.

I liked how there weren't any huge cliffhangers at the end, this journey has ended but everything is not right with the kingdom. I can see that there is so much more of the seven kingdoms that needs to be explored and rebuilt. I am really looking forward to finishing this series.

The next part is a bit of a spoiler if you haven't read the book but I want to mention it. I wasn't happy with how King Leck was killed, he was such a hateful and manipulative man that he deserved to die dramatically and painfully. I feel his death wasn't bad enough for him, but that's only my opinion.

 

On the cover

 

How badass does Katsa look! That weapon looks dangerous (and heavy!). The snowflakes are a great touch and this scene actually happens in the book. I don't think I would normally pick up this book based on the cover but I'm glad to have read it.

 

What I'm reading next: Legend by Marie Lu