Kristin Cashore’s bestselling, award-winning fantasy Graceling tells the story of the vulnerable-yet-strong Katsa, a smart, beautiful teenager who lives in a world where selected people are given a Grace, a special talent that can be anything from dancing to swimming. Katsa’s is killing. As the king’s niece, she is forced to use her extreme skills as his thug. Along the way, Katsa must learn … the way, Katsa must learn to decipher the true nature of her Grace… and how to put it to good use. A thrilling, action-packed fantasy adventure (and steamy romance!) that will resonate deeply with adolescents trying to find their way in the world.
This ebook includes sample chapters of FIRE, BITTERBLUE, and JANE, UNLIMITED.
loved it & would 110% read it again
While my all-time favorite of this series is the second book, Fire, Graceling was still amazing. I loved the world that Cashore created, as well as the way we didn’t spend all of our time in a castle or palace. The adventure Katsa and Po are thrust into was probably the best part. Watching Katsa come to terms with herself and her abilities, as well as her love for Po, kept me riveted throughout the entire novel. I highly recommend this book!
Kristin Cashore creates an incredibly strong, capable, and fiercely loyal female lead with a tongue as sharp as her weapon of choice. Katsa, the protagonist, begins under the wing and command of her uncle, the king. Her journey of self reflection and self discovery lead her to fully appreciate who she is and the gifts she brings to the world of the Middluns. Compelling and smart, Graceling is the perfect book for lovers of romance, adventure, strong female leads, and fantastical worlds.
I really loved this one! Katsa, our hero, is a flawed yet lovable badass caught in the middle of a strange conspiracy. Katsa is part of a small group of people that are ‘Graced’. If you are Graced at something then you are essentially supernaturally talented at whatever it is. Katsa’s Grace makes her one of the greatest assassins in all the land, but even that may not be enough to unravel the conspiracy. Try it out!
Love this author and her writing style!!
A female assassin in a fantasy setting? Sign me up! I was so excited to read this book but unfortunately it did not meet my expectation. The premise is incredible: some people are born with eyes of different color which indicate they are graced with an unnatural ability. The main character, Katsa, is graced with the skill to kill. Her uncle, the King, uses her to enforce his will in vicious ways but to make amends, Katsa runs a secret “Council” that fights the evil rule prevalent throughout the seven kingdoms.
For such a fantastic concept, the book has no plot to support it. The Council never really plays a part; there is not a significant challenge or puzzle Katsa must overcome. She meets a prince who obviously is more than he seems, falls for him, predictably eventually stands up to her Uncle, and then rescues a young princess. That’s about it. None of the major plot points really thread together well and I predicted all of the “twists” except for the last one.
Along with premise, I do give the author credit for staying true to her characters. It would have been so easy and perhaps expected to have the characters end in a different way. Instead, Kristin Cashore stays true to Katsa’s character and gives her the nontraditional, though fitting conclusion. Brava to Kristin for taking the brave path.
Graceling was a fine read but it’s not one I see myself ever going back to again.
This book really got me into this genre. Amazing story with amazing characters.
The story flows like a glass of delicious wine that pours down your throat until you’re replete. Superbly done 🙂
Love, love this author. Her characters jump off the page!
Now one of my favorite books!
This book had some bad language, and some inappropriate scenes, so for younger readers I would recommend cation. But for older readers it was amazing! I loved the action and adventure!
Yes, it was a good book, it was just a bit slow paced and behind in the amount of action. I did describe it as action-packed, but it just happened a little too slowly for me. Also, when the name Po came up, I just kept thinking at first of the panda Po, (XD) and it was hard for me to re-envision a new Po.
The name Katsa also felt like a rip off from Katniss.
But the romance was wonderful.
I read this book almost 10 years ago the first time, and just reread it again today. I’ve always said to people over the years how much this book meant to me. I love how Cashore builds the scenery around you and gives each character a backstory. I love the characters!
It’s definitely a young adult book, although has been categorized as a children’s book, but due to some violence and context I’d group it more with the YA.
Must read! Also this is part of a trilogy! So read Fire and Bitterblue as well!!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book although I actually listened to the audio version.
The villain is barely introduced and the first fifty pages are slow for a young adult book. I think books with strong female characters like this one are inspiring but it’s a very basic archetype within a basic fantasy world and plot.
Katsa is the bomb and Po is adorable. What an inspiring tale!
Although the plot of this book was intricate, the writing style was very plain and simple. At some times I thought the writing style was boring, and at other times I thought it was refreshing. Great plot, and a good quick read.
I literally took this one out to the trash can after reading it, and I never do that to a book. But here’s the deal: this story epitomizes a ridiculously misguided editorial trend among New York publishers imo, where they want to recast romance into something they think is better but is so disingenuous and narrow it completely fails to connect. I mean, I get why we want heroines who are not damsels, but seriously, only offering up man-bashing combat queens as an alternative is not the answer. It’s not romantic, for one, and trying to sell us on the idea that a girl must develop her kung-fu prowess in order to be a competent romantic partner is no better than insisting on weakness for the same reason. As a footnote, I lost any respect for Publisher’s Weekly I ever had with the “review” quote included on this novel’s cover: “The story Twilight fans have been waiting for.” Nice try. And, no.