Review: Graceling

Title:  Graceling
Series:  Graceling Realm #1
Author:  Kristin Cashore
Published:  October 1st, 2008 by Harcourt
Source:  Bought

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 Graces as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king's thug.

When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change.

She never expects to become Po's friend.

She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace--or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away...

My Review:  I remember reading this book back when it first came out.  I enjoyed it but it was not one that I reread or obsessed constantly about.  I was reorganizing my book shelf this year and cracked it open again, with just a vague memory of what it was about and how I felt about it.  As I continued reading, I was absolutely amazed.  Reading it the second time was so much better than the first.  I fell completely in love with everything about it.  

Lets start with the world.  Holy.  Cow.  This world was so amazing.  The organization of it and people were so detailed.  I loved learning more about the kingdoms and the Graces.  I found that aspect so interesting - being graced with a certain talent or ability.  It could be anything from singing well to reading minds.  And I found the fact that people who were Graced had two different colored eyes a wonderful addition.  It gave an extra layer of detail to the world and made it feel more real.  

Katsa was a fantastic heroine.  She was strong and stood up for herself and others.  She was unwilling to be defeated and I admired the way she fought hard for herself and those she loved.  She was complex and I enjoyed getting to know her better.  Her past was so difficult.  She's had a rough and isolated life and yet she kept her strength throughout and learned to stand up for what she knew was right.  

Po was amazing.  I loved him from the very start.  I thought he was an excellent companion for Katsa.  He was calm and agreeable where she was fierce and stubborn and yet he never let her walk over him.  The equality within the relationship was great and I loved seeing them make each other stronger.  Together they were an unstoppable team.  The twist that Po was thrown only added to his character.  It gave him a lot of extra depth and added to his already three dimensional character.  Neither of these people were perfect and I loved them even more for their flaws.  

The plot was perfectly paced and full of so much action.  I loved seeing the fights between Katsa and her enemies and also the fights between Katsa and Po.  Seeing their Graces up against each other was amazing and I loved reading the action sequences. 

 The second time through, this book has captured my heart far more than it did the first time.  I know this is one that I will eagerly return to soon!  I would definitely recommend giving this book a shot.  The characters are amazing and feel so real and the world is full of so many details it's as if you're right there with Katsa and Po.   

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