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Graceling by Kristin Cashore
The Blurb On The Back:
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 ...
In the Seven Kingdoms, a select few are born with special abilities called Graces. Some Graces are minor (e.g. climbing trees), others are highly prized (e.g. fighting, making perfect food). Katsa is a Graceling with the ability to kill who’s forced to work for her uncle, King Randa, a bully who uses Katsa’s reputation to keep his lords in line.
Katsa hates both her Grace and that she’s forced to use it for cruel and unjust purposes. At the same time, she fears her uncle for what he could do to her and those she loves. She and her cousin Raffin have set up a network of people who would like to bring justice back to the world, working secret missions to fight oppression. In one such mission she rescues the father of the King of Lienid, a harmless old man who’s been kidnapped for mysterious reasons and meets Po, a Graceling who’s ability to fight makes him Katsa’s equal. As Po and Katsa form a friendship, they are plunged into a mystery involving a Graceling with sinister plans that will affect all of the Seven Kingdoms.
Cashore’s debut novel is an action adventure fantasy set in a well realised world (complete with maps). Katsa is a well developed character, mistrustful of other people and convinced of her own vileness, she keeps people at bay until Po’s interest in her draws her out and helps her realise her own self worth. However at times she is a little too rash and the ending has her performing a feat that slightly stretches credibility given her previous limitations. Interestingly, it is Po who is more of the romantic cipher – fulfilling the role of tortured, caring lover with secrets of his own usually taken by heroines.
The central mystery of the novel is easy to work out and although there are a lot of fighting scenes, after a while Katsa’s ability to pummel others with ease gets samey. There’s a disjointed feel to the plot – Katsa’s role in setting up a network for justice has a lot of potential but is used as a plot device. There’s also a heavy reliance on travel scenes to develop Katsa, Po and their relationship which become repetitive.
Nevertheless, there’s much to enjoy. Marketed on the adult shelves in the UK and the YA shelves in the USA, it will be enjoyed by young and old alike.
The Verdict:
This is an interesting novel set in a fully realised fantasy world with a lot of potential. Although Katsa’s superior fighting skills became a little dull after a while, the romance is refreshing and I hope this isn’t the last of Katsa’s world.
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 ...
In the Seven Kingdoms, a select few are born with special abilities called Graces. Some Graces are minor (e.g. climbing trees), others are highly prized (e.g. fighting, making perfect food). Katsa is a Graceling with the ability to kill who’s forced to work for her uncle, King Randa, a bully who uses Katsa’s reputation to keep his lords in line.
Katsa hates both her Grace and that she’s forced to use it for cruel and unjust purposes. At the same time, she fears her uncle for what he could do to her and those she loves. She and her cousin Raffin have set up a network of people who would like to bring justice back to the world, working secret missions to fight oppression. In one such mission she rescues the father of the King of Lienid, a harmless old man who’s been kidnapped for mysterious reasons and meets Po, a Graceling who’s ability to fight makes him Katsa’s equal. As Po and Katsa form a friendship, they are plunged into a mystery involving a Graceling with sinister plans that will affect all of the Seven Kingdoms.
Cashore’s debut novel is an action adventure fantasy set in a well realised world (complete with maps). Katsa is a well developed character, mistrustful of other people and convinced of her own vileness, she keeps people at bay until Po’s interest in her draws her out and helps her realise her own self worth. However at times she is a little too rash and the ending has her performing a feat that slightly stretches credibility given her previous limitations. Interestingly, it is Po who is more of the romantic cipher – fulfilling the role of tortured, caring lover with secrets of his own usually taken by heroines.
The central mystery of the novel is easy to work out and although there are a lot of fighting scenes, after a while Katsa’s ability to pummel others with ease gets samey. There’s a disjointed feel to the plot – Katsa’s role in setting up a network for justice has a lot of potential but is used as a plot device. There’s also a heavy reliance on travel scenes to develop Katsa, Po and their relationship which become repetitive.
Nevertheless, there’s much to enjoy. Marketed on the adult shelves in the UK and the YA shelves in the USA, it will be enjoyed by young and old alike.
The Verdict:
This is an interesting novel set in a fully realised fantasy world with a lot of potential. Although Katsa’s superior fighting skills became a little dull after a while, the romance is refreshing and I hope this isn’t the last of Katsa’s world.