Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Reviewed by: Palak
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publication date: October 1st, 2008
Pages: 472 (Hardcover)
Cover: 4.5/5 stars
Plot: 4.5/5 stars

    Katsa made her first kill when she was eight. With her bare hands She is Graced, a special type of people with extreme skills and talents. She is the king's niece and personal henchman that he sends to do his dirty work. When Katsa meets Po, a Lienian prince, she'll have no idea how much he will change her life.

     Graceling was mind blowing! It took me completely by surprise! It just seemed to me as one of those average books that people might pass by on the shelves. But Graceling was a book about adventure, a brilliant heroine, and heart wrenching romance.


     Katsa is a kick-butt heroine. She falls right in line with fan favorites like Katniss and Tris! At first my very thoughts were, ok, she's something else, let's see where this goes. But as the book progresses and she develops her character, you can't help but do anything to root for her. There's just something amazing about a heroine that is not only independent, but also so vulnerable to love. Barely anyone could even meet her eyes because of their shallow fears, and she is forced to do terrible deeds for the king. Could you imagine? But she defies everything that is said about her and finds herself amidst perilous times.

Let me tell you about the Graceling world! I love it when authors create a world of their own, with it's own history and customs. Yet the characters are human and so you can be enthralled by the world and can easily relate to some of the characters. In the Graceling realm, there are seven kingdoms. It's still like our own, yet so different! People that are Graced have heightened talent in something. For example, Katsa is presumably Graced with killing. In most lot of the aforementioned realm, Graces are usually looked down upon.

Some parts in Graceling are a fair bit slow, but the overall the book has a certain zest to it that made me look over those moments when I wasn't particularly interested in the scene! Definitely worth a shot if you are one of those people trying to get over your Post-Hunger Games Trauma!