Review: Graceling By: Kristin Cashore

Title: Graceling  ( Graceling Realm #1)

Author: Kristin Cashore

Published: October 1st, 2008

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Summary:

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 Graced 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 . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.

     With elegant, evocative prose and a cast of unforgettable characters, debut author Kristin Cashore creates a mesmerizing world, a death-defying adventure, and a heart-racing romance that will consume you, hold you captive, and leave you wanting more.

My Thoughts:

I have put off reading this book for so long and I don't know why because I really enjoyed it. I am always hesitant when it comes to fantasy  because for me if the world building isn't really good I have a hard time getting into the story. But Kristen Cashore did an amazing job with it and gave us a few characters that I couldn't help but love.

Katsa is a graceling, a person who can have a special skill that far exceeds a normal person. Everyone knows who a graceling is because they have two different colored eyes, so no matter what it is very hard to hide who you are. She definitely seems like a feminist, she doesn't want to be married or have children, and doesn't want to rely on anyone for anything. Her Uncle, the king sends her along on missions to intimidate and scare people into doing what the kings wants. She has a reputation for being a dangerous person because of her missions for her Uncle, people are afraid of her, don't want to speak to her, or look her in the eyes. This is what I think made her in the beginning of the story such a feminist, she could fight better than any man she knew and everyone treated her as an  outcast. I loved  Katsa because she was so strong, she had to be being who she was. 

But, when Prince Po comes into Katsa's life, everything changes and the real adventure to the story begins. Po becomes one of the first real friends she has ever had in her life. He opens her eyes to herself, her grace, and things she never thought she could ever want out of life. He was definitely one of my favorite characters.

Overall, I loved this book and I am definitely going to continue on with the series. I felt that the story was unique and different.  I felt that Cashore slowed down the plot when was needed and kept adventure and excitement in the parts that you wanted it. I definitely recommend it although, I know some people have said that they thought Katsa was a "man hater" but, I felt it worked well and made sense for her character.