Graceling by Kristin Cashore - Book Review (Reread)

Book Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Spice: Mild

Summary:

Since Katsa was eight years old, she’s been in the service of her uncle the King of the Middluns – as the “Lady Killer”. She earned the moniker due to her Grace, which allows her to kill any opponent, no matter how big or strong. Katsa is a Graceling – a person with an extraordinary skill that can be identified by their mismatched eyes. All useful Gracelings are forced to serve at the pleasure of the King. Because of her impressive Grace, her uncle uses Katsa as his enforcer, making her hurt his enemies and ensure his underhanded schemes succeed, while also wanting her to appear ladylike enough to eventually marry her off.

Katsa wishes for none of it. She has vowed never to marry and has started a secret Council to use her Grace to help others rather than hurt them. During one of her undercover missions for the Council, she rescues the kidnapped father of the Lienid King from another kingdom’s dungeons. When the Lienid Prince & Graced fighter, Po, shows up in the Middluns in search of his grandfather, he and Katsa start a tentative friendship based on their ability to challenge each other in a fight. As the two grow closer, Po helps Katsa find the courage to openly defy her uncle, and he asks her to help him find who kidnapped his grandfather. This mystery will lead them on a perilous quest and reveal a dangerous secret that will rock the Seven Kingdoms.

Reaction:

I love Katsa’s character. I once had a conversation with a woman I worked with at the time who was worried about letting her teenage daughter read the Twilight Series because she thought Bella wasn’t a good role model for teenage girls (a whole other conversation), but when I told her some other young adult books that I thought had better role models, Graceling was at the top of my list. The reason is that Katsa is an amazing character. She’s fierce, independent, tries (and mostly succeeds) not to worry about what others think about her, she cares about her friends, and she tries to do what’s right. But she is NOT perfect. She has many flaws, and they aren’t the typical flaws that you see in strong female heroines like being too stubborn. She underestimates her mental and emotional capabilities, she’s socially awkward, and is scared she isn’t in control of herself. These are experiences I feel like most teenage girls can relate to; I know I did. She also asks questions throughout the book that are relatable to 21st century women, like if I marry or am in a committed relationship does that limit my independence? I felt that in my soul. I also love the writing style. It flows so well, and there weren’t any passages I remember getting bogged down by like I can in other books. There’s one chapter with barely any dialogue, which normally would bore me to tears, but the way it’s written, it’s so rhythmic and seamless, I was riveted. Overall, I love this book and would recommend it to anyone looking for a YA fantasy with a unique concept, a beautifully flawed kick-ass heroine, and a sweet romance.