Graceling by Kristin Cashore

471 pages

"His eyes. Katsa had never seen such eyes. One was silver, and the other, gold. They glowed in his sun-darkened face, uneven and strange. She was surprised that they hadn't shone in the darkness of their first meeting. They didn't seem human...

Then he raised his eyebrows a hair, and his mouth shifted into the hint of a smirk. He nodded at her, just barely, and it released her from her spell.

Cocky, she thought. Cocky and arrogant, this one, and that was all there was to make of him. Whatever game he was playing, if he expected her to join him he would be disappointed.

In a world where people with an extreme skill--called a Grace--are feared and exploited, Katsa carries the burden of a skill even she despises: the Grace of killing. She lives under the command of her uncle Randa, King of the Middluns, and is expected to execute his dirty work, punishing and torturing anyone who displeases him.

When she first meets Prince Po, who is 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 one word alone." -Dust Jacket

Overall, I really liked this book. I liked the idea of some people being born with certain gifts. I liked that depending on the kingdom some Gracelings were used and some were revered. I thought Raffin and Prince Po especially were great characters, although I hate Po's name. I would have preferred him going by his real name--Prince Greening. Po just didn't seem to match his physicality and strength. I liked that Katsa met her equal in him, that they were both Gracelings, and that Po understood her so well. Later on in the story you learn just why he understands her so well and it puts an interesting spin on their relationship. Both of their Graces are not what they appear to be.

I liked that Katsa develops throughout the story from a king's thug to someone who thinks for herself and stands up for sense of right and wrong. I liked that she and the Council are secretly working behind King Randa's back. I liked that she's brave and also a little reckless. She has to learn to control her anger. I liked the adventure. It was often hard to put this book down, especially after Po tries to kill King Leck and everyone takes flight.

At first, I liked the idea of the villain, but it could have been done so much better. There was a little twist that was great, but then it was over and it seemed to happen way too fast.

What I didn't like most about this book, and what sort of spoiled the overall enjoyment of it, was the fact that Katsa is such a feminist. I think it's great to send young women the message of being strong and independent, but Katsa's (the author's) so anti-marriage it's annoying. I didn't like her view that she and Po would have to stay together if they got married out of obligation rather than love, because it's obvious how much they love each other, so that would seem to be a non-issue. I didn't like the I-won't-marry-you-ever-but-I'll-be-your-lover attitude. This is supposed to be a book for 14+ but I don't think I'd want my teenager reading it because of this one thing which frustrates me. I was hoping that Katsa would change her opinion on marriage after all that she and Po go through together and apart, but the end left me kind of mad at her. I think she could have been just as strong married to Po, if not stronger, and still maintained her independence since he was clearly supportive of the things she wanted to do.

There are two other books by this author. The next book takes place 35 years before Graceling and the third book takes place 10 years after. Eventually I'll probably read them, but this one didn't leave me dying to.