An Intriguing Fantasy World
In Graceling, Kristin Cashore’s YA fantasy novel, certain people (those with two different colored eyes) are blessed or cursed, as the case may be, with superpower gifts. These gifts could be anything from cooking to killing people. Because their eyes give them away, it’s a little hard to hide who is graced and who is not.
Katsa’s grace is killing, which she discovers at age eight when she accidentally kills a man.
Her uncle, the king, takes advantage of her gift for his own purposes. Belittling and criticizing her, the king keeps her in submission by continually unbalancing her with self-doubt. He intimidates and strips of her self-confidence.
She becomes one of his thug enforcers, bullying, hurting, and sometimes killing on his command. It turns out she’s good at intimidating and hurting people, but she hates her uncle and the things he makes her do.
She isn’t weak or submissive. Her secret rebellion is to start an underground organization that works to help those in need. People throughout the land are involved in this growing organization
When she meets Prince Po, also a graceling, a friendship develops between them, and she finds the courage to stand up to her uncle and leave his court. She and Po take off on an adventure.
Powerful Characters
Perhaps the greatest strength of this book is the characterization.
Katsa is a strong female character, riddled with insecurities. Because she is feared and shunned by most people, she has few friends. She questions her place in the world and longs to be out from under her uncle’s control. She also uses her power to help people in need. She’s a young adult trying to find her way in a confusing, violent world.
When she meets Prince Po, she finds someone who is her equal and her opposite. While she is serious, shunned, and feared, he is beloved, easygoing, charming, and playful.
Fast Paced, Engaging, and a Plot Bump
I got into this book very quickly and was immediately engaged with the fantasy world, the characters, and the plot, until near the end when the plot takes a tangent direction. Other than that, I found the pacing excellent.
The story begins as an adventure/quest story with a love story (subplot). However, after the climax of the quest story, instead of wrapping up, the novel begins another new storyline and becomes a romance novel with too many chapters devoted to a new plot.
I found myself becoming annoyed. The problem was solved too easily and conveniently–a too quick solution to a complex problem. The new story would have been a perfect beginning or subplot for the second book, or it could have been introduced and addressed before the climax of the main storyline.
Don’t let that critique put you off on reading the book. Overall, this is an interesting fantasy and a fun read.
A Word About Violence
We live in an excessively violent society, and this book in many ways reflects this. Often our nation’s first response to a problem is violence. This scenario plays out in books and movies as well as on the nightly news. Then we are shocked and wonder why our children use violence to solve problems.
One of the things I liked about this story is that Katsa grapples with the horror and impact of her grace. The negative effects of using violence aren’t sidestepped. The graphic violence raises questions about humanity and human interactions as well as the effects of violence on personal and psychological levels.
As the story unfolds, a reader begins to realize that compassion, courage, gentleness, and love are far more powerful behaviors than violence.
Audio Version
I listened to the Audible version of this book and wanted to give a two thumbs up for the production. Most audiobooks are read by a narrator, and I enjoy those books. This one is performed. There is a central narrator as well as separate voices for various characters. If you listen to audiobooks, I recommend this one.
The Usual Reminder
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