Graceling

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Review by Katie Rose

                Not all character start out as heroes. In fact, some of them begin their stories so deep in violence and their own horrible deeds they do not believe they can ever be redeemed. But it is those who think they are beyond saving that are usually the ones who have the potential for it. That is the story of Katsa, the main character of this young adult fantasy novel.

In the world Katsa inhabits, there are seven kingdoms. Within these kingdoms exist people born with special abilities. These people are “graced” and are referred to as “gracelings”. Sometimes these graces are completely mundane, like being graced at cooking or at swimming, but sometimes they are extraordinary. Gracelings are identified by their two different colored eyes, and in almost all kingdoms gracelings are property of the king.  Katsa is the niece of a king, and her grace was discovered at a very young age. Her grace is killing. Because of this her uncle has turned her into his own personal weapon that he uses to terrorize his subjects. Katsa hates her uncle, and hates the things he makes her do. To defy him, she has formed a secret organization designed to help those being oppressed by corrupt kings. It is on a mission for this organization that she meets a Graceling named Po, who is looking for his kidnapped grandfather…who happens to be the man Katsa just rescued. The mystery behind who kidnapped Po’s grandfather sets the pair on an adventure that challenges everything Katsa thinks she knows about herself, and makes her wonder if she is truly the monster her uncle has turned her into.

Outside of the personal journey of Katsa, there is a scoping adventure that takes the reader all over this fantasy world, and deals with all different types of people with many different abilities. As the mystery of Po’s grandfather unfolds the two main characters discover an evil so great it is a threat to all humanity. It is a sick and twisted evil that only the strongest can fight. The strongest, in this case, happens to be a little girl named Bitterblue. I can’t say too much about Bitterblue without giving away everything, but it can be argued she is the true hero of this story. In the end it is really her courage, wisdom, and power that saves the day, and she is only around 8 years old.

Katsa is a deeply tragic character. She has almost no control over her own life, being legally owned by her uncle who has forced her to commit terrible atrocities against other people. Katsa does not think she is a good person. She thinks her grace makes it impossible for her to ever be anything but evil, and has resigned herself to that title. The struggle to change Katsa’s perspective of herself is one of the central themes in the book. It is obvious to the reader what kind of person Katsa really is, and when she finally realizes it for herself it is like a breath of fresh air.

Katsa also is an interesting character because of the personal choices she makes for herself. Katsa does not want to have children, ever. She knows she does not want to and that she will never change her mind about it. Everyone in her life tells her she will change her mind one day, but she refuses to listen. Does this sound familiar to anyone? I know one of my best friends adored this book because it portrayed a woman who was completely against ever having children, and does not have her mind changed by falling in love.  In a world where this kind of thinking is looked down upon, and in some cases completely forbidden, it is nice to see a portrayal of a woman who refuses to give into what society wants from her.

It is also worth mentioning the leading man of this story, Po. Don’t let his name fool you, he is a sexy character. He is kind, funny, intelligent, and accepting. He is also a gorgeous, strong man who can beat anyone in a fight. Anyone except Katsa that is. Yea I have a character crush on Po…so sue me! He is just so wonderful! He has his own personal tragedies that haunt him, but telling you guys would give too much away! Seriously though, he is a wonderful character He is not perfect. He is a liar and is prideful, but his flaws do not define him. He is the perfect foil to Katsa, who only defines herself by her flaws. His goodness matches her darkness, and as their personalities develop and conflict arises that pushes them apart, he never allows himself to be corrupted.

Final Recommendation? I really enjoyed this book. Katsa was the type of female character I had not encountered before, and I really enjoyed going on this journey with her. I think all you guys would too! (Plus there is Po so you know…..give it a chance J )