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Bitterblue (Graceling Realm #3)

by Kristin Cashore, Ian Schoenherr (Illustrator)

4.03 of 5 stars 4.03 · rating details · 25,845 ratings · 4,097 reviews

The long-awaited companion to "New York Times" bestsellers "Graceling" and "Fire"
Eight years after "Graceling," Bitterblue is now queen of Monsea. But the influence of her father, a violent psychopath with mind-altering abilities, lives on. Her advisors, who have run things since Leck died, believe in a forward-thinking plan: Pardon all who committed terrible acts under L...more

Hardcover, 547 pages

Published May 1st 2012 by Gollancz

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Bitterblue
by Kristin Cashore, Ian Schoenherr (Illustrations)

Release date: Aug 17, 2013

When Queen Bitterblue took the throne of Monsea, she was a child, and her advisers ran the kngdom for her. Now she is beginning to question their deci…more

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Nov 04, 2009 M— rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: review-to-come, shortlisted

review in progress

Review (May 2012)

Five stars? Four and half? Quite possibly my favorite of the trilogy.

In running for best read of 2012.

Original Thoughts (November 2009)
I am so surprised by the tremendous backlash against this series' arguably non-traditional romantic direction. And yet the backlash is fascinating. I see Katsa painted by some reviewers as 'man hating' because she doesn't want to get married or to have children, which is an interpretation that never dawned on me when I read the...more

368 likes · like · see review

Jan 28, 2012 thync marked it as to-read · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

172 likes · like · see review

Oct 05, 2012 ~♥*Marianna*♥~ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: trusted

Whatever this book is about I want to read it! Kristin Cashore has won my trust.

70 likes · like · see review

Jun 27, 2012 Mitch rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Graceling fans, prepare to be conflicted. Fire fans, prepare to be disappointed. Because Bitterblue goes where Fire has already gone before, and not only does this book not learn from Fire's few flaws, it repeats them and makes more than a few more along the way too. If you're an ardent fan of the first two books, maybe you'll enjoy seeing Po, Katsa, and Fire again, but, besides that, this book's too needlessly complex, too poorly developed, and just too long.

So the main theme's the same as Fire...more

81 likes · like · see review

Feb 06, 2012 Tatiana rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, fantasy, series-dropped-lost-steam, b, ya, ala-ya-2013

As seen on The Readventurer

It's with a heavy heart that I'm giving Bitterblue only 2 stars. This book was one of the most anticipated reads of the year for me and will go down my personal history as one of the most massive disappointments. It has to be acknowledged, though, that most of the reviews of Bitterblue so far have been very positive and contained words like "genius" and "masterpiece" in them. My opinion appears to be out of norm.

After recently rereading both Kristin Cashore's earlier b...more

247 likes · like · see review

Jun 15, 2012 ~*~Hershey's Kisses~*~ added it · review of another edition

For those who don't know. This takes place 6 years AFTER Graceling's time. And Bitterblue was 10 or 11 then, so she's date-able age now. I betcha there will be romance. And just to throw this out there, because I JUST finished Graceling and the feeling is still strong. I HATE THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Not really, it was fantastically written. I just wish the author would continue on with Katsa and Po, the fact she's leaving us hanging over a freaking cliff p...more For those who don't know. This takes place 6 years AFTER Graceling's time. And Bitterblue was 10 or 11 then, so she's date-able age now. I betcha there will be romance. And just to throw this out there, because I JUST finished Graceling and the feeling is still strong. I HATE THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Not really, it was fantastically written. I just wish the author would continue on with Katsa and Po, the fact she's leaving us hanging over a freaking cliff pisses me off. I've heard of cliffhangers, but at least the author is KIND enough to finish and relieve us. But Cashore continues with another person's point of view, and we probably will end up hearing bits and pieces about Po and Katsa's relationship....but not enough. I haven't read Fire, and plan on not reading anymore of this author's books. If they are going to leave me this distraught, ready to cry, then I'd rather not.

Some may consider it good when a book makes them cry, but I do not. It makes me angry that I could cry over a book, and a tad bit confuzzled.

^ Srry 'bout that. Just me raging, please don't take offense or get angry with me if this is your favorite book. I'm just telling my opinion. Thanks ^.^

UPDATE June 15, 2012: Oh my, I got sooo mad ^.^ By now I've read a TON of books where they just dedicate one book to one relationship and move on to another just as quickly. So I understand how awesome it is now, because I see some people mentioned in one book and wish the author does a book from their perspective. I'm not going to read any more of this series just because I'm not so much into this author anymore, but I just wanted to point out to those who like romance and will get into those sort of novels, that this happens quite a bit. But, when you see them mentioned from another character's POV, you see a sweet couple and it really does them justice. REMEMBER: this happens quite a bit in romance series. Anyways, thanks for those who supported me, it helped me get over the ending(which I don't really remember, but I do vaguely recall no marriage..pretty sure.)

and DO NOT get me started on MOCKINGJAY's ending.(less)

45 likes · like · see review

May 07, 2012 Erica (daydreamer) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: release-in-2012, cover-love, i-own, 2012-reads, absolute-favorites, beautiful-writing, best-characters, best-endings, enchanting-reads, endearing-heroes, i-recommend-it, incredible, love-love-it, made-me-cry, love-with-all-my-heart, made-me-laugh, novels-that-inspire-me, original-creative-premise, outstanding-worldbuilding, played-with-my-emotions, purely-brilliant, smile-inducing, strong-heroines, treasured-keeps, would-love-if-it-were-a-movie, ya, swoon-worthy-male-love-interests

If you know me at all, then you know I have been DYING to read Bitterblue when I first heard about it. I honestly couldn’t bear the wait. This book was first slated to come out one year ago, in April, 2011. Then it got pushed to September. Then! The publishers pushed it even farther to 2012! I was seriously this close to exploding

But it was okay. I’m a patient person. No really, I am! I’m no stranger to the agony a reader goes through when they’re literally shaking with excitement and anxiousne...more

75 likes · like · see review

Jan 18, 2012 Isabel marked it as to-read · review of another edition

I cannot wait for this book to come out! Contrary to popular feeling, I am happy Fire and Graceling ended the way they did; it leaves readers with the satisfaction that the romance wasn't for nothing and the character's feelings were real, and a sense of reality, of not know how each ended. Most of the reviews I've read that have been against Bitterblue being the main character, I have found that almost all of the readers feel this way because they want to know how Po and Katsa ended. Newsflash:...more

31 likes · like · see review

Jun 15, 2012 Amanda rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really wanted to love this book. It started out really good, but half-way through I was ready for this book to start rapping up. When it did finally start rapping up, it just ended with ZERO resolution. There has to be another book coming or this will be a major flop.

The only thing I got from it was the extent of Leck's evil doing. We finally see how truly twisted and royally f-ed up he was. And that was pretty much the story. Bitterblue does do a little self-exploration, but we just barely s...more

22 likes · like · see review

May 17, 2012 Seline rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I don't get why everyone is so angry Bitterblue will be the main protagonist. I'm actually really excited, I loved Bitterblue's character in Graceling and I'm definitly excited to read about Po and Katsa from her point of view. Even though I know many of you aren't.

At first I was like most of you after reading Graceling, I wanted to know what would happen to Katsa and Po so badly. But now that I've read it again I can honestly say, I'm satisfied with the way it ended. I mean it's not like they...more

10 likes · like · see review

Feb 25, 2010 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Can't WAIT!

13 likes · like · see review

May 01, 2012 Katy rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'M SO SAD!!! I absolutely LOVED Graceling and liked Fire though not as much its predecessor, and I have been waiting for SO long for Bitterblue to come out. However, this book really dragged, and it was as mentally strange as the those whose minds are feeling the after effects of being warped by King Leck.

The biggest thing of all is NOT ENOUGH SAF. I know the book had more to do than just the romance, but it was disappointing how little he was in the book. And the end - I felt it was really unf...more I'M SO SAD!!! I absolutely LOVED Graceling and liked Fire though not as much its predecessor, and I have been waiting for SO long for Bitterblue to come out. However, this book really dragged, and it was as mentally strange as the those whose minds are feeling the after effects of being warped by King Leck.

The biggest thing of all is NOT ENOUGH SAF. I know the book had more to do than just the romance, but it was disappointing how little he was in the book. And the end - I felt it was really unfair. (view spoiler) There were two parts that made my heart ache for Bitterblue, including the part where she was telling him about whether or not she would take it all back. But unfortunately, the end was not one of them. I wanted to be devastating, but he lacked appearance in so much of the book that I just didn't feel it.

Now to the book. First of all, I don't remember Cashore's writing using so much interjectory descriptions. I mean, she'll be in the middle of a scene, and she introduces a character, and she would interrupt the scene to go on and on about that character's description, the Grace or some history. I mean, it was sort of okay at first - even though it was done with really choppy transitions - because it caught you up on stories written years ago, but after a while, I was irritated that it was inserted so abruptly and for a good while. And there were SO many characters so it happened a LOT.

And there were a lot of random scenes that I just didn't understand why they were there or why Cashore written certain things to happen. At the same time, there were parts that jumped from scene to scene that I felt like I missed stuff. For example, when Bitterblue realizes someone betrayed her. (view spoiler)

I also felt there were a lot of parts in the book that made me feel awkward. Like her intended relationship with Po and Giddeon. I mean, I KNOW there's no romantic feelings whatsoever between any of them and it's not what I meant at all, and I know that it's because she trusts them, but at times, the way she acts with them just makes me feel at ease. I don't know how to explain it. And there were other things like when Katsa and Po reunite after the fight. She shoos everyone else out of the room, but she stays - even though she's not paying attention to them - but it's still odd that she stays.

I'm glad we get to see some of the older characters - though we don't see enough of Katsa and I felt we saw too much of Po though I kind of felt he's not the same character I loved so much in Book 1.

Overall, it's not a bad book. And I think if it had been written years ago, I may not have been as disappointed, maybe? I don't know. After years of waiting for this book, I just feel like Cashore kind of burst my bubble.(less)

12 likes · like · see review

Mar 23, 2012 Crowinator rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, ya, arcs, 2012-reads, a-good-cry, characters-i-love, favorites, queer-characters, proud-to-be-a-librarian, favorites-read-in-2012, everything-is-turning-out-so-dark

Actual rating: 4.5 stars

Egregious spoilers will be behind a spoiler tag, but there may be a minor spoiler or two that I would not have considered a spoiler until there's a complaint. So be warned.

First Line (outside the Prologue): “Queen Bitterblue never meant to tell so many people so many lies.”

Cover Story: I want to live in a place that requires keys like this. Classy.

I like how the covers of Graceling, Fire, and now Bitterblue tie in together. They’re very matchy-matchy while retaining a uni...more

67 likes · like · see review

Jul 24, 2010 Caitlin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I just finished Graceling minutes ago, and in a mad dash, I scrambled onto the internet to see if I could find a sequel to it. And here I end up with Bitterblue. I was fuming, absolutley furious that Katsa and Po were minor characters in this. I've always thought that the two were destined to be together, especially after they re-united in Graceling. But no! And in this sequel, they're not main characters? Their relationship isn't a main point in the story? Is Kristin Cashore TRYING to stop me f...more

11 likes · like · see review

May 07, 2013 Nora rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, read-in-english

Kristin, je to oficiální... naprosto tě zbožňuju!

8 likes · like · see review

May 01, 2012 Sally rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everyone, especially fans of the preivous books in the series.

Recommended to Sally by: Eva was the one who recommended me Graceling!

Shelves: young-adult, fantasy, favourites, cover-love, recommended, 5-stars, 2012-reads

10/10

Nothing I say here can justify how flawless and perfect this book was, and how much of an emotional impact it had on me. I literally cannot put what I'm feeling into words right now. It's like I've been waiting my entire life for this moment, for this one book that had everything I've always wanted to read about. My heart was crushed into a million pieces, and put back together again. I cannot get over how perfect the three books in this series were woven together in the end. It was literal...more

8 likes · like · see review

Mar 12, 2012 Beth rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

3.5 Stars

Bitterblue takes place 9 years after Graceling, and Bitterblue is Queen of Monsea, a kingdom her father left damaged - aesthetically, structurally, emotionally. She's hemmed in by the duties of her castle, the demands of her advisors and her own inexperience, frustrated by her inability to affect change in her kingdom. Leck's particularly harrowing brand of malevolence creates a responsibility to repair the kingdom, but Bitterblue doesn't know how. If the horrifying prologue is any ind...more

8 likes · like · see review

Jun 02, 2012 Melissa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: hell-yeah, young-adults-these-days

Hell. Yes. I've been waiting for this book to be published for ages & it was worth every moment of that wait. There are ciphers & creepy journals & a hidden resistance movement to teach people to read & a snarky librarian & a lot of well-done insight into the best bad guy ever, King Leck, & a castle full of secret passages & spies & Bitterblue! There's a love story kind-of-triangle thing going on (because there is totally something going on with Giddon, right?) bu...more

6 likes · like · see review

May 15, 2012 Colleen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult

2.5

I gave 'Graceling' a 3.5 that I bumped up to four, so I'm knocking off a whole star for this one. (If you're wondering what I rated Fire, I didn't, 'cause I skipped it completely which I was assured I could do and I don't think I feel like I missed much by doing so.)

It's not that it was bad, per se, 'cause it wasn't. But it wasn't great, either.

Part of it, I think, is that while there are moments where Bitterblue shines as a character, and I like her personality overall, there were a lot of o...more

9 likes · like · see review

Oct 14, 2012 April rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: for-review, ya, fantasy, own, signed

Friends, I feel like I’ve been waiting FOREVER for Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore. I had all these expectations built up in my mind. Partly because I love Fire and Graceling so much, I expected that same all consuming love for Bitterblue. While Bitterblue was a good read, it’s not exactly up to par with the standards set by Graceling and Fire.

Read the rest of my review here

3 likes · like · see review

May 07, 2012 Julie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-books

Woah.

Well, jeez. Umm.. I .. OK.

Let me begin by saying that I'm currently emotionally unstable and am teeter-tottering between 3 or or 4 stars. I cannot say that I didn't like this book, because believe me I did .. in the beginning. It was a bit too long, and a bit too depressing. I cannot believe how much sadness was involved. The deaths were heart breaking, and .. God. Leck wins the award for psycho of the year. That was absolutely disgusting.

*There's going to be big spoilers. As usual.* XD

I'm...more

7 likes · like · see review

Oct 08, 2011 Steph Sinclair marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: really-looking-forward-to-this-book, i-need-to-buy-this-book, to-buy-soon, 2012-release, penguin, young-adult, fantasy

Looking forward to this one.

3 likes · like · see review

Nov 15, 2012 Sadie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: great-romances, langeous

I would most definitely recommend ‘Bitterblue’ and it’s companion novels, by Kristin Cashore to a friend, whom shares my same love of langeous texts, because I cherished this book so highly that I almost couldn’t bring myself to end it all by finishing the masterpiece that is ‘Bitterblue’. Cashore’s unique and vivid voice, realistic, over-laying tone, and language use, truly captured the reader’s attention with a simple flick of humor, or summoned my focus with a gorgeous phrase. Whereas this de...more I would most definitely recommend ‘Bitterblue’ and it’s companion novels, by Kristin Cashore to a friend, whom shares my same love of langeous texts, because I cherished this book so highly that I almost couldn’t bring myself to end it all by finishing the masterpiece that is ‘Bitterblue’. Cashore’s unique and vivid voice, realistic, over-laying tone, and language use, truly captured the reader’s attention with a simple flick of humor, or summoned my focus with a gorgeous phrase. Whereas this deep language and continuous voice ,to some could become boring and too lengthly, I find it both gorgeous and wondrous to ponder on a rainy day! For intense, on page 434 a light, pleasantly crammed with everyday humor and wit which makes me fall within the pages of the story, and take my place among a sullen tale, that has an ongoing melancholy, hopelessness tone, seem achingly real (even though ‘Bitterblue’ is positively fantasy!). “At the table, Bann and Helda conversed quietly about the problem of fractions in Estill, noble versus citizen - with interjections from Giddon, who was dripping single drops of water into an extremely full glass, waiting to see which drop would cause the water to spill over the edge. From across the table, Bann tossed a bean. It plopped itself neatly into Giddon’s glass and caused a deluge. ‘I can’t believe you just did that!’ said Giddon. ‘You brute!’ ‘You’re two of the largest children I’ve ever known,’ scolded Helda. ‘I was doing science,’ Giddon said. ‘He threw a bean.’ ‘I was testing the impact of a bean upon water,’ Bann said. ‘That’s not even a thing.’ ‘Perhaps I’ll test the impact of a bean upon your beautiful white shirtfront,’ said Bann, with a threatening wave of a bean.” As stated by the diligent Helda, these grown men, indeed sound like large children bickering in front of their refereeing mother! Cashore’s voice picks up the youthful tone and light air of true foolishness, and real fun in feat of a problem; procrastination at it’s best! This snippet of humor brightened a serious meeting, and made it more believable: no one can be straight-face, and stoney all the time! This author’s voice also flourished, and shinned through word-creating imagery ( for example, ‘interjection’ and ‘deluge’, page 434). The impeccable characterization bloomed as I read the book ‘Bitterblue’. It’s deep insight within a twisted character; as dark a character Leck is described so deliciously created a haunting genuine air. Leck’s description helped the story come alive to a point were I didn’t ever want to snap it’s delightful neck by closing the book’s silken cover. I both love and despise the horrid Leck (the main character, Bitterblue’s father); he truely was a sick man, trouble by beauty and stunned into a killing silence by art. This quote from pages 432 to 433 rips the reader into the chilling mind of a mad man: “Little girls are even more perfect when they bleed...tell me, when a woman is lying on a table in her perfection, how am I not to experiment?... It has been a hard lesson to learn, that greatness requires suffering.” This quote truly makes my flesh crawl; It chills me to they very marrow within my bones, to feel as taken by a fictional character, as I was with Cashore’s creation. Even-though the extreme gore may scare or offend some readers, the author’s simply shows younger folks about those with severe instanity and mental issues, without poking fun at them, or blind-folding, or censoring kids. When I read Bitterblue’ by Kristin Cashore, her pristine and sincere imagery genuinely caught me off guard. In this fantasy novel, the truth within Cashore’s words carried a beautiful clarity. In this prolonged heartbreak on page 528, I could feel the aching of a chocked heart that had known from the ominous beginning. Both Bitterblue, the main character and Queen, and Saf, a thieving commoner, who was born upon a ship, and now leaving his lover on one, boor each other the same question in different words; What would you give up for me, to be with me, and both sadly yet truthfully answered the same way: They would leave behind their lives for each other, the way they loved each other : “‘There, now,’ he said. ‘We’ve both asked each other the same question...You asked me to stay, and I asked you to come with me.’ Thinking about that, she came closer and reached for his hand. He gave it, and for a moment, she played with his rings, feeling the warmth of his skin in this cold room. Then, obeying her body, she kissed him, just to see what would happen. What happened was that he began to kiss her back. Tears slid down her face. ‘It’s one of the first things you told me about yourself,’ she whispered. ‘That you would go.’” One knows a book is simply excellent when a reader start sobbing uncontrollably when they read a small line! And can’t stop! I enjoy being enveloped within a story, not just sitting upon it; Bitterblue’ wraps the audience within it’s very self, and rouses and pinches at the senses. I relate to the sadness. I feel these folks aches and pains, wishes and hopes, and most of all, loves and guilts. Although all the lengthy and mature details may offend parents or bore readers, those very same details enrich the tale, and expose the reader expertly to real life events; these parts in ‘Bitterblue’ can help younger audiences learn about mature experiences in a story setting. I can hear the doomed lovers sobs, feel regrets’ and lost-loves’ icy fingers pulling my heart strings, smell the ink if the very dusty book-printing shop Saf and Bitterblue are in, taste salty tears, and see the two huddled collapsed upon each other, like marionettes with ounce taunt strings cut. I can feel a queen’s disguise and a thief's worn traveling cloak. Taste the tension. I am completely transported to this strange known world of Gracelings, and girls named ‘Fire’. But most of all, ‘Bitterblue’ was such a work of art, to an extent, I didn’t even want to finish it, because that would end my perfect pleasure in reading this fabulous novel.(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Apr 07, 2013 Nemo (the Moonlight Library) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mine-mine-mine, physical, 2012-published, purchased, teens-rule-the-world-yo, 2013-read, series, new-adult, i-smell-magic-in-the-air-or-bbq, candidate, the-tempest-of-my-eyes, magic-and-swords-and-other-worlds, i-like-princesses, six-stars, publisher-6-hachette

See this review and more on The Moonlight Library!

Total cry count: 3. With sobbing at the climax.

Possible spoilers for Graceling, but not Fire.

Queen Bitterblue is trapped – she is trapped in her tower with the daily dealings of running a wounded and recovering kingdom, and she is trapped with how little she knows of what her father, the tyrannical King Leck, did during his reign. But Bitterblue is smart, brave, and capable, and she is going to find the answers.

I put off reading this book for abo...more

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Jul 29, 2012 Maggie (Raindrop Reads) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own-it, 2012-releases, read-2012

NOTE: This review will contain spoilers if you have not read the book Graceling.

In this book, Queen Bitterblue is 18 years old (8 years after Graceling), and she is still trying to piece together her kingdom from the destruction that her father, King Leck, left behind.

As Bitterblue becomes overwhelmed with paperwork for the kingdom in her office, she begins to go out at night in disguise to journey around her capital, Bitterblue City. While out, she meets two new friends- a friendly man named Te...more NOTE: This review will contain spoilers if you have not read the book Graceling.

In this book, Queen Bitterblue is 18 years old (8 years after Graceling), and she is still trying to piece together her kingdom from the destruction that her father, King Leck, left behind.

As Bitterblue becomes overwhelmed with paperwork for the kingdom in her office, she begins to go out at night in disguise to journey around her capital, Bitterblue City. While out, she meets two new friends- a friendly man named Teddy and his mysterious Graceling/Lienid companion, Saf. Bitterblue learns some quite disturbing information from them: her kingdom is even worse shape than she's been told, and almost nothing they say about Bitterblue City matches what her advisers have told her.

Now, Bitterblue must determine who in the castle is lying to her, and why, all the while piecing together parts of the mystery that her father has left behind.

May I just say, I love Kristin Cashore's characters. So much. And the first 3/4 of this story was INSANELY. GOOD. But the ending made me really mad.

I felt like the end of this story ruined it. It wasn't that something oh-so-terrible happened or that there was some horrid cliff-hanger ending. It just sort of ended. I felt like something was missing, and that Kristin Cashore hadn't really finished telling the story. I feel like I have no clue about what happened to the characters. It's almost as if someone just ripped a couple of chapters out of the back of the book.

On the bright side, however, if you were left with any questions as to how the characters in Graceling or Fire ended up, Bitterblue answers those questions extremely well. I was really glad that I got to see how Katsa and Fire ended up. Neither of them were in the story a whole lot (sadly), but it did put to rest any questions about their fates.

So, Bitterblue was an extremely good book with lovely characters. It answered any questions you may have had about the ending of the first two books in the Graceling realm, but it left you with an entirely new set of questions as to how things are going to end up for Bitterblue. It really was a great story, but I just feel as if Cashore just left so much missing that the book didn't feel complete at the end.

To see this review on my blog, please click here.(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Jun 12, 2012 Nancy O'Toole rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult

Bitterblue is now Queen, but her deceased father’s shadow still looms over her, and the country of Monsea. She spends her days stuffed in an office, signing documents, leaving her feeling suffocated and frustrated. Then one night she dresses in dark clothes and sneaks outside to explore. This begins a journey that will open her eyes about the city around her, the truth about her abusive father and deceased mother, and hopefully show her how to heal her broken country.

It’s been a little while sin...more Bitterblue is now Queen, but her deceased father’s shadow still looms over her, and the country of Monsea. She spends her days stuffed in an office, signing documents, leaving her feeling suffocated and frustrated. Then one night she dresses in dark clothes and sneaks outside to explore. This begins a journey that will open her eyes about the city around her, the truth about her abusive father and deceased mother, and hopefully show her how to heal her broken country.

It’s been a little while since I finished reading Bitterblue (I’m quite behind on my reviews), but that’s not wholly a bad thing as it’s given me time to think about how I feel. Kristin Cashore is an author whose work I eagerly anticipate, and dive into with the highest of standards. Perhaps it’s due to those high standards that I ended up feeling a little let down by Bitterblue, the sequel to Graceling, at times. Bitterblue is a complex tale chock full of characters and plenty of plotlines, not all which are resolved by the end of the book. This can make the story feel a little overstuffed, as well as a little slow.

At the same time, there’s plenty about Bitterblue that’s really, really good. Cashore is not the type of author to blindly follow trends. In a genre (young adult fantasy) that’s typically defined by fast moving, action packed stories with plenty of romance, Bitterblue is a slower paced tale with a decidedly somber tone. Cashore must also be commended for her rather daring characterization. Bitterblue herself is not always a likable character. At the same time, even though she can be moody, and even though she can make some pretty big mistakes, I couldn’t help but find myself emotionally invested in her story. The same can be said for the secondary characters as well. Every character, from Death the grouchy librarian, to returning fan-favorites Katsa and Po, feel wonderfully fleshed out. The novel Bitterblue also possesses a rather unconventional romance for the young adult genre. I don’t want to spoil it, but it felt like a very realistic first love story to me.

Reading Bitterblue is like working on a puzzle. With its large cast of characters, multiple plotlines (involving missing crowns, decoding ciphers, secret passages and underground organizations among others), romance, and examination of post traumatic stress disorder, it can seem like a lot at times. But when you’re done reading you can’t help but admire the result. Cashore will continue to be an author whose work I look forward to. I’m not sure if she’s planning on writing any more novels involving the character Bitterblue, but there are clearly more stories to be told. Whether or not her next work focuses on Bitterblue, I will be interested in picking it up.
(less)

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Feb 06, 2012 Reading Teen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've been waiting forever!

I read Graceling and Fire before I ever started blogging. I fell in love with the world that Kristin Cashore created. Graceling and Fire are two of the very few books that I've ever read more than once. That list consists of Harry Potter, Twilight, Wicked Lovely, Graceling and Fire. That's how much I loved them. So, as you can imagine, I had high expectations for Bitterblue.

Bitterblue was a much different book than the other two. While Graceling and Fire are full of ac...more

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Aug 05, 2012 Alyssa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-read, a-favourite-author, fantasy, emotional, get-with-library, great-books, kick-ass, really-excited-for, surprised-me, ya-loved, ya-romance

My endearment for this book, taking into consideration its flaws, seems a little preposterous. With hardly a consistent plot, sketchy pacing, and often awkward sentence structuring, Bitterblue is far from perfect. Still, when I put down the book after an eight-hour reading marathon, I realized that somewhere beneath all the muddled lines, Cashore ultimately came through with an exciting, pace-quickening, heartbreaking story that I won’t hesitate to recommend.

Bitterblue is set in Monsea about te...more My endearment for this book, taking into consideration its flaws, seems a little preposterous. With hardly a consistent plot, sketchy pacing, and often awkward sentence structuring, Bitterblue is far from perfect. Still, when I put down the book after an eight-hour reading marathon, I realized that somewhere beneath all the muddled lines, Cashore ultimately came through with an exciting, pace-quickening, heartbreaking story that I won’t hesitate to recommend.

Bitterblue is set in Monsea about ten years after Bitterblue is crowned queen of the kingdom her monstrous father destroyed. At ten, Bitterblue was forced to learn the ways of the kingdom – through lessons with her father’s advisors, Bitterblue was taught how to push aside her memories of the past, to prevent an uprising, and most importantly how to sign her name on the papers approved for her vision. The confused and heartbroken Bitterblue, who’s mother was killed just feet in front of her, is somewhat appeased with abiding by her advisor’s wishes to keep her away from her people, despite hating that she’s cooped up in a tower for the majority of the day, and feels as if her advisors are keeping information from her. Now at eighteen, Bitterblue becomes exhausted of being kept in the dark, and so she ventures out of the castle in the middle of the night, and after meeting two mysterious young thieves, makes a habit of sneaking out daily. Every day, Bitterblue sees evidence of brokenness and pain in her kingdom, and finally, with the help of many old friends and some new, she begins the grueling and difficult task of becoming a queen just as strong in soul as she is in power.

Cashore has made a habit of writing first-rate, greatly principled main characters, and Bitterblue is no different from her author’s norm. Bitterblue, who could have easily been presented as cold because of her pain, came across as an intelligent, warmhearted character, one extremely admirable. I loved nearly every single moment of her narration, and it’s hard to explain how sincere her voice was, or how sympathetic or angry she could make me with one sentence. I quickly became attached to her, and she seemed to become real person who could be awful and wonderful at the same time, placing high on my list of favourite MCs. If you’re feeling iffy about this book due to its length or the fact that it isn’t plot-heavy, I recommend you read it anyway, just for Bitterblue, although also because the secondary characters and romantic lead were fantastically written and deeply fleshed out.

Aside from the wonderful characters, I was also very pleased with Cashore’s style and use of slow pacing. Yes, a snail’s pace often brings out tedious scenes and uninteresting script, but it was used as a tool in this book, for the most part, to help readers discover and delve into the complicated world of ruling a kingdom. In fairy tales, kings and queens are idolized and marveled over, but we’re never privy to all the gruesome work that goes into everything. The slow pace, and Cashore’s descriptively lazy writing style, allows for readers to see the nooks and crannies that complete Bitterblue’s meticulously planned world. Where this story lacks in suspense because of its nearly nonexistent storyline, Cashore’s world building makes up for it, and exceeds many other fantasy worlds from the busy genre. My only complaint about the writing is that often I felt scenes to be too abrupt or too awkward in construction, and that there were a few insane conversations that felt very out of place with the entirety of the novel.

I was very pleased to see that the heavy “morals” from Graceling and Fire didn’t make as much of an appearance in this book. While I appreciated the anti-stereotypical messages from the predecessors, and that Cashore didn’t completely abandon them for this book, it seemed that if Cashore were to press on them so heavily as she did then now, Bitterblue’s narration would have seemed illegitimate. Also, I was ecstatic to see so many LGBTQ characters, and also that, in the acknowledgments, Cashore publicly recognized that her execution of dealing with Po’s handicap in Graceling was offensive and hurtful to many. I am very much looking forward to seeing how Cashore can further press the walls of stereotyping in her future novels.

I guess why I enjoyed Bitterblue more than other readers is because I’m more interested in characters and writing than plot. Obviously, not all readers are like this, which is why I wholeheartedly recommend this to all readers, but caution those who enjoy court intrigue and carefully manipulated schemes to maybe get this book from the library, and see where things go.

Though I’m a little disappointed in the resolution of the characters’ plots – I felt many issues to be unresolved or unclear – I’m glad this series has ended when and how it has. Bitterblue, despite being a mess, has its great merits, and I am greatly looking forward to all of Cashore’s future endeavors.

4.25 stars.(less)

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Dec 18, 2011 Gabrielle Carolina rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: penguin, 2012, own, bir12

Kristin Cashore is a multi-level genius. This is never more apparent than when reading her latest novel.

You have your favorites within the seven kingdoms series; favorite heroine, storyline, weapon, love interest, land, and line and most likely these are spread out between the books. However, you still have to bow to whatever new character, creed or creation Cashore has just cooked up. You retain your favorites while acknowledging that none are less special than the others and the newest editio...more

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Sep 23, 2012 ♪Chloe the Beatles Fanatic♫ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, favorites, books-by-my-fave-authors

You all have no idea how much I want to get my hands on this book.
It is #1 on my to-read list.
Which makes it pretty dang epic!

But, if this book turns out to be horribly awful, I'll lock myself in my room and cry until this book gets a re-write. You know, no big deal.

Write faster Cashore!!! I need Bitterblue now!

Update:

It has a cover!!! Oh it has a cover! That's one step closer to the book actually coming out and my reading it.
Interesting cover.
I think I like it!

Update:
I really enjoyed this...more

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About Kristin Cashore

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

So, here's the short tale of me: I grew up in the countryside of northeastern Pennsylvania in a village with cows and barns and beautiful views from the top of the hill and all that good stuff. I lived in a rickety old house with my parents, three sisters, and a scattering o...more Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

So, here's the short tale of me: I grew up in the countryside of northeastern Pennsylvania in a village with cows and barns and beautiful views from the top of the hill and all that good stuff. I lived in a rickety old house with my parents, three sisters, and a scattering of cats, and I READ READ READ READ READ. I read while brushing my teeth, I read while chopping parsley, the first thing I reached for when I woke up in the morning was my book; the only two places I didn't read were in the car and in bed. What did I do then? The one thing I liked even more than reading: I daydreamed.

And so, without knowing it, I was planting the seeds. Reading and daydreaming = perfect preparation for writing.

At 18 I went off to college-- thank you, Williams College, for the financial aid that made this possible-- and it almost killed me. College is hard, man, and the Berkshires are cloudy. A (phenomenal) year studying abroad in sunny Sydney revived me. After college I developed a compulsive moving problem: New York City, Boston, Cambridge, Austin, Pennsylvania, Italy, and even a short stint in London, where my showerhead hung from the cutest little stand that was exactly like the cradle of an old-fashioned telephone. The best phone calls are the pretend phone calls made from your telephone tub.

During my stint in Boston, I got an M.A. at the Center for the Study of Children's Literature at Simmons College. (Thank you, Simmons, for the scholarship that made this possible!) Grad school almost killed me, but I felt a lot more alive than when I was almost being killed in college. The Simmons program is stupendous. It got me thinking and breathing YA books. It got me writing.

Am I getting boring?

Since Simmons, I haven't stopped writing, not once. I've developed a compulsive writing problem that makes my moving problem look like a charming personality quirk. I can't stop! But it's okay, because I don't want to stop. I've been writing full-time-- well, more than full-time, really-- for about 4 years now, first doing educational writing for the K-6 market and now working on my novels. It's a dream job, which is another way of saying that when I shop for work clothes, I go straight to the pajamas section.

Should I say a little bit about what I'm like? I'm fiercely independent. I am sometimes a hermit, but never for very long. I am in search of the perfect cat. I'm a recovering Catholic. I meditate, and when I do, Prince Harry appears in my subconscious and meditates with me. It's a little strange but I don't think there's anything I can do about it. Sometimes he's not the only one; the other day it was me, Prince Harry, the Dalai Lama, Mr. Rogers, Coco the gorilla, and George Clooney. We were all floating above the earth looking down at the continents as they passed. George Clooney suggested I visit Providence, Rhode Island. The Dalai Lama sighed deeply and said he'd really like to visit Tibet.

Poor Dalai Lama.

I recently moved from Jacksonville, Florida, to Cambridge, Massachusetts, trading the St. Johns River for the Charles River and pelicans for geese. As a native northerner, it's nice to be back in the land of four seasons. I feel as if I've come home. :o)

And that's my story.(less)

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A Time of Change: Women in the Early Twentieth Century

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“Bacon improved things dramatically.” — 175 people liked it

“Find something useful to do with your morning,' she thought to him as she neared her chambers. 'Do something heroic in front of an audience. Knock a child into a river while no one's looking and then rescue him.” — 163 people liked it

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