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Bitterblue

(Graceling Realm #3)

Kristin Cashore,

Ian Schoenherr (Illustrator)

3.98 · Rating details · 108,960 ratings · 8,295 reviews

Set in the same world as her previous two novels, 'Bitterblue' picks up the story of the Seven Kingdoms six years after the events of 'Graceling'. ...more

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Hardcover, 563 pages

Published May 1st 2012 by Gollancz

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· 108,960 ratings · 8,295 reviews

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Nov 04, 2009 M— rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: z-do-not-delete, 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

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Jun 05, 2009 Tatiana rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, starred-2012, 4, 2020, 2012, fantasy

Ok, so I did remember Cashore being a pioneer of writing about "controversial" topics in YA fantasy, like periods, birth control, not wanting to be married, etc. What I didn't remember was that she was a pioneer of redcon/nominal diversity too.

1) Fire has brown skin in Bitterblue. Have you seen literally every cover of every edition of Fire? Have you ever heard Cashore talk about her covers being whitewashed? No? Neither have I.

2) In Bitterblue, Bann and Raffin visit Bitterblue exclusively to b ...more

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Sep 07, 2016 Elle (ellexamines) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: x-coverporn, sff-high-fantasy, x-series, z-2015favs, 5-star, elle-recs-list, identity, z-2015reads

This book is a narrative about how colonization can fuck you over. Starring a biracial and ambiguously queer woman of color, it follows Bitterblue as she tries to bring back the traditions, culture, & liberty her dictator father took away from the country of Monsea. Along the way, she must come to terms the legacy of a genocidal, terrifying monster as a ruler, one who wiped away every detail of the country and replaced it with his own imagined world. But she must also come to terms with the lega ...more

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Apr 13, 2012 Mitch rated it it was ok · 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

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Jun 15, 2018 Miranda Reads rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook

As it stands, Bitterblue was a bitter disappointment.

After the brilliance of Graceling and Fire, I was really expecting a lot more from the third novel.

Book 1 - we explore the Gracelings Realm (people with two different colored eyes have superpowers). King Leck used his grace to take over the realm.

Book 2 - we fall into the land of Monsters (people/animals with unnaturally bright/colored hair have psychic powers). In this prequel, a young King Leck attempted to take over this realm but was kicke ...more

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Mar 21, 2017 Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-all, young-adult, own

This book! It was so wonderful and so sad at the same time! The feels.....................

I love this book so much! Bitterblue got to meet Fire. OMG! ❤

This is going to be one of my crazy reviews! I am all over the place with my feels.

I love Queen Bitterblue so much! And her father was that horrible man from the second book that I wanted a giant to stomp him into the ground. He tortured animals, people and woman. I can't even people! I. CAN'T. EVEN. And at one point Bitterblue and her crew find ...more

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Dec 31, 2009 Erica (storybookend) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: cover-love, i-recommend-it, original-creative-premise, would-love-if-it-were-a-movie, i-own, 2012-reads, best-characters, endearing-heroes, smile-inducing, absolute-favorites

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 anxiou ...more

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Oct 10, 2009 Crowinator rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: genre-fantasy, 2012-reads, ya, arcs, queer-characters, favorites-2012, characters-i-love, favorites-of-all-time, a-good-cry, proud-to-be-a-librarian

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

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Sep 25, 2019 Ahmad Sharabiani rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 21th-century, romance, fiction, fantasy, young-adult

Bitterblue (Graceling Realm #3), Kristin Cashore

Bitterblue is a young adult fantasy novel written by American author Kristin Cashore. It is preceded by Graceling, and Fire.

In a world where people born with an exceptional skill, known as a Grace, are feared and exploited, Katsa carries the burden of a skill even she despises: the Grace of killing. Eight years have passed since the young Princess Bitterblue and her country were saved from the vicious King Leck.

Now Bitterblue is the queen of Monse ...more

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Feb 06, 2010 ~♥*Marianna*♥~ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: trusted

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

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May 24, 2010 Carson T 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 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. ...more

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Aug 16, 2018 Trina (Between Chapters) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, 2018, fantasy, audiobooks

I love this world and Bitterblue was a great main character. The ending was abrupt and there was some pretty disturbing subject matter. But this book shines by pulling in the main characters from the previous companion novels. I'm glad I finally read this series and I'm sad it's over!

All 3 books are inclusive of varying skin colors and races, disabilities, and sexualities.

Potential Triggers (that I'm aware of): Mentions of torture and rape. Injury/violence. Suicide and thoughts or suicide. Dead ...more

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Mar 08, 2010 Amanda Edwards rated it it was ok · 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

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Oct 17, 2012 Meredith Holley rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: monsters, classic-young-adult, want-a-hardcover-of-my-very-own, reviewed, motherless-daughters, slaves, utopia-dystopia, young-adult, wise, girls-rule

Oh, Kristin Cashore, I would trust you with my life. This series breaks my heart and patches it all back together again. This book was so different from the first two in pace, but somehow, and I say this almost reluctantly, that made the end more meaningful to me. I am all about editing in stories, and for the first half of this book, the redundancies seemed unnecessary and boring. But, I don’t actually think they are now. I think they had some purpose, though I don’t know that I could articulat Oh, Kristin Cashore, I would trust you with my life. This series breaks my heart and patches it all back together again. This book was so different from the first two in pace, but somehow, and I say this almost reluctantly, that made the end more meaningful to me. I am all about editing in stories, and for the first half of this book, the redundancies seemed unnecessary and boring. But, I don’t actually think they are now. I think they had some purpose, though I don’t know that I could articulate it for you. I was wrong in what I thought this ending would be, and I’m glad I was wrong. It was so much more brutal than I expected, but more meaningful in that way. Are there more of these? Are you going to write more books for me, Kristin Cashore? I love your people, the evil and the good, the sins of our fathers and frailty of our mothers. I love them.

This story picks up with little Bitterblue, now the queen of her empire. If Graceling borrows somewhat in spirit from Aliens, Katsa is our Ripley and Bitterblue is Newt. And now Newt comes into her own with the responsibility for a nation that was totally fucked by her father, by the lies he told and his control and manipulation. She doesn’t even know how fucked her nation is because after you’ve lived in lies for so long, how does anyone know what the truth is? And is the truth more dangerous that willful ignorance if what you’re ignoring is an abomination? Ugh. Beautiful, awful choices. And forgiveness! And stories! Oh man, beautiful. Just the idea of figuring out how to repair a nation from violence and lies is beautiful.

But, anyway, and Katsa/Ripley has taught Bitterblue/Newt how to fight and protect herself, and where Graceling pointedly tells the story of a woman fighter, a survivor, Bitterblue makes no point of Bitterblue’s completely human, normal ability to defend herself. She just can kick an ass if she needs to, and other times she can’t. Her strength is not a super power, it’s just human power.

This book, in contrast to the first two, felt more high-fantasy to me. It uses the conventions of alternate languages, involved descriptions of coded communication, and a lot of walking (which, to be fair, the walking is in the other two as well. Fantasy, man – bring your Nikes). It is not actually high fantasy, I’m sure, so don’t get all excited if that’s your thing. It is not my thing, but the incorporation of those conventions seemed fun to me, not annoying. It kept enough of a super-hero feel that I tracked.

Now I’m going to talk about where this series really resonates with me. I always think, you know, women are raised that a man on a white horse will come, swoop us up, marry us, and that marriage will magically solve all of our problems. When that doesn’t actually happen, we think, Oh, it’s because if we have children, that will actually solve all of our problems. When having children doesn’t solve all of our problems, we think, Oh, if we run off to an exotic island and have a romantic Eat Pray Love affair, that will solve all of our problems.

I think men are in basically the same position – if he finds the right girl and marries her, she will decorate his house, and always be there with a smile, a hug, and a plate of cookies, and that will solve the problems. Then, when that doesn’t work, it’s basically the same with the children and the affair. But, in the end, we are always left with ourselves. Marriage and children and lovers don’t take us away from ourselves and fix us the way the stories promised.

I love the way the Twilight saga exaggerates those promises to the point of absolute absurdity, but I love even more the way this series exists entirely outside of those promises. This series doesn’t try to deus ex machina our guilts, doubts, and shame away, but it presents characters working through them, living with grief, and learning about their power.

I think it is a second-wave feminism phrase to say a woman is empowered or disempowered, and I’ve been thinking about the use of that word lately because someone I’ve been around a lot routinely uses it. I kind of don’t like the word “empowerment,” I think. It seems somewhat inaccurate to me, even along the lines of the promise that our problems can be magically solved by some kind of social convention. “Marriage didn’t magically solve your problems? Well, then, empowerment will magically solve them.” I don’t think everyone means that when they use the word “empowerment,” just like I don’t think everyone who gets married or has kids thinks that will magically solve their problems, but I think both avenues can lead to that expectation. The idea of empowerment or disempowerment just sounds to me like somehow you can subscribe to something outside of yourself that will magically take away your problems. It indicates that the power wasn't there all along, but if you follow the treasure map right, you'll find the magic problem-solving solution.

But, along those lines, I love the message in this book, like in The Hunger Games series, that we need to discover our own power - that it was there all along, and that life was never about finding a magic that lets us take the easy way out. In Mockingjay, everyone around Katniss reminds her of her power until she recognizes it. Here, similarly, this story is a journey of Bitterblue realizing her power. It is beautiful. It is the work that we all face that is bigger than marriage or children or politics or career. It’s the self that we are left with when the world is on our shoulders and we have no shoulder to lean on ourselves. This story is full of so much hope and so many dreams. I love it. ...more

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Jul 15, 2017 Nasom rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Although this is the third book of the Graceling Realm series. This is the sequel to “Graceling” and is set 8 years after events that happened in Graceling.

This book is about Bitterblue now 18 and is Queen. She is trying to find a way to help her kingdom move forward after the manipulation it was under during the reign of a mad king for over 30 years. There are people in the kingdom who want to know what really happened in those years and there are some that want to make sure the truth doesn’t c ...more

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Nov 02, 2010 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

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Nov 26, 2016 Anja H. rated it really liked it · review of another edition

*4 MINDBENDING STARS*

“The more I see and hear, the more I realize how much I don't know.”

Oh my god, I love how this book brings the two previous ones together so perfectly!
It's been several years since I read the other books in this trilogy so it took me a while to get back into this whole world. Graceling and Fire were among my favorite books about 5 years ago, but sadly I didn't remember a lot about them when I started this one. Once I did though, I just couldn't stop reading and I HAD to ...more

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Jul 27, 2009 Sara Grochowski rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: wishlist

I'll start by saying I'm a huge fan of Kristin Cashore's novels. I was completely in awe of Graceling and Fire and can honestly say that there isn't anything I'd change about them. I'm sure they have their flaws, but I enjoyed every last bit of each page, line, and paragraph. That said, my expectations for Bitterblue were ridiculously high. Sometimes, I'm worried to read highly anticipated novels: I don't want to be let down after all the buildup. Bitterblue, however, didn't worry me one bit... I'll start by saying I'm a huge fan of Kristin Cashore's novels. I was completely in awe of Graceling and Fire and can honestly say that there isn't anything I'd change about them. I'm sure they have their flaws, but I enjoyed every last bit of each page, line, and paragraph. That said, my expectations for Bitterblue were ridiculously high. Sometimes, I'm worried to read highly anticipated novels: I don't want to be let down after all the buildup. Bitterblue, however, didn't worry me one bit... Cashore took her time with this novel and I had a feeling she wouldn't send anything less than her best out into the hands of her fans.

I'm a long time lover of fantasy, but, too often, YA lacks the epic scope that first called me to the fantasy genre. This is definitely not the case with any of Cashore's novels. She's skilled at fitting an epic story line into a relatively small amount of pages (compared to, for example, the many, many volumes Robert Jordan and Terry Brooks employ). Perhaps it's wrong of me to compare these three authors - they are definitely all very different - but the world building and character development of epic fantasy is wonderfully present in each of these authors' novels and it continually surprises me that Cashore is able to do it so succinctly.

I adored Cashore's first two heroines, but I think Bitterblue is, ultimately, my favorite. I love her quiet, unexpected strength. I respect Katsa, but she's quite forceful... Bitterblue is exactly what Monsea needed to heal after the tyrannical reign of her father.

Like Fire and Graceling, Bitterblue also has a romance element. I'm always head over heels for the men in these novels... but Cashore never makes these love stories easy. And, though I yearn for happily ever after in every love story I read, I respect Cashore for creating and maintaining a necessary obstacles. In this way, despite the fantastical elements of these novels, they still feel real.

And it isn't just the romance that lends itself to realism. It's present in the growth and maturation of Bitterblue, the betrayal of those who promised trustworthiness, and the loss and suffering experienced while a country is at war. Cashore manages to offer her readers a place to slip away from everyday life, while still keeping their eyes open. It's escapism with a very real message. It's quite wonderful.

I'm forever recommending Cashore's novels and Bitterblue will be no exception. I seriously cannot wait to see what Cashore offers readers next. In the meantime, I'll happily revisit Graceling, Fire, and Bitterblue. ...more

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Jul 14, 2017 Scrill rated it it was ok · review of another edition

8 years after the story of Graceling, Bitterblue is queen and things are just not adding up in her kingdom and she is determined to understand would make her a better ruler.

The Story-What I felt when I finished book was that I spent the entire time under King Leck’s rule and couldn’t really understand what was happening. The resolution of all the problems was really underwhelming and I thought the length of the book was unnecessary for the end result. The book really could have just been a novel ...more

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May 01, 2012 Katy rated it it was ok · 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 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. ...more

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Dec 22, 2020 h o l l i s rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020-reads, all-the-feels, lgbtqia, romance, family-focused, grief-or-loss, ya, made-me-cry, a-smattering-of-lols, dark

Oof, now I understand why I had weird rememberings of not quite enjoying this on the same level as the other Graceling Realm books. Because this one is a lot. Not just in page length, either (ba dum boom hiss..).

I feel like Cashore has done a really great job up until this point introducing unsavoury characters who have done terrible deeds and that lead-in is what makes BITTERBLUE especially tough in the aftermath. And the way Cashore handled this, the slow, twisting, winding path in getting us Oof, now I understand why I had weird rememberings of not quite enjoying this on the same level as the other Graceling Realm books. Because this one is a lot. Not just in page length, either (ba dum boom hiss..).

I feel like Cashore has done a really great job up until this point introducing unsavoury characters who have done terrible deeds and that lead-in is what makes BITTERBLUE especially tough in the aftermath. And the way Cashore handled this, the slow, twisting, winding path in getting us to the end..? Well, I can definitey see that maybe I wasn't in the right mindset to take that journey the first time I read it. Maybe I was distracted, maybe I put it down too many times to keep all the threads clear in my mind, who knows. But wow I could not pull myself away this time. Sure, there are some parts that are better than others, maybe sometimes it gets a bit bogged down or meandering, but it's not without purpose. These things play an important role, and the confusion and frustration is real, in trying to pick apart lies and secrets. As well as the lost moments, lost people, lost items.

".. that's how memory works. Things disappear without your permission, then come back again without your permission."

In a post-Leck world, after surviving the reign of a man who could crawl into your mind and convince you to do things -- and generally his inclination was for awful things -- how do you live with yourself? How do you deal with the trauma you've survived or the trauma you've forced upon others? When your mind has been so twisted and torn apart that you can't even remember some parts of your life.. while other events, other deeds, that you would wish to forget have been tattooed into your memory.

[the] challenge, she thought, is to balance knowing with healing.

This was a hard read, it was. There is still some excitement, some romance, a little bit of levity and loveliness from reuniting with characters from previous books, and a whole ton of mystery, but Cashore has set up this devastating situation and she works her characters through it. She works her reader through it. And yeah, fine, no one is surprised by this anymore, but there were like three or four instances near the end that just had me in and out of tears. Feels, emotions, I had so many.

The characters in this world, particularly this book, are.. something else. Not perfect, no, and complicated, stubborn and bratty and self-sacrificing, so many things. But they are so much themselves, in their choices, their mistakes, their tragedies, in their missteps even with one another, that you (I) cannot help but love them.

I am so so incredibly glad I reread these going into book four (out January nineteenth!) and it is incredibly relieving, in my current "get rid of and downsize books you don't love!" mode that these are not going anywhere. They are staying pretty on my shelves.

----

This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities. ...more

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Apr 26, 2012 Adrienne Young rated it did not like it · review of another edition

I was so surprised when I started reading this book. I liked Graceling and liked Fire even more. I expected to like Bitterblue but I couldn't force myself. It seemed like Kristin Cashore took steps backward. It was jumbled, disorganized, and scatterbrained in the plot and I found most of the characters grossly underdeveloped. The romantic relationship should have just been left out because it was paid so little attention and it seemed so insignificant. It was not essential to any character's ex ...more

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Nov 07, 2015 Eric Boot rated it really liked it · review of another edition

And now it's over :( I think this was my favourite book in this series. I was so intrigued by the plot and this book raised SO MANY QUESTIONS! There were like a million plottwists (: Bitterblue was kicking ass and I just liked it more than the other two (although they were really good too). I think I'm going to miss this world so badly! And OMG THE ENDING! I WANT MORE WHAT THE F HAPPENS?!

Only, I felt like it could have been 200 pages shorter (but that's the case with all of Kristin Cashore's bo ...more

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Jan 06, 2013 Christine Riccio rated it liked it · review of another edition

Moved pretty slow, but I enjoyed seeing how the kingdom/Katsa and Po are doing post Graceling. I think some parts could have been shortened, lengthy sections about decoding and puzzle breaking dragged on. It was at those points that I would put down the book or struggle to keep going. I loved all the new characters though, Saf was great.

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Jan 18, 2017 Dannii Elle rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult-books-read, fantastic-fabrications

Actual rating 3.5 stars.

This is the third book in the Graceling trilogy and focuses on Queen Bitterblue, who was just a child when the reader last encountered her, in the first book. Now she is ruling in her father's place and attempting to right the wrongs of her country's past. This proves a more difficult task than previously thought when even her most trusted advisers appear to be keeping secrets from her. Bitterblue realises just how out-of-touch she is with her people and how deeply their ...more

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Jan 08, 2017 Lea (drumsofautumn) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: more-than-just-a-book, favourites, top-books-of-2013

First read in German in April 2013, these are my thought after rereading it in January 2017.

Alright, it's absolutely no secret that I love the Graceling Realm trilogy and this book in particular. Rereading this trilogy has been one of the greatest experiences ever because it made me realize just how much I love everything about these books.

Bitterblue is especially wonderful because it brings together all of our beloved characters. It makes me so happy to see them all interact together, to see th First read in German in April 2013, these are my thought after rereading it in January 2017.

Alright, it's absolutely no secret that I love the Graceling Realm trilogy and this book in particular. Rereading this trilogy has been one of the greatest experiences ever because it made me realize just how much I love everything about these books.

Bitterblue is especially wonderful because it brings together all of our beloved characters. It makes me so happy to see them all interact together, to see their strong bounds. In general I just love Bitterblue's relationships with her family, friends and also advisers. Especially how intimate some of her friendships with some men are, without ever implying anything romantic between them. We need more male/female friendships portrayed like that in YA.
But also the romance in this book is so wonderful and subtle. It's so far from many other YA romances where it's the situation of “I'd die for you, I can't live without you, I'd give up anything for you.” Neither of the characters included in the main romance ever forget their important tasks and that they are needed by other people. They get off track, they are sad or worried about the other person but they don't drop everything for their love interest.

I think the use of basically no tropes (as far as I can tell) is what makes this book most wonderful to me. It's what makes the friendships, the romance, just the characters in general so great to read about. Never once am I annoyed at any of them for doing stupid, not understandable things. There's no love triangle, no pretty dresses trope, no insta-love, no chosen one and even the little instances of characters lying to each other make ACTUAL SENSE and are not used just to frustrate the reader!

I even love the slow pacing in this book. This is a book of over 500 pages that I never, not on one single page, get tired of. I love all the little adventures Bitterblue has, the political intrigue, the mystery that takes so long to get solved. All the times Bitterblue spends in the library, the kitchen or anywhere else in her castle, simply to find out more about how the people around her live and work. The way Cashore portrays that Bitterblue is a queen that is kinda ignorant and oblivious to some of the things going on around her BUT throughout this books is open and willing to learn about all of it is wonderful.
In general I love the way Bitterblue develops as a character. She had to grow up fast to be a queen and has always taken this responsibility very serious. She loves her kingdom and the people in it but she is so removed from the actual people living in her kingdom. The journey Bitterblue goes on in this book does not only make her a better, more understanding person but also a greater queen.

One of the most interesting aspects of the book is the main villain of the story. I know many people find it weird that Leck, while being dead for over eight years, is still the main villain of the story. But I think it shows what a powerful and horrible King Leck really was. This book doesn't need a new villain. The old one is still present enough, haunting everyone and it makes sense. Introducing a new villain is in no way necessary, the few, “smaller” antagonists that we have throughout the story are more than enough to keep the story going. I think everything else would have undermined the power and influence Leck had on EVERYONE in his kingdom. The first two books are just not enough to even slightly grasp the power and influence Leck really had!

I also love how Cashore includes diversity in this book in particular. There are two same sex couples in this book and it's never really mentioned as problematic, except for when it comes to royalty and heirs, although it is mentioned as something that's gonna be changed in the future (it's just that in the particular kingdom where this is an occurring situation, the current king is an asshole).
Also Cashore always takes care of mentioning contraception in everyone of these books, which is also something we need more often in YA. Especially in Fantasy where there's no condoms or any other modern forms of contraception, authors like to act as if it's not an issue in these worlds. Cashore handles it subtly but as a reader you always know it's taken care of.

I guess it's clear from all of this how much I love this trilogy and would recommend it to everyone. I will recommend it till the end of my life. I think there's no YA Fantasy that you can compare to this. It is one of a kind. Unique but so simplistic. This trilogy will forever have a huge place in my heart and I'm forever thankful for discovering it.

Trigger warnings for (view spoiler) ...more

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Feb 18, 2012 tonya. rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arcs, 2012, ya, fantasy

I should have done my reviews for Graceling and Fire right after finishing them, because now all I can think to write about them is I LOVE THEM SO MUCH, and WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO BITTERBLUE?

Bitterblue picks up (after a very creepy prologue) ten years after Graceling, when Bitterblue is 18 and fully stationed as queen of Monsea, struggling to find her place amid a kingdom just waking up from a 35-year sleep under Leck's rule. She is trapped under mountains of paper and the thumb of her adviso ...more

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Jan 31, 2012 Keertana rated it it was ok · review of another edition

The first thing I am going to do after writing this review is take my copy of Bitterblue, hide it in some deep, dark recess of my attic where I will hopefully forget it exists, and pretend as if Kristin Cashore did not write a third Graceling Realm book. Perhaps I should start off by saying that I am a HUGE Kristin Cashore fan. I’ve re-read both Graceling and Fire so many times that I can give you a detailed scene-by-scene synopsis just as easily as the author herself. That being said, I’ve been The first thing I am going to do after writing this review is take my copy of Bitterblue, hide it in some deep, dark recess of my attic where I will hopefully forget it exists, and pretend as if Kristin Cashore did not write a third Graceling Realm book. Perhaps I should start off by saying that I am a HUGE Kristin Cashore fan. I’ve re-read both Graceling and Fire so many times that I can give you a detailed scene-by-scene synopsis just as easily as the author herself. That being said, I’ve been looking forward to reading Bitterblue ever since I heard Cashore was writing a third book in this amazing series. Bitterblue easily became my most anticipated book of the year, and, unfortunately, after reading it, it became my most disappointing.

The premises of Bitterblue is fascinating. It has been thirty five years since King Leck’s mind-rape of the Monsean Kingdom ended, yet it seems as if Queen Bitterblue’s kingdom cannot move forward. Bitterblue, now eighteen, has been largely kept in the dark of the true workings of her shaken country. Thus, she decides to dress as a commoner and go forth on midnight excursions in an effort to find out just what exactly is happening. It is at night that she meets Teddy and Saf, two thieves who, instead of giving her answers, only add to the puzzling mysterious surround her life. Now, Bitterblue must figure out why Teddy and Saf are stealing gargoyles from the East Wing of her castle, why so few people in her kingdom can read when her reports claim that 80% of her kingdom is literate, why printing press’s are being burned by the dozens, and why she was kept unaware of the resistance movement to her father all these years. Yet, most important of all is that Bitterblue realizes that in order to move forward, she must first find out what happened in the past and why no one will tell her the truth.

Cashore’s idea for Bitterblue is nothing short of brilliant. This book could have easily become a political mystery, one that could have even rivaled Megan Whalen Turner’s The Queen Thief’s Series. However, the execution of this thought fell flat. In simple terms, Bitterblue is boring. Although I appreciate Cashore’s attempt to briefly re-cap the atrocities of Leck’s rule, I felt as though the information was repeated over and over again. Furthermore, large expanses of the story simply entailed Bitterblue waiting…waiting for something to happen, waiting for news, waiting for someone to come. The story essentially felt dragged on to the point where it completely lost my interest. In addition, this story of political intrigue simply had too much going on. There were too many subplots, too many symbols and little details that Cashore was trying to get the reader to notice that it simply became cumbersome to read and understand. Reading Bitterblue, I felt as if I was reading an un-edited version of this book. So much could have been cut out and so many details could have been added into different parts of the story to make it good. Furthermore, the writing of Bitterblue lacked Cashore’s classic juxtaposition of the past and the present which I’d come to love. Overall, it was an utter disappointment.

That being said, there were many aspects of this book that I did like. First and foremost, I loved meeting Katsa and Po once again. Po makes a much larger appearance in this novel than Katsa does, and I enjoyed seeing his struggles not only with his blindness and his Grace, but also with his relationship to Katsa. Their romance unfolded very realistically and, although a small part of me wished they could have made a more permanent type of arrangement (like marriage), I was pleased with the direction their relationship took. It was deep, caring, and typical of the personalities of both Katsa and Po. Another aspect of this book I liked was Bitterblue. I’d always liked Bitterblue’s character and the immense amount of courage, strength, and growth that occurs within her personality in this novel is astounding. My only qualm with the story being told from her POV was that the tone of the novel seemed too haunting for an eighteen year old girl. Even the nice, funny, and interesting parts of this book seemed haunting and morose. I suppose that it is realistic, considering that Leck’s cruelty hangs over Bitterblue like a plague, but I also wished that we could have seen another side to Bitterblue as well.

Nevertheless, despite liking Bitterblue, my favorite character by far was Giddon. I found this to be extremely ironic considering that Giddon never was one of the most likeable characters in Graceling, yet, in this story the reader is able to see a completely different side of him. I absolutely loved his character growth, his friendship with Bitterblue, and the loyal and dedicated role he played in the Council. (view spoiler) Teddy and Saf were two other characters I immediately fell in love with. Their personalities were fun and impossible not to like, especially as they were not only thieves, but secret crusaders for truth as well. Saf and Bitterblue’s relationship was sweet and unfolded extremely realistically. Saf’s anger and his eventual reconciliation with Bitterblue was also very believably portrayed. Yet, I didn’t enjoy their romance as much as I did the romances in the previous novels. Their relationship definitely was not a forefront in this story, yet I found myself wishing that it had been simply because it would have made for more interesting parts in this rather sullen tale.

Although Bitterblue had many flaws, it had one supreme redeeming factor: Fire. The incorporation of Fire’s world into Bitterblue’s own and the way in which these two women eventually met and recognized the existence of each others lands was very clever. I enjoyed all the allusions and references to the Dells that Cashore put in every so often and even though it isn’t necessary to read Fire before Bitterblue, I would recommend it.

Overall however, Bitterblue was a disappointment. It had some very nice qualities, such as the characters and overlap with the Dells, yet ultimately, it failed to keep my mind engaged beyond a few hundred pages in the middle and was an incredibly hard book to finish. I appreciate a lot of the depth and horror that came out towards the end of the book and I wish Cashore had expanded and focused more on that and the restoration of the Monsean Kingdom opposed to how Bitterblue waited, and waited, and waited to find out what happened and glean information from her spies. Furthermore, Bitterblue felt like an echo of Fire a lot of the time simply because both characters had cruel and monstrous fathers. Yet, Cashore conveyed this all so much better in Fire than she managed to do in Bitterblue. Yet, the themes, messages, and story behind Bitterblue are heart-felt and deep. Still, I found this book to be incredibly disappointing and one that will (unfortunately) never make me think of Kristin Cashore the same way again. I don’t know if I really recommend Bitterblue to others. If you haven’t read the series, definitely read Graceling and Fire because they are amazing! If you’re planning to read Bitterblue, I can only tell you this: don’t expect too much. Maybe if you go into this book expecting the worst, you’ll manage to be pleasantly surprised and enjoy this unlike me. I truly wish my expectations had not been so high for this one. It is definitely one of the most disappointing books I’ve ever read. :/ ...more

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Feb 07, 2016 Arie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-traditional, over-500-pages, queer, favourites, young-adult

2016: If Graceling was great, Bitterblue is near perfect.

I haven't been this captivated while reading in a long, long time. This is what I expected of books like The Queen of the Tearling.

Bitterblue is the most likeable, rounded character I've come across in YA fantasy since first encountering Tamora Pierce. She isn't pretty - described as plain, and not in a "she just doesn't know how pretty she is" way - and this isn't made into a whole issue, it's just... there. Yeah, sure, she does think on 2016: If Graceling was great, Bitterblue is near perfect.

I haven't been this captivated while reading in a long, long time. This is what I expected of books like The Queen of the Tearling.

Bitterblue is the most likeable, rounded character I've come across in YA fantasy since first encountering Tamora Pierce. She isn't pretty - described as plain, and not in a "she just doesn't know how pretty she is" way - and this isn't made into a whole issue, it's just... there. Yeah, sure, she does think once or twice how she wishes she were, perhaps, just a little more of a different kind of look, but this isn't an issue, simply a wistful passing moment. She doesn't suddenly dress up one day for a ball and become immediately stunning to attract the love interest, or rule the queendom better. She doesn't suddenly become anything else, doesn't suddenly encounter new powers or strength other than her own sheer humanity. Besides, far more important to her than looks is the ability to rule fairly and well, and help her country heal after the abuse her father inflicted (see Graceling for details - but it isn't essential). (view spoiler)

The topic of abuse - in all forms - is covered deftly and without compromise. There are moments of horror, moments that are genuinely really tough to get through, but the characters keep you together while reading. They are all loveable - meaning that they all have elements that can be loved, or at least understood. No one is perfect, no one is simply "good" or "bad". Relationships are as complex as in real life. Issues don't suddenly become resolved because someone says "I'm sorry" - but the importance of that apology is never doubted.

Best of all, despite the heaviness, despite the topics covered, this is not a book of "issues" and morals heavy-handedly forced down on the reader. Monsea is presented as a lively yet recovering realm, not black and white but all shades of colour and it is impossible to not get sucked in. 500+ pages flew past and I found myself wishing there was more at the end. It wasn't needed for the story, I just didn't want to finish. ...more

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Dec 07, 2009 Kellyflower rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: let-downs-disappointing, fantasy, aussie-nz-authors, series-sequels-trilogies

Well I've finished it up and yes I'm disappointed. I think the readers that gave it the low ratings are right.
This was her weakest book.

Let me start off with things I liked:
- The drawings before each section & at the end of the book.
- The A Who's Who of the World As We Know It" section.
- Giddon
- Po

Here's what I had trouble with: **Spoilers**
- Bitterblue. In the first half of the book her actions and personality seemed very young. By the second half of the book she seemed bossy and I really wante ...more

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Fantasy Buddy Reads: Bitterblue [April 15, 2021]	7	20	Apr 21, 2021 02:18PM
The Procrastinato...: Bitterblue (March 2020) Buddy Read Discussion - Laura & Heather	24	20	Mar 23, 2020 10:51PM
YA Buddy Readers'...: Bitterblue (Graceling Realm #3) By Kristin Cashore - Restarting August 15th 2019	27	110	Feb 23, 2020 09:32AM
Was anyone else dissapointed how Saf and Bitterblue ended up?	80	1103	Jun 02, 2019 02:17PM

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Kristin Cashore grew up in the northeast Pennsylvania countryside as the second of four daughters. She received a bachelor's degree from Williams College and a master's from the Center for the Study of Children's Literature at Simmons College. She currently lives in the Boston area. ...more

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“But that's how memory works," Bitterblue said quietly. "Things disappear without your permission, then come back again without your permission." And sometimes they came back incomplete and warped.” — 340 likes

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(Graceling Realm #3)

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