Graceling (Graceling Realm, #1) in The Alternative Worlds

Sep 01, 2018 mark monday rated it really liked it

Shelves: teenworld, fantasy-modern, unicorn

about six times a year, I facilitate a weekend training on being a peer support volunteer. our volunteers are often very, very different from our clients, so our training often focuses on how to bridge those differences and build a empathetic and supportive relationship. we go over many topics, include what we call "Cultural Awareness". this is a catch-all phrase and not simply about culture per se - although of course everyone hails from a particular culture, one that helps form who that person about six times a year, I facilitate a weekend training on being a peer support volunteer. our volunteers are often very, very different from our clients, so our training often focuses on how to bridge those differences and build a empathetic and supportive relationship. we go over many topics, include what we call "Cultural Awareness". this is a catch-all phrase and not simply about culture per se - although of course everyone hails from a particular culture, one that helps form who that person is, and that culture is a part of their personal context. but we like to move beyond that, using the concept of "Cultural Humility": approach another person's identity with the intention of learning and in the spirit of humility; a person should define their own identity because that person is the one who is most familiar with their own reality; an individual should not automatically be seen as emblematic of their culture or race or ethnicity or gender or sexual orientation or class or age or whatever. a person's perception of who they are may not parallel what other people automatically perceive about them, based on their appearance or casual, passing interactions. that difference in perception can be annoying and painful. I like to have trainees go through an exercise where they consider who they are and then consider how they have been incorrectly perceived. I use myself as an example before having them do the exercise, like so:

what I loved most about this book is that it is all about this idea. this is a young adult novel, and even though this issue of perception versus reality is something that everyone at every age can wrestle with, it is of special importance to young adults because that's a particular time period of self-searching, figuring out your identity, and reacting to whatever box you may be in or whatever box others may be trying to put you in. like so:

I really appreciated Cashore's message. it's so simple and yet so important. and that message is woven throughout the book, through most of its characters, from its protagonists to the two probably-gay characters to the foolish guy who loves Katsa to the fascinating and horrendous villain. Cashore hits that message again and again; it's a message worth hitting hard. everyone has to deal with being put in a box despite knowing that their reality is not simply that box. reality is so much more than boxes and other people's perceptions of who and why you are. like so:

the story itself is fun and the book was pure pleasure to read. the writing was clean and efficient. the emotions on display were resonant. the love story was actually pretty cool and not annoying. I was impressed with how Cashore illustrated her message not just with Katsa's experiences, but with what eventually happens to Po (i.e. it's not all about what you see; there's more to see than what's right in front of you). I didn't mind the unimaginative place names because it gave the book a rather timeless quality. the three powers most on display were very interesting; I particularly liked how the villain's power parallels the power many politicians have over people who just automatically buy their bullshit messages, and who then deliver that fake message to others as if it were actually the truth.

I really, really liked how Katsa's antipathy to marriage and having children, and Po's willingness to meet her halfway, were portrayed in a positive light. I am by no means anti-marriage (and neither is this story), but it was such a different sort of message for young adults that was being conveyed here. a girl (or a boy) doesn't actually have to settle down in a traditional way. a relationship does not have to be sanctified by a title to be real; you can connect deeply with someone, love someone, without being married to them. you can be your own person and that includes not being with another person for the rest of your life. you are who you are; being different and having a different kind of relationship and not subscribing to cultural norms that you aren't feeling is perfectly okay. great message... great book! ...more

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Feb 24, 2009 Danielle The Book Huntress rated it liked it

Shelves: young-adult, assassin, warrior-woman, psychic, reluctant-heroine, fantasy, kickbutt-heroine, superhuman, no-longer-own, fantasy-romance

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Review Update: 9/9/11
I am going to do something I don't do when it comes to reviewing/rating books. I have thought about this book a lot, and the fact that I really disagreed with the message about women, what empowers women, how they show that they are 'strong' and 'independent' women. I am going to downgrade my rating because I felt like the message in this book was too blatant and leading. It feels manipulative to me, and that's an issue I can't get past. Ultimately an author has a choice of ...more

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May 01, 2009 Wealhtheow rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy

In the world of the seven kingdoms, gifted children known as Gracelings are prized--and feared. Marked by mismatched eyes, each Graceling has a specific and almost superhuman skill--excellence at baking, at swimming underwater, at dancing or fighting. At age 8, Graceling Katsa killed a man. Ever since, her uncle, King Randa, has used her as his enforcer and assassin. Despite her reputation as a mindless killer whose bloodlust is only held in check by her uncle, Katsa is growing increasingly unco In the world of the seven kingdoms, gifted children known as Gracelings are prized--and feared. Marked by mismatched eyes, each Graceling has a specific and almost superhuman skill--excellence at baking, at swimming underwater, at dancing or fighting. At age 8, Graceling Katsa killed a man. Ever since, her uncle, King Randa, has used her as his enforcer and assassin. Despite her reputation as a mindless killer whose bloodlust is only held in check by her uncle, Katsa is growing increasingly uncomfortable with her missions. Randa and the other kings are so focused on power that they neglect their citizens. With her two fellow enforcers and the king's son Raffin, she creates the Council. Through small, grassroots oriented actions, the Council helps the citizens of all seven kingdoms learn how to keep themselves safe.
All this is background--the true plot begins when Katsa encounters the Leinid prince Po. He is a Graceling as well, and for the first time Katsa can let loose while fighting someone. From training together, they develop a close friendship. Together, they must discover the true plot behind the kidnapping of Po's grandfather.

This is not a perfect book. The writing is a bit clunky, particularly at first, and I don't think the Council was as rounded out as it could have been. Princess Bitterblue was unbelievably thoughtful and articulate for a 10 year old. The ending was a little rushed.
But.
This was a really exciting, enthralling story. I found myself reading as quickly as possible, just to find out what happened next. I literally shouted out loud when Katsa *runs for days over mountains* with Bitterblue on her back, fighting mountain lions all the way. Although she seems like a cliche in the first few chapters, Katsa is far from it. She loves having superhuman physical powers, even though she is aware of how it sets her apart from an ordinary life. She refuses to be tied down--even after she falls in love, she maintains her stance against marriage and children (take THAT, Tamora Pierce!). The characters aren't stupid, either. I realized who the villain of the story was only a few pages before the characters themselves, and there is an actual, plot-related reason it took them those extra pages.

This is not the most well-written fantasy novel, but it is one of the most exciting, least problematic books I have read in some time. Given that this is the author's first novel, I can't wait to see what she does next. ...more

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May 20, 2011 Jackie "the Librarian" rated it really liked it

Shelves: magic, youngadult, teen-books-adults-can-enjoy, fantasy

Is this book feminist? Or is it just faux feminist, whatever THAT means? I ask, because I saw a crack to that effect on someone’s review, and it made me wonder... Do books with strong male characters get this kind of scrutiny? No, they don’t, so I don’t see why this book should, either. I didn’t read it for an empowering feminist message. I read it because I’d been told it had a kickass heroine, and that I HAD to read it by friends and coworkers whose judgment I trust. Plus, cool cover! That is Is this book feminist? Or is it just faux feminist, whatever THAT means? I ask, because I saw a crack to that effect on someone’s review, and it made me wonder... Do books with strong male characters get this kind of scrutiny? No, they don’t, so I don’t see why this book should, either. I didn’t read it for an empowering feminist message. I read it because I’d been told it had a kickass heroine, and that I HAD to read it by friends and coworkers whose judgment I trust. Plus, cool cover! That is a GOOD cover. It tells you right off that this is a fantasy with swords, and a beautiful eye, and shiny gold lettering. It’s fierce!

I think the term used for the title is kind of lame, though. Graceling? Why not Graced? Why the diminuitive? Sorry, I'm quibbling... Anyhow, those who are graced have special abilities, such as uncanny weather sensing, or exceptional skills at healing. Some can even read minds, and nobody trusts those gracelings. Gracelings are visibly identifiable by their mismatched eyes.

Katsa, our heroine, is the graceling of the title, with one green eye, and one blue eye. She discovered her grace at the age of eight, when she killed a man, a despicable creep of a man, but still, she killed him, easily, without intending to. Her grace is the ability to kill, and she lacked control of her abilities at the time. She’s an amazing fighter, with lightning fast speed, unfailing accuracy at throwing knives and shooting arrows, and strength and endurance beyond men twice her size. She’s the niece of the king of the Middluns, Randa, and ever since her abilities became apparent he has used her as his enforcer.

She hates it, she hates feeling like a brute, and her emancipation from his rule is one of the key plot points of the book. The reader sees far sooner than Katsa does that she’s better stuff than she knows – she hates the inequities she sees around her, and starts a council to fight injustice secretly, since the kings aren’t doing it. In fact, the kings are the problem. She’s an interesting mix of deadly force and unworldly teenager who doesn’t know her own power, until her friendship with Prince Po, another graceling (he has one gold and one silver eye, and he’s hot), helps her see another view of herself. I guess that’s why some people see this as feminist, as it’s about a woman who takes charge of her own power. Very Buffy-like, and I’m always down with that.

But, just like with Buffy, what I care about is not an overt message, but the story, and you get a good one here. What the heck is going on over in Monsea, and who kidnapped the grandfather of the king of Leck, and why? Also, there’s a satisfying nontraditional romance in Katsa’s relationship with Po. I like a little romance in my fantasy, even ones I can see coming from a mile away.

The writing is straightforward, without overdoing the descriptions of lovely things like Katsa’s and Po’s eyes. And the island of Leck, which is quite dramatic in geography. The character development isn’t bad, and I really liked how Katsa awoke to her humanity. Okay, she was a little too amazing at times, she could have used some vulnerability SOMEWHERE to be more believable, but I went with it.

This is just a good, solid fantasy. If you like Tamora Pierce, or Robin McKinley, or The Hunger Games, you’ll like this one, too. This book makes me want to sign up for karate lessons. Go, strong women! ...more

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Apr 06, 2015 Nicky rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy

I’ve read Graceling before, and I wasn’t quite sure what to think of it then. The anti-marriage plot and Katsa’s rejections of femininity didn’t sit well with me then; not because I’m that vociferously pro-marriage or that insistent on anyone being feminine, but I think I was looking for someone more like Celaena back then. Someone who could fight and survive and still be a woman, and not view feminine pursuits or interests as weak. Katsa isn’t that at all: she’s a woman who has been mostly forc I’ve read Graceling before, and I wasn’t quite sure what to think of it then. The anti-marriage plot and Katsa’s rejections of femininity didn’t sit well with me then; not because I’m that vociferously pro-marriage or that insistent on anyone being feminine, but I think I was looking for someone more like Celaena back then. Someone who could fight and survive and still be a woman, and not view feminine pursuits or interests as weak. Katsa isn’t that at all: she’s a woman who has been mostly forced to act as a thug, who is only beginning to learn that she can take control of her own life, and that has included being paraded for the marriage market and forced to pretty herself up, despite her lack of interest in both.

The issues of marriage and contraception… Well, to an extent they still feel a little bit incongruous to me, but I’m also impressed that they’re included in a YA book. It’s positive about sex and Katsa’s right to do what she wants with her own body, positive about finding a compromise that works for both you and your partner. And in a world where ineffective abstinence is about all that’s taught in schools, there’s definitely no harm in YA drawing attention to the existence of contraception, and it’s a valid part of the worldbuilding that it’s something which Katsa is aware of and can use.

I think I enjoyed it more this time because I appreciated those things more, and I knew they were coming. It left me more time to focus on other aspects like the worldbuilding. I’m still not sure about some of the place names — Middluns as the name of a kingdom? Really? But I did like other things like the whole idea of Graces, the idea of how kings and rulers would use that, how it would effect families. The exploration of how women were expected to rely on their male family members for protection, and yet that protection often failed them. I liked that Graces aren’t straightforward; they can evolve and change, they can surprise you, because all the time you thought you were Graced to do [x] and it turns out just to be a side effect of [y].

I’m not sure how I felt about Po’s Grace compensating for the injury. It’s represented as something different, not a straightforward replacement, though, so I think it steers clear of handwaving the disability away — and it’s definitely hinted at ahead of time.

The mindreading and mind control Graces creep me out as much as they do Katsa. They’re pretty closely aligned in my mind; it’s interesting how Po’s Grace is explored, but how the antagonist’s Grace is only ever condemned. It’s not as if people can help their Graces, only what they do with them. It’d be interesting to see someone with a similar Grace who struggles not to misuse it.

Originally posted here. You'll have to check the comments for what I think my Grace would be... ...more

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Sep 09, 2016 Kara Babcock rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2016-read, fantasy, from-library, young-adult

Oh, I liked Graceling, but I want to like it a whole lot more. I want to like … perform surgery on this book to remove a bunch of stuff and graft new limbs to it in a kind of Frankensteiny horror show way and then it would be so much better. Kristin Cashore has an interesting idea here and provides all the requisite basics, but she never quite takes the story or the characters far enough. Unlike The Crown’s Game , where I struggled to identify what it was that made me enjoy the book so much, ...more

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May 24, 2009 Nicky rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, children-s-and-ya

I don't really know how I feel about Graceling (Kristin Cashore). It didn't take me long to read it, and I didn't hate reading it, but some things definitely bugged me and I didn't exactly get sucked in.

I did find it interesting that despite the medieval-ish setting, the main character, Katsa, is allowed so much agency. Then again, it's not a thing she's accorded as a right. Just because she's strong and can fight doesn't mean she can escape from being prettied up, from having people insist on h I don't really know how I feel about Graceling (Kristin Cashore). It didn't take me long to read it, and I didn't hate reading it, but some things definitely bugged me and I didn't exactly get sucked in.

I did find it interesting that despite the medieval-ish setting, the main character, Katsa, is allowed so much agency. Then again, it's not a thing she's accorded as a right. Just because she's strong and can fight doesn't mean she can escape from being prettied up, from having people insist on her getting married, etc. Thankfully, the book isn't unaware of this, but it feels like it focuses mainly on the point of marriage, as if marriage can never be an equal partnership and is to be avoided at all costs. I didn't like the handling of marriage at all in the book. It's just fine with me if someone doesn't want their fantasy heroine to get married, but if there's going to be so much of a point made of it, I'd prefer there was actually a good reason. The idea of loss of freedom was barely explored, it was just played as A Bad Thing. In one way I'm glad there's a fantasy book out there where the main character is female and has a relationship without it ending up in stereotypical marriage and happily ever after. In another, it just felt like it was, well, to borrow internets vocab, "pastede on yay".

That's partially because I didn't feel the characters that much, either. I never felt all that invested in the characters, so even when one of them goes blind, which is normally one of my big buttons, I didn't really care. Katsa should be an interesting character, hopefully a likeable one, and Po definitely both. But I couldn't muster up much care, I think because we kept being told how awesome they both are. I'd rather form that opinion myself, thanks. I don't like it when people write by checklist, bolting on faults, but did Katsa have any faults? I suppose that she was blunt, perhaps that she was unfeminine if that's a fault from your perspective. Inclined to not thinking things through. But we don't see any consequences of her faults -- everything turns out just fine for her. And Po... I guess his conceit is a fault, but again. Everything turns out fine. Bitterblue is a strange character: she's meant to be ten years old, but she doesn't act it. There are reasons for that, but it's still a thing that bugged me while reading.

There were definitely bits of it that I liked. Katsa's dislike of mindreading was something I identified with. The idea of mindreading creeps the hell out of me, actually. The way she dealt with it irritated me a little, but it was still interesting and a good idea. I liked the idea of Graces, and that the two main characters' Graces were not straight forward. That's another two-edged sword, though, because Katsa and Po just get more and more special as the book goes on. Katsa's indestructible -- the one thing that counters her Grace, the one thing that might beat her, and she manages to beat it anyway. Bad things happen to Po, but it doesn't matter, he has his Grace.

It was quite fun, for a single read, and I might give it to my sister because I'm pretty sure she'd enjoy the kickass heroine. If you want a fantasy heroine who kicks ass and takes names, Katsa's definitely a good choice, and I doubt the things that bugged me about it would bug everyone -- far from it. I can definitely see the appeal for teenage girls. I don't think I'll be reading the prequel or the sequel, unless I spot them in the library or something. ...more

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Nov 04, 2011 Maree rated it it was amazing

Again, my lack of reading book summaries or looking at covers leads me to assumptions about books that just aren't true. I didn't realize this book was set in a fantasy, medieval time. But, once I got over it, it was great! But while I'm apparently not judging a book by its cover, I do seem to be forming some sort of impression over its title....

Regardless, Graceling was a fresh story with a vague plot that made it all the better. I was totally invested in the character of Katsa (though I think ...more

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Nov 22, 2011 Melissa Ruhl rated it it was ok

Shelves: sci-fi-and-speculative-fiction, childhood-and-age

While I enjoyed Graceling and thought the world was very interesting, I found myself constantly caught up by little things that taken alone would be no big deal, but taken as a whole significantly diminished my enjoyment of the book.

The first is grammatical. Incomplete sentences dominated the structure of the book, giving the story an unfinished feel. I constantly had to reread sentences because the point was not contained in that particular sentence, but in the larger paragraph or in the previ ...more

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Jan 31, 2011 Julie S. rated it liked it

Shelves: sci-fi-dystopian-fantasy, read-in-2011

I have some mixed feelings on this one. I'm not much of fantasy reader, and many fantasy writers have this way of saying things in odd ways that puts me off. Cashore occasionally fell into this, but it was mostly fine.

(view spoiler) ...more

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Feb 06, 2009 Hirondelle (not getting notifications) rated it it was ok

Shelves: young-adult-and-middle-grade, fantasy

A present from a friend, thank you so much! I loved the gesture and the idea and receiving it, but the book itself was a bit so-so. Not bad, but so average ..

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