From the Bookshelf of Erudite Readers…

Graceling (Graceling Realm, #1)

Kristin Cashore

Start date: December 1, 2012

Finish date: December 31, 2012

Discussion: Monthly Reads!

Discussion leader: Jon

Why we're reading this: His eyes, Katsa had never seen such eyes. One was silver, and the other, gold. They glowed in his sun-dar…more
[close] His eyes, Katsa had never seen such eyes. One was silver, and the other, gold. They glowed in his sun-darkened face, uneven, and strange. She was surprised that they hadn't shone in the darkness of their first meeting. They didn't seem human....

Then he raised his eyebrows a hair, and his mouth shifted into the hint of a smirk. He nodded at her, just barely, and it released her from her spell.

Cocky, she thought. Cocky and arrogant, this one, and that was all there was to make of him. Whatever game he was playing, if he expected her to join him he would be disappointed.

In a world where people born with an extreme skill - called a Grace - are feared and exploited, Katsa carries the burden of the skill even she despises: the Grace of killing. She lives under the command of her uncle Randa, King of the Middluns, and is expected to execute his dirty work, punishing and torturing anyone who displeases him.

When she first meets Prince Po, who is Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change.

She never expects to become Po's friend.

She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace - or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away...a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.

Find A Copy At

Libraries

Group Discussions About This Book

Showing 2 of 3 topics — 79 comments total

Monthly Reads!

March 2013 Nomination Thread
By Jon , The Paperback Prince · 14 posts · 50 views

last updated Feb 18, 2014 11:32AM

World War Z by Max Brooks
By Jon , The Paperback Prince · 14 posts · 31 views

last updated May 08, 2013 03:55PM

showing 10 of 13 topics view all »

What Members Thought

Feb 09, 2010 Ivana rated it it was amazing

Just the premise of this book was exciting enough, but reading this was an experience not to be missed. A girl with one blue, one green eye who can kill a man in one simple strike? My first reaction was-you go, girl! We need more of these!
Katsa is a character unlike any other in YA literature. It was great to follow her transition, to see her open up and discover things about herself she didn't know existed. A girl who finds herself isolated from almost everyone, set apart by her lethal Grace, Just the premise of this book was exciting enough, but reading this was an experience not to be missed. A girl with one blue, one green eye who can kill a man in one simple strike? My first reaction was-you go, girl! We need more of these!
Katsa is a character unlike any other in YA literature. It was great to follow her transition, to see her open up and discover things about herself she didn't know existed. A girl who finds herself isolated from almost everyone, set apart by her lethal Grace, a girl that never wanted to fall in love, marry and have children will find herself at a turning point when she meets Po (if you think that's a funny one-his real name is Greening). He appears to be an equal match to her fighting skills, though his Grace is different than Katsa's, one that no one should find out about.

I loved the way the romance between them was developed. It was bound to happen, yet it wasn't rushed. How many guys fall in love with girls who can kick their ass and prove that all the time? Here's a quote I wrote down:
"...you're better than I am, Katsa. And it doesn't humiliate me. It humbles me. But it doesn't humiliate me." p 182

Now, seriously, what guy did ever say something like that-Graced or not? Overall, Po is just too perfect. He is handsome, smart, noble, courteous, a good fighter, a tender lover. Not a single flaw. I missed that sparkle of human imperfection. Yes, I know, this is fantasy, Gracelings and all that, but so is Katsa, and she is not perfect. Sometimes she's stubborn, impatient, impulsive, and I loved just these little imperfections about her.
At moments, Graceling felt like a feministic pamphlet. Very girl-power. Here's another one I wrote down, sort of tongue-in-cheek, but I loved it:
"What was the difference between a husband and a lover?
If she took Po as her husband, she would be making promises about a future she couldn't yet see. For once she became his wife, she would be his wife forever. And, no matter how much freedom Po gave her, she would always know that it was a gift. Her freedom would not be her own; it would be Po's to give or withhold. That he would never withhold it made no difference. If it did not come from her, it was not really hers.
If Po were her lover, would she feel captured, cornered into a sense of forever? Or would she still have the freedom that sprang from herself?" p 237

The pacing of this novel is just perfectly tempered. It is a page turner, but not one to wear you out. It's really a fast read, enjoyable and entertaining. The ending was weird. No spoilers, but it was just...disgusting. By the way, isn't Bitterblue the coolest name you have ever heard? I'm looking forward to reading Fire; some characters from Graceling return, and I can't wait to see how this turns out.
...more

Like · see review

Jul 24, 2011 Angela rated it liked it

Oh I was so back and forth on this book. It read quickly and was an exciting, original concept that I seriously enjoyed. I will probably read the others in this series and I'm impressed with Kristin Cashore as an author. However, she has very strong views that I don't agree with: this story holds strong anti-marriage, anti-children views. I am willing to just count is as part of Katsa's character and appreciate the freedom we have to read and express all opinions. ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Oct 02, 2010 Cee rated it liked it

Shelves: young-adult, romance, fantasy, paranormal

I don't know why I didn't really get into Graceling. The premise sounded interesting, and this book has been on my TBR since forever. Yet now I read it, it doesn't feel like I will remember this book for long.

Katsa is Graced. Marked with two differently coloured eyes, she has the ability to fight a whole army with her bare hands, and come out of the fray alive. Since her Grace has manifested, she is being used by her king as a political pawn. She is sent on missions to carry out his law, even th I don't know why I didn't really get into Graceling. The premise sounded interesting, and this book has been on my TBR since forever. Yet now I read it, it doesn't feel like I will remember this book for long.

Katsa is Graced. Marked with two differently coloured eyes, she has the ability to fight a whole army with her bare hands, and come out of the fray alive. Since her Grace has manifested, she is being used by her king as a political pawn. She is sent on missions to carry out his law, even though he can be cruel and petty in his judgements.

I think my main problem with this book is the heroine, Katsa. A great deal of this book focusses on her relationship with the romantic interest Po. However, Katsa seems to be completely oblivious to all signs of affection, making me want to face-palm at multiple events. When she finally did understand Po actually cares for her, she keeps pushing him away, repeating her "I won't marry" mantra.

The thing is, I could understand the not-marrying thing, if Katsa had a truly good reason for it. However, this reason is never fully explored. I guess it could have something to do with her dominating uncle, but that still doesn't explain her extreme fear of commitment. She hasn't been abused by men. She has no bad experiences with her parents' marriage, because she never had parents.

I have seen some people calling Katsa "feminist" in their reviews, but I would never use that term in this context. Katsa is no feminist. She only pushes people away, not because she doesn't need them, but because she is afraid to be close to anyone. She has very few friends, and the tiny handful she has, are all people she needs in her quest to protect the commons from the King. I wouldn't call this trait a strenght, but a flaw.

Because I didn't react well to the heroine, I was kind of counting on the plot to carry me through the book. Not so lucky for me, the plot is not that strong. There is some minor mystery, and some nice action and a stir of tension, but nothing that keeps you turning the pages. The main focus of Graceling is truly Katsa's transformation. I am glad she did transform a bit in the end, or this wouldn't have been a 3-star rating.

Graceling has a delightful sidecast which make me curious of the other two books in the series. Especially Bitterblue, the tiny princess, seems like an interesting character that I would love to read some more about.

If I wasn't reading this book for a challenge, I probably wouldn't have finished it. I'm not sure if the ending makes the effort worth it, but in my opinion it was probably the best part of the book. If you're looking for a captivating young-adult high-fantasy, I would not recommend Graceling. If you can overcome and even start to love Katsa's personality, you will enjoy this book quite a lot. ...more

Like · see review

Aug 07, 2011 Narya rated it really liked it

An easy read for me. It sucked me right in after the first couple of pages. I liked the story. I wanted to know what happened next. Somewhat predictable but that isn't always a problem. I liked the main characters and some the secondary ones. Although some of them could have more depth than they did. Also some of the scenes feel a little rushed, as if to get to a result that the writer want to without evolving or flowing more naturally. Overall a pretty nice book for a first novel. I enjoyed rea ...more

Like · see review

Nov 17, 2009 Lola rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 5-starred-books

Great book!!! I liked the way the story was written that gives you clues of what will happen next but is not entirely predictible, great quality for a first part.

The plot is quite good too and the characters are awsome I found them pretty human in their emotions and behavors for a fantasy story. I loved them all especially Bitterblue because eventhough she is very young,small and not so strong,she is brave to make front the adverse situations with a tint of sarcasm.

Like · see review

Sep 17, 2009 Jessica rated it it was amazing

Loved this book! Katsa is a very strong female character and her relationship with Po and how it develops is both sweet and romantic. Bitterblue is also a strong female, especially for a child. I hope a sequel is written for Katsa and Po!

Like · see review

Aug 01, 2011 Naomi rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I really enjoyed this book. I also loved the idea of people being 'graced' with special abilities & i am looking forward to reading the next 2 books in this series but i do hope there will be more of Katsa & Po in them!! ...more

1 like · Like · see review