Pair #13: Katriann and Kathryn (February Besties)

[★ℕłℂØℓҾ★ (Nix), snowflakes and eyelashes]

Pair #13: DYSTOPIA/SCI-FI/FANTASY. Read a book off the Ultimate 5 Star YA Dystopia/Fantasy/Sci-Fi Reads of All Time List.

✰Katriann - Dystopia, Fantasy, Science Fiction
and
✰Kathryn - Science Fiction, Fantasy, Dystopia

[Kathryn]

Hi, How are you? I'm looking forward to doing this challenge, I think the challenges on this group are so well thought out and I love participating in them.

I live in a comparatively small town thus my book options are limited to whatever the library has but I'm sure we can find something.

[Katriann]

Hey,

I'm fine thanks. How is your week going? I'm excited to try this challenge as I didn't participate last time. :) I also live in a rather small town. My library has a pretty good YA section, but most of the time they don't have the latest books.

Have you looked at the list we were given? I'm going to take a look at it and see if there are any books I have wanted to read. I will write here some suggestions after I look at the list. You can also tell me if there is a book on the list that you know you can get your hands on and would like to read. :)

[Katriann]

Okay, I went through the first two pages of the list and here are some books I haven't read, but would like to read:



Are any of these on your tbr list? If these don't work for you or there is something else you would like to read, don't hesitate to tell me. There are many other books on that list that I'm interested in, so these are just ideas that first popped into my mind. :)

[Kathryn]

My week has been good. I have read both the 5th wave and Cinder (I defiantly recommend them both to you)

I looked on the list, and these are the ones I can get.


Graceling would be good with me if you are Keen. :-)

[Katriann]

I'm good with as I own a copy but is also on my tbr and I should be able to get it from the library. Which one would you prefer? My library also has Leviathan but it's not available right now, so I would prefer Uglies or Graceling.

[Kathryn]

OK Graceling it is then :-) I should be able to get it from the library today (as long as no one gets it out before me)

[Katriann]

Okay great. :) Let me know if you can't get it and we'll read something else.

[Kathryn]

Got the book out and am going to start reading it soon :-)

[Katriann]

Great! I will probably start in a couple of days. I want to finish before I start this one. :)

[Katriann]

Hey, have you already started reading Graceling? I'm going to start today. I'll be traveling today, so I hope to get some reading done in the train. :)

[Kathryn]

Hi, Yea I've started, I'm about 1/3 of the way though, so far its really good. Hope your trip goes well.

Here are some of my thoughts so far :-)

Chapter 10 (view spoiler)[ At this stage I kind of think Giddon is a/the bad guy who kidnapped the prince (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 11 (view spoiler)[ OK maybe he is just jealous and in love, but I'm not letting him off the hook just yet (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 14 (view spoiler)[ so It seems like I was wrong about Giddon. haha (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 16 on to atleast Chapter 22 (view spoiler)[ So stuff does happen in these chapters (the Inn and slowly finding stuff out about each other and king Leck), but the pace seems to have slowed down and I find it is starting to get kind of repetitive (they travel by day, then talk at night while finding more stuff out about king Leck) I'm just anxious to actually get to the kingdom to find out what's going on and the motive behind the kidnapping ect (hide spoiler)]

[Katriann]

I have read the first ten chapters and so far I like this book a lot. I will probably make quite slow progress because of school assignments and library books that I need to finish. Hope it's okay.

I love it that (view spoiler)[ the gracelings' eyes are different colors. Silver and gold eyes sound pretty cool. (hide spoiler)]

[Kathryn]

Yea the eyes are a cool concept, that hasn't been done in many books. I really like the way the graces work, it's quite original

[Kathryn]

Chapter 25 (view spoiler)[I think the reason tor the kidnapping is a bit silly, I thought it would be some malicious carefully thought out evil plan to take over rather than forcing your wife to behave (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 28 (view spoiler)[ Don't leave Po!!!! (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 32 (view spoiler)[ Ooo I do love me a sassy female captain (hide spoiler)]

[Katriann]

17 chapters

I also (view spoiler)[ thought Giddon may be in love with Katsa as it turned out he was. I like Katsa's character a lot. I like it that she is tough but also has a sense of right and wrong. (hide spoiler)]

I like (view spoiler)[ Po. He seems like a nice guy and his grace is really interesting. There's so much he can do with his grace and so many things for Katsa to consider if she doesn't want him to know, what she thinks of him. (hide spoiler)]

I'm sorry I'm making such slow progress. I have to read six novels before March 17th because I study literature at university. I've been kind of preoccupied with those books, but I hope to catch up with Graceling soon because I really like it and want to finish it. :D

[Kathryn]

Hey no problems, I don't get alot of time to read during school either, so I totally get it :-). I really like both Po and Kasta :-)

End of Chapter 34 (view spoiler)[ Oh my gosh!!!!!!!!! I was not expecting that, how are they going to get out of this? I think Po will save them. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 35 (view spoiler)[ Bit cheesy 'love conquers all' but GO KASTA!!!!!!. still a little disappointed that the king's motives are more sadistic than evil, they could of done soooo much more with his ability (such as make everyone who Kasta loves like Raffin ect hate her and turn against her with his lies) or something like that, but oh well (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 37 (view spoiler)[ Surely there is someone graced that could heal him, Graces seem to be pretty powerful (hide spoiler)]

[Katriann]

25 chapters

I definitely agree (view spoiler)[ that the book slowed down for quite a while at this point. I'm happy Katsa was able to leave the court and king Randa. Now she doesn't have to torture and kill people anymore. It's not like the bit about Po and Katsa traveling was terribly boring, but I agree that it could have been more interesting. I guess the characters needed some time to think about their relationship and find out about king Leck, but maybe a bit more could have happened during their journey. (hide spoiler)]

King Leck (view spoiler)[ seems to be much crazier than I thought. The fact that he enjoys cutting and torturing animals and children is sick. I'm happy Bitterblue got out of the castle and I hope Katsa and Po will get her out of the whole kingdom. (hide spoiler)]

I just (view spoiler)[ got to the part, where Po is going to head out to kill Leck. I have a feeling that killing him will not be as easy as they hope. I think Po will run into some trouble. (hide spoiler)]

I'm totally with you (view spoiler)[ on the kidnapping thing. The reason for the kidnapping was quite disappointing. I thought it would be an important piece in some major plan. Now it just seems like an unimportant detail that the characters have obsessed over because they haven't been able to see the big picture. (hide spoiler)]

[Kathryn]

Hey, glad you enjoying the book, you still have some really awesome parts to go and I would love to see what you thought of them :-)

[Katriann]

Kathryn wrote: "Hey, glad you enjoying the book, you still have some really awesome parts to go and I would love to see what you thought of them :-)"

That's nice to hear. I'm looking forward to those awesome parts. :) I'm determined to finish this book before I travel to Spain next weekend.

[Kathryn]

Oh wow, have you been to Spain before? I've never been out of little old New Zealand (Although I'm hoping to go to Korea (South) later this year)

[Katriann]

Yeah, I've actually been to Spain twice before but it's been a different city every time. :) I live in Europe, so traveling to other European countries is quite easy and affordable for me. I would like to visit New Zealand, though. It's actually one of the countries I'm considering doing my mandatory internship in.

33 chapters

I wonder (view spoiler)[ how Po is going to get out of Monsea. I'm not sure his Grace will help him cross the Grella's Pass the way Katsa did with Bitterblue. And wow, the ring he gave Katsa gave her much more power than I imagined. I wonder why he gave her that ring. Did he just want to make sure that she has the means to do whatever it takes to save Bitterblue and herself or did he give the ring for some other reason? (hide spoiler)]

I don't know, (view spoiler)[ why Katsa considers Po's castle a better place to hide Bitterblue than Randa's castle. I mean, obviously she's not that welcome in Randa's castle anymore, but she may not be welcome in Lienid either. At Randa's castle she would have some allies, but you never know, how Po's family and servants will treat her. And because Leck saw both Katsa and Po, he will probably realize that they could be going to Lienid. (hide spoiler)]

I'm curious to (view spoiler)[ find out what Po's castle is like and how Katsa and Bitterblue will be treated when they arrive. (hide spoiler)]

[Katriann]

Okay, finished.

It was kind of surprising, (view spoiler)[ how easily Leck died. Of course, Katsa is a trained killer, but I expected there to be some kind of a major final battle or an elaborate plan to go back to Monsea to kill the king. I also agree with you that the author could have done a lot more with Leck's grace than she did. (hide spoiler)]

I'm not sure, (view spoiler)[ why Po had to be blind at the end of the book. I mean, what was the point when it didn't even really affect him that much? After some training he was able to function just like before, so why bother making him blind in the first place? (hide spoiler)]

Anyway, I liked this book a lot. I liked all the main characters as well as the storyline. I will probably read the second book sometime in the future if I happen to get my hands on it somehow. :)

[Kathryn]

Yea I agree about Po, and surly someone graced could heal him anyway it's not that big of a deal. I also agree about the king.

But I did overall like this book lots and I will also be trying to get my hands on the second one. It seems like the second book doesn't have Kasta or Po in but king Leck so it might be a prequel kind of thing where it explains Leck's background. Hopefully it's just as good, if not better.

Enjoy your trip to Spain

[Katriann]

Kathryn wrote: "Yea I agree about Po, and surly someone graced could heal him anyway it's not that big of a deal. I also agree about the king.

But I did overall like this book lots and I will also be trying to g..."

Yes, I noticed that too. (view spoiler)[ It may be interesting to see how Leck became the monster he is in Graceling. Maybe we'll find out, how he grew up so wrong. :) And yes, I wonder why they didn't even try to find a healer for Po. (hide spoiler)]

And thank you, I hope it will be a nice trip.