Graceling Realm Series by Kristin Cashore - Reading 'Graceling (Graceling Realm #1)' from July 3rd 2019

[rachel, x]

1/2 way through chapter one - (view spoiler)[What a start? Poor Fire that would hurt sooo much! I want to learn about her powers and I like this Archer guy! (hide spoiler)]

[rachel, x]

Sarah wrote: "I hate animal cruelty."

Me too. I wrote my end of year paper on it last year. cannot believe its legal still! :'((

[Sarah Elizabeth]

I'm actually kind of bored :(

[Sarah Elizabeth]

chapter 2 (view spoiler)[ more animal cruelty. can't believe her father killed her dog! (hide spoiler)]

[rachel, x]

Sarah wrote: "I'm actually kind of bored :("

Nothing really exciting... yet, hopefully! I am just excited at the prospect of (view spoiler)[Fire's mind controlling thingy. Sounds a bit like Leck's gift but with thought not outspoken words. (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah Elizabeth]

she's just not as kick-ass as Katsa :(

[rachel, x]

Yeah. She isn't. Gosh, I wish there was more to Katsa's and Po's stories! I loved both of their characters so much.

[rachel, x]

Is this set before or after Graceling? Because it feels like before.

[Sarah Elizabeth]

I'm not sure

[rachel, x]

Hmm yeah me either. :)

[Sarah Elizabeth]

Greta said earlier in the thread that Fire is a prequel -
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[rachel, x]

Oh okay. I thought so.

[Sarah Elizabeth]

chapter 5 (view spoiler)[ I hadn't quite realised that she had that kind of relationship with Archer. (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah Elizabeth]

chapter 12 (view spoiler)[ I wouldn't want to swim with monster fish either. (hide spoiler)]

[rachel, x]

Sarah wrote: "chapter 2 [spoilers removed]"

I know. Evil! All this talk about the past politics and kings etc. is a little wearisome. I am sorry that I haven't read much today. So much to do...!

[Sarah Elizabeth]

chapter 13 (view spoiler)[ just what you want whilst riding on a horse on a long journey - your period. (hide spoiler)]

[rachel, x]

Shivers chapter 12 already? I am sorry I am so slow! :)

[Sarah Elizabeth]

don't worry about it. I'm bored so I'm reading fast. this book is so dull. I'm at chapter 13 and it hasn't gotten any better! Going to have to take a break i think :(

[Sarah Elizabeth]

chapter 18 (view spoiler)[ they moved seriously fast! from a kiss to sex in the same hour? (hide spoiler)]

chapter 18 (view spoiler)[ it might be a good idea to talk to the women, as long as they aren't too afraid to talk. (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah Elizabeth]

chapter 26 (view spoiler)[ No! I can't believe they killed Archer! (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah Elizabeth]

chapter 31 (view spoiler)[ she's having sex with Brigan now? (hide spoiler)]

[Mei]

Just finished the prologue. (view spoiler)[That is one manipulative and creepy child! Shame he's using it for evil. (hide spoiler)] I have to sleep now as I got bored. Hahaha! That was fast.

[Sarah Elizabeth]

Mei wrote: "Just finished the prologue. [spoilers removed] I have to sleep now as I got bored. Hahaha! That was fast."

(view spoiler)[ that kid was seriously creepy (hide spoiler)] I found this one boring all the way through :( Was a relief to finish it.

[Sarah Elizabeth]

Sure ☺

[Sarah Elizabeth]

I'm the only one who finished. Rachel is reading more tonight, Mei is reading more tomorrow and hannelore hasn't started yet. I finished quick cause I was bored :(

[rachel, x]

Didn't get much read last night, sorry guys. Good job, Sarah!

Chapter eleven - (view spoiler)[Not much is happening at the moment. I feel like this is going to be one of those "journey" books. You know the ones were all they do is travel from one place to another? Plus I am really not understanding Archer and Fire's relationship. He obviously loves her and she loves him, or does she? I don't quite understand. Also, does anyone else get a possible romantic vibe off of Brigan (for him and Fire, I mean)? (hide spoiler)]

[rachel, x]

38% (chapter 14 - trying to juggle reading and cleaning out my room is so not working! ;) ) - (view spoiler)[I get that not much is happening but I am still enjoying myself. I just find that I like the characters, especially Brigan and her guard, Mula is it? Also I miss Archer. (hide spoiler)]

[rachel, x]

44% - (view spoiler)[ He has a daughter!!!! And Rose! :'( That's so sad. Cansel is so bloody evil. I seriously have no remorse for him in the slightest, I don't care if he was depressed and whatever he is sooo cruel! I really need Brigan to come back now!! Oh and her guards is Musa not Mula. Oops! (hide spoiler)]

[rachel, x]

Sarah wrote: "chapter 13 [spoilers removed]"

Ahahaha! I know right!? I was thinking that too and how awkward is it that she has to (view spoiler)[get all those extra guards and stay indoors etc. because the monsters like the smell of her blood or whatever. That would be awfully embarrassing. (hide spoiler)]

[rachel, x]

68% - Gahhhhh! Too many emotions. I understand what you mean by not much happening Sarah but what an emotional rollercoaster!! Least I've stopped crying now! :P (view spoiler)[I cannot believe that she murdered her father in such a brutal way - using her powers nonetheless!!!! (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah Elizabeth]

Just wait. It gets worse. Have your tissues ready for chapter 26. it's so sad :(

[rachel, x]

Ahhhh finished it!! I have just been sobbing for the last half of the book! Ahhhhhhhhhh so many emotions. I know you found it boring Sarah but I really loved it. Now I just got to calm down and stop the tears. :')

[rachel, x]

Sarah wrote: "Just wait. It gets worse. Have your tissues ready for chapter 26. it's so sad :("

I certainly need those tissues. Thanks for the warning. :P

[Sarah Elizabeth]

I thought that was so sad (view spoiler)[ I can't believe they killed Archer! (hide spoiler)]

[Mei]

I've been repetitively reading two chapters for the last hour. I am bored, haha. I couldn't absorb what I'm reading. Think I'll put this down and read a new one to ease things a bit :)

[Sarah Elizabeth]

That's what I was like. Getting to the end of a page or chapter and not having a clue what i had just read. Had two books like that in a row :(

[Mei]

I'm rereading again but I'm confused. (view spoiler)[So, for short, Cansrel was a man whore? And how did Jessa died? It mentioned that Fire considers she has 2 fathers. Who is the other one? And how come she is the last human monster? I don't get it.

Sorry, I think I still don't understand what's happening, haha. (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah Elizabeth]

I didn't understand it either. It's like my brain just couldn't fathom it out. I couldn't even follow the wikipaedia summery which i read after i finished.
I know she's a monster because her father was, but i don't know why there aren't more. I think the person she refers to as her second father is Brocker - who is Archer's father.

[Mei]

I can't visualize her. What does a 'human monster' look like anyway? Haha!

[Mei]

And thanks for answering my question! :)

[Sarah Elizabeth]

I think at the beginning when the kid came across a rabbit who was all different colours and really beautiful - that was a monster. And Fire and her father being monsters means that they are unbelievably beautiful. I think their blood calls people to them as well so when she bleeds she has to be careful because it atracts people? I'm not sure if that's why she hides her hair as well - because it's red and marks her as being a monster?

[rachel, x]

Sarah wrote: "I thought that was so sad [spoilers removed]"

I know, right!? :'((((((((

[rachel, x]

@Sarah + Mei She's a monster because her father is and its hereditary. She is the only monster left because she was Cansrel's only child and she hasn't got any children. If she were to have children they would also be monsters. Brocker is her "second father" because he practically raised her - Cansrel had royal duties etc. to be doing all the time.

And its just other monsters (like the raptors, insects, wolves etc.) that can smell her blood and are attracted to it. People are attracted to her beauty - its intoxicates them. Yes, she hides her hair because its also marks her as a monster - its unnaturally coloured, like a monster is.

Hope that answers your questions! :P

[Mei]

That's okay! For two days, I'm still in 21%. :) I will finish Fire, but I think it will take me long because other books keep grabbing my attention.

Rachel, thanks for amswering my questions! Now I want to know who's Archer's biological father. I hope it will be revealed soon.

And I'm still wondering why Fire is the last human monster. I mean, I do get it that she doesn't want to have children. But, what happened to the other human monsters? For starters, is the population of their species really low?

[rachel, x]

@Mei Your welcome. :P Stick it out. Everything eventually revealed but later probably than sooner but its just makes it more suspenseful. Promise!

I think you are right that there were never really many of them and I am sure that once they discovered its was hereditary, most probably try not to have children. Its a horrible burden that I am sure not many people want to purposely give to their children. Eventually there numbers would have dwindled and besides many people try and kill them - almost everyone hated Fire and her father so they probably lost some of their numbers there. I don't know exactly how its was that Fire became the last of her species, these are just guess. Maybe message the author. I think she's a GR author.

[Mei]

Those are very helpful information, Rachel! Thank you very much :)

I'm at 30%; finally, an improvement! I'm quite confused with all this politics. It's difficult to keep track of the kings' and kingdoms' names! I sometimes interchange it!

So far what I understand is there's war, there's alliance between kingdoms, there are spies in Archer's land, but they're still not sure who they are, and who sent tthem? Now I'm wondering the cause of this war.

[Mei]

Chapter 11: Brigan has not eaten for two months? That's prepostorous and unbearable :O

[rachel, x]

@Mei Your welcome! :)

It can get a little confusing and there are some awful infodumping sections but I found it was necessary to the plot later in.

Well, there aren't really any alliances. There is the royal family (Nash, Brigan, Clara, Garan etc.) who are the "real" leaders of the Dells but there are two rebel lords who want to be king and are causing war to claim the Dells as their own. Yes, they went to Roen place to try and figure out who all these spies are.

Yeah, I didn't get that either!

[Mei]

I'm still 34% into Fire and now I don't know if I could finish it, haha. I won't be joining for Bitterblue, though, so I don't know about that.

[rachel, x]

Hannelore wrote: "10% - Omg, she plays the violin <3
And was Leck her father? -but a different name-
Because they both have the same gift/curse.
And was Leck a monster?
Because in Monsea they would say he's gifted...."

Leck isn't her father and Leck isn't his real name either. And they don't have the same gift. He was a Graceling with the ability to persuade people to do what he SAYS and Fire is a monsters whose can get into peoples minds and control them that way. In the Seven Kingdoms (including Monsea where Leck was king) they have Gracelings and no monsters but in the Dells, where they are in Fire, they are no Gracelings at all, only monsters.