[REVIEW] Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Graceling by Kristen Cashore
Published: October 2008
Age Group: Young Adult
Series: Graceling Realm #1

It has taken me many years and many tries to finally finish this novel. Long ago when this novel was first released I had given it a try and didn't get past the first couple of chapters. And so Graceling fell into my pile of books I didn't like. Then years passed and my friends read it and implored me to give it another shot but I'm a stubborn person and I don't like giving books another shot if I tried reading them already. So last year I was gifted  a copy of Graceling on my birthday with a sole condition: that I tried reading it again (and a gift receipt was included in case I really really didn't like it). And so there the book sat, gift receipt inside it, on my piles of books. Did I consider returning it? Yes. But did I? No. After finishing another wonderful hyped up book, I decided it was finally time to give Graceling another try, and I'm happy to say that  because of my friend's persistence I have finally read this wonderful story.

Now onto the review. Graceling takes place in the world of Seven Kingdoms (I thought it to be similar to Cinda William Chima's Seven Realms) where people may be born with a 'Grace'. Think of a 'Grace' as a superpower. There are some people that are Graced in swimming, climbing trees, and cooking. While there are some Graced with more dangerous abilities like sword skills and archery. And then there are people with Graces that are mind powers such as mind reading or telling the weather.  Every Grace is identified with eyes that are two different colours. The colours appearing when their Grace shows itself. It's a very peculiar concept, one that I find direct similarities to another book but that's for another review.

Graceling follows the main character Katsa, a blue and green eyed girl gifted with the Grace of killing, and Po, the golden and silver eyed 7th prince of the kingdom of Lienid, who is Graced with the ability of hand to hand combat. The story starts out with Katsa running a secret mission because she has decided to make use of her Grace and do secret missions around the Seven Kingdoms and help those that aren't being helped or correct wrongdoings that have happened. Practically everyone knows who she is and what she is Graced with. Her uncle uses her skills for his own ambitions and although she absolutely detests it, she doesn't fight it. Well I guess her secret missions is her secret revolt against her uncle, who is king of the kingdom she is from, but lets be honest I just think she does them to feel some control.

So Po comes into her life and the story takes off with their growing friendship and eventual love life.

It's a lovely story filled with action and drama, although not that much romance scenes because it is YA after all. I didn't question the direction the story took, albeit I was confused sometimes but I just continued reading and moved on. Eventually the story straightened out for me.

I enjoyed reading the book immensely, up to one point in the story. I would call it the pivot point because that's when the story went slightly down hill for me.
[SPOILER ALERT] Shortly after Katsa and Po admit their feelings of love towards one another Katsa realizes that NO she is not Graced with killing but rather with survival. When I read this I was flabbergasted, not with happy surprise but at the sudden revelation and of how odd and strange it was.  Sort of like the author was trying to explain Katsa's amazing outdoors skills and her inability to get sick and thought 'Hmm...what do those have in common? Survival! Okay her Grace is now survival' Well okay I can accept survival for some aspects of the story but how does that explain all the things she did for her king. How can she break someone's finger under the guise of survival? Okay one can argue that perhaps she had to for her own survival because the king would kill her is she didn't but seriously, does that make sense? I'm scared for my own life because the king can kill me, a girl Graced (at the time) with killing...doesn't that sound strange to you? So, the story took off after that and I found it oddly convenient that Katsa was graced with survival, because otherwise how would Po, Katsa, and soon Bitterblue survive the outdoors? How would Katsa get Bitterblue to safety? Seems to well thought out. Almost forced. And I hate forced plot. [END SPOILERS]

Although Po and Katsa are amazing together, I think the best part of the story was when Katsa is with Bitterblue and they're trying to escape the evil king through the mountains. There's a sense of raw emotions and panic in a way. I could fully feel Katsa's determination and her constant attempts at ensuring that both if not Bitterblue survives this travel.

The main "battle" scene was, although rushed in my opinion, a great build up. You see Katsa surprised with who she finds and then the evil king talks and talks and talks and you get the sense of nervousness and anxiety building up inside Katsa until she lets go and that's it.

I'm not a fan of the ending. I mean it's an open ending. You don't really know what happens for Katsa and Po. Do they stay together? Does Po return back to his castle? What about everyone else in the story? The ending doesn't tie up every loose end, and I'm not sure if the author purposely did that so there was room for sequels (or companion novels)

This was a wonderful read and although delayed, I'm still happy I had a chance to read it and fully appreciate this beauty.

MEH



[REVIEW] Crimson Crown by Cinda Williams Chima

Published: October 2012
Publisher: Hyperion
Age: Young Adult
Series: Seven Realms #4 [end]

The Crimson Crown summary on Goodreads
The crimson crown is the final book in the seven realms series.  Needless to say, Chima concludes her series marvelously.  She fills in any loose ends and makes sure the readers have a clear understanding of what has happened in the past and present.

Throughout the book, Han Allister flirts with danger (and Raisa but what else is new!) and really starts to develop into that king-like figure. Of course as I said before, Han and Raisa are meant to be together. This series has a way of repeating history, in a predictable manner may I add and usually I hate predictable books but in this case I wanted to keep reading to see if what I predicted was
coming true. If it really was going to be history repeating itself (only this time it's happy endings).

It's interesting that of all the wonderful parts of this series that comprise it, I was most excited and interested in all the betrayals and lies.  I mean the whole premise of the legend is built on a huge lie! So yes, I guess lies and betrayals are quite important in this book and series overall. I was completely surprised at the harshness of the Clan people at the end of the book. I won't spoil anything but basically when I first started reading the Seven Realms series, I was very for the Clans and their philosophy but as Raisa took the throne (in the previous book I believe), I started to stop caring the Clans and focus more on those associated with the Grey Wolfe Throne and the upper class. Maybe it's that reason that I find the sudden change in the Clans to be so shocking. The end of the series was also a surprise. I didn't see it coming and it definitely explained other parts that were happening in the book.

What was a bit lacking for me though was that there were quite a few side journeys that didn't prove to be of any significance to the story at all.    Out of all four books, this one seemed the most disjointed in its story line, journeys and side plots.I applaud the author in filling in any loose ends but there are just so many new ideas, adventures and plots that are introduced in this book that I find it very disconnected overall.  As if there were two stories running parallel: Han's adventure and Raisa's struggles back at the castle and then they somehow connect at the end. Can't say that it was bad just felt like I was reading two different stories that ended up joining together in the end.

Some characters that I feel completely stole the limelight in this story are:

• Dancer. WHERE DID HE COME FROM??? I mean he's always been a major side character in this story but seriously, when has he been of major importance to the plot? Not really. In the final novel though, whoa. Dancer should have a book all to his own. Firstly, he somehow becomes integral to the whole wizard conflict and than bam, just when I thought it was back to Han and Raisa, no, it's Dancer again and his special powers that happened to appear in the most opportune moments. Hmm, seems suspicious to me.  I mean he was the quite, soft spoken character in this book who supported Han from the side. I'm still trying to digest the fact that without him, the story probably wouldn't have had a happy ending. That's how important his part was.
• Crow. This wasn't as big of a surprise as Dancer, probably because I really liked Crow and he had a pretty integral part in the third book, but Crow too was a major part of this novel. There are a lot of events that couldn't have happened without him and honestly I'm just glad he had a bigger part that not only showed his normal Crow self but also his caring side.
• Micah. Micah was also central to this story. I mean he was central to this entire series in general but he really took control in this book, becoming more than a puppet for his family.

The Seven Realms series is truly a masterpiece. It's been a long time since I've read the final book in the series and quite enjoyed it. I missed that feeling.  Knowing Cinda Wlliams Chima, I'll probably be reading another amazing fantasy series from her soon.

If you haven't checked it out, read the Demon King, the first in the Seven Realms series. [review here] This is definitely a series that you don't want to be missing out in.

BUY