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aradne's review against another edition
3.0
This was worth reading if you loved Graceling, but I was not a fan.
My biggest problem with Bitterblue was that it felt like it would never end, in a bad way. The things you suspected from the beginning take long, long turns to end up being the case. This just isn't a book I would spend time on if I had to do it again.
My biggest problem with Bitterblue was that it felt like it would never end, in a bad way. The things you suspected from the beginning take long, long turns to end up being the case. This just isn't a book I would spend time on if I had to do it again.
syan22's review against another edition
4.0
Oh my god. The ending left me depressed. Really depressed.
Other that that this novel was completely mesmerising IM SO SAD
Other that that this novel was completely mesmerising IM SO SAD
befsk's review against another edition
3.0
Kind of a wet fart of a way to finish off what was a good trilogy. There's a hell of a lot of Bitterblue's boring paperwork and her complaining about boring paperwork, and thinking about a boy she barely knows who is obviously The Love Interest. It's a book with no real subtlety and it's making me reassess whether the previous two books are as good as I remember them being or if it's just because they were probably the first high fantasy books I'd ever read, and that's why I thought they were epic.
Bitterblue is a character prone to inaction and going along with what she's told. The inaction makes sense, to a certain degree, because she's the queen. That doesn't mean it's not kinda dull though. She happily believes her advisors and clerks and judges and guards are all okay because, despite all acting utterly insane, they won't tell her what's wrong. So she leaves them to it. When they are basically in charge of running the country. Not the best idea if you ask me.
I was utterly fed up of the fan service constant attention on Katsa and Po. I was glad every time they were gone from the book, not least because Po is just a plot device and when they're together they wrestle, fight or kiss and there is no in between. They make a scene, they draw attention and I think they author expects us to be in the same boat as Bitterblue - happy to see them together because they're the characters from a past book and don't you just love having them shoved down your throat constantly?
There was a weird thrown in plot point about self harm and how bad and selfish it is(!!!) and then it's dropped like the author was just throwing her soapbox into the ring quickly before losing the thread of how it was ever relevant to the plot, which it never was and never should've been included at all but hey-ho.
It read pretty fast, and when the plot got interesting it was good, and a small number of the characters brought a smile to my face when they appeared in a scene. Overall though, it had a bloated word count and a flimsy ragdoll of a protagonist - especially, ironically, when held up to Katsa, who the readers could hardly forget about due to being constantly bombarded with her.
Bitterblue is a character prone to inaction and going along with what she's told. The inaction makes sense, to a certain degree, because she's the queen. That doesn't mean it's not kinda dull though. She happily believes her advisors and clerks and judges and guards are all okay because, despite all acting utterly insane, they won't tell her what's wrong. So she leaves them to it. When they are basically in charge of running the country. Not the best idea if you ask me.
I was utterly fed up of the fan service constant attention on Katsa and Po. I was glad every time they were gone from the book, not least because Po is just a plot device and when they're together they wrestle, fight or kiss and there is no in between. They make a scene, they draw attention and I think they author expects us to be in the same boat as Bitterblue - happy to see them together because they're the characters from a past book and don't you just love having them shoved down your throat constantly?
There was a weird thrown in plot point about self harm and how bad and selfish it is(!!!) and then it's dropped like the author was just throwing her soapbox into the ring quickly before losing the thread of how it was ever relevant to the plot, which it never was and never should've been included at all but hey-ho.
It read pretty fast, and when the plot got interesting it was good, and a small number of the characters brought a smile to my face when they appeared in a scene. Overall though, it had a bloated word count and a flimsy ragdoll of a protagonist - especially, ironically, when held up to Katsa, who the readers could hardly forget about due to being constantly bombarded with her.
Spoiler
So we discover that all the 'monster' tapestries have secret passages behind them but we never bother to look behind the one the reader most has their attention drawn to - the banner featuring Fire, from the second book of the series. And nothing comes of it except that Fire is thrown in - again, in a fan service way - near the end of the book to help tie everything up in a neat bow at the end. I get that ending a series can be difficult to tie up all loose ends but that was a little bit too convenient.haleybrooker's review against another edition
5.0
THIS. BOOK. IS. SO. GOOD. the mystery, the intrigue, the politics, the magic/fantasy elements, the CHARACTERS, the romance. This is incredible
readwithkate's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
bellesunbridled's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Gaslighting
Minor: Sexual assault and Suicide
i_m_n's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Self harm and Suicide
lorilaws's review against another edition
5.0
I don’t even know where to start. I really don’t. I’m going to try to keep this as short as possible because I know there’s tons of reviews out there and I’m not going to say anything that others haven’t said already. Plus, I could probably rave about this book for a long time. I’ll try to spare you.
Bitterblue has been a really long time coming. I think Fire came out in 2009? I’ve been very anxiously awaiting the third installment ever since then. Needless to say I had some very high expectations for Bitterblue. Every single one of them were met. Bitterblue takes place 8 years after Graceling, and even though it’s been years since I read it I fell easily back into the world. The events of Graceling are still very fresh in this book so it all came back, but I wish that I would have reread Fire. It’s so interlinked with this story and there’s all these subtle things that connect to Fire. I wish that it would have been fresh in my mind. I’m still so, so impressed with how the stories all clicked in the end.
Cashore did this very unique thing to me in this book. I started out with an opinion of some characters, with thoughts on what was going on. Then somewhere around the middle of the book she changed my mind. I though maybe I was wrong and I actually had no idea what was going on. Then toward the end my whole outlook changed again! I always had an inkling of who the bad guys were but I never knew for sure. That made the book a roller coaster ride of surprises.
There’s a spoiler for Graceling ahead: There’s not many villains that just completely creep me out. Honestly, there’s only one. Leck. I would go so far as to say that he is the best villain I have ever read. When he showed up in Fire as a child I got chills! That has never happened before. In Bitterblue it’s been eight years since his death and he is still so much a part of everyone’s lives. He’s still alive in people’s fears and actions. He’s still controlling so many people just with their memories of his reign. That whole aspect of the story made it so amazing.
I wasn’t exactly sure what to think of Bitterblue at first. She kind of lived in a fog but she grows exponentially throughout the book. I really grew to love her. I was so, so thrilled that Katsa and Po are in this book so much. It made me want to reread Graceling. This book is filled with lots of characters, but I found it easy to keep them straight. I liked almost all of them, even some that I shouldn’t have liked.
Remember when I said I was going to keep this short? Ha!
This is one of those books that I wish I could climb into and live in. The world is so extraordinarily developed that I just lose myself in it. Bitterblue is one of those books that I missed for days after I finished it. It was incredible. I have no words for just how incredible. Just read them if you haven’t.
Bitterblue has been a really long time coming. I think Fire came out in 2009? I’ve been very anxiously awaiting the third installment ever since then. Needless to say I had some very high expectations for Bitterblue. Every single one of them were met. Bitterblue takes place 8 years after Graceling, and even though it’s been years since I read it I fell easily back into the world. The events of Graceling are still very fresh in this book so it all came back, but I wish that I would have reread Fire. It’s so interlinked with this story and there’s all these subtle things that connect to Fire. I wish that it would have been fresh in my mind. I’m still so, so impressed with how the stories all clicked in the end.
Cashore did this very unique thing to me in this book. I started out with an opinion of some characters, with thoughts on what was going on. Then somewhere around the middle of the book she changed my mind. I though maybe I was wrong and I actually had no idea what was going on. Then toward the end my whole outlook changed again! I always had an inkling of who the bad guys were but I never knew for sure. That made the book a roller coaster ride of surprises.
There’s a spoiler for Graceling ahead: There’s not many villains that just completely creep me out. Honestly, there’s only one. Leck. I would go so far as to say that he is the best villain I have ever read. When he showed up in Fire as a child I got chills! That has never happened before. In Bitterblue it’s been eight years since his death and he is still so much a part of everyone’s lives. He’s still alive in people’s fears and actions. He’s still controlling so many people just with their memories of his reign. That whole aspect of the story made it so amazing.
I wasn’t exactly sure what to think of Bitterblue at first. She kind of lived in a fog but she grows exponentially throughout the book. I really grew to love her. I was so, so thrilled that Katsa and Po are in this book so much. It made me want to reread Graceling. This book is filled with lots of characters, but I found it easy to keep them straight. I liked almost all of them, even some that I shouldn’t have liked.
Remember when I said I was going to keep this short? Ha!
This is one of those books that I wish I could climb into and live in. The world is so extraordinarily developed that I just lose myself in it. Bitterblue is one of those books that I missed for days after I finished it. It was incredible. I have no words for just how incredible. Just read them if you haven’t.
starlightorchestra's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Very difficult to read as a trauma survivor but it’s an excellent book and I look forward to reading the next soon
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Trafficking, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
readwithke_'s review against another edition
5.0
This is my second time reading Bitterblue and I read a lot of negative reviews about it this time around. I loved it even more than the first time I read it! I enjoy longer books and I felt that it was the effect merging of Graceling and Fire as this is the third book in the installment that was originally meant to be a trilogy. Highly recommend if you loved the first two as we see all the characters come back and their worlds start to become more knotted together.