A review by beebeewin
Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore

adventurous dark emotional slow-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

4.5

Review from 2024: I was originally not a fan of this novel as at the beginning it is very slow. Kristin Cashore does take a lot of time to build the isolation of our lead character and her growth into being a queen, but I feel like that dragged a little. Also, I think the romance at the beginning takes away from the really dark and intense topics Cashore was trying to discuss. I think the love interest,
Sapphire
, is an interesting character but I feel it would almost be better to not have the romance blossom until the end.  I think the ending is truly where this book shined. As I discussed in my 2012 review, the ending is a little bit more nebulous than the other books in this series, but that is the beauty. There is so much Bitterblue is dealing with as a character, and it would be disingenuous to pretend that it was all resolved by this end of the novel. Instead, Cashore beautifully shows the process it would take for a kingdom and individuals to be rebuilt. The emotional resonance is felt, and especially the way
Fire is tied into the story is so fucking perfect. We know Fire had a similar complicated relationship with her father, which makes their conversations and relationship so poetic.
I also now how the ability to say there are sequels so this ending feels less definite and more of a new beginning with Leck firmly in the past, as it feels like the arc of his role in this story will fade into memory with this story. The expansion of the world excites me and I am ready to read the next novel. 

Review from 2012: 4 stars I really liked this book but for some reason I feel the story is uncompleted! This is the last book in the trilogy and in a way I feel lost. More so then at the end of the previous two books. I hope maybe another book will be written but I doubt it. This book was well written and suspenseful. There were so many mysteries solved and crimes committed. I loved how entirely everything was interconnected. So many surprises. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and all the characters in it!!!
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