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A review by oddduck
Graceling: The Graphic Novel by Kristin Cashore
medium-paced
4.0
It has been a hot minute since I read the original Graceling and sequels, but from what I do recall, this was a solid adaptation. The art was beautiful, especially some of the backgrounds. It also showcased the action well and brought the world to life. Part of the reason I'm not a big high fantasy reader is because I have aphantasia and thus struggle to get a sense of the world, since I am unable to picture it. This is, of course, strictly a me problem, but graphic novels do seem to help, which is a definite plus for this adaptation.
Still on the art train, there were several opportunities to take advantage of the visual medium, and this did not miss any of them. The scene where Katsa tells her king that she's leaving and she won't do his bidding anymore comes to mind, as she's explaining/thinking through how the fight will go if the guards attack her. That was awesome.
There were some things with the pacing that I thought could have been tighter and cleaner, but I suspect they stem from the original, rather than the graphic novel. Though now I am interested and mildly apprehensive to see how these particular spots are handled in the original book, if I noticed them here.
Looking forward to rereading the original, because this totally reminded me how much I liked it the first time I read it.
Still on the art train, there were several opportunities to take advantage of the visual medium, and this did not miss any of them. The scene where Katsa tells her king that she's leaving and she won't do his bidding anymore comes to mind, as she's explaining/thinking through how the fight will go if the guards attack her. That was awesome.
There were some things with the pacing that I thought could have been tighter and cleaner, but I suspect they stem from the original, rather than the graphic novel. Though now I am interested and mildly apprehensive to see how these particular spots are handled in the original book, if I noticed them here.
Looking forward to rereading the original, because this totally reminded me how much I liked it the first time I read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Violence
Minor: Child death, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Child abuse