A review by jinglesmell1337
Graceling by Kristin Cashore

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted medium-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

4.0

Just lovely. An adventure fantasy I  am glad I had the pleasure of getting lost in. Katsa is quite the character to follow, and her narrative voice is definitely distinct. I was concerned at the beginning that her character might sum up entirely to “ not like other girls” but that got lost quickly, and what then seemed like “YA main character syndrome” evolved into a unique and enjoyable person to follow. She’s brash, adventurous, determined, and brave, but still charmingly flawed in being adorably oblivious, impulsive and no-nonsense. 

Po and Bitterblue were also so much fun to follow and see grow, and I have to say the best character development must go to Bitterblue, as it seems we watched a helpless little girl grow into a mature, capable young queen, in just 200 pages. Her relationship with Katsa had to be my favorite. Their bond and mutual respect is exactly what both of their characters needed. 

I will say the world building is not the highlight of this book. It is effective in simplicity, and doesn’t need to be any more or less to give an immersive backdrop. 

Overall this is super fun as a fantasy adventure! 
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