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In Katsa's world, a few people have exceptional talents, called Graces. Gracelings are marked by different-colored eyes, and they are set apart from normal people, feared and often outcast. Katsa's particular Grace is fighting, which she discovered at an early age when she accidentally killed someone she thought was threatening her. Since then, her uncle, King Randa, has used her as a weapon, until Katsa meets another Graced fighter, Prince Po, and finally rebels against her uncle's rule. With Po, she sets out to solve a mystery and rid the kingdoms of a mysterious enemy with a dangerous Grace of his own.
This is an impressive first novel. There are some weaknesses -- the naming is uninspired (especially of the kingdoms: Wester, Estill, Nander, Sunder, and the Middluns?), the middle of the book is a little slow, and the origins of the villain are insufficiently explained for my tastes. But the worldbuilding and the characterization more than make up for small infelicities. The concept of Graces is intriguing, and I like how Cashore balances their talents by making it hard for them to get along in society. Katsa particularly could easily have been a super-powerful, beautiful-eyed Mary Sue, but instead, she struggles with her gifts, working out significant challenges. I loved Po too, but I was happy that he remained a supporting character, leaving Katsa very much in charge of her own fate and story.
This is an impressive first novel. There are some weaknesses -- the naming is uninspired (especially of the kingdoms: Wester, Estill, Nander, Sunder, and the Middluns?), the middle of the book is a little slow, and the origins of the villain are insufficiently explained for my tastes. But the worldbuilding and the characterization more than make up for small infelicities. The concept of Graces is intriguing, and I like how Cashore balances their talents by making it hard for them to get along in society. Katsa particularly could easily have been a super-powerful, beautiful-eyed Mary Sue, but instead, she struggles with her gifts, working out significant challenges. I loved Po too, but I was happy that he remained a supporting character, leaving Katsa very much in charge of her own fate and story.