Graceling
By Kristin Cashore
In a world where people born with an extreme skill - called a Grace - are feared and exploited, Katsa carries the burden of the skill even she despises: the Grace of killing. She lives under the command of her uncle Randa, King of the Middluns, and is expected to execute his dirty work, punishing and torturing anyone who displeases him.
When she first meets Prince Po, who is Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change.
She never expects to become Po's friend.
She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace - or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away...a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.
So I have been meaning to read this book for a long time. It's been recommended to me several times and I've actually gotten it from the library three times. I just never have managed to get around to reading it before this fourth time.
I felt like this definitely had a first book in a series type feel. What I mean is that there a lot of aspects of this world that are unexplored. I hope that as the series goes on, some of the ideas or questions I thought of will be addressed.
I felt like the romance was a little weak, but it wasn't really the focus of the story. Katsa says from the beginning that she never wants to marry and she never wants children, and, because of her Grace there is really no one who could ever force her too. I didn't really agree with some of her reasoning, but I had to respect that she stood by what she said, even when (THIS IS NOT REALLY A SPOILER) she realizes that she has come to really care for Po. Sadly, I could not get over my mental picture of a sexy panda bear every time his name came up.
In this world, which as far as I can tell is called The Seven Kingdoms (why is it always the seven kingdoms?), the Graced are very easily spotted, they all have heterochromia. Gracelings have two different colored eyes. Sometimes their eye color doesn't settle into different colors until weeks, months, or even years after birth.
Once the Graced are identified they belong to the king and are sent to his court to be raised. If the child's Grace is useful, they remain there in the king's service. In the event that the child has a useless Grace, it is sent home with apologies, because it will be difficult for the family. There is a great deal of fear and superstition attached to Gracelings and they tend to be avoided.
Honestly, I don't know how this country keeps going without simply collapsing. Almost all of the Kings, which are really more like Warlords, are horrible rulers. They are corrupt and are constantly squabbling. I may need to read through it a few more times to get how it works, but most of the rulers of each kingdom are distantly related to each other.
Overall, I thought this was a very interesting concept and world. I thought that the storyline was weak in some spots and I predicted who the villain was, almost as soon as he was mentioned for the first time. It's attempt to be surprising backfired a little. I hope that the later books will improve though.
This definitely young adult, which shouldn't mean that I don't expect as much from it, but sadly does. I think I may just be a little to old to enjoy it as much as if I were, oh, about 14-15.
I'm trying to think of any other books I've read that really use heterochromia, but all I can think of are mangas, which have an overabundance of strange hair and eye colors. Maybe some of my readers *hint,hint* will be able to think of some titles.
