Graceling (Graceling Realm, 1)

by Kristin Cashore

Book Overview

Discover the Graceling Realm in this unforgettable, award-winning novel from bestselling author Kristin Cashore.A New York Times bestseller * ALA Best Book for Young Adults * Mythopoeic Fantasy Award... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0547258305
• Release Date: September 2009
• Publisher: Clarion Books
• Length: 480 Pages
• Weight: 1.13 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.3" x 1.1" x 5.5"

Customer Reviews

Wrong cover

I ordered this specifically for the colorful cover to match the set and received the wrong cover.

Not the cover advertised or ordered.

Specifically chose the option for the green paperback cover because it’s gorgeous. Ended up getting some older version with yellowed pages and messed up/torn corners. Still eager to read this book but not receiving the correct cover was a huge bummer.

Not the right cover

Not the cover I ordered. I use this site because I can get the covers I want and not just random ones, but both books in this order are not what I ordered.

A Fun Read

Its a little predictable but it is a fun and fast pace novel. I love that the male love interest is not a toxic bad boy like most novels I read. I love the characters storyline.

Strong Female Story

The most feminist book I've read! Amazing read, I've recommended it to all my reading friends.

Shaped my Teen Years

Right up my alley for fantasy world-building, Cashore added a little twist for each character. Like The Giver quartet, perspectives change just when you think you want to stick to someone, but you'll be grateful later on when you don't. One of the quirkiest books I've read, for sure, in the attention to detail in not using words like got and removing religion entirely. Absolutely love this full series...after this review I might just have to reread them.

The whole series is amazing!

If you like fantasy novels where there are supernatural powers and strong female leads these are the books for you! I cannot reccomend enough!

Awesome book about a female protagonist

I have read this book many times and I loved it every time. The rest of the series is good too, but this is by far the best of the series. Don’t get me wrong, Fire is great and all, but this is like a true strong female lead that isn’t annoying.

Unexpectedly Mesmerizing

Upon receiving my copy of Graceling, I had absolutely no expectations based on the summary. By the end of the third chapter, my expectations rose dramatically. Graceling is about Katsa, the niece of a king, who has an extraordinary strength in combat skills. This extraordinary skill is called "Grace". Others may also have a "Grace" although the abilities vary from person to person. Some "Grace" skills are more useful than others, but all Gracelings are marked by their mismatched eyes. Because of her unique and useful skill, she has become a henchwoman to her uncle Randa who is one of the seven kings of the world. It isn't something that she enjoys but it is something that she has come to accept. While on a mission for The Council to retrieve the Prince Tealiff, she encounters another Graceling whose presence makes an impression on her. Later, she encounters him again and learns that he is Tealiff's grandson and a Prince in his own right. The meeting with Po will prompt her to make a decision that will change the course of her life and her world as she and Po learn more of their Grace powers and of treachery and madness that lay within the corridors of another kingdom that will threaten the already fragile political stability of the seven kingdoms. It sounds like a typical fantasy novel and to a large degree it is, but Graceling is so confidently and smoothly written that it felt fresh and new. The action and pacing of the plot moved at a brisk clip that I never felt bored. Ms Cashore also made good use of dialogue in that it was appropriate to the station of the characters. She also made a good decision in resisting the urge to make her characters speak in a modern rhythm. Instead, the dialogue had a classic style that gave it a timeless feel. Which brings me to the characters! Katsa is a wonderful heroine to me. I do warn that she might not be everyone's type of heroine, especially those who are expecting a traditional sassy heroine. Katsa is a skilled fighter who is conflicted about how her skills are used. She is understandably wary of people due to the nature of her Grace and when she says that she is not interested in marriage, she really means it. She has a good heart but she can also be aloof, even dour at times. She is an odd mix of a personality that is unique for a fictional heroine. Typical for an anti-hero perhaps or a side character, but not the lead female. Because of that, I enjoyed Katsa and forgave her for some of her flaws that in another type of heroine, I might not have been so forgiving. Katsa has friends in her cousin Raffin, her attendant Helda, and others who form The Council, a group of people throughout the seven kingdoms who work to help keep stability in the lands. These secondary characters are vividly drawn so it is easy to keep track of them and understand their importance to the story and to Katsa. However, it is in Po, the Prince who is trying to deal with his own ambiguous feelings a

Loved it! But conservative parents take note...

This book was a real treat to read. It was interesting on so many different levels. There is a powerful heroine who undergoes a transformation, discovering a strength of character to match her physical strength. Watching Katsa mature through the narrative was wonderful. The political intrigue was surprisingly compelling, and the mystery that drives the plot (why was this old man kidnapped, and by whom?) really worked. The romance was captivating. Even though it is obvious where the romance is going from the very first encounter, it was skillfully written. The magical elements of the story are not overwhelming, but alter reality just enough to make for a fun, fantastical world. I found myself sneaking off to read more of this book, and I was sorry to see it end. BUT. This is billed as a book for 14 yo and up, so I think it fair to warn parents of elements they may not want their young teen to encounter. There are a couple of fairly discreet sex scenes, where the author is clear about what is going on but not very detailed. There is also a mention of a brothel near the beginning of the book (although a more offensive word is used to describe it) and there are many incidences of unwanted attention paid to girls or inappropriate comments made about them. This is a plot element, since it makes the lead female character defensive of the young women. Also, and this is probably the "biggie" for conservative parents, Katsa rejects the concept of marriage, and there are several times when one or another character implies that it is a yoke that will force a couple to stay together regardless of their actual feelings. Being lovers is somewhat extolled as demonstrating their real trust and commitment to one another, since they are together without being forced, and love each other enough to set each other free if the love fades. This book may actually allow parents to discuss these themes with teens, who need to decide where they stand on sex and marriage. However, some parents may decide just to skip this one if they don't want to deal with the issues. Honestly, though, it really is a wonderful book, and I would definitely recommend it to any adult (particularly women) and most older teens, especially if they have someone willing to discuss any issues that come up for them as they read.

A Wonderful Debut Novel!

I LOVED Graceling! If you are looking for a new fantasy series, look no further! Katsa is a fascinating character that I sometimes feel I can relate to, and who sometimes feels so amazingly foreign, and in such a refreshingly different way than Tolkien's elves (and so many other fantasy characters) do. I love the concept of a Grace, it is a new and unique twist into the realm of fantasy. The characters are wonderfully built, as is the land of seven kingdoms, and the political interactions throughout. I was quite excited to discover on Ms. Cashore's web-site that a prequel, Fire, is coming in the future, as well as a sequel! This was a great read, and I would recommend it for any YA readers and adults as well!