Graced with Graceling

Last week, I got Graceling by Kristin Cashore from Flipkart-I had ordered it. As a matter of fact, it was supposed to come in 11^th April but I got it sixteen days earlier! I was so excited that I took pictures of it to capture the moment forever:

I got my book from Flipkart, packed up neatly and safely at around 6:00 PM.


 

I opened it up: The book is so slippery and SHINY! It smells so good :D

Its twinkling in the light! My Graceling..sigh!!

Finally the cover: "Spellbinding"!

Graceling:

Katsa’s been able to kill a man with a her bare hands ever since she was eight years old. It’s not that she likes killing, she hasn’t planned it either, she was born with it or you can call it Graced. Gracelings, in the land of the Seven Kingdoms are identified by their unmatching eyes, as soon as they settle the King takes them into his service so he can use whatever unusual talent they contain. Katsa, the niece of King Randa of Middluns has the grace of killing. King Randa, having control over her forces her to serve as his assassin making her hate herself for what she is and what she does. To hide her ruthless demeanor she has started up a movement to save people, which is when she acquaints with Prince Po, a Graceling from another land called Lienid who is graced in fighting. He has come to Katsa's city, in Middluns to find his Grandfather and he is sure Katsa has something to do with it.

My Opinion:

I don’t have any favorite author but one that borders around it is: Kristin Cashore. Her debut novel itself started from Graceling and I have to admit most first time novelists tend to screw up with their fresh ideas. The case with Ms.Cashore was quite the contrary she builds a imaginary world of the Seven Kingdoms containing all types of kings and maintains the imperfect harmony withstanding between them. Her words seem to flow so naturally, when we cant even imagine them being used in our daily lives.

Kristin Cashore one of the best
debut authors in YA Literature 

Her characters are so flawed making as many as tiny mistakes like we human beings do, unlike some characters in other novels whose settings tend to have flaws but not the characters themselves. Katsa an unusual girl warrior is one of my favorite characters. In her journey of self discovery Katsa doesn’t even know who she is until the end, you can see her blossom into someone independent and capable of making her own decisions and truly, not someone else’s puppet.

Other characters such as Po, the Prince of Leinid, has a mysterious aroma surrounding him, he withholds a terrible secret that might spread through the Kingdoms like fire and betraying the loyal trust of all his beloveds, his father-the king, his seven brothers and even Katsa of Middluns. Princess Bitterblue the cousin of Prince Po and also the daughter of  the King of Monsea, Leck, intrigues the reader very much (it will intrigue you more if you know the third book is based on her). Her role develops quite rapidly, a frightened child to being responsibly equipped to dealing with situations she would have never dreamed of earlier.  

All in all, it’s a must read for every Young Adult Fantasy Lovers! If you liked Graceling, I would really recommend you to pick up “Fire” a prequel to Graceling by Kristin Cashore which is set thirty-five years before the story of Katsa and also “Bitterblue” which will be released near September 2011, set in a time six years ahead of Graceling. 

For an amazing plot, the most amazing debut novel and for Graceling being my favorite novel and Kristin Cashore being my favorite author.  

Tweet