Graceling (Graceling Realm 1) by Kristin Cashore

In a world where people born with an exceptional skill, known as a Grace, are both feared and exploited, Katsa carries the burden of a skill even she despises: the Grace of killing.

Feared by the court and shunned by those her own age, the darkness of her Grace casts a heavy shadow over Katsa’s life. Yet she remains defiant: when the King of Lienid’s father is kidnapped she investigates, and stumbles across a mystery. Who would want to kidnap the old man, and why? And who was the extraordinary Graced man whose fighting abilities rivalled her own?

The only thing Katsa is sure of is that she no longer wants to kill. The intrigue around this kidnapping offers her a way out – but little does she realise, when she takes it, that something insidious and dark lurks behind the mystery. Something spreading from the shadowy figure of a one-eyed king… (Goodreads)

When Katsa was 8 year old she accidently kills her cousin and she learns that she has the Grace of killing. Her uncle King Randa uses her to punish everyone who displeases him and Katsa learns to hate him for this. Katsa organizes a Council that tries to help people and it is the Coucil’s job to rescue the King of Lienid’s father whe he’s kidnapped. While on the rescue Katsa meets another Graceling with matching fighting skill who turns out to be Prince Po of Lienid and looking for his missing grandfather.

I have some mixed feelings about this one. I enjoyed it but I’m still having problems writing my feelings about it.

I liked Katsa, she was tough and nice but I felt that I was supposed to be more scared of her than I was. And at times she was more childish than 10 year old Bitterblue who acts much older than her age. And if you can’t feel pain then why make such a huge thing about hairpins digging into scalp?

But I liked Po (what kind of name is that?) and Raffin. Po was so cute and fun and loved the way he understood Katsa.

It wasn’t bad and I liked it but guess I was again expecting something more. I have Fire also so I’m curious to see how that one goes.

3/5
Published: Gollancz (2009)
Format: Paperback
Pages: 371
Source: my own