Not just a book win...
But an EPIC book win!
Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you my review of:
I rather "stalked" Graceling for months before having the courage to pick it up. I've always been wary of first-time authors, since I've heard some reviews, not good, of debut novels. But the thing that drew me in, oddly enough, was the name of the main male lead: Po. Now, I've something of a weakness for odd or intriguing names, and his was both to me. So I finally caved in one fateful day and, against my better judgement, purchased Graceling.
I could say that I liked it. Might even dare to love it. But in truth, this book did nothing shy of BLOW ME AWAY.
The plot goes as follows: There are certain people called the Graced, who have special abilites--not surprisingly called Graces--which affect them in some way, physically, mentally, etc. Some are Graced with good cooking skills, others in hand to hand combat. Mind-readers are generally revered and feared. The main character, wild and unpredictable Katsa, is Graced with killing. This makes her the attack-dog of her uncle, Randa, the kind of the Middluns. When a tenacious deed brings Katsa once and again into the presence of Prince Po, a Lienid also Graced, she makes a friend and begins to unravel a plot that is years-long and intricate and dangerous for all of them.
I'll try to review this book without posting too many spoilers: I was hooked on Graceling from the first page. Kristin Cashore's writing style is simple but it easily portrays character emotions and somehow affords depth without sinking into the mad and oftentimes dangerous waters of purple prose. Nevertheless, she manages to paint a colorful world that I actually felt a part of.
Her characterization is not to be frowned upon, either; the female lead of Katsa is strong, but she has her struggles---not the sort that seemed tacked on as an afterthought to make her seem less appealing, but the kind that add dimension to her character and are solved or at least faced in a realistic manner. The male lead of Po is a perfecct balance of humor and seriousness that makes him more appealing (and by far less awkward) than characters of Edward Cullen's caliber. The supporting cast--especially Katsa's cousin, Raffin--all play their parts and I found each and one to be a treat in themselves to read.
And the antagonist--oh, boy. I didn't see it coming, and when it was revealed I thought she'd made a great enemy for her characters. After the drama surrounding this particular scourge, the resolution of it was a treat for me especially considering Cashore's style and format. I'm not sure anyone else could have quite pulled that resolution off--she practically tells you the ending, but then writes it a paragraph later anyway--and yet it still manages to be somehow suspenseful.
I also enjoy that after the antagonist is in their own way dealt with, the conflict continues because there's a loose end Katsa can't leave hanging. The revelation of that particular conflict tugged severly at my tender heartstrings and I thought it was a god place to go with the story.
I actually don't even have anything to nitpick in this book, except maybe for Katsa's rue against marriage...not because it's a far stretch or any sort of thing, but because it's been in so many books and it starts to get old after a time. But in this case I let it slide in my mind because it suits Katsa's character--it isn't something that feels tacked on simply to make her 'different' or more interesting. After reading the book all through, I couldn't imagine Katsa as a mother either, except for perhaps at the very end, after she's spent some time with a child. But of course, that's up to Cashore to decide.
In short, Graceling has, since I first read it, and remains still today my favorite novel. I'm rereading it now for the fifth or so time as a preperation for writing my own novel. I'm not sure what corner of the writing world Kristen Cashore came from, but I certainly hope more aspiring authors spring from there. As a debut novel, this book was stunning and I cannot wait to wrap my hands around the prequel and devour it as well.
Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you my review of:
I rather "stalked" Graceling for months before having the courage to pick it up. I've always been wary of first-time authors, since I've heard some reviews, not good, of debut novels. But the thing that drew me in, oddly enough, was the name of the main male lead: Po. Now, I've something of a weakness for odd or intriguing names, and his was both to me. So I finally caved in one fateful day and, against my better judgement, purchased Graceling.
I could say that I liked it. Might even dare to love it. But in truth, this book did nothing shy of BLOW ME AWAY.
The plot goes as follows: There are certain people called the Graced, who have special abilites--not surprisingly called Graces--which affect them in some way, physically, mentally, etc. Some are Graced with good cooking skills, others in hand to hand combat. Mind-readers are generally revered and feared. The main character, wild and unpredictable Katsa, is Graced with killing. This makes her the attack-dog of her uncle, Randa, the kind of the Middluns. When a tenacious deed brings Katsa once and again into the presence of Prince Po, a Lienid also Graced, she makes a friend and begins to unravel a plot that is years-long and intricate and dangerous for all of them.
I'll try to review this book without posting too many spoilers: I was hooked on Graceling from the first page. Kristin Cashore's writing style is simple but it easily portrays character emotions and somehow affords depth without sinking into the mad and oftentimes dangerous waters of purple prose. Nevertheless, she manages to paint a colorful world that I actually felt a part of.
Her characterization is not to be frowned upon, either; the female lead of Katsa is strong, but she has her struggles---not the sort that seemed tacked on as an afterthought to make her seem less appealing, but the kind that add dimension to her character and are solved or at least faced in a realistic manner. The male lead of Po is a perfecct balance of humor and seriousness that makes him more appealing (and by far less awkward) than characters of Edward Cullen's caliber. The supporting cast--especially Katsa's cousin, Raffin--all play their parts and I found each and one to be a treat in themselves to read.
And the antagonist--oh, boy. I didn't see it coming, and when it was revealed I thought she'd made a great enemy for her characters. After the drama surrounding this particular scourge, the resolution of it was a treat for me especially considering Cashore's style and format. I'm not sure anyone else could have quite pulled that resolution off--she practically tells you the ending, but then writes it a paragraph later anyway--and yet it still manages to be somehow suspenseful.
I also enjoy that after the antagonist is in their own way dealt with, the conflict continues because there's a loose end Katsa can't leave hanging. The revelation of that particular conflict tugged severly at my tender heartstrings and I thought it was a god place to go with the story.
I actually don't even have anything to nitpick in this book, except maybe for Katsa's rue against marriage...not because it's a far stretch or any sort of thing, but because it's been in so many books and it starts to get old after a time. But in this case I let it slide in my mind because it suits Katsa's character--it isn't something that feels tacked on simply to make her 'different' or more interesting. After reading the book all through, I couldn't imagine Katsa as a mother either, except for perhaps at the very end, after she's spent some time with a child. But of course, that's up to Cashore to decide.
In short, Graceling has, since I first read it, and remains still today my favorite novel. I'm rereading it now for the fifth or so time as a preperation for writing my own novel. I'm not sure what corner of the writing world Kristen Cashore came from, but I certainly hope more aspiring authors spring from there. As a debut novel, this book was stunning and I cannot wait to wrap my hands around the prequel and devour it as well.