Summary | Excerpt | Reading Guide | Reviews | Beyond the book | Read-Alikes | Genres & Themes | Author Bio
Critics' Opinion:
Readers' Opinion:
First Published:
Oct 2008, 480 pages
Paperback:
Sep 2009, 480 pages
Book Reviewed by:
Lucia Silva
Buy This Book
Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight - she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. And now she is forced to work as the king’s thug. But she never expects to fall in love with beautiful Prince Po...
Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight—she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug.
She never expects to fall in love with beautiful Prince Po.
She never expects to learn the truth behind her Grace—or the terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.
With elegant, evocative prose and a cast of unforgettable characters, debut author Kristin Cashore creates a mesmerizing world, a death-defying adventure, and a heart-racing romance that will consume you, hold you captive, and leave you wanting more.
CHAPTER ONE
IN THESE DUNGEONS the darkness was complete, but Katsa had a map in her mind. One that had so far proven correct, as Oll’s maps tended to do. Katsa ran her hand along the cold walls and counted doors and passageways as she went. Turning when it was time to turn; stopping finally before an opening that should contain a stairway leading down. She crouched and felt forward with her hands. There was a stone step, damp and slippery with moss, and another one below it. This was Oll’s staircase, then. She only hoped that when he and Giddon followed her with their torches, they would see the moss slime, tread carefully, and not waken the dead by clattering headlong down the steps.
Katsa slunk down the stairway. One left turn and two right turns. She began to hear voices as she entered a corridor where the darkness flickered orange with the light of a torch set in the wall. Across from the torch was another corridor where, according to Oll, anywhere from two to ten ...
Are You Graced?
Take this quiz to find out!
1) If you were cornered by an army of the king’s soldiers, would you:
a) Fight each and every one to the death (not yours, theirs)?
b) Make a mad dash for it?
c) Surrender peacefully with your dignity, but trembling inside?
d) Play dead?
2) Choose your preferred weapon:
a) your own two hands and brute strength
b) dagger
c) bow & arrow
d) none—you’re a pacifist
3) If you were lost in the woods, would you:
a) Rely on your keen sense of direction and environmental cues ...
I lost a night of sleep and a day of work to this book. Usually drawn to decidedly toothier fare, I was ready for a little treat. I was not prepared for an all-encompassing vortex of storytelling that would render all of my other responsibilities utterly unimportant. Both a gripping adventure tale and a moving portrait of a tempestuous, beautifully flawed young woman coming of age, Graceling marks the debut of a truly gifted writer...continued
Full Review
(647 words)
This review is available to non-members for a limited time. For full access,
become a member today.
(Reviewed by Lucia Silva).
Tamora Pierce.
Here's a WOW of a book! Seeing half-wild Katsa learn humanity as she battles soldiers, storms, and her own obsessive nature--I HAD to know how it ended!Though Graceling is certainly set in a magical history, the time
period seems distinctly medieval, based on the descriptions of clothing,
weapons, buildings, and the general atmosphere. A descriptive passage towards
the end of Graceling made me wonder about the science and craft of
stained-glass-making in medieval times. Wielding the magical powers of The World Wide Web, I was startled to find news of a recent study that suggests that
medieval stained glass windows painted with real gold actually purify the air
when sunlight shines through them.
Zhu Huai Yong, along with a group of researchers at Queensland University of Technology's School of Physical and Chemical Sciences, found that many church windows across Europe were ...
This "beyond the book" feature is available to non-members for a limited time. Join today for full access.
If you liked Graceling, try these:
by Maiya Ibrahim
Published 2024
The first book in an epic fantasy series set in an Arabian-inspired land with secret spice magic. Raised to protect her nation from the monsters lurking in the sands, sixteen-year-old Imani must fight to find her brother, whose betrayal is now the country's greatest threat.
by April Genevieve Tucholke
Published 2020
Full of fierce girls, bloodlust, tenuous alliances, and unapologetic quests for glory, this elegantly spun tale challenges the power of storytelling - and who gets to be the storyteller.
The Flower Sisters
by Michelle Collins Anderson
From the new Fannie Flagg of the Ozarks, a richly-woven story of family, forgiveness, and reinvention.
The House on Biscayne Bay
by Chanel Cleeton
As death stalks a gothic mansion in Miami, the lives of two women intertwine as the past and present collide.
The Funeral Cryer by Wenyan Lu
Debut novelist Wenyan Lu brings us this witty yet profound story about one woman's midlife reawakening in contemporary rural China.
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
