Reviews

The start of the book had me hooked for many reasons. The writing style, the character descriptions, the map of the seven kingdoms, and the general concept of Grace. But the most important factor that contributed to me being hooked was that this book features a female warrior protagonist without rubbing it in my face that she’s a woman.

We don’t get feminism and equality shoved down our throats and Katsa is written *as* a warrior who happens to be female. Honestly, her demeanor and dry humor reminds me of The Witcher’s Geralt.

I hesitate to give this book 5 stars, however, because I felt that my hook was a bit let down. Specifically I thought the plot was out of scale from what I feel was promised to me in the beginning. The summary’s first line describes a girl who can kill a man with her bare hands but the whole point of the plot is a kidnapping and hike in the snow? I expected a much larger war, or maybe some death magic.

Once I shifted my expectations I began enjoying this book more. I suspect I’ll enjoy the remaining installments in the universe now that my expectations are solidified.

summerskyed's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional

5.0

dlberglund's review against another edition

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3.0

I started this soon after it first came out, probably in the fall of 2009, but it felt overdone and not unique enough to me. This time, I made it all the way through and straight into the sequels. I listened to the audio book, which was an overdone full-cast, orchestrated soap opera of a recording. I could have done without the dramatic pauses and musical interludes, but I can't say it was boring.
The main character is graced with a super power, and feared throughout several kingdoms because of it. She goes on a mission of rightousness (with a cute boy who is also Graced), complete with sword fights and ice storms. Adventurous, independent, and still human. Much better than I had thought.

My biggest gripe is with the naming strategy. The kingdoms are all derivatives of cardinal directions or geographic feature (except for Leinid, peculiarly). The main character is Katsa, whose name really should have been changed once Hunger Games made a mint. The next character has some long official name with a bunch of G's in it, which is shortened to Po. Huh? It got in my way and felt juvenile. In an article in the Horn Book, Ms. Cashore writes eloquently about the power and challenges of building a world that follows rules. She admits that she made mistakes and backed herself into corners in her first novel, but is stuck with them now. I assume her nomenclature is one of those, since it is more sophisticated in her second book.

thebookraiders's review against another edition

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adventurous dark lighthearted mysterious reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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