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ava_a07's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I thought the premise was amazing and interesting. But the book moved very slowly, like I would read a large chunk of the book, like 100 pages, and then it turns out I didn’t read even what seems to look like 10% of the book. This took me way too long to read, and I tried so hard to get through it, and I did. It was also forgettable, I would read every single detail, and then forget it right after I finished reading it. Still a good book, considering reading the sequels
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Violence
sparkinspace's review against another edition
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Death of parent
lildawnprince's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Blood
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Incest, Pedophilia, and Death of parent
emilycfox's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
One of my all time favorites for YA adventure, alternate world, strong woman main character, slow burn romance
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Murder
Moderate: Ableism
dandelionlily's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting
Moderate: Child abuse, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Sexual assault and Death of parent
rafacolog's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, and Murder
beebeewin's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Upon re-reading I enjoyed this book as much as a remember! I appreciate Kristin Cashore's ability to write an engaging world with well fleshed out characters, especially in regards to Katsa. She creates morally complex characters with ease, and for a teen book doesn't shy away from having characters with motivations and dreams that might be different than in classical YA fiction. There is no pulled punches, which makes for a YA read that, at the time I first read it and even now, doesn't feel like someone dumbing down difficult topics for teens. My only issue is the main conflict seemed to resolve so quickly, like within one chapter. I almost wish that was just drawn out a little longer so that we could really see Katsa's growth and character development fleshed out more. Regardless, I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a quick, interesting, and engaging fantasy read.
Also 100% Raffin and Bann are gay and you can't convince me otherwise, make it cannon!
Also 100% Raffin and Bann are gay and you can't convince me otherwise, make it cannon!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Torture and Blood
numberdance's review against another edition
4.25
A large part of my love for Graceling is nostalgia, but I still find Katsa and her character arc really compelling, and I love the development of her relationship with Po. (And Bitterblue is a delight.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Physical abuse and Kidnapping
Minor: Child abuse and Child death
wardenred's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
"He's no more than a bully."
Katsa snorted. "A bully who chops off people's fingers or breaks their arms."
"Not if you stop doing it for him," Po said. "Much of his power comes from you."
I have vague memories about DNFing this book pretty early on years ago, since the beginning was just so generic and not very well-constructed. Touch, stabby heroine who's not like other girls and has weird eyes! Chapters upon chapters bogged down with flashbacks and exposition! Honestly, the second time around it was just as boring. But I've been seeing a lot of positive mentions of this series lately, and besides, I've been recced one of the book from further in the series for a highly specific request. So I chose to persevere, and once I was past 5 chapters or so, things did get a lot better. It turned out to be a quicker read than I expected, and I was rather engrossed for the most part.
Ultimately, though, my feelings are mixed at best. I really enjoyed the superpowers/graces and how their implications were handled. They're not just cool powers, but something that permeates the characters' entire lives and provokes experiences that shape their personalities. I liked the relationship between Katsa and Po: the gradual development, the building of trust, how they actually talked it out whenever they clashed. I also enjoyed Katsa's arc and her struggle to gain control over her life, though at the same time, she frustrated me a lot with that stereotypical "not like other girls" thing and the way it was handled/delivered. Also, the way she treats horses? Absolutely not cool, 0/10, much frustration. Not saying every character should adore animals, but there's a line between not adoring animals and not even treating them as living beings who can get tired or hurt, and that girl is so far on the other side of it.
The setting had a lot of interesting things going for it, though I wish some of them were explored deeper. I really liked the way the ethical implications of certain political tangles were brought to light, like how the responsibility is shared between cruel rulers and those who work for them and empower them through that. Really, I don't think the book ever completely stopped being tropey and somewhat generic, but the way these familiar tropes are explored and delve into felt really refreshing. So despite the rocky beginning, the occasionally clunky prose, and my grips with Katsa as the MC, for the most part I rather enjoyed this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Violence
Moderate: Misogyny
Minor: Confinement
Mind control/manipulationqrschulte's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-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
5.0
Oh wow I inhaled this book. It’s so great to find characters I love and a world I can lose myself in.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Violence, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Blood, Medical content, Grief, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Alcohol