"GRACELING"

A Kristin Cashore book which tells of 7 Kingdoms and individuals who have GRACES which they were born with. These graces vary from a Gift of Killing, Survival, Manipulation of peoples thoughts, Sensing peoples feelings, Swimming in water as fast as a fish, Detecting oncoming storms, etc..

Main characters are:

Katsa-Graceling-able to kill with barehands and survival skills- loves Po
Po- Prince from Lienid- graceling-able to sense peoples thoughts and ambushes-loves Katsa
Raffin-Katsa's cousin, Prince of Middluns
Randa- King of Middluns
King Leck- Evil King, Graceling- able to maniulate peoples minds and thoughts
Oll-Katsa works with him, works for King Raffa
Giddon- Works for King Raffa-loves Katsa
Bitterblue-daughter of Evil King Leck (10 yrs old)
Ashen-mother of Bitterblue

This book in the beginning was hard for me to follow probably because it was set in a time of long ago and I just pictured it like in the era of Renaissance. After the edplanations about the different kingdoms and all the kings, the book and storyline was easy to follow. In this book I'm just gonna touch up on the things i found exciting and that caught my attention..

Katsa is the main character who is sent out to inflict pain on people in her Uncle Randa's kingdom who do not pay their debts to the king and things of that nature. Katsa was born with the GRACE of killing with her bare hands and the grace of survival. She killed her older cousin when she was 10 yrs old. She didn't like the way he was trying to touch her, putting his hand on her leg and on her shoulder and she saw how he was touching the other servants. When her older cousin tried to touch her more, she hit him on the nose sending the bone straight up to his brain and he died instantly! Her parents passed away when she was young and was with her Uncle King Randa to live and learn how to control her GRACE of killing and the King would use her for his dirty work and greedy gain. She loved her cousin Raffin whom she grew up with. Her and Raffin were not far apart in years, so they were very close. He was interested in medicines but his father King Randa did not want anything to do with his sons notions of medicine.

Katsa, Oll and Giddon are the Kings workers who set out to go and inflict pain on those people who do not obey the king. During the book we find out that Katsa forms a Council where her and others from other kingdoms unite to help each other. She is able to use her Grace to help solve crimes and things of that nature. They go to rescue The King of Lienids father who was kidnapped. They rescue him and bring him back to Raffin so he can help the grandfather heal from his wounds. On her way to rescue the King of Lienids father, she bumps into a Lienid man who blocks her way while she tries to make her way to the Lienid Kings father. She doesn't kill him like she would anyone who got in her way, she was invinceable! There was something about this Lienid man. They fought and he was rather good. She was not accustomed to this as she is fierce being able to subdue anyone who got in her way. He was quick, and sharp as she was, she thought to herself he is definitely graced in fightin. So in the end, she knocks him out cold, not feeling the need to kill him, but in a sense she kind of trusted this Lienid man..she continued with her mission and rescues the Lienid Kings father. That is her first encounter with Po.

Giddon obviously loves Katsa and is very protective of her, Katsa knows she needs noone to protect her as she can kill anyone. We find out later on that Giddon asks Katsa to marry him and she refuses. From her infancy, she always told everyone, her cousin, the king that she is not to marry anyone and she will not. She sees her GRACE and herself as nothing more than a killing machine, not being able to love anything or herself for that matter. Being the kings #1 killing machine she sees herself as a wild killing person, nothing more.

Her friendship with Po develops as he stays at King Randa's castle and works with Katsa on his fighting skills as a way to stay and find out any information he can get about the motive why his grandfather would be kidnapped. Katsa takes PO to his grandfather who is hidden in Raffins headquarters to help him get better. Po is relieved to see his grandfather is getting better. During Po and Katsa's fighting practices, she always wins the battle, but Po gets better and takes a real beating from Katsa from Day one. As you read on, you can tell that a relationship develops between Katsa and Po. So cutey!

One of my favorite parts in the book is where Po and Katsa are along on their journey to Monsea to find out what and who ordered the kidnapping fo Po's grandfather. Katsa was really frustrated for in her thoughts she knew she was falling for Po and she knew that Po could sense her thoughts and he knew she was in love with him but she would never say it. Po tells Katsa, 'I know you don't want this, Katsa. but, I can't help myself. The moment you came barreling into my life I was lost. I'm afraid to tell you what I wish for, for fear you'll..oh, I dont know, throw me into the fire, Or more likely, refuse me, Or worst of all, despise me, he said , his voice breaking and his eyes dropping from her face. His face dropping into his hands, " I love you," he said. You're more dear to my heart than I ever knew anyone could be." Now that was good stuff! Neither one of them planned things to happen but as the story develops you could tell that they were going to hook up.

Another line Po says to Katsa, that love is simple he says, "I'll give myself to you however you'll take me" Now that is classic. The guy is obvioulsy in love with her. She seems to be one of those beautiful girls with, animal instincts to kill. She has one blue eye and one green eye..Some gracelings have differnt colored eyes.

One of the ways Katsa clears her mind is by fighting which comes natural for her. This part in the book is delicate yet very touching! A WOMANS FIRST TIME..FROM SAVAGE KILLER TO WOMAN IN LOVE!
Katsa told Po, fight me, hit me..and she heals really fast not as fast as the wolverine but quick. They begin to fight, hitting each other and pinning each other to the dirt, getting swinging back and forth, then he stopped saying I taste blood. His hand was bleeding from her boot and her mouth was bleeding from his ring when he struck her. Then Katsa had to make a choice as they were so close to one another, she knew the choice she had to make. She jumped into Po's arms and she was crying because she knew what was going to happen. It felt so good in Po's arms and he rocked her back and forth in his arms. She put her arms around his neck and he grinned then..." his lips touched her throat and nuzzled her neck. She gasped. His mouth found hers. She turned to fire." This part of the book was very sweet! She experienced love in a way she never thought would happen to her at least. BEAUTIFUL!

Bitterblue the EVil King Lecks daughter who would be crowned Princess if anything were to happen the King; she would be the next in line for royalty! Her father is an evil man wanting only anything and everything for himself, greed and lust. Unfortuantely the books doesn't go into detail about his lust for young girls but you get a hint of what he wants to do with his daughter. Her mother Ashen, Po' aunt is in fear for her daughters life and virtue; she stays locked up in her chambers with her daughter. The King (her husband) gets impatient ordering to see his daughter when Ashen hears of this her and and her daughter climb out the castle window and run into the wilderness. She tells Bitterblue to keep on running and so she does leaving behind her mother who is shot with an arrow under the commnd of her own husband. Po sees the whole incident and can't believe what he witnessed the death of his dear aunt. Bitterblue escapes and hides in the hollow of a tree. Po and Katsa set out to find Bitterblue and they find her but she doesn't trust them as she holds her knife in hand with a tight grip towards them.

Alot goes on in "Graceling"..I love this book for the scenery, the adventure to save loved ones, the love story, the graceligs talents and gifts, the many characters each with exciting personalities and relationships with one another a total joy ride as I read this book. This was the first book of this kind that I've read and thoroughly and amazingly loved! Although, I'm still one of the "happily ever after" ending people, the ending was not as I imagined, but once you read it, you'll form your own undestanding and reasoning of why it ended the way it did.
I would definitely read more books such as this one..TEAM KATSA AND PO" all the way!

Another wonderful book to add to my list of great authors and literature..