Category: Fantasy

Bookanista Recommendation: BITTERBLUE

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Today’s Bookanista recommendation: Bitterblue, by Kristin Cashore…

Bitterblue (Graceling Realm, #3)

From Goodreads: Eight years after Graceling, Bitterblue is now queen of Monsea. But the influence of her father, a violent psychopath with mind-altering abilities, lives on. Her advisors, who have run things since Leck died, believe in a forward-thinking plan: Pardon all who committed terrible acts under Leck’s reign, and forget anything bad ever happened. But when Bitterblue begins sneaking outside the castle—disguised and alone—to walk the streets of her own city, she starts realizing that the kingdom has been under the thirty-five-year spell of a madman, and the only way to move forward is to revisit the past. Two thieves, who only steal what has already been stolen, change her life forever. They hold a key to the truth of Leck’s reign. And one of them, with an extreme skill called a Grace that he hasn’t yet identified, holds a key to her heart.

I made no secret of my love for Kristin Cashore’s Graceling a few months ago. I never thought I’d say this, but I loved Bitterblue even more. This book… It wrecked me in every way possible. It made me laugh, it made me swoon, it made me angry, it broke my heart and, at times, it absolutely horrified me.  I can’t stop thinking about Bitterblue, even now, nearly a week after reading the last page.

Here’s why…

1. I found Bitterblue to be an utterly endearing protagonist. She’s easier to like than Graceling‘s sometimes abrasive Katsa (who I personally have nothing against), and her inner monologues are charming in their openness and honesty. She makes plenty of mistakes, is often naive and occasionally brusque , but she tries with everything in her to be the queen her people need. The opposition (both external and internal) Bitterblue faces over the course of this novel  is monumental–often soul-crushing–and while she reacts appropriately and relateably, she never gives in to the chaos and turmoil that’s thrown at her from every direction. Her determination and absolute loyalty to her kingdom and her friends make her an easy character to root for.

2. The world Kristin Cashore has created within the pages of her Seven Kingdoms books is so thoroughly developed, with such careful attention to detail, it almost feels real. I was completely immersed in the Monsea’s traditional clothing, food, customs, distinct patterns of speech, and expressions (incidentally, can we PLEASE make “Balls!” happen?). From Bitterblue’s lavish rooms, to Leck’s creepy castle artwork, to the seedy streets of Bitterblue City, this story’s world grabbed me and never let go.

3. Bitterblue is a visit with old friends. Katsa, Po, Raffin, Bann, Giddon, and Helda (among others) appear within its pages, which makes it an easy story for this Graceling fan to fall into. Everyone is eight years older, and it’s all kinds of fun to swoon over men in what is technically a YA story. And speaking of men… My love for Prince Po runs deep, but Bitterblue let me in on a whole new side of Lord Giddon. I’ve always favored the literary strong, silent type, and Giddon is those things and beyond. The gentle, caring way he interacts with Bitterblue is lovely, and I’m not-so-secretly hoping for a follow-up novel that offers more of his story.

4. There’s a scene in Bitterblue that takes place in the Lady Queen’s High Court. I won’t give anything away, but I will say that it features Bitterblue, Prince Po, and adorable thief Saf (who’s fantastic) and it is quite possibly my favorite scene in a book EVER. I read it at the park while my daughter played on the monkey bars, and I’m sure the parents in my vicinity thought I was crazy. I could not wipe the grin off my face. Bitterblue is a heavy book with very heavy themes, but this scene… It is so perfectly executed–clever and fun and rife with tension–I read it twice and still couldn’t get enough. (Is it just me? Those who know what I’m talking about: Did you love the High Court scene as much as I did?)

So, Bitterblue. I can’t say enough about this novel. In my humble opinion, it was just about as perfect as a story can get. If you haven’t read it, please, please, PLEASE pick it up soon. It’s most definitely going on my short list of favorites.

Here’s what a few of the other Bookanistas are up to today:

Tracy Banghart revels in GOING TOO FAR

Corrine Jackson wonders at WHY WE BROKE UP

Elana Johnson enjoys INSURGENT

 

Friends, have you read Bitterblue? Did you love it as much as I did?

K is for Katsa

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Happy Bookanista Thursday! Today I’m excited to recommend a kick ass (K again!) book, one I should have read ages ago:

Graceling by Kristen Cashore

Graceling (The Seven Kingdoms, #1)

Love this cover!

From Goodreads: 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. When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change. She never expects to become Po’s friend. She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace—or about a 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.

I shouldn’t have waited so long to read Graceling. I should have known, having seen the rave review of my friend Erin Bowman (who has exceptional taste in books), that Graceling would blow my mind. And it did!

Graceling reminds me a bit of Plain Kate by Erin Bow (fantastical elements, multi-faceted herione), a bit of Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin (epic power struggles, shady politics), and also a little of X-Men, what with the Graced and their exceptional skills. Thanks to Kristin Cashore’s elegant and imaginative writing, all these larger-than-life components come together in an incredibly captivating story.

Because I have no interest in spoiling the awesomeness of Graceling for you, I only want to discuss one of its aspects, and that just happens to be one of my favorite aspects: Katsa’s character arc. Anyone who reads and/or writes YA probably knows about the call for strong female protagonists. There’s a lot of discussion about what makes a female protagonist strong (ex: Katniss) or weak (ex: Bella) and what affect these varying degrees of strength have on the teenage girls (or adult women!) who read about them.

What I loved most about Graceling‘s Katsa is that her strength, while very much present, is not at all black and white. Sure, she’s physically strong (thanks to her Grace, she can whip the asses of scores of men all at once), but inwardly, she’s kind of a mess. She’s fiercely independent, but she’s not in control of her bodily power — in fact, she’s afraid of it and the carnage it’s capable of causing — so she spends quite a bit of time doubting herself, her integrity, and her intelligence. But once Katsa begins to confront her anger and her past (thanks in part to the unwavering friendship of one very adorable Graced prince), she learns to trust, and she’s able to start taking control of her physical strength and get a handle on her emotions. A slew of external challenges force her to continuously test her patience and willpower, and Katsa eventually grows into a wholly likable and entirely powerful person.

And if Katsa’s steep and compelling arc isn’t enough to convince you to pick up a copy of this book…

That Graced prince I mentioned above? You will TOTALLY fall for him. ♥

Check out what my Bookanista friends are up to today:

Christine Fonseca gives a shout out for REGRET
Carrie Harris swoons for STRUCK
Corrine Jackson cries heaps over STORY OF A GIRL
Stasia Ward Kehoe loves up THE LIBERATION OF MAX MCTRUE
Tracy Banghart shares some CLARITY and PERCEPTION
Jessica Love delights in THE SCORPIO RACES
Hilary Wagner hosts a Guest Post by Author Aaron Kato on YA Voice

Tell me: Which YA heroine do you consider to be exceptionally strong?