Slowly but surely, I will catch up on my reviews. Unfortunately, I don't think I will complete 52 books by next Tuesday. I'm reading the 50th now. But I'm not crushed-- I fulfilled the spirit of my goal and read a LOT this year.
Book 48 was Graceling by Kristen Cashore. I give it 4.5 stars.
In the world of Graceling, some individuals are born with two different colored eyes. This is the mark of a Graceling, one who has a gift or special ability, also known as a Grace. Graces can be anything from mind reading, to being exceptionally good at climbing trees, to being an excellent swimmer, to being a super human fighter. Gracelings usually aren't born with two different colored eyes-- this happens sometime after birth and reveals the Graceling, but sometimes it takes even longer for the Grace to make itself known. Parents and others must be watchful to discover the nature of the Grace. In some areas, Gracelings are feared or shunned; in others, revered.
Katsa, our main character, is believed to have the Grace of killing. In other words, don't mess with her. She is the niece of a king and has been essentially taken as his property, to do his dirty work throughout his and other kingdoms. If the king wants someone punished, he sends Katsa. She comes to a deeper understanding of what her Grace actually is part way through the book, and I'm glad the author chose to clarify/modify it. I wasn't altogether satisfied with the idea of her Grace simply being a superhuman ability to kill.
The main story of the book involves Katsa and her newfound friend and fellow Graceling Po, as they work together to save Po's niece from the clutches of a very bad man. There is much action, intrigue, and yes, some love.
It took me a bit, but I really liked the world Cashore created. I dove into the story and couldn't wait to find out how it would resolve. The one thing I am slightly disappointed about, after finishing, is that it appears the second book in the Graceling Ream series has nothing to do with Katsa and Po. I really grew to like those two and I was eager to read a sequel that continued their adventures together. Oh well.
The strongest criticism I have read in regards to this book deals with what some perceive as Katsa's anti-man/anti-marriage attitude. I can understand where these readers are coming from, but I don't agree whole-heartedly. In this book, Katsa has spent most of her life at the mercy and whims of her uncle, the king. She is, for all practical purposes, his property, and believes she must do as he bids. This means using her Grace to punish people with whom the king disagrees, whether they are in the wrong or not.
Part way through the book, with the help of Po, Katsa comes to realize that, in part because of her powerful Grace, she doesn't have to submit herself to the king. I don't think it is a spoiler to say that she decides to leave the king's service. She finally, for the first time in her life, feels like she is in control of herself. She begins to learn who she really is and make her own choices. This freedom strengthens her resolve, which she apparently has held since she was young, to never marry. Even after falling in love, Katsa refuses to agree to marriage. She ends up in what could probably be called an open relationship, and I think these plot choices are what angered some readers.
I disagree with the criticism for a few reasons. First, while the book doesn't exactly spell it out, it seems that the society Cashore created is meant to be similar to a medieval society, at least as far as the standing of women goes. They are more property than anything else. Because of the way Katsa has lived under the thumb of her uncle, she has never wanted to deliberately give herself as property to another man, even as a wife. This attitude is prevalent throughout the book and forms a pretty big part of Katsa's personaity, but I wouldn't characterize it as anti-marriage. I would say it is anti-subjugation of women. If Katsa didn't have to worry about being used and controlled, she wouldn't have the aversion to marriage that she has. It's not that she hates men, after all, she does fall in love. It's that she wants to be in control of herself and her Grace. Who can blame her for that? I don't think Cashore was trying to make a statement about modern day marriage at all, as some readers have inferred.
I'd definitely recommend this if you enjoy YA fantasy fiction. I plan to read the next two books.
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