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3.5/5 ?????

"When a monster stopped behaving like a monster, did it stop being a monster? Did it become something else?"

#fantasy #romance

This was a great read that I‘m sad I held onto for such a long time. From the world building to the character development it was a great tale of love, friendship, trust, and politics. The introduction of a Grace was such an interesting idea that always made the reader think twice about if someone was a friend of foe. Great read!

Gracling is a very good book by Kristen Cashore. The plot and the characters are good and as the story continues there are some very interesting plot twists. 9.5/10 definitely recommend it!

A long time TBR survivor.

#Knife #ScarathlonDailyPrompts #Scarathlon2022 @Clwojick #TeamSlaughter

1. Graceling
2. Diana Gabaldon
3. The Goonies
4. GoGo‘s
5. Good Vibrations

Everyone is welcome to play!
#manicmonday #g

Wonderful. Katsa is immediately in my list of favourite heroines.

The world is fascinating and while the story in this book is complete with a very satisfying ending I do want more of the world. I want to explore the other kingdoms and meet more Graces. On to book 2!

������ it was a good premise but the book resolved itself rather abruptly. Like over 400 pages of lead up. One page for sorting the problem out. That to me was jarring. #aprilreadinglist #readinchallenge2022

Audiopuzzled my way through the rest of the tagged book today.

I wasn't hugely impressed with this novel. It's engaging and raises some interesting questions about power, ability, and responsibility, but the resolution of the various conflicts feels abrupt.

I have no more audiobooks lined up at the moment so I might have to read with my eyes this weekend.

Honestly I really liked the lore of this book - the setting and the idea of people getting Graced with abilities - but I didn‘t care for the main character of Katsa as much as I thought I would. Just because a female character can physically fight doesn‘t mean she is a strong female character. That and I felt that the part of the book that solves the overlying problem of the novel just ended so abruptly.

I loved this book much more than I thought I would. The world was fantastic, the characters were fantastic, the writing was fantastic! Everything about this book was just amazing. Honestly a 5 star that I didn't even think I was going to give!

“In these dungeons the darkness was complete, but Katsa had a map in her mind.�

New library book. ⚔�

I‘m so glad I gave this a second chance (thanks @Chrissyreadit ) because this is the kind of YA fantasy I like. It‘s a bit slow at times and I‘m not sure the romance aspect worked for me, but I always love a tough and capable heroine trying to carve out a destiny of her own. #bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks

I loved this book. The writing was incredible, the characters were unforgettable. Katsa is a true force of nature, I love her dearly. I liked this book from the start, but I wasn't truly enthralled until about halfway through- at which point I was lost to the world, wanting nothing but answers. I usually get very irritated at the heroine in a book (as many do) but not Katsa. I was in slack-jawed awe of her more than a few times, an incredible book

How absurd it was that in all seven kingdoms, the weakest and most vulnerable of people - girls, women - went unarmed and were taught nothing of fighting, while the strong were trained to the highest reaches of their skill.

When you're a monster, she thought, you are thanked and praised for not behaving like a monster. She would like to restrain from cruelty and receive no admiration for it.

if you love strong female heroines, look no further, because katsa is the full package. The combination of kingdoms, courtships, and unique powers is such an enjoyable world to dive into, especially with katsa's truly epic feats and fights. The entertaining dynamic between Katsa and Po is also something that never gets old and that you can't help but fall in love with. awesome story I could not stop reading, and have reread many times since.

I was enjoying this so much that I bought it when I saw what the new cover looked like. Love the blues and greens.

This silly baby wants me to give her attention instead of my book â�¤ï¸� I‘ve been reading on my phone & tablet on my lunch breaks at work but this one was good enough to compel me to read it before work too.

Recommended by a friend. I‘m not a true fantasy person, but I thoroughly enjoyed this.

Saw this #fivefingerbookchallenge going around and thought it looked fun!
Book I loved - Graceling (rereading it now!)
Book I love to recommend - Daughter of Smoke & Bone
Book I didn't like - Legend (I think it's her writing style, I haven't liked any of hers that I've tried)
Character crush - Mr. Darcy, always!!
I promise I'll read soon - Piranesi

This isn‘t a bail 🪂 more of a setting-aside for now. With the switch back to online learning, I‘ve found it hard to settle into a book and I just wasn‘t giving this book the focus that it probably deserves.

Beautiful story and characterization. It's a story I come back to every couple of years, and one I think of often. I enjoy Cashore's writing very much.

August #BookSpinBingo 📖 Excited to get started with @TheAromaofBooks #BookSpin #16 Graceling ğŸ˜� and my #DoubleSpin #20 Strange Practice

Thanks for the tag @jb72 :)

1) I don‘t think I would want a name change. But if I did, I could do worse than Katsa from Graceling as a namesake ☺ï¸�
2) I don‘t know any people named after literary characters personally. My pet is named Ash, mainly because my boyfriend likes Pokémon, but Ash is also the name of one of the dogs in Deerskin by Robin McKinley, and the name of one of my favourite characters in the guild hunter series (Ashwini)

I don't know how I have not read this before now. Loved this! It put me in mind of Tamora Pierce in the best way - hard work, determination, intelligence, empathy, mastering one's self, romance and respect. But not as moralizing as that sounds. Full of adventure. Keeper for sure.

Happy birthday to me!
#BookHaul

So I don't love it when books perpetuate the myth that when a woman has PIV sex the first time, it absolutely, 100%, nothing-you-can-do-about-it WILL hurt/bleed, but can you at least let me PRETEND the guy is just inexperienced himself and hasn't quite gotten the hang of foreplay? Don't have them talk about it after and ruin that excuse for me 😕

Long ago that I was intrigued by a YA-novel to this extent‼� Last time I remember was the “Panem�-trilogy. But in there I wanted to continue to see what _happens_ next. In here, I wanted to see how the characters will develop. I liked how the idea of the Gracelings is implemented and that having a mission is diminishing the personal progress of Kadsa and Bo.

I very much liked Bitterblue. Hope to meet her again in volume 2.

During the first 2 hours I wasn‘t sure if I would like this. It seemed like the story would want to follow classical YA-clichés. Well, maybe it will but meanwhile I really like it. I can relate to intellectual Kadsa who keeps pondering on whether there‘s a love affair where the partners are completely equal and independent. It‘s like if overthinking will solve your problems if you just try hard enough.

@ljuliel asked.
Here is part 1�⃣ of my answers. 👇�

Can you say what reading means to you and why you enjoy reading?

Reading is rest and recuperation. It‘s self-care.

Are you reading to learn? ✔�
For entertainment? ✔�
Because you were raised to read and it‘s just a daily part of life? â�Œ
Because you‘re bored? â�Œ
Because it‘s just your hobby? ✅

While preparing lunch, I finally was able to take a bigger bite of this.

On the pro-side it doesn‘t stay as confusing as the first 30 minutes allude but on the con-side I‘m not yet convinced after scarcely 2 hours. The kidnapping of the father of one of the seven kings sounds like a promising case. But I really don‘t hope it gets too much of a love story spreading over 3 books. I‘m done with that plotline.

But I am already happy that I found a map.

👉� http://kristincashore.blogspot.com/2008/02/geographic-maps-for-books.html?m=1

I couldn‘t keep apart all the cities, characters and countries last night but maybe so because I was already snoozing. (Isn‘t it typical, I spent approximately an hour choosing my audiobook and then, after less than 10 minutes, I am vast asleep. Re-started three or four times because I felt more awake than I was. 🙄)

Oh dear, it took me ages last night to figure out my new audiobook. Everything I found felt like “Meh, been there, read that.“ or like “Booooring!“. pretty much the same as is when you don‘t know what to eat because most of the time you‘re not hungry then.

Finally, I decided to prizes YA-novel. It‘s the first off, of course, trilogy.
I like the precondition that some people have a secret talent.

#RWMPHOTOBOMB2020

Cool concept, not my favorite writing (Katherine rec)

Katsa is a Graceling, born with the ability to kill a man with her bare hands. Forced into killing for her King, she hates her ability. She is quick to anger, and if she loses control she will kill. I expected the story to stay on Katsa's struggle. Unfortunately, when Po shows up, everything seems to revolve around him. I wanted more of Katsa. I could care less about Po.

Full review at www.behindthepages.org/post/graceling-by-kristin-cashore

4/5â­� Some moments/elements veered on eyeroll-worthy and felt weaker, but never enough to make me consider putting the book down. The story balanced characters, plot, and action/tension really well, and I continually wanted to know what would happen. As a kid/teen I would have killed to read about a woman like Katsa who doesn't want kids, is (mostly) supported in her decision, AND DOESN'T CHANGE HER MIND BY THE END OF THE BOOK. Would. Have. Killed.

This book was amazing! Well written and had an interesting world. I love the magic in this world too! What's great is while there are "outsiders" they are strong...and sometimes what you think is a horrible curse is actually a gift :)

It was less adventure more romance which is not what I picked this up for. I wanted to know so much more about the graces than the romance. If you like romance though, you'd like it.

This was a pretty standard YA fantasy for me - enjoyable and had interesting aspects to the magical world. I really liked the characters overall and I‘ll continue with the series, even though I believe the main characters change between books.

Goodreads 25/52
MountTBR2019 15/36

This...reminded me of The Princess Bride? Maybe it's the writing tone? I dunno but it did. Also really like the mc and the adventuring with Butterblue. The magic system is pretty limitless but still made sense but I did want a bit more political structure. Really enjoyable read overall though!

Starting

I almost never reread books, but this is one that I always wander back to. I really love the world and the interactions between the characters, and all my favorite scenes still make me laugh!

Sooo good I loved everything about this book!

I was engrossed throughout the entire story and I‘m happy with the ending, so happy in fact that I was shocked to find out that this was a series. Now I have to hunt down book 2 and 3. 4 stars from me!!

2/5 🌟

I was disappointed in this book as I heard many great things about it. It wasn't bad but it didn't blown my mind
The story felt flat. It was unique because some of the characters had a Grace but nothing that happened in the book was a surprise. Which was disappointing since the Graceling, had many opportunities to make the story interesting.
It was an easy and quick read. Not a book I would recommend.