Graceling

Tue, 07 Dec 2021 17:04:53 -0800

I had to read Graceling for a school book club, and I think that it was a decent choice. However, the beginning is PAINSTAKINGLY slow. In fact, if I didn't *have* to read this, I'd have probably given up on it. The kingdoms are explained in only a few pages, and they're constantly referred to throughout the duration of the book, causing me to have to rely on those few pages to remember which is which. There's practically nothing that differentiates the kingdoms from one another- in fact, the only people with their own customs are the Lienids, which I found to be strange. Po's Grace seems to be so much more extensive than Katsa's, which I feel was only an insert to make Katsa less of a Mary Sue- which, to be honest, we didn't really need. Po's Grace was interesting, but the fact that most Graces were simple made him seem overpowered, and the lore of the Graces to be inconsistent. Once the book picked up, however, it was a great read. It was chock-full of action, romance, magic, and mystery. (I loved Bitterblue's character, and will probably read her novel on my own when I get the time!) Give it a try, but I won't blame you if it lands on the DNF pile.