Graceling Realm Series by Kristin Cashore

Kristin Cashore’s best-selling, award-winning fantasy Graceling tells the story of the vulnerable yet strong Katsa, a smart, beautiful teenager who lives in a world where selected people are given a Grace, a special talent that can be anything from dancing to swimming. Katsa’s is killing. As the king’s niece, she is forced to use her extreme skills as his thug. Along the way, Katsa must learn to decipher the true nature of her Grace . . . and how to put it to good use. A thrilling, action-packed fantasy adventure (and steamy romance!) that will resonate deeply with adolescents trying to find their way in the world.

This book is beautifully written! The story, the very words!!! The story jumps right in and grabs you from the very first paragraph with the intrigue of whats happening. Katsa is amazing, a very strong character who is just beginning to learn that strength doesn't merely mean "muscle". If you love a good adventure with a strong female character, you'll find it in Graceling.

 

 

It is not a peaceful time in the Dells. In King City, the young King Nash is clinging to the throne, while rebel lords in the north and south build armies to unseat him. War is coming. And the mountains and forest are filled with spies and thieves. This is where Fire lives, a girl whose beauty is impossibly irresistible and who can control the minds of everyone around her. Exquisitely romantic, this companion to the highly praised Graceling has an entirely new cast of characters, save for one person who plays a pivotal role in both books. You don't need to have read Graceling to love Fire. But if you haven't, you'll be dying to read it next.

I absolutely fell in love with Fire! She is an AMAZING character! I liked Graceling, but I LOVE LOVE LOVED Fire! Again, very well written, easy to read & of course couldn't put it down! I really got attached to the characters & the story in general. At times I felt the gut wrenching pain of decisions or situations, holding my breathe in fear or anticipation of just what would happen next. This was one of those books that I couldn't wait to finish but was also sad to finish. 

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 loved this one! The characters coming back from the first 2 books was probably the best part for me! I love the story, the mystery & the romance. I was disappointed with the direction Bitterblues' romantic relationship took....otherwise true to Kristin's previous work it was amazing! I hope there is more to come from the Graceling Realm