Synopsis (from
goodreads.com):
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.
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.
Jillian’s Review:
I loved this story, but I had to deduct a star because of
all the immorality (though not detailed, you still know what's going on),
darkness, and brief swearing.
This was a great story and the characters are true enough to life
that I wish they were my friends! I loved Bitterblue in Gracelin and was disappointed that she wasn't what I remembered
from the first book. I guess she needed room to grow into a strong character
and I did enjoy seeing her bloom, I just think Cashore should have made her as
strong, or stronger at eighteen as she was at ten.
Though this is categorized as Young Adult novel, it’s NOT for younger
readers... I don't even think this should be considered YA because of its mature
content.
