When I saw earlier this year that Kristin Cashore had a new novel, I was hesitantly excited. I loved Graceling, liked Fire, and thought Bitterblue was fine. Still, it’s never guaranteed that an author can come up with a new idea and world, and create another property as beloved as Graceling. I started writing the review shortly after finishing this book in February, and struggled were to go with it. I noticed many other reviewers were deliberately vague, and couldn’t figure out how much I […]
Somewhere There is a Universe Where I Enjoyed This Book
Let me preface this review by saying I really loved Kristin Cashore’s first trilogy, especially Graceling. I remember devouring that first book in about two days—pulled into the complex and compelling world of Katsa and the Graceling realm. When Cashore’s newest book showed up on NetGalley last fall, I leapt at the chance to read it and put in a request. However, when I actually got the book and started reading, I found myself having a hard time focusing. I put it down to a […]
What if, what if, what if
When I found out a new Kristin Cashore book was coming out I was REALLY excited. When I found out it wasn’t a new book in the Graceling series, I was a little less excited, but cautiously optimistic. It wasn’t something I’d pre-order, but it was something I’d get on the library hold list for. I was super curious what direction this book would take and if I’d like it as much as the Graceling books. Luckily, I can say that I really enjoyed Jane, […]
“We all change, when you think about it, we’re all different people, all through our lives, and that’s okay, that’s good, you’ve gotta keep moving, so long as you remember all the people that you used to be.”
I feel like a bit of a cheat starting with a review of this book, because I actually finished it on December 31st. I always struggle with whether to start with the first book I actually READ in the new year, or if it’s OK to use my first review on a book I read the previous year. It feels a bit wrong, even though I only finished it about half an hour before 2018, but I’m doing it anyway. There. Now that you’ve witnessed […]
This Book is Not Duggar Approved
To wash the taint of the Duggars and their awful ideas about women, gender roles, sex and sexuality out of my mind, I re-read Kristen Cashore’s Graceling. Graceling is Cashore’s debut novel, and if you haven’t read it, you really must. It is vibrant and self assured with strong plotting and memorable characters. The central character, Katsa, is a girl who seeks control over her own body and mind. The Duggars and their ilk would hate it. Katsa’s world, The Seven Kingdoms, is similar to […]