GIVEAWAY: Graceling & Fire by Kristin Cashore!!

Graceling and Fire by Kristin Cashore

Julie:  Here's one of my flaws:  Sometimes, when a book launches to a crazy good reception--a slew of starred reviews, even more raves in the blogosphere--I refuse to read it.  Why?  Silly reasons, most of them unflattering.  But one, at least, can be cast as heroic.  I am taking a stand for underdog books.  I figure, this insanely popular book doesn't need me.  It has enough attention.  Other books need me.  

Only after much time has passed might I give the popular book a chance.  If I see it standing alone on a shelf, for example, past its heyday.  Then I'll think, I remember that book!  It's supposed to be good!  And then I'll read it.  I don't always love it.  But I certainly loved this one:  Kristin Cashore's GRACELING, a fantasy novel I finally read this summer after resisting for four long years.  "Read" is not really the right word:  I drank it in, then moved quickly through the other two books in the trilogy, FIRE and BITTERBLUE.  Mia, I know you recently read GRACELING and FIRE.  What do you think?  

Marirosa Mia: I must agree with you on those two points, Julie. You do have a tendency to refuse to read books that are already being lauded by others (which I totally understand, and it's part of your adorable stubborn self).  And I also loved Cashore's Graceling Realm (which is what the trilogy is being called). GRACELING and FIRE have sat on my shelf for over a year now, trumped by other books on our list.  So when you finally relented and read them, I rejoiced! I was even happier when I started GRACELING and simply flew through both it and FIRE. I dove into the world that Cashore created and can't wait to dive into BITTERBLUE! I think in each book Cashore grows as a writer - which I just LOVE. I love it when you can see a writer flex her muscles and continue to shine with each book.  I think Cashore is just getting started. But on to the books themselves! Julie, what do you fancy about them?

Julie:  Let me start with GRACELING.  In it, Cashore tells the story of Katsa, who is one of the rare few in her land to be born with a Grace (or gift).  Katsa is Graced with killing, at a minimum, and is forced by her uncle, a king, to work as his thug.  Reacting against her own brutality, and against the petty ruthlessness of several kings, Katsa helps form a secret, rebellious Council. In the course of conducting a Council mission, she meets Po, another royal-born Graceling who challenges her in unexpected ways.  

I have to confess that as I was reading GRACELING, I more than once thought, Wait.  Didn't something like this happen in THE HERO AND THE CROWN (a novel by Robin McKinley that we rave about here)?  I also confess that I prefer the tone of THE HERO AND THE CROWN, which is more other-worldly and haunting, less contemporary.  But I never paused for very long to consider any of this.  Because GRACELING has a terrific combination of action and character development.  Cashore does a terrific job bringing to life a slew of characters.  The book is never boring, even though Katsa is so incredibly gift that by rights there should be little tension.  In fact, until the end of the novel, most of the tension comes not from Katsa's Coucil-related work but from the psychological impact of her Grace and, more interestingly, Po's.  I can't say more without a spoiler, but I particularly love Cashore's willingness to grapple with all of the emotional fallout that might result from actually having the amplified powers that some of us dream of.  Do you agree, Mia?

M: I don't think I thought of THE HERO AND THE CROWN at all while reading GRACELING, though they may have similarities. I agree with you that when a book does it right, popularity of themes is often forgotten, swept away by the story you're reading. I also love how the main struggle is all internal for both Katsa and Fire, who are both very physical and powerful women. For example, in FIRE the main character, Fire, is a human monster.  Monsters are creatures born in every species with extraordinary gifts. They are coveted and feared all over the land. For Fire, who makes men and women equally love and hate her with one glance, her "curse" is the ability to work her way into people's mind, making her a very powerful ally or enemy.

Both Katsa and Fire come into their own throughout the novel, discovering who they are within the confines of their gifts and who they could be outside of them. Was there anything in particular you didn't enjoy about the books? Mine is a bit minor and feels petty, but I thought the use of the word "monster" was a bit generic in FIRE. Reading sentences that spoke about a "monster mouse" and a "monster kitten" made me roll my eyes on occasion.

 J:  I thought FIRE veered a little too close to soap opera at times.  It started slowly, too, and it took a while for me to warm to (forgive the word choice) Fire, who tries so valiantly to do nothing (and therefore cause no harm).  I also agree with you about the monster mice and kittens.  They undercut the power of the term.  But none of this stopped me from rushing to read BITTERBLUE, the next book in the Graceling Realm.  You'll have to let me know what you think of that one as soon as you're done!  

M: Will do! And for our lovely readers, I actually have some copies to give away! Add your comment below for a chance to win a paperback copy of both GRACELING and FIRE. Contest ends September 28^th. So comment! Do it!!!

Comments

[Brian Lucas]

I'm very intrigued as a read for my 10-year-old daughter but the "Grace" she has for killing seems perhaps a little dark. Any thoughts about age range for this? Other similar titles you would compare to in terms of intensity? Julia isn't squeamish, but we haven't gone down the Hunger Games path... that sort of thing.

[M.Garcia]

I would say the age range is 14+ since there is mention of sex (not explicit but it's there) and violence similar to the Hunger Games.

[Isamar Mr]

I've never heard of this books, but reading this has made me put it into my ever growing list of "to read books".

[Laura Hartness]

I've really been wanting to get into this series-- thanks for the chance to win these books!

Laura Hartness
CalicoCritic at gmail dot com

[Alya Hameed]

These would be wonderful books to explore while I'm doing my MA in Children's Lit. Even better would be to get to review them and donate them to our library collection! (at SDSU)!

*crosses fingers*