I know you're not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but seriously. This book is GORGEOUS and you should buy it on that basis alone. But if you need more than that to convince you...
Graced with the art of killing, Katsa has been able to kill a grown man with her bare hands since she was eight. Her uncle the king uses her to keep his barons in line, but after ten years of torturing people for the king's selfish reasons, Katsa is tired of being feared. She tries to make up for what she does for her uncle by forming her Council, a group of nobles dedicated to helping people affected by the greedy kings of the Seven Kingdoms. While on a mission for the Council she meets a mysterious stranger who fights almost as well as she does. This sets off an adventure that takes Katsa and the stranger through the Seven Kingdoms. The danger is far greater than they could imagine, though, and it will take their combined Graces to survive.
I really enjoyed this book. Despite the fact that she can best anybody in battle, Katsa is never portrayed as perfect. Raised as a killing machine, Katsa has little restraint and no control over her temper - why would she reason things out with people she doesn't like if she can just intimidate them into getting her own way? Over the course of the book, though, she learns that her gift isn't what she thought it was, and that she is not just an irredeemable killing machine.
I've heard this author compared to Tamora Pierce, which is quite appropriate. Here we have a strong female main character, an intriguing mystery, solid world building, and great character development. But since this is Cashore's first novel (and Tamora Pierce is one of my favourite authors EVER, and in my eyes, very few could ever compare), she does have some room to improve. But if this is her first attempt, I'm really looking forward to her second.
Look for the softcover at the end of July and the companion book, Fire, in October.
| Categories: Reviews, Staff Pick, SciFi & Fantasy |
|
See:
Loading...
