After being upset with Kristin Cashore after Graceling; that her next novel, Fire, was just a companion book and not a sequel, I refused to buy and read Fire. I would scowl at it when I'd see it in book stores, with it's beautiful cover art and striking name. I would pull out the hardcover book and read the synopsis of it and scowl and put it back, remembering it was only a companion book. Who was this Fire, and what did she have to do with Katsa? Nothing actually, except that she was the first to...well...never mind. I finally did give in to buying and reading Fire, as you can tell since I am writing a review on it now. LOL. What pushed me over was finding it finally in paper back and another blogger/review which got me to wanting to read it.
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She has been hidden away. Now she is choosing to use her power.
It is not a peaceful time in the Dells. Young King Nash clings to the throne, while rebel lords, in the north and south, build armies to unseat him. War is coming. The mountains and forests are filled with spies and thieves.
This is where Fire lives, a girl whose startling appearance is impossibly irresistible and who can control the minds of everyone around her.
Everyone... except Prince Brigan.
I apologize to Kristin Cashore for doubting her so. Fire was an AMAZING read, just as Graceling was. Cashore introduces us to a new area, new characters, new warring people but these new things border the known. With an main female character that is so easy to love and connect to as a reader, Kristin Cashore definitely deserves a hug. LOL. She is easily one of my most favorite authors now. At 461 pages long, it took me way too long to read this, and I mean as in the time I wasted refusing to read it. LOL. It took me only 2 days to actually read this amazing tale. Thank you Kristin Cashore for another amazing read. xoxoxoxoxo 5/5 Stars!!!
In all the Seven Kingdoms no is feared or revered as much as Gracelings -- individuals who are born with an innate talent to do something extremely well, be it to sing perfectly, outrun a horse, or even to read minds. Gracelings are immediately discerned by their different colored eyes, often to their disadvantage since most people distrust and even dislike them. Katsa is born with one green and one blue eye but has no idea what her grace is until after her seventh birthday, when she accidentally killed a man. With the unlikely grace of killing Katsa is turned into her uncle's (King Randa) personal thug and enforcer - sending Katsa off on missions to 'punish' his vassals through pain, torture or even death. For herself, Katsa views her grace as a burden -- more often than not seeing herself as a monster. That is until she begins planning and executing her own secret missions with the help of her friends to combat the oppressive reigns of various rulers. One such mission to rescue the kidnapped grandfather of another ruler doesn't go exactly as planned when Katsa encounters another Graceling almost as talented in fighting as she is. A Graceling who will challenge every belief Katsa holds about the world around her and herself.
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