Thursday, July 5, 2012

Bitterblue by Kristin Cahore

Title: Bitterblue
Author: Kristin Cahore
Reviewed by: Rafia
Rating: four glass slippers
Summary from Goodreads: 

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.


Being the fantasy nut I am, I was very excited for Bitterblue. I really liked Graceling and Fire and this was a book I was looking forward to. It wasn't light reading and it did take sometime to process, but I'm thoroughly satisfied.The cover is beautiful and I really liked the idea of this story.

The Protagonist
I love all the characters in this book but Bitterblue herself was my favorite by far. We saw some of her story in Graceling and I was really interested. She comes from a hard life and she really has to work hard and step up as queen, which I admired. She is independent and strong and I was cheering her on the entire time. She had some hard decisions to make and I love that she didn't have a Grace. Bitterblue was just a great character in general.

The Adventure 
To me, this book was so deep and heavy (I don't know how else to put it), it reminded me of really rich food you eat at a restaurant. The food is amazing but you have to eat it slowly and savor every bite. I had to do the same with this book because of its rich detail and storyline. I normally prefer light reads but if I come across a book or series that really interests me, I will put up with the “heaviness” of it.

Romance
I loved it. Swoon! Saf is a deep and wonderful character and I have to say, I’m a sucker for violet eyes! Kristin Cahore really made a unique romance that was in balance with the plot but at the same time so sad and beautiful! I loved watching Bitterblue and Saf fall in love and all the trials that come with that…I just loved it. There is so much that is unsaid between them but it just makes it more amazing! The romance wasn’t a huge part of the book, but it was definitely enough to leave me satisfied.
Overall, Bitterblue was an amazing book and I have to say, I liked it more than Graceling and Fire. Kristin Cahore has amazing books that can be brought into a series or read as stand-alone novels. I can’t wait to see what else she’s going to publish because she is an amazing author. Bitterblue was a nice break from all the paranormal books that are so popular now and I would recommend it to any ready for a challenge like this!

Until next time!
Rafia

No comments:

Post a Comment