Bitterblue
by Kristen Cashore
I
fell in love with the fantasy writing of Kristin Cashore with her debut novel
Graceling and was equally pleased with her second novel Fire. When I had the opportunity to meet her
at a local book signing shortly after this year’s release of Bitterblue, I
couldn’t resist. It was fascinating
listening to Kristen speak about her writing process. She still writes all of her novels by hand in notebooks
which she later dictates into a computer.
Even her revisions are done in her written notebooks. Her handwriting is beautiful!
If
you haven’t read these wonderful fantasy novels, Gracelings are humans who have
special talents, called Graces, and they are marked by birth with two different
colored eyes. As they grow older,
the Grace begins to emerge.
Sometimes it is apparently obvious to those around him or her, and
sometimes it is not. It can be
anything from incredible skill at fighting to reading minds.
Kristen
Cashore’s latest novel opens up with Bitterblue as the Queen of Monsea after
the death of her father, King Leck, who had the Grace of being able to alter
minds. Most Graces seem to be put
to use for good, but Leck was violent and committed horrible psychopathic acts
with his Grace. Bitterblue begins
sneaking out of the castle at night to try and uncover the past that her insane
father made everyone forget and in the process befriends two thieves who are
stealing back things stolen in the past.
Just
like her other two novels, Cashore brings us another strong female heroine as
well as reintroducing a few characters from past novels. There is never a dull moment in the
world she is building and as always, she leaves us sitting on our seats waiting
for the next installment.
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