Happy Monday, Readers!

Grad school, work, and writing have been warring for my attention, so I’m going to keep this intro brief. I read another book!

This time I read Graceling: The Graphic Novel by Kristin Cashore.

I actually have the paperback version of this graphic novel on my shelves at home, but I can blaze through graphic novels faster, so for the sake of time I decided to try out this medium first.

On to the review!

Blurb

The beloved New York Times bestselling YA fantasy by Kristin Cashore is now available as a graphic novel, with stunning illustrations by award-winning artist Gareth Hinds. Katsa is a Graceling, one of the rare people born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she lived a life of privilege until the day her ability to kill a man with her bare hands revealed itself during a royal banquet. Now she acts as her uncle’s enforcer, traveling the kingdom and threatening those who dare oppose him. But everything changes when she meets Po, a foreign prince Graced with combat skills who is searching for the truth about his grandfather’s disappearance. When Katsa agrees to help him, she never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace—or about a terrible secret that could destroy them all. With “gorgeous storytelling” ( School Library Journal , starred review) and characters “crafted with meticulous devotion” ( Kirkus , starred review), Graceling is a beloved classic that has continued to resonate with readers for over a decade.

GoodReads

Amazon

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The Review

Katsa is a Graceling, an individual born with special abillities. For years, she has been a tool of her uncle King Randa’s cruel rule, enforcing edicts upon punishment of death, a specialty of hers. But when she meets a man named Po, her world changes. She no longer wants to be a tool under an ungrateful king. She wants to help others, and as she makes an impossible choice to walk away from her past, she embarks on a quest to right the wrongs in a land where the powerful get what they want, no matter the cost.

What a fun fantasy adventure this graphic novel was!

Katsa was a great main character with redeeming qualities. She was raised to be a killer, but her heart’s not in the work and she wants a better life for herself and others. I found her to be intelligent, courageous, and sometimes emotional, but overall a person others could look up to who can’t fight for themselves. Po was great too. He’s kind with a heart of gold, and there was an instant connection with him and Katsa. A romance blossoms between these two characters, and given their Graces (abilities), it made a lot of sense that they would be able to relate to each other on a much deeper level.

I did like the realistic artwork, but I wasn’t exactly wowed by it. The pages were all colored in muted tones, which was an interesting choice in such an engaging world.

The idea of Graces was compelling and more complicated than it seems on the surface. Katsa has always assumed her Grace was the ability to kill people, but it’s more than that. Po’s Grace is similarly complex, and I liked figuring them out as I went along.

The plot was a lot of fun, filled with adventure, mystery, and danger at every turn. There were always more questions I wanted answered, and by the end I was really pleased with how this turned out.

If you are wanting a fast-paced frolic in fantasy, definitely try this one out!

That’s A Wrap!

Well that’s it for this graphic novel review. I hope you enjoyed it!

Have you read this graphic novel? Are there similar ones you’ve read that you simply have to gush about? Feel free to leave a comment. I’d love to start a conversation!

Have a great day!

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