{Review} of Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore

Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

GENRE: YA Fantasy
THEME: Magic
RECEIVED: Swap
AUTHORS BLOG: Kristin Cashore's Blog


BLURB:

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.

REVIEW:
I couldn’t wait to step back into the world that Kristin Cashore created with Graceling. Bitterblue brought back all the characters from Fire and Graceling, showing what they have done in their lives and continue to do. This was definitely a heavy read but I was so immersed by my favorite characters and new that I finished it in one sitting.

Bitterblue is back and it’s been eight years since we last saw her. She has taken her cruel fathers position and is now queen of Monsea. Sadly she is trying to put back her kingdom after King Lecks mind altering power hit a toll on her people. Bitterblue didn’t realize the major effect her father had and has to dig into the past and open old wounds to help not only herself but also the people closest to her. With the help of two boys and one whom she feels a strong connection with she’ll uncover the truths behind her father horrible past.

Bitterblue is all grown up and sadly very unaware of the effects of her father on not only her but also her people. I felt sorry for her on how clueless she had been, her father was more than just evil and his cruelty is really shown in this book. What I loved most is she was still very youthful and wanted to be free at points from the confinement of the castle. Her relationship with Po and Katsa was so refreshing and they gave her a lot of confidence and strength, even when she made mistakes.

Besides bringing back Katsa and Po, which we got a little more in depth with their relationship, love and how they deal with Po’s blindness, we get some great new characters. Teddy and Saf, both steal but only from those who have stolen so that they can give back to the owners. Saf is special, he’s mysterious and prideful, but he opens up to Bitterblue and begins an interesting relationship. I enjoyed the bit of romance and chemistry but in the end I felt something was missing. I can only hope that maybe in the future Cashore will go back to these characters and find out what happens next.

Overall I enjoyed getting back into this world. The highlight was how Cashore brought in Fire from her other novel and tied her appearance in perfectly. The ending was lacking and felt unfinished, I wasn’t really pleased with how each character was left at a sad note, not depressing just I wasn’t as happy for each of them as I wanted to be. Once you read Bitterblue you’ll understand my meaning. I feel that if you enjoyed Graceling and Fire, Bitterblue is a must read to see how your favorite characters develop.

RECOMMENDATION:
This is a young adult novel; fans of Maria V Snyder’s Study series and Rae Carson’s Fire and Thorn series will love the world created by Kristin Cashore in Bitterblue.

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