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Graceling

Pages
480
Published
2008
Language
English

Synopsis

Katsa is a Graceling, born with the extreme skill of killing. Forced to serve as her king's thug, she longs for a different life. When she meets the mysterious Prince Po, she begins to question everything she knows about her own abilities and the secrets hidden within her land. Together, they embark on a dangerous journey that could change the fate of all seven kingdoms.

About the author

K
Kristin Cashore

Kristin Cashore grew up in a rural area of the northeast Pennsylvania, as the second of four daughters. During her childhood she read constantly. She received a bachelor's degree from Williams College and a master's from the Center for the Study of Children's Literature at Simmons College, where she worked with Liza Ketchum and was named a Virginia Haviland Scholar. She has worked as a dog runner, a packer in a candy factory, an editorial assistant, and a legal assistant. She is a freelance edu...

Characters

KatsaProtagonist
King LeckAntagonist

King of Monsea, Graced with the power to manipulate minds and warp others' perception of reality; his charming reputation masks a history of cruelty and murder.

Prince PoSupporting
Queen BitterblueSupporting

King Leck's ten-year-old daughter, immune to her father's mind-warping Grace; rescued by Katsa and Po and crowned Queen of Monsea after Leck's death.

RandaSupporting

King of the Middluns and Katsa's uncle, who exploits her killing Grace by using her as his enforcer.

All characters in Graceling

Frequently asked questions

  • Is Graceling a standalone novel or part of a series?

    Graceling is the first published book in Kristin Cashore's Graceling Realm series, followed by Fire, Bitterblue, Winterkeep, and Seasparrow. It reads as a complete story on its own — the other books share the same world but follow different characters.

  • What is a "Grace" in Graceling?

    A Grace is an extreme, often superhuman skill that some people in the Seven Kingdoms are born with, marked by having two different-colored eyes. Graces can be almost anything, from cooking to swimming — Katsa's Grace is killing.

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