Week 29 Review: Bitterblue

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

My first review of Bitterblue
My Review:
Oh, loved rereading this book! I'd forgotten most of it, especially the little details, but I had remembered her advisers had done some bad things for her dad, so pretty much every word they said was suspect, even when they were just trying to keep her busy, keep her away from the evidence of the things that they did for him, and then the things that they did to cover it up.

The first half, was the adventurous half, at least, outside of her castle, while the other half was more reflective, and reactive/active from the events that Bitterblue started/finished from the first half, but there were elements from both on either side, these were just the ones that were strongest (to me.)

I really enjoyed Bitterblue and Saf's relationship, how she pretends to be a kitchen maid baking bread, and then how he finds out the truth at his arrest, and how badly he reacts, which forces her to reconsider power, and how that works what with her Queen and rich and all!

The ending, we get to officially connect Graceling with Fire, beyond Leck, which we know connects the 2 series, but this one, we had Dellian's-Fire-in this book, which was just awesome, and I loved it, even though Saf went to the Dells to explore the uncharted waters.

All in all, loved rereading this book, I half hope, half not, for a 4th book in this universe!

Author: Kristin Cashore
Series: Graceling Realm #3
First Read: October 4th, 2012
Read: July 16th, 2014
Source: Own
Reason Why: Rereading! And it's a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2014 Book!
Publisher: Dial
Published: May 1st 2012

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars