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bitterblue,cashore,fantasy,fire,graceling,young ault
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bitterblue,cashore,fantasy,fire,graceling,young ault
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Graceling and Fire
Fire is about a young lady named Fire, a human Monster who is unbelievably beautiful and can control the minds of others. Sounds great right? Except Kashore takes this a step further and uses Fire to epitomize everything that makes being a female so confusing and difficult (especially for teens). Fire's beauty is also her curse as it makes people desire her in ways that are not always safe. Using her powers is a violation so deep, taking anthers mind away, Fire is loathe to contemplate it. However it is also her sole defense. Living in Fire's story really forces you to grapple with the complex puzzle that is female-ness, magnified to enth degree in the personage of Fire. There's a whole lot of other plot things going on, but I won't give them away because I know the author hates that. (Although by now I am sure wikipedia all ready has a page detailing the entire plot. Don't read it. Don't ruin it for yourself). Instead here's the sanctioned summary from the publisher:"She is the last of her kind...
It is not a peaceful time in the Dells. In King City, the young King Nash is clinging to the throne, while rebel lords in the north and south build armies to unseat him. War is coming. And the mountains and forest are filled with spies and thieves. This is where Fire lives, a girl whose beauty is impossibly irresistible and who can control the minds of everyone around her."
Fire is actually a stand alone prequel to Cashore's first book, Graceling:
"Kristin Cashore’s best-selling, award-winning fantasy Graceling
tells the story of the vulnerable yet strong Katsa, a smart, beautiful
teenager who lives in a world where selected people are given a Grace, a
special talent that can be anything from dancing to swimming. Katsa’s
is killing. As the king’s niece, she is forced to use her extreme skills
as his thug. Along the way, Katsa must learn to decipher the true
nature of her Grace . . . and how to put it to good use. A thrilling,
action-packed fantasy adventure (and steamy romance!) that will resonate
deeply with adolescents trying to find their way in the world."
Graceling is a gentler book than Fire and also less subtle in some ways. It felt more high adventure and less think-y to me. I loved it. I also loved the way Cashore does not string you along like other young adult writers. You definitely feel like you want more - as you should at the end of any good book. However you are not left right in the middle of some insane cliffhanger forced to keep buying a string of books as they come out, with no end in sight. and the story suffering for it. There is a sequel, Bitterblue, planned to come out this year, but the main protagonsit is NOT the protagonist from Graceling. You can read Fire and Graceling on their own without ever needing to read the other. The same is said to go for Bitterblue. This is a service to the readers, possibly at the cost of a few sales, and I thank her for it.
Cashore is a writer I feel is better suited for older teens and adults, I would not give these books to a middle schooler. I would give them to any adult.
And now that you've read this long post you get rewarded with the other half of the reason I started reading Young adult novels again, I've got my writers itch back. I'm reading them to study them, because reading is one of the best ways to learn about writing. I've got my first chapter down and I'm a little stalled on the second. THAT I can blame on the baby.
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