β Scribed by Kristin Cashore; Ian Schoenherr
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
The long-awaited companion to New York Times bestsellers Graceling and Fire
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.
This rich and poignant fantasy grapples with the messy aftermath of destroying an evil overlord. Gorgeous, textured prose is filled with images of strange beauty and restrained horror. It propels an intricate narrative dense with subplots and rich in characters familiar and new. Weaving them together are all the lies: conspiracies and ciphers, fakes and false testimony, spies and thieves, disguises and deceptions, mazes and puzzles. They are lies spun from greed, shame, strategy, fear, duty - even kindness. And it is Bitterblue who, trapped in this net of deceit, must draw upon all her courage, cleverness and ferocious compassion to reveal the truth-and to care for those it shatters. Devastating and heartbreaking, this will be a disappointment for readers looking for a conventional happy ending. But those willing to take the risk will - like Bitterblue - achieve something even more precious: a hopeful beginning. Kirkus 20120301
"Some authors can tell a good story; some can write well. Cashore is one of the rare novelists who do both. Thrillingly imagined and beautifully executed, "Bitterblue" stands as a splendid contribution in long literary tradition."
(New York Times Book Review )
"A story that transcends the genre with its emotional and philosophical weight."
(BCCB (starred review) )
"Devastating and heartbreaking...those willing to take the risk will--like Bitterblue--achieve something even more precious: a hopeful beginning."
(Kirkus Reviews (starred review) )
"Cashore's imagined world is brilliantly detailed and brimming with vibrant and dynamic characters."
(School Library Journal (starred review) )
"Fans of...intricate political fantasies will relish this novel of palace intrigue."
(Publishers Weekly (starred review) )
π SIMILAR VOLUMES
**Enter the Graceling Realm and let it work its magic . . .** When Queen Bitterblue took the throne of Monsea, she was a child, and her advisers ran the kngdom for her. Now she is beginning to question their decisions, especially how they handle the legacy of her father Leck, who who ruled th
Ocho aΓ±os despuΓ©s de que la conociΓ©ramos en Graceling, nos reencontramos con Gravilla, ahora convertida en la reina Bitterblue de Monmar. Bitterblue es una monarca misericordiosa, pero no puede librarse de la influencia nefasta que su padre tuvo en ella en la infancia. Leck poseΓa la habilidad de al
Sono passati 8 anni da quando la principessa Bitterblue e il suo popolo sono stati salvati dai piani diabolici di suo padre Leck. Ora il regno Γ¨ in pace, anche se il ricordo dell'ex sovrano, psicopatico e violento, Γ¨ ancora vivo. Curiosa di conoscere cosa accade oltre le mura del castello, Bitterblu
Ocho aΓ±os despuΓ©s de que la conociΓ©ramos en Graceling, nos reencontramos con Gravilla, ahora convertida en la reina Bitterblue de Monmar. Bitterblue es una monarca misericordiosa, pero no puede librarse de la influencia nefasta que su padre tuvo en ella en la infancia. Leck poseΓa la habilidad de
Eighteen-year-old Bitterblue, queen of Monsea, realizes her heavy responsibility and the futility of relying on advisors who surround her with lies as she tries to help her people to heal from the thirty-five-year spell cast by her father, a violent psychopath with mind-altering abilities.