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Plot
The novel begins with Katsa, the main character of the novel, breaking into a dungeon with two friends to rescue an old man, who is also a member of the royal family of an island called Liened. In freeing this member of the royal family of Liened, Katsa shows extraordinary fighting ability, by overpowering a group of guards. She easily bests an accomplished fighter, who, rather than killing, she allows to live.The novel shows that as well that these fighters, and Katsa, have “Graces.” These are special abilities bestowed among individuals in the world, and Katsa’s happens to be killing (we learn later that it may be something different). However, Graces can range from anything from being able to predict the weather accurately, which is useful, to being able to climb very tall trees, which is not as useful. As well, Gracelings normally have two different color eyes. For example, one of Katsa’s eyes is green and the other is blue.Also the novel showed that in these first few chapters that Katsa developed her Graceling after accidently killing her step cousin, who was touching her in an inappropriate way. This happened when she was 8. Since then, she has been trained in how to wield various weapons, and most of all, how to kill.As the story progresses, we see that Katsa, who is basically her uncle’s (King Randa) thug, begins to become disillusioned with the work she is carrying out, which includes assassinations and tortures. In fact, she goes as far as to create The Council, a group dedicated to doing good through the Seven Kingdoms, the world she lives in. However, she continues to go on mission for her uncle, the King.Continuing on, the novel showed that that the experienced fighter Katsa spared at the beginning of the novel is actually a Prince in his own right, and that this Prince was actually the grandson of the old man Katsa rescued earlier. Katsa establishes a friendship with the Prince, whose name is Greening Grandemalion, but likes to be called Po. It is also learned through Katsa’s budding relationship with Po that, although she is an independent and strong-willed young woman, she can also be brash and impulsive, often using violence to get her point across. This is particularly prevalent in one scene in which she strikes Po across the face after he disagrees with her and an argument develops. Following this, Katsa begins to reflect on her actions, re-thinking her upcoming mission to torture an innocent Lord for her King, who wants him tortured because the man would not give up his daughter for marriage when the King asked. She refuses to go on this mission, and is called to King Randa’s court for disobeying orders. Given the option to die or be exiled, she leaves with Po.

Due to traveling with Po, Katsa realizes that her grace is not killing, but survival. Following this discovery and the knowledge about Leck, Po and Katsa travel to Monsea. When they arrive they witness the murder of King Leck’s wife. Leck being the one who murdered her. Everyone except Po fell under the spell of the king, because of Po’s grace he can see through Leck’s lie. He and Katsa are spotted by Leck and are forced to flee. Katsa and Po decide to go looking for Bitterblue, the queen’s daughter who also knows of Leck’s grace. After following a stream for awhile, they find the girl hiding in a log. Soon after locating Bitterblue, a swarm of guards attack them. Katsa and Po fight them off and escape the King’s radar at the moment. Po goes back to attempt to assassinate the king because the King cannot control Po with his mind. He returns heavily wounded and his horse dead. they flee the wrath of the king but along their journey Po requests that they leave him behind. They leave him at a shack with a stream nearby. Katsa even built him a fish trap so that he would have food. As Katsa and Bitterblue leave, Po gives Katsa a ring with the same markings on it that are tattooed around his arms. He tells her that if she wanted to be safe in Lienid then she needs to have that ring. After that Katsa and Bitterblue flee on only one horse, constantly running from Leck, until Katsa has an idea to go through Grella’s pass, A path through the mountain that no one has crossed alive, not even the person who discovered it. Despite the odds Katsa and Bitterblue travel through Grella’s pass. It takes them two weeks. They get to the other side of the mountain to Sunder alive. After that the pair go down to the Sunder harbor and look for passage to Lienid. They get aboard a ship with a female captain who has the Grace to predict the weather. When they show them the ring the crew attack Katsa because they think she stole it, after explaining the circumstances Katsa learns that the meaning of the ring is that whom ever possess it is of royalty. Meaning Po’s castle is now Katsa’s castle. When Bitterblue and Katsa arrive in Lienid and go to Po’s castle they discover that Leck had already arrived and had tricked Po’s whole family into coming. Katsa falls under Leck’s spell but Bitterblue does not. Right when Leck is about to reveal Po’s grace however, Katsa snaps out of her daze and promptly kills Leck. After the initial shock of Leck’s death Po’s family learns of Leck’s evil intentions. Later they go back to Monsea to look for Po. They find him still hiding in the same place. He seems unharmed but Katsa later finds out that he is blind and is relying purely on his grace to see.

Charaters
Katsa a fierce and determined girl, has one green eye and one blue eye, which means that she has a grace. Katsa’s grace is survival, she doesn't tire easily or feel a lot of pain, she is also a very good hunter, which is why people thought her grace was killing at first.

Po is a Lienid price. He becomes good friends and later lover of Katsa. His eyes are gold and silver and his grace is to be able to read peoples mind but only when they are thinking about him, he can also sense where people are.

Bitterblue is King Leck’s daughter. She becomes queen after Katsa kills Leck. King Leck is the King of Monsea until he is killed by Katsa, he has a grace that somehow confuses you and can make you believe anything he says.

Randa is the king of Middluns. He forced Katsa to do his dirty work until she rebelled against him.

Raffin, Son of King Randa of Middluns, Raffin was into science. He made many medicines, like a remedy for headaches that turned his blonde hair blue. Raffin and Katsa were best friends, and cousins. Everyone expects him to be a greater king than his father.

Giddon A lord of Middluns. Before, he would set out, going with Katsa and Oll to do what Kind Randa wished, to go with Rand's Lady Killer. He was sarcastic and rude. He voiced his opinion always, until he was silenced by Katsa's refusal to marry him. After that, he leaves the story.

Captain Faun is a graced captain who can predict the weather.

Oll  Randa's captain and spymaster.

Ror King of Lienid,and Po's father.

Skye The sixth son of Ror and Po's brother

Major Themes
Graceling addresses the issues of female roles, bravery and self preservation. “abilities for both good and evil” Is another common theme in the novel.[spanish books for youth] One of the many themes that are in the novel is “figure[ing] out [your] true identity.”[nick name here].

Style
The novel shows different genres into one book, “there is a bit of mystery, a bit of humer, a bit of romance, some internal conflict and fantasy.” [chen]

Publication History
Graceling has a spanish version ,translated by Mila Lopez Diaz-Guerra and published in 2009.

Reception
Graceling was highly recommended for young female teens and “it should appeal to fans of recent girl-power urban fantasies”.[Gross]. The novel showed “the author has created a fresh fantasy” appeals to young readers.[Bergin]. Also the “novel’s achievements lies in its broad appeal.”[Publisher’s weekly]. The novel “puts an excellent storyline,” and has “awesome descriptions and too much detail.”[Chen]. Readers sees the main character Katsa as a ‘strong heroine,” and “no way resembles the wonder women clone.”[Christin Crem]. Readers also think that Katsa “was the best character met in a manuscript in a long time.”[Sue Corbett].

Awards and nominations
Graceling was nominated for several awards. Graceling won five french literary prizes and the Mythopoetic Fantasy award for Children’s literature in 2009.

Adaption
Graceling was adapted into an audiobook and released by full cast in 2009.

TEMPLATE 2: JOURNAL/MAGAZINE

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