Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Bitterblue is a sequel to Graceling, but not to Fire . It does take place about 8 years later in the Graceling timeline. You really need to read the one before the other. There are just too many relationships and interconnections that begin in the first one and continue in the second that for you not to have read the first you will have missed out on quite a lot.

Now, having said all of that, and being a school librarian, let me state that this book is definitely for grades 9 and up. It is a fantasy book, but it is a dark fantasy and there are some very serious subjects covered (rape, murder, cutting, mind control) and while these are not graphically detailed, it does make for some   creepy diary entries. There is a love scene between the main character and one of her male interests (I won't spoil it by saying who), but it is off the page and circumspect.[ creepy diary entries. There is a love scene between the main character and one of her male interests (I won't spoil it by saying who), but it is off the page and circumspect.

I found myself carrying the book from room to room and really being fascinated by the plot. However, I just couldn't see how it was all going to tie up. It does, but it seems to take an inordinately long time for it to happen. And Bitterblue seems to take a long time coming to realize that the mountains of paperwork are delaying tactics and she should be suspicious. So, while I loved the characterization of Bitterblue and her new friends she finds in the city and the returning friends from Graceling, I was frustrated by the convoluted nature of the plot. Some characters were lovely: Giddon and I love Death (pronounced like teeth) and Lovejoy. The setting of the town was great and you get a real sense of the castle and how Leck has really destroyed this city and her people.

It's a fascinating book. Really and truly. I enjoyed reading it. But I was also a bit let down at the ending. I'm not sure what happens next and that left me with an unresolved feeling.

I thought Graceling was tied up more neatly. This one meandered a bit. As my review is doing.... (hide spoiler)]

I found myself carrying the book from room to room and really being fascinated by the plot. However, I just couldn't see how it was all going to tie up. It does, but it seems to take an inordinately long time for it to happen. And Bitterblue seems to take a long time coming to realize that the mountains of paperwork are delaying tactics and she should be suspicious. So, while I loved the characterization of Bitterblue and her new friends she finds in the city and the returning friends from Graceling, I was frustrated by the convoluted nature of the plot. Some characters were lovely: Giddon and I love Death (pronounced like teeth) and Lovejoy. The setting of the town was great and you get a real sense of the castle and how Leck has really destroyed this city and her people.

It's a fascinating book. Really and truly. I enjoyed reading it. But I was also a bit let down at the ending. I'm not sure what happens next and that left me with an unresolved feeling.

I thought Graceling was tied up more neatly. This one meandered a bit. As my review is doing....

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