After a couple of years of wondering whether or not there really was going to be a third book, we finally have our answer. Like many of you, we had to re-read Graceling and Fire to refresh our memory.
It's eight years after Graceling, and Bitterblue is now queen of Monsea. She struggles with her father's lingering influence and must find a way to work with her advisers. But from the beginning there is conflict. In order to move ahead, they would like to forgive and forget all of the bad things that happened. Trouble is, the damage inflicted upon the kingdom and it's people is unforgivable. In an attempt to escape the daily paperwork as the new queen, Bitterblue makes secret journeys into the village disguised as a peasant. While there, she meets two young thieves who, without realizing she is their queen, educate her on the realities of life in her kingdom- and it's not a pretty picture. Furthermore, damage continues to be done by those Bitterblue is trusting to fix the problems.
We don't want to give you much more of a summary, simply because it is the political intrigue that moves the plot. We can tell you that as usual, Kristen Cashore maintains her ability to provide a well written story. We really like that Bitterblue focuses on the aftermath of Leck's reign and her attempts to put the kingdom back together.
We didn't give it an 'A' simply because of the numerous sub-plots and somewhat sluggish pace. Die-hard Graceling fans may be a bit disappointed by the lack of action. It's still worth reading, particularly if you have been waiting for so long like we have.
Next up: The Fault in our Stars- June 1st
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