So, awhile ago I finished reading Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore. So, what did I think? First off, I love both of Kristin Cashore's previous two books Graceling and Fire. So, it wasn't that hard for me to fall in love with Bitterblue as well. The story is a direct sequel to Graceling and a companion novel to Fire, and characters from both novels enter into this one.
I am always sad after the final pages of Kristin Cashore's books, mainly because I wish they were longer, even though they are at a length of over 500 pages. Her writing is simply beautiful. She weaves a tapestry with words, bringing to life characters that you yourself wish you were friends with. Well, at least some of them. If you read the book, there is this fellow by the name of Danzhol, who is well, graced in an unappealing way. But with characters like Bitterblue, Katsa, Po, and Giddon. You'll enjoy the journey that Kristen Cashore takes you on.
There is one thing about Kristin Cashore's books that I will mention. Even though I love her books, her stories are always accompanied with a handful of slower moments. BUT these are times she uses wisely to build her characters and entwine layers into her plot. She is meticulous with her pacing. She expertly keeps you captivated with intense plotting, crisp and at times humorous dialogue, and colorful and very well-developed characters. Her endings can be anti-climatic to some. But when you really think about it. How else can they really end? She always has the perfect ending for her stories. It's not the one Hollywood would come up with, but it's the right one for the world of her stories. Desperate, intense, and thoughtful.
I highly recommend everyone to pick up a copy of her books. Kristin Cashore is a skilled storyteller that knows when to slow down the pace to allow the characters to grow, and then how to rapidly speed it up, sending her characters on a collision course with danger. If I were to compare her stories to anything. I would compare it to a roller-coaster. At the beginning of the ride, you start that steep climb and you get this nervous feeling inside, you hear the clicking sounds and you just keep getting higher into the air (intensity is building), and then there is a pause (and you're like this is it), and that's when the ride really starts. You slice through the air at incredible speeds, you're sent through jarring turns, you scream through loops, and the end of the ride always comes a bit too soon. But only because you had so much fun. Her books will delight you. Fascinate you. And if they captivate you like they mesmerize me . . . then the next book you read after hers . . . has a tough act to follow.
I can't wait for Kristin Cashore's next book!!!
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