Katsa is Graced (talented) with Killing. She’s very good at it, and her uncle King Randa takes advantage of that fact and has her deal with people who have angered him, disobeyed him, etc. Katsa hates what she is and what she does. She hates how most people won’t even look into her mismatched eyes. If it wasn’t for her few friends, and the council she started to right wrongs, how could she keep on?
Thanks, Laura M., for turning me on to Graceling (Harcourt 2008) by Kristin Cashore. I hope this well-written fantasy becomes a classic. It’s another book that I’ll be rereading.
In October this debut author has another book coming out–I can hardly wait! Check out her website for more details on the upcoming Fire and to learn more about this talented (or should I say “graced”) lady. The title of her blog/website is: This is My Secret.
Tag: fantasy
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Yes, of course I read HP7…
NO SPOILERS
I picked the book up on Saturday morning and due to grandchildren present didn’t finish till Monday about 4 pm. Some stuff in the book annoyed me and other things amazed me, when I thought, she had to have all this planned when she wrote book one. My two guesses on which main characters would die: well, one I was absolutely correct and the other I was wrong. I don’t think the epilogue was necessary, but since it was there, there were some other questions I wished it had answered. There was a place where I wish the characters (at least Harry, Ron and Hermione) had responded to the unexpected appearance of an object, which will remain unnamed so as not to spoil anything for anyone. But overall, I enjoyed it.
I also recently watched movie 5 and liked it. I try not to compare books and movies too closely so as not to be too disappointed by differences. I’ll definitely be watching for Harry Potter 6 & 7 to come out in the theater.
Beka Cooper, Terrier
I’ve been a Tamora Pierce fan ever since I found the Wild Magic series. Went from those to the Magic Circle books then to the Keladry, Protector of the Small quartet. Later, read the first books written by Tamora about Alanna and was surprised to see how much her writing had grown. (It also gave me hope for my own writing!) Next I read the Trickster stories.
But her latest, Beka Cooper, Terrier, is now my absolute favorite.
I love this character!
Beka Cooper’s a “puppy,” a rookie, with the Provost’s Guard and has been assigned to work the Lower City with famed veterans. Beka has a problem though. She can hardly look at anyone when she speaks. How is she going to do her reports to her “Dogs” when she can’t even look at them?
Beka’s story is set 100s of years before the other Tortall stories in a very real world. It has a slang and figures of speech all its own that are yet very understandable. As I warned my husband, don’t start unless you have a lot of time to read it! But, like myself, he didn’t heed the warning and ended up staying up way too late to finish the book.
Two things I’m definitely looking forward to:
- the next book in the series, which doesn’t come out until October ’08
and
- hearing Tamora Pierce speak at the LA SCBWI Conference this coming August!
Read about the author at: http://www.tamora-pierce.com/