But the influence of her father, a violent psychopath with mind-altering abilities, lives on. Her advisers, who have run the country on her behalf since Leck’s death, believe in a forward-thinking plan: to pardon all of those who committed terrible acts during Leck’s reign; and to forget every dark event that ever happened. Monsea’s past has become shrouded in mystery, and it’s only when Bitterblue begins sneaking out of her castle – curious, disguised and alone – to walk the streets of her own city, that she begins to realise the truth. Her kingdom has been under the thirty-five-year long spell of a madman, and now their only chance to move forward is to revisit the past.
Whatever that past holds.
Two thieves, who have sworn only to steal what has already been stolen, change her life forever. They hold a key to the truth of Leck’s reign. And one of them, who possesses an unidentified Grace, may also hold a key to her heart . . .”
Bitterblue was written with a slightly different style than Fire and Graceling. Graceling was very simplistic and I found myself charmed by Katsa and Po immediatly and I absolutely loved their romance.
Fire was a bit more complex and took a little more time in explaining some events and a little less time in others so it was paced in a different fashion.
Butterblue was, in my opinion, the most complex book in the series with the ciphers and all the mysteries involving Bitterblue’s advisor’s and their efforts to begin again.
Overall it was a wonderful book that involved our beloved Katsa, Po, Giddon, Raffin, Bitterblue, etc. There were various subplots – sometimes you couldn’t tell the difference fron the plot and the subplot but it made for a great read all the same.
“I was testing the impact of a bean upon water,” Bann said.
“That’s not even a real thing.”
“Perhaps I’ll test the impact of a bean upon your beautiful white shirt.”
“Maybe I should rearrange your face, Raff,” said Katsa.
“I should like smaller ears,” Raffin offered.
“Prince Raffin has nice, handsome ears,” Helda said, not looking up from her knitting. “As will his children. Your children will have no ears at all, My Lady,” she said sternly to Katsa.
Katsa stared back at her, flabbergasted.
“I believe it’s more that her ears won’t have children,” began Raffin, “which, you’ll agree, sounds much less—”
-‘Then why are you writing them in a book?’
-‘To catch them between the pages,’ said Teddy, ‘and trap them before they disappear.’
-‘If they’re dangerous, why not let them disappear?’
-‘Because when truths disappear, they leave behind blank spaces, and that is also dangerous.”
Blue Eye Books 