4-1-09 Graceling by Kristen Cashore - Fiction

5 - Cashore writes a tense and enjoyable fantasy. In her world some people are born Graced; they excel in one discipline. There are cooks, singers, swimmers, and soldiers. Some have more unusual graces. All graced children are sent to the king of their country to be evaluated. If their grace is useful to the king they join the king's court. If not, they are sent home. Katsa's grace is killing. She is the heavy for her king. But she wants her life to mean more than being a thug. She begins to see a way out when she meets Po, a visiting prince from a nearby country who is also graced with fighting. Wonderfully written, Graceling is an engaging fantasy. I look forward to more from this author.