Bitterblue by Kristen Cashore Review

Reading Level: Young Adult
Publisher: Dial
Source: Conference
Third book in the Graceling Relm series
The long-awaited companion to New York Times bestsellers Graceling and Fire
Eight years after Graceling, Bitterblue is now queen of Monsea. But the influence of her father, a violent psychopath with mind-altering abilities, lives on. Her advisors, who have run things since Leck died, believe in a forward-thinking plan: Pardon all who committed terrible acts under Leck's reign, and forget anything bad ever happened. But when Bitterblue begins sneaking outside the castle--disguised and alone--to walk the streets of her own city, she starts realizing that the kingdom has been under the thirty-five-year spell of a madman, and the only way to move forward is to revisit the past.
Two thieves, who only 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, with an extreme skill called a Grace that he hasn't yet identified, holds a key to her heart.

Review
As soon as I finished Graceling I wanted to read this. I loved Bitterblue in Graceling. I was so excited to read her story. I also had high hopes I would see some of my favorite characters from Graceling, which happened. As of now Kristen Cashore can do no wrong in my mind. I can't wait to see what else she comes up with.

Bitterblue has grown so much. She surprised me. She made a very good queen. I loved how much she cared. I also loved how determined she was. She never gave up, she was determined to be the best queen she could be. I have a feeling her story isn't over and I hope we get to see more of her in the future. I really liked Saf. I liked that there was two sides to him. I liked how he played a big part in the story. I wish him and Bitterblue had more cuteness but the story worked out better without it. I loved that Saf somewhat resembled Po because I adored Po. Let me just say that I loved that Katsa, Po, and Gideon played such a big part. If I ever miss those characters I know I can read about them in this too. I also loved the secondary characters and how wide variety they were.

This had an amazing storyline. The action, mystery, and suspense was fantastic. This was impossible to put down. The setting was awesome. It really showed the differences in the realms. It showed being a queen isn't easy. It showed that just because you love someone that doesn't mean you can be together. And it showed some awesome graces. Everything was so well done. I might even like this one better than Graceling. That's saying something because I loved Graceling. Overall this was an amazing read. I loved it with all my heart. I can't wait to read Fire. If you haven't read this one you need too. I highly recommend.