The Seven Kingdoms Series

This is a series of three amazing books written by Kristin Cashore!!!  I read the first two books a few years ago and have been waiting patiently for the last 2 years for the third book of the series to be published...well that day finally came at the beginning of May.  I was so excited to read this book, but decided to re-read the first two books since it had been awhile (plus I really like them).


The first book in the series is called, "Graceling" and is about a girl named Kasta who is the niece of one of the 7 Kings.  She lives in a world where there are people called Gracelings - this means that they have some sort of super-human ability and you can tell who they are because of their two different coloured eyes.  Kasta is a graceling - her grace, killing.  She is used by her uncle from a young age to carry out his dirty work throughout his Kingdom.  The story focuses on Kasta when she is about 18 years old.  This is when she meets Price Po who is graced with hand-to-hand fighting skills.  It is with him that she finds out the truth about her own grace and the truth about one of the other kingdom's Kings.  Kasta and Po travel together and befriend Princess Bitterblue, who has her own story later on.  I can't really say too much more without giving away the entire story, but I will say there is fighting, love, loss, lies, and many incredible truths.

The second book in the series is called, "Fire" and is about a girl with the same name.  This book takes place on the other side of the mountains that the first story took place.  This place is called, The Dells and it is here that we meet Fire, the last living human "monster".  The Dells does not have gracelings, as the 7 kingdoms do, they instead have monsters - ordinary animals who are extraordinarily coloured and can take over a person's mind.  Fire is described as incredibly beautiful with hair the colour of fire.  She carefully guards her ability to control others' minds in fear that she will become the monster her father was.  When Prince Brigan brings her to the castle to help the royal family uncover a plot to destroy them, she realises that maybe she can use her ability to help them save the kingdom.  This book is quite different from the first, especially when comparing the female leads.  Kasta, fearless, strong, and unwavering, while Fire is timid, unsure of herself, but turns out to be surprisingly courageous.

The final book (well it might be - I hope not), takes place 9 years after the first book.  We are now meeting the 18 year old Queen Bitterblue.  She is still friends with Kasta and Po from the first book but, now she is facing having to deal with a kingdom she doesn't quite understand.  One who is waking up after being controlled by her horrible father for the past 35 years.  Bitterblue must learn about the horrific past her father lived in order to help the people in her kingdom live a better future.  I really enjoyed this book and was excited to see all of the characters I loved from the past two books, reemerge in this final story.

Amazing series!  Incredibly creative, thoughtful, and well planned out.  I couldn't put any of these books down and know I will re-read all of them again in the future!