Summary:
The third an final book of the Graceling Realm series serves as a sequel to the first book, and manages to tie up most of the loose ends scattered throughout the first and second books. Bitterblue follows Bitterblue as she struggles to reform the broken kingdom left by her father's reign of terror. As she tries to learn more about her kingdom, she begins to realize that Leck, though dead, is still stirring up trouble, and that in order for her kingdom to heal, she must get to the bottom of a mysterious suppression of knowledge.
What I liked:
It was interesting to learn more about Bitterblue. Throughout the story, she deals with the same problem that Fire dealt with; the problems caused by their dead fathers. Though unlike Katsa and Fire, Bitterblue does not have a special ability or power to help her. Bitterblue's character was enjoyable, although I don't think there was anything that stood out in particular, like Katsa's short-temper.
I liked that Kristin had a different approach for this book, and it also ended up being my favourite in the series. Since Bitterblue didn't have a special power like Katsa and Fire, this book barely had any action at all/ There was also much less romance in this book. Instead of these things, the book had a very intricate mystery woven into it. It was over all really well done in my opinion, and many mysteries about Leck and what he did were unraveled. Unlike Graceling and Fire, Bitterblue didn't feel slow at any part besides the first chapter. The plot never felt too slow or boring and new revelations were happening in each chapter. We also get to see Katsa and Fire in this book, though Fire is now quite old. And yes, they make peace with the Dells. This book also felt more thrilling than the other two books, and though I still can't really identify a climax, I enjoyed this book very much.
Many loose ends are tied up and the ending, though it doesn't make me ask for more, is satisfying. And in some ways it feels better than desperately wanting more of the story to come out. Oh, and her writing style is also really nice.
What I disliked:
I didn't really dislike anything about this book. I mean, it's not a book that is super exciting or a book that leaves you wanting more, and it isn't super good either. But Kristin built a large world in her book and addressed many many problems and mysteries throughout them. So I don't think there is much to dislike about this book, but it's not one of the best books I've read.
Additional Notes:
The plot was very complex and multiple mysteries and things were going on at the same time. Although the rather slow pace made it easily understandable to me, it might be hard to understand for other people.
Final Remarks:
It's very interesting, especially if you want to learn more about King Leck and Bitterblue. Definitely read this if you've read the first two books. Definitely my favourite out of the entire series.
Rating: 7 out of 10
