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Bitterblue (Seven Kingdoms, Bk 3)
Bitterblue - Seven Kingdoms, Bk 3
Author: Kristin Cashore
The long-awaited companion to the New York Times bestsellers Graceling and Fire Eight years have passed since the young Princess Bitterblue, and her country, were saved from the vicious King Leck. Now Bitterblue is the queen of Monsea, and her land is at peace. But the influence of her father, a violent psychopath with mind-altering abilities, l...  more »
ISBN-13: 9780575097179
ISBN-10: 0575097175
Publication Date: 5/1/2012
Pages: 576
Rating:
  • Currently 3.3/5 Stars.
 2

3.3 stars, based on 2 ratings
Publisher: Gollancz
Book Type: Hardcover
Other Versions: Paperback
Members Wishing: 4
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

skywriter319 avatar reviewed Bitterblue (Seven Kingdoms, Bk 3) on + 784 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
I hate to say anything bad about Kristin Cashores books, because Graceling and Fire impressed me so much and won me over completely. However, BITTERBLUE was the definitely the weakest of the three due to characterization, plot, pacing, suspensebasically all elements of storytelling.

I admire that Cashore tries to tell Bitterblues story. Bitterblue, with her tragedy-laden history as revealed in Graceling, deserves more page time, deserves the voice she barely had in the first book. And yet despite Cashore doing a complete rewrite of this book at her editors behest, BITTERBLUE couldve done with at least two more complete rewrites. There was a story at the heart of it, but there were too many only-half-interesting side plots obscuring the heart.

(Not that the side plots didnt have their own potential. They did. But not in the way everything was threaded together in BITTERBLUE on the slightest of threads.)

Whether the result of the incomprehensible plotting and stuttering pacing or something else, the writing in BITTERBLUE felt weak as well. Witticisms that were supposed to be witty. Tearful revelations that were supposed to crack the haze of confusion and apathy in my heart. Nope. Nothing. I didnt so mind the fact that there was not the level of romance prevelant in Graceling and Fire as I did the fact that the writing was stilted and awkward. Now, I know that Bitterblue spends the majority of her time in this book wandering around, confused about whats been going on around her. I also know that when Leck died, he left his country in a state of muddled, bleary confusion. Still, there is a subtle but importance between characters that are confused, and readers who are. BITTERBLUE was so confusing as to make me think that Cashore herself was still confused even in the final stages of editing it.

Even after all that, though, I still cared about the characters in BITTERBLUE. So Ill chalk this one up to a difficult story that needed five more years of revising for maximum effect, and look with optimistic (and patient) eyes toward what Cashore has to share with us next.
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nyteacher avatar reviewed Bitterblue (Seven Kingdoms, Bk 3) on + 152 more book reviews
I really liked this book, but not as well as the first two books in the series. I admit, that while I loved both Graceling and Fire, when I first read them it wasn't clear to me how they were related. Bitterblue brings them together nicely. Once again Cashore has created engaging characters with an exciting plot. The romance is not as strong in this one and there are pieces that could be explained more clearly. But, as a whole it's a great read and a good ending to the series.


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