![]() First US edition | |
Author | Kristin Cashore |
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Cover artist | Natalie C. Sousa |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Series | Graceling Realm |
Genre | Fantasy, Romance |
Publisher | Dial Books (US) Gollancz Books (UK) |
Publication date | May 1st, 2012 (1st edition) |
Media type | Print (Hardback and Paperback) |
Pages | 480 (first edition, hardback) |
ISBN | 978-0-80-373473-9 (first edition, hardback) |
Preceded by | Fire |
Followed by | Winterkeep |
Bitterblue is a young adult fantasy novel written by American author Kristin Cashore. It is preceded by Graceling and Fire , and followed by Winterkeep . [1] [2] The book was released on May 1, 2012.
Eight years after the events of Graceling , Bitterblue, now eighteen, is Queen of Monsea. She is determined to restore peace and justice to her land, and rebuild the kingdom left in ruins by her father, King Leck. Her advisors Darby, Rood, Runnemood, and Thiel seem to be keeping her in the dark, and want her to act as a figurehead. Bitterblue disguises herself as a servant and begins a truth-seeking campaign in the city. She stops at a tavern, which she learns is a story-room, where she hears stories about her kingdom and history. She meets the young thieves Teddy and Sapphire (Saf), who is also a Graceling, but oddly, does not know what his grace is. She discovers that the two young men and their cohorts are involved in an underground movement to educate the kingdom's people. Unaware of her true identity, they nickname Bitterblue "Sparks".
Bitterblue discovers new disturbing information about her father, the information he destroyed, and that her advisors are former healers who were forced to treat those Leck tortured. Lord Danzhol tries to kidnap Bitterblue, and she kills him in self-defense. Saf tells her that he only steals things formerly stolen by Leck. Teddy is stabbed, and later his family's printshop is burned down. These events are somehow connected, but the connection is elusive. Hava, who unintentionally helped in Bitterblue's attempted kidnapping, is a Graceling with a talent for disguise. Hava and Bitterblue evade an attack and Bitterblue realizes that she has romantic feelings for Saf.
Bitterblue goes to a murder trial, and finds that Saf is the one accused of murder. Saf realizes Bitterblue is the queen, not the commoner he believed her to be. When his alibi is proven and the case is over, he steals Bitterblue's crown and sells it on the black market. Bitterblue manages to decipher hidden messages from her mother and discovers the depth of her father's depravity. She visits Saf to apologize, and as she leaves she is stabbed, an assassination attempt orchestrated by Runnemood. Runnemood is later found dead and blamed for acting against Bitterblue. She suspects that she is still being lied to.
Bitterblue discovers Leck's old journals, which are written in strange, unrecognizable symbols. Bitterblue's head librarian, Death, learns that the journals are in a different language, and begins to translate them to learn Leck's secrets. When Death is attacked and many of the journals burned, Bitterblue realizes Thiel is responsible. He reveals that Leck compelled him and others to torture people for Leck's pleasure, and all of Bitterblue advisors have been responsible for silencing the truth in order to forget their painful pasts. He then commits suicide and Darby also kills himself out of guilt. Bitterblue confronts Thiel and Runnemood's remaining followers, gaining their loyalty when she forgives them for what they were forced to do, but determines that they cannot force others to suppress their past in the same way.
Bitterblue takes measures to ensure the true history of the realm is recorded. Saf and his group do their part in the city. Saf and Bitterblue spend a night together, and Bitterblue realizes Saf's Grace is the ability to give others good dreams. Katsa returns from her expedition to the unknown East behind the mountains with Lady Fire, Pikkia and others from the Dells as they are interested in allying. When they return to the Dells, Po's older brother Skye leaves with them, and Saf joins him. Bitterblue learns that Hava is her half-sister, born after Leck raped her mother, Bellamew. Bitterblue begins to found ministries to help Monsea properly recover from Leck's reign.
Bitterblue was named a New York Times best-seller, a Kirkus Reviews and Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2012, and the 2012 American Library Association Best Fiction for Young Adults. [3]
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