Literary Devices in Graceling
Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory
Setting
Six + One = SevenThe seven kingdoms includes six kingdoms (Nander, Wester, the Middluns, Estill, Sunder, and Monsea) nestled together on a peninsula and one kingdom (Lienid) situated on an island i...
Narrator Point of View
Although Graceling is written in the third person, it is a form of the third person—limited omniscient—that gives us great access to Katsa's thoughts. Basically, we see events from her point of...
Genre
Young adult lit, remember, isn't just for young adults. Sure some books get lumped into the YA category because someone somewhere thinks they should only be read by teens, but that's rarely, if eve...
Tone
In these dungeons the darkness was complete, but Katsa had a map in her mind. One that had so far proven correct, as Oll's maps tended to do. Katsa ran her hand along the cold walls and counted doo...
Writing Style
What's that supposed to mean? We'll tell you. While the sentence structure is pretty straightforward, and the vocabulary is relatively easy to understand, there's something just a little bit formal...
What's Up With the Title?
A Graceling is a person who is born with an unusual power, a kind of extreme skill that sets her apart from others. Katsa, our protagonist, is a Graceling, so it makes sense that the title would re...
What's Up With the Ending?
We're glad you asked, because we really like this one. It's so hard when we realize, along with Katsa, what Po has lost when he is no longer able to see. He beats himself up over his self-pity beca...
Tough-o-Meter
While the sentences in Graceling are complex at times, the vocabulary is pretty basic, and you won't have to work very hard to understand what's happening from one minute to the next. In fact, you'...
Plot Analysis
Maneater Maneater, Lady Killer, whatever you want to call her, Katsa has been her uncle's trained enforcer for ten years now and it's beginning to wear on her, along with the mystery of a kidnapped...
Trivia
Kristin Cashore was nearly killed twice: first by college, and then by grad school. Okay, not literally, but hey—she said it, not us.(Source.)Thanks to its publication in multiple languages and e...
Steaminess Rating
The romance between Po and Katsa offers a fair amount of steam as they flirt back and forth, even though much of the flirting is unintentional on Katsa's part in the beginning. She keeps finding he...