Katsa is graced with the power to kill. She is fast, powerful and deadly. She is forced to use her grace for King Randa her uncle. She doesn’t like it so she has created a council of like minded people to help people who are being abused by the evil kings in the Seven Kingdoms. On a mission she meets another graced fighter who turns out to be Prince Po. Together they try to find out who has kidnapped Po’s grandfather. They also realize that they are ideally suited for each other and start falling in love. On their quest they discover someone with a more hideous and deadly grace than than they have ever encountered.

This is a wonderful book. I reread it after reading Bitterblue to refresh my memory and it was just as good as the first time I read it. Katsa is a great character; she is strong and independent and not afraid to be who she is. Although she is scared of her power, but she does come to realize that her grace does not control her she controls her grace and that makes her even more powerful. I love the interaction between Katsa and Po. Their relationship makes sense; they are made for each other and the development of their relationship is a natural one. They are both strong and independent but come to depend on each other’s strength. Cashore is a great storyteller and this is a wonderful story. I highly recommend this series.