taken from Goodreads:
Beautiful creatures called monsters live in the Dells. Monsters have the shape of normal animals: mountain lions, dragonflies, horses, fish. But the hair or scales or feathers of monsters are gorgeously colored-- fuchsia, turquoise, sparkly bronze, iridescent green-- and their minds have the power to control the minds of humans.
Seventeen-year-old Fire is the last remaining human-shaped monster in the Dells. Gorgeously monstrous in body and mind but with a human appreciation of right and wrong, she is hated and mistrusted by just about everyone, and this book is her story."
I don't read much "high fantasy" any more. It's hard to find something that is original and interesting, but Kristen Cashore quickly captured my attention with Graceling. Incredibly, Cashore's newest novel, a sort of prequel (not but quite) to Graceling, is even more fully realized and developed than her first offering.
Much of what I said about Cashore's first novel holds true for this one as well. The world she has created is rich and detailed, with characters that practically step off the pages. Gone, too, are the problems that plagued the first novel -- the clunky transitions and awkward pacing are replaced by a narrative that unfolds smoothly, with hardly a ripple. The real treasure in this novel is Fire, the main character. Cashore deftly creates complicated female characters that are strong and broken and heart-rendingly real, and I found myself completely caught up in every sentence.
While Cashore's books are being marketed as YA, I think she's written a series of high-fantasy novels for women of ALL ages, and each one contains so much to consider and mull over and discuss with friends. I can't wait to see what Cashore has in store for us next.
