CW: violence/murder, blood

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC to review!

I will admit this didn't have the same emotional weight that the original text of Graceling had for me, but it was a fun and entertaining way to revisit the world and the characters. I thought the art was at its best when it was watercolours of scenery or the softer illustrations used for flashbacks, but it was a gorgeous depiction of the journey of this book. The section with the embroidery especially while short was really cool and creative. Of course things had to be cut/changed to allow for the different format, but I think this would also encourage people to read the original text so we have to stan!! I think this would be good for introducing the series to a new audience, but also for people who have already read the series and want to dip their toes back into the Graceling world without having to read the full novels over again. I hope they continue with these adaptations I would love to pick them up!!


SPOILER:: I especially loved the little easter egg with Ashen's code in the embroidery section!!

Graceling was the first audiobook I had ever listened to, and it remains to be one of my favorite audiobooks, and favorite fantasy books of all time. So when I saw that there was going to be a graphic novel, I knew I had to read it, and I appreciate the publishers approving me on netgalley.

The Graceling graphic novel brought a new and unique way to introduce readers to the Graceling realm. I thought the art was absolutely beautiful and captured both the characters and the world so accurately, as if it were right out of my head. It brought this book to life in a new way and I loved every minute of it.

Of course this was a brief version of the story, though I felt the graphic novel was still able to bring the heart of the story of Katsa and Po to life. My only only negative feedback is that I felt that it being a graphic novel, a lot of the chemistry and build up to Katsa and Po's relationship fell short/was lacking. There was so much more bonding before and after their relationship commenced - but I understood that since this was a graphic novel some things have to be shortened/or can't be shown easily in 2D.

Overall, I loved this new way of telling a classic tale that I believe will get new readers (and fans of the series!) into the world (or back into the world!) of the Graceling realm. For me, it was a perfect refresher before I dive into Bitterblue, which I still have not read after all these years!

I’ve heard a lot about this book but haven’t gotten around to reading it. I was so excited when I saw the graphic novel. I mean, how perfect is that? I sat down to read a little, and before I knew it, I was done. I seriously couldn’t put it down it was so good. Action, adventure, romance. I’m going to have to hunt down the rest of the series. Like, right now!

I read Graceling when it came out in 2008, I was 12. I was obsessed and decided to take on Katsa’s personality as my own. Many of my online usernames involved Katsa for a while, one being KatsaFire. While my usernames have evolved with my age (now 25), one thing remains the same, my love of Graceling and the Graceling Realm.

This graphic novel was everything I could have hoped for. Seeing what I’ve imagined since the age of 12 is mind blowing. The layout of the graphic novel is easy to follow, the pages aren't overwhelmed with word bubbles that are distracting, and the images convey any unspoken words or thoughts wonderfully. I felt that the graphic novel was true to the original novel and I love that. There have been times where I’ve read graphic novels that have been drastically changed from the original work.

I still love the characters of Katsa and Po. Their story isn’t just about adventure, but of love and acceptance, which speaks to me more now as an adult.

I highly recommend this to both old and new Graceling fans alike. It will not disappoint!

I've always wanted to read Graceling by Kristin Cashore so when I saw there was a graphic novel adaption I was super excited!

The magic system in which people can have 'graces' was super fun and I loved our main character Katsa. The relationship between her and the main male protagonist was beautifully developed.

I know graphic novel artworks is very subjective, so although the art wasn't my favourite I could still see the talent involved. I also felt that this lacked world building and had some stilted dialogue that would probably be solved in the full length novel.

Criticisms aside, this was a great fast paced young adult fantasy graphic novel that I would recommend if you're new to YA graphic novels or an existing fan of the Graceling series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Clarion Books for an advanced reader copy.

I haven't read the original Graceling books, but I hear good things - so I was definitely interested in this graphic novel adaptation. I cannot speak for the quality of the adaptation in comparison to the original, but I definitely enjoyed it! The style is simple but evocative, and has a nice flow.

"Graceling" was the debut YA fantasy novel for Kristin Cashore, and it has been well received by readers around the world. The magic of the world, Grace, is a power that is imbued on a certain segment of the population and is controlled and regulated by the ruling powers. Those with the gifts are feared for their power, envied for their abilities, and subjugated in an attempt to control them.

This story follows Katsa, a Graceling who has the strength of a 100 well armed, well trained professionals. Her loyalty is to her king, but the reader quickly discovers that she is a leader of an underground resistance. At the beginning of the story, Katsa sets out to rescue a kidnapped Lienid and meets Po, the grandson of the kidnapped man. They fight and almost immediately discover they have a bond that continually draws them together. Eventually, Katsa openly defies the King and leaves with Po to discover the truth of the Lienid's kidapping.

Although this novel has been well received by fans, the graphic novel felt disjointed and rushed. The artwork was childish at times, and the dialogue didn't seem to really capture the essence of the story well. Overall the story felt condensed, predictable, and full of plot holes.

When I first saw what the art looked like, I was unsure, but I really really liked this. The art was lovely, the way the novel was adapted was fantastic. Of course I would love if we got a graphic novel version of Fire.

I will be real, this series has always been intriguing to me, but I'm also hesitant about it.
However, this graphic novel really helped show me that I LIKE IT!
I am very interested in reading the book, knowing how the story goes and how the love develops (as I really didn't see it bloom in the graphic novel, but I love them paired), also it seemed like everyone was good and knowing that there are more books has me curious!

Also, I liked the art style a lot!

I received an advanced readers copy of the graphic novel of Graceling by Kristin Cashore from NetGalley today and was amazed! This graphic novel is beautifully illustrated by Gareth Hinds and brings the book to life in a whole new way. I started reading it the moment I downloaded it and couldn’t stop! I love this story and am happy to report that the graphic novel version is just as wonderful as the book!

I really loved the artwork in this graphic novel, but as an adaptation of the book it leaves a lot to be desired. I would have like it better if they hadn't cut out so many important parts.

I loved this series! So I was very happy to see that a version of the series is now a graphic novel. I loved the colors and the graphics. I hope this series continues in graphic novel form. I cannot wait to read the rest of it. This book is an epic fantasy that I can get into for hours. I read the original many years ago and I love it!

While the art was nice, it leaves out scenes from the original story that I believe gave more context to the story.

I received a copy of this e-arc in exchange for an honest review thanks to NetGalley and Clarion Books.

I’ve not read the series but I liked the sound of this book so decided to have a go at it.

I really enjoyed this graphic novel! It made me want to read the series however, I have seen some reviews which said it’s quite romance heavy and contains explicit scenes, and so makes me not want to read it.

However, if the rest of the books were made into graphic novels, i’d definitely read them!

I also loved the artwork, Gareth Hinds is so talented! It does make me wonder if characters appearances are based of real people (whilst matching the descriptions in the original books.)

When I first started this, my immediate thought was that Katie McGrath could play Lady Katsa in a film/tv adaptation - swipe for the comparison picture. They’re so similar that it was all I could think of!

This is a fun, fantasy graphic novel with a kick-ass female lead.

I was very surprised by this graphic novel. I find that it is very hard to create a fully fleshed out story through graphic novel mediums as you do not have that much space to tell the story and you have to rely on the illustrations to do so. I found that this adaptation worked really well. As someone who has not read the novel in quite a few years, I found myself remembering the story very well from reading the graphic novel. I liked the inner monologues of Katsa, our main protagonist, because it added a new level of intimacy and storytelling that helped make this a great book to read. For anyone who loves the Graceling universe, they can rest assured that this is a very loyal adaptation.

The only thing that I was a little disappointed with was the style of art. It is hard to please everyone with artistic styles but this one just was not for me. I found it very plain and I was hoping for a bit more solid colors and linework. I liked how the artist was able to create emotions and convey nuances within the art but I would have preferred a bolder style for how I pictured the characters and world in my head.

Overall, however, it was a great read and I would recommend readers give it a try.

Thank you to NetGalley and Clarion Books for sending me a free ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very engaging read that I finished in a day! Adapting any novel into a graphic version is truly an incredible feat and it’s a trend I can certainly get behind (think of how many new readers this version might find!). It’s been quite a few years since I last read Graceling and I really enjoyed experiencing the story again. The artwork was a beautiful interpretation of the story. My only complaint is the story did feel rushed and several things (specific storylines and some relationships) could have used more space and been more developed.

I’ve been meaning to reread Graceling for quite some time, and reading this graphic novel adaptation has only made me want to reread it more. Thank you again to NetGalley and Clarion Books for the privilege of reviewing an ARC.

I have the book to this but haven't read it yet. I love graphic novels and this was beautiful. The illustrations were gorgeous and really swept you away into the story and the snappy dialogue and easy transitions made it a really enjoyable read.
It's given me a great insight into the book and now I want to read the original so that I can compare the two. Great job.

Graceling is about Katsa, one of the rare people born with an amazing skill. After her abilities have been noticed, she is forced into doing her to do her uncle's bidding. She meets Po, a prince who has special abilities of his own. He is also a perfect match for Katsa. They form a special bond with one another while trying to fight for justice. While I have not read the original work, I did enjoy this graphic novel. The story was action-packed with some romance. The illustrations were beautiful, and it helped get a sense of the world they are in. I hope the rest of the series is slated to be adapted into graphic novels as well.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely adore Graceling so the story and characters will always be a 5 stars!

I did read an e-arc of this one (thank you so much!!) and either because of the copy or because of my Kobo, it was in black and white. This was kind of funny because of the importance of different coloured eyes lol.

I did find the art really simplistic, but it also kind of suited the story?? I flew through this. I do still prefer the regular novel but I am not the world's biggest graphic novel fan so there is absolutely an audience for this and I can't wait to handsell it at work!

This story really worked as a graphic novel and I hope more fantasy series are translated into this medium. I loved the artwork. The visuals, especially the maps, added to the world building and texture of the story. I loved how Katsa & Po were drawn; their expressions, posture, attire, definitely matched the dialogue and characterisation from the novel. I did have a big of a giggle when Katsa *spoilers* realises she loves Po. It was so melodramatic in very traditional comic book style and for some reason I found it quite funny! I think this graphic novel was crafted with real passion and respect for the original work and it definitely pays off. Really enjoyed it and will happily recommend it!