Zoo থেকে 伯坦果德
** spoiler alert ** I'd rate this one a solid 4.95 stars. It was so fascinating, and just sucked me right in! If it had ended just a LITTLE bit differently, I could have given it those last 5 hundredths...... I think my friend Christy said it really well: "While I greatly appreciated Cashore’s exploration of feminism and her redefinition of gender roles, power, etc., I was disappointed that rather than redefine marriage, she shunned the entire institution." I think this is VERY true. The whole book is about how Katsa sees things wrong and how she overcomes them. She sees herself, her Grace, her relationship with King Randa, Po (at the beginning), Giddon, King Leck... There are so many instances when her perception of things or of people is wrong — where she doesn't see all of the truth, or any of the truth, or whatever. So throughout the book, she overcomes these things. She figures out what she REALLY is, and what she isn't. She figures out her Grace and Po's Grace and that Randa can't control her — that she has the power to control herself.... etc., etc. But she can't figure out that this ONE definition of what "marriage" really means MIGHT just be incorrect? Grrr! Po is so perfect for her! And he would never try to control her or expect her to be anything other than what she is. AND she would get to have her home base be in Lienid, where Gracelings are REVERED, instead of on the mainland, where they're REALLY not. *sigh* BUT, apparently this is going to be a series (why do I always get myself into these messes????), so Katsa has time to get over herself, and realize that Po is like... the ONLY PERSON who is a true match for her. At least, she'd BETTER realize it!!!