Photo from kristincashore.blogspot.com
Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore is like a book of riddles. Admittedly, along with Queen Bitterblue, I was just so keen — borderline irritated — in finding out what the hell was going on in Monsea.
Damn you, Immiker (a.k.a. the late King Leck) and your stupid Grace! How awesome it was that Katsa killed you (in book 1) just to shut your gob!
There were just so many times when I would be so interested and hooked to the plot, but then the book would introduce new characters and play mind games with the reader, and then I would soon realize that it’s 40-plus chapters… 
it’s a goddamn long book, I must say. Or maybe there’s a difference if you’re reading hardbound. Anyway, my point is, I almost parked the book and entirely read another one. Say, for example, I was rereading Beautiful Disaster again while I was halfway through Bitterblue. That’s how tired my brain was — having to be drugged by Travis Maddox just to continue on my real reading track.
Perhaps, it’s safe to say that the remaining 1/3 of the book was massively riveting, with all the revelations that fell into place. With all the mysteries unraveled and riddles answered. It was ultimately a good sequel to Graceling. I never could’ve asked for a different sequel, but if Ms. Cashore will write another book about Katsa and Po, I will most certainly welcome it with an exhilarated heart.
Apart from the puzzle pieces and the lies that needed to be fixed, I think what broke my heart in finishing this book is the fact that I fell in love with the characters so much, that I wish to be with them more than what was allowed in a trilogy.
I miss Katsa. I miss Po. I miss Katsa and Po together. I hated how Bitterblue pulled off her “HBIC” attitude and sent Katsa away to the tunnels to get Fire. I hated how Bitterblue asked Po to return to Monsea and help her with her goddamn royal duties. But fine, a queen’s gotta do what a queen’s gotta do just to save her queendom. Going back to my point, I miss Katsa and Po (couldn’t stress it enough). I utterly miss my favorite couple.
Uhm, I think I fell in love with Sapphire Birch. And I’m not sure how I feel about how the book ended with his situation like that. Fine, he could be absolved from the treason he just committed, but damn it, Ms. Cashore, how can you make me fall in love with a character and then take him away from me? Why are you doing this to me? How? Why? Just like that? *insert meltdown here*
There were so many characters which I truly liked (okay, loved) in this book. Like, Helda — everyone’s wish to be their Mum. Hava — damn girl, you werkin it! Lord Giddon — hell no, I’m calling you Lord, regardless of Randa. Raffin and Bann — they’re a package and I love them and all their medical discoveries. Teddy, Tilda and Bren — coolest geeks ever. Lastly, Death (rhymes with “teeth”) — you are the most brilliant and sarcastic librarian ever. We should be friends.
I cannot express enough how sad I am that the book already ended. I would have given anything just to read more books about these characters — provided that they’re in Katsa’s or Po’s POV. Hehe. 
Oh well, forward-thinking, says the queen. But thank you for the experience, Ms. Cashore.
Reading Challenge: 3 out of 35
