Eight years after Graceling, Bitterblue is queen of a kingdom that was under the spell of a madman for thirty-five years.

At eighteen, Bitterblue is still learning how to rule the kingdom. The influence of Leck—a violent psychopath with mind-altering abilities—lives on. When Bitterblue begins sneaking outside the castle to walk the streets of her own city, she meets two thieves who hold a key to the truth of Leck's reign. And one of them, with an extreme skill called a Grace, holds the key to her heart.

Visit Author Kristin Cashore on her blog.