Well, I should have read more slowly. Now I have no more Cashore novels to read! 
 Bitterblue was more overtly YA than the previous two novels, I felt, simply because of some of the themes it dealt with and how they were dealt with. These were some great and thought-provoking themes btw, ones that are really important for young people (all people, really) to think about, but that are rarely addressed in YA literature. Privilege, government remuneration, abuse (emotional, physical, and sexual), and PTSD/survivor's guilt were the ones that stood out to me. Of course there was also a bit of romance and coming-of-age, but they were not the dominant themes. 
 Just as Fire differed from Graceling in themes and style, so does Bitterblue depart from the previous two novels. Bitterblue has the feel of a mystery novel, we spend the entire novel delving through layer after layer of puzzle and intrigue. It is more cerebral, more intellectually challenging than Graceling (I think this is a reflection of Bitterblue's character -- who is more intellectual and less emotional than, say, Katsa was in Graceling -- Katsa's emotions were a force of nature that swept us along). The plot is incredibly intricate, and I felt like all the separate parts were woven together masterfully. 
 Cashore continues to demonstrate an adept and empathetic grasp on human psychology. The way she writes the characters suffering through PTSD is just heart-breaking. 
 And of course, the incredibly chilling thing about a character like Leck is that people like him exist in real life. And they don't need a supernatural Grace in order to weave their spells of lies, control, and abuse. The small glimpses we get into his psyche are spot-on, dizzying in their accuracy, and I think that Cashore must have done some extensive research into the psychology of criminal sociopaths and/or psychopaths. 
 Does she have a new writing project announced yet? Champing at the bit for more Cashore. XD