As much as I enjoyed Graceling, I loved Fire even more. The characterizations are more developed, more three-dimensional, more nuanced and subtle, more paradoxical, more human. Cashore continues to write with a wonderfully adept grasp of human psychology and emotion. Even the story itself was more subtle and nuanced and intricate than Graceling. Fire is an exquisitely complex and vivid novel. 
 It did drag a bit in the second quarter, but that's my only complaint. 
 Unlike Graceling, I was thoroughly satisfied with all aspects of Fire's ending. Well, unless you count wishing it wasn't over yet, and wanting to keep reading about these characters. I would happily welcome a follow-up to Fire in the same vein as Bitterblue is to Graceling (which I'm about to start).