Katsa, niece of the king, is a feared Graceling. She lives a lonely life as her Uncle's thug: because unlike some Gracelings with unreal aptitudes for baking, or swimming, killing is Katsa's grace. She finds a friend when Prince Po, a graced fighter, comes to court. But as Prince Po and Katsa become closer she learns there's more to Po then she originally thought,and maybe more to herself as well. 
 As the book progresses we learn how different Graceling's affect the society whick Katsa and Po live in. 
 Katsa is a strong female protagonist. If I were a teenager I would have given this 5 stars. That being said, this was a solid young adult novel. Continuing the series isn't at the top of my list, but I do plan to get to it in the near future. 
 I also did not read this book, but listened to it on audio. Multiple actors narrated, which I enjoyed... but the super dramatic music was over the top.