Cashore is very good at telling a completry different story in the same universe as Graceling. Her characters are fairly unique and her world is extraordinarily fascinating. It took a while to get into, but I found the book was very rewarding and a lot of fun. Fire is a great character and develops very well.

On an entirely different note, I appreciate that Cashore does not whitewash the annoyances of being female or the sensuality of her characters. It's very refreshing.