Beautiful and haunting third tale in the Graceling series. Queen Bitterblue is grown up and trying to heal her kingdom after King Leck's 35 year rule of terror and lies. Feeling stifled by her crown and paperwork she decides to venture to the streets to help find the truth about really happened during his rule.

This wonderful book takes the trope of the princess amongst the commoners and turns it upside down. I really enjoy Cashore's take on character development and relationships. Characters are strong in their own right and don't depend on their romantic interests to thrive, but those romances are still poignant and all the more real. I also love how she sticks with her guns on certain topics regarding love, marriage, and babies.