Graceling by Kristin Cashore - 489 pages
Katsa is a Graceling -- someone gifted with an amazing gift that is signaled by her two different colored eyes. She has what is considered the most dangerous of the graces -- the gift of killing. Her uncle, King Randa, uses her as his enforcer and bully to keep his subjects in line. Until the day she refuses to harm someone. Now she's left everything she knows to work with Po, a neighboring country's prince, who is searching for why his grandfather was killed.
This is the first book in the Graceling Realms series. It is an amazing fantasy for teens. Katsa is a very empowered female who needs no one and can survive anything. The only thing that is slightly annoying is her belief that a relationship with someone will diminish her in some way. The book is also a tad strange in that the climax occurs two-thirds of the way through the book. The remaining section deals with the effects of their plot on a single character.
