I have a lot of conflicting thoughts about this book, and I've spent the past day or two trying to decide if I even wanted to write a review or not...but of course, since I intend to be a full-time Kristin Cashore lover whether or not she sticks with her Graceling-ish world, I decided I should.There are so many things about this book that make me feel like I perhaps SHOULD like it more then Graceling. The plot was more complex, the side characters are much more realized, and I think the story development (specifically in the romance department) flows much better then it did in Graceling. That being said, I can't say I like it more, but I do like it just as much. That is where my conflicting thoughts come in. I guess I just gotta stay true to Katsa and Po, even though Fire and Brigan are wonderful too. Either way, if you loved Graceling I can definitely say that you will love this one too.