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Why, oh why, did I wait so long to read this book? I'd had it on my wish list for months and never picked it up until I ordered it last week. Boy, was I missing out!This is exactly the kind of fantasy novel I enjoy reading--epic adventure, a bit of romance, and strong characters. In my opinion, a strong, well-written book makes you feel as if you are right there in the middle of the action, and Graceling did that for me. At times it was a bit predictable, but there were also many events that I did not see coming, so I didn't feel as if I had already read this story before. I also enjoyed the premise of these few people throughout the seven kingdoms who have Graces, and their different-colored eyes making them stand out for who they are. Yes, these Graces certainly make for a tale of exciting proportions--particularly Katsa's skill for killing. A skill that she wishes she didn't have, though as the story unfolds, she begins to learn the truth about herself and her Grace.Now for the characters. Personally, I enjoyed them all, from the evil kings (Randa and Lech) to Katsa's sidekicks (Raffin, Giddon, and Oll) to Po, with whom she finds herself falling in love. Cashore also did a good job writing about their relationships to each other--I found myself quickly forming attachments. It is exciting to watch Katsa grow, thanks to Po's insight and support, and even more incredible to read the tale of her rescuing Princess Bitterblue (don't you love that name?) from her horrible father. I think that my only problem with this book was how quickly the main threat to the characters was resolved. One minute you are surprised at this person's appearance and the next they've been disposed of. I suppose it was almost a bit anti-climactic, though I still had to breathe a sigh of relief at the outcome and did garner a certain amount of satisfaction from it. But that wasn't the end--there was even a twist or two left to discover, and overall it really was an enjoyable read.I think most fantasy-lovers would enjoy this book; I know I read it in one sitting today and couldn't wait to write the review. (By the way, can I also say I just really, really love this cover?)