Fire, by Kristin Cashore

"You hear nothing behind you, only before you. The door behind you is closed.        

            He never swung around to check, never even doubted the thoughts she'd implanted in his mind. She opened the door behind him, slipped through, and shut herself in, then leaned against the wall of her hallway for a moment, oddly depressed at how easy it had been. It seemed to her that it shouldn't be so easy to make a man into a fool."

     (Fire, on using her monster powers to alter her gaurd's thoughts) Kristin Cashore, Fire.

The prequel to Graceling, Fire serves to be just as exhilarating as Cashore's first book. It takes place about 30 years before Graceling and has one crossover involving a young boy with mismatched eyes who has a peculiar ability that readers will find disturbing and familiar if they've read the first book (trying to avoid spoilers!). In a land east of Seven Kingdoms, called The Dells, live many monsters that look like regular animals but have colourful fur and abilities to alter the thoughts of their prey. Fire is the last human-shaped monster with the beauty of mind and body that most people of The Dells find horrifying. Fire's internal struggle to live with her father's shameful legacy makes her a relatable character and renders her thoughts very much like those of a human teenager. Fire has to juggle  trying to prove herself in the upcoming war, avoiding the attentions of the King and her myriad admirers, and convincing those like Prince Brigan that she deserves to be viewed as her own person and not as the demon-spawn of her monstrous father. I really liked how Fire has the ability to change people's thoughts but rarely does it for her own benefit. Her attitude towards love and the sacrifice she makes partway through the story show that Fire thinks more about the people around her than her own desires. She is an extremely strong and mature young woman and is a strong inspiration for all kinds of girls who are unsure about their own identity. If you wanted to read the books of the series in chronological order then you should pick this one up then Graceling, and the newly-released Bitterblue. I think everyone will agree that Kristin Cashore writes a poignant story of self-actualization and love that is set in a fantasy world but remains completely believable. This is one of those books that I hope is not made into a movie because there are millions of little details that are pivotal to the story and can't be given a just portrayal on-screen.