Graceling by Kristin Cashore was a fun adventuresome read. In the story are individuals with special abilities. They live in a country divided by seven kingdoms set in medieval times. Graced individuals are easy to identify; though one might not know their particular inborn skill. The skills can be useful or useless and run the gamut from climbing trees to weather forecasting. Kings acquire useful graced individuals for their courts to do their bidding. In this story, one King possesses the ultimate politician grace unbeknown to those around him. Unfortunately, he seems bent on taking over the entire land. He's eventually found out. Lady Katsa, an ultimate killing machine from one of the other courts confronts the evil king and nearly succumbs to his lies.