Kristin Cashore grew up in the northeast Pennsylvania countryside as the second of four daughters. She received a bachelor's degree from Williams College and a master's from the Center for the Study of Children's Literature at Simmons College, and she has worked as a dog runner, a packer in a candy factory, an editorial assistant, a legal assistant, and a freelance writer. She has lived in many places (including Sydney, New York City, Boston, London, Austin, and Jacksonville, Florida), and she currently lives in the Boston area. Her epic fantasy novels set in the Graceling Realm--Graceling, Fire, and Bitterblue--have won many awards and much high praise, including picks as ALA Best Books for Young Adults, School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, Booklist Editors Choice, and Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year. In addition, Graceling was shortlisted for the William C. Morris Debut Award and Fire is an Amelia Elizabeth Walden Book Award Winner.

Series popularity: The Graceling Realm novels have sold close to two million copies (and a fifth novel in the series is on the way).Series acclaim: Kristin Cashore's immersive writing has won numerous honors, including many best of the year inclusions, the Walden Book Award, and the Morris Award and Andre Norton Award shortlists.Love & intrigue: The mix of romance and adventure-in this case, a kidnapping storyline-is a classic, crowd-pleasing combination.Political truth & heroism: Bitterblue continues to evolve and progress as the best kind of leader in a House of Cards kind of world, setting an example for readers who live in a time when such leaders are hard to find.Cashore's trademark unforgettable characters: Kristin's heroic characters demonstrate the empathy, hope, and kindness that make readers want their stories to continue forever. In this novel's case, Lovisa is new to the realm and unforgettable.

This epic page-turner in the acclaimed, New York Times bestselling Graceling Realm series features a fiery girl at the edge of heroism, holding the future of two kingdoms in her hands.For the past five years, Bitterblue has reigned as Queen of Monsea, heroically rebuilding her nation after her father's horrific rule. After learning about the land of Torla in the east, she sends envoys to the closest nation there: Winterkeep-a place where telepathic foxes bond with humans, and people fly across the sky in wondrous airships. But when the envoys never return, having drowned under suspicious circumstances, Bitterblue sets off for Winterkeep herself, along with her spy Hava and her trusted colleague Giddon. On the way, tragedy strikes again-a tragedy with devastating political and personal ramifications.Meanwhile, in Winterkeep, Lovisa Cavenda waits and watches, a fire inside her that is always hungry. The teenage daughter of two powerful politicians, she is the key to unlocking everything-but only if she's willing to transcend the person she's been all her life.Story Locale: Fantastical land of Winterkeep, in the Graceling RealmSeries Overview: