Fire by Kristin Cashore

This is the prequel to Graceling which as you can read below I was a little disappointed in, but decided to read the prequel and see if it was any better since a friend refered this to me and really enjoyed it. Well... I was pleasantly pleased that this book was much better than Graceling and Kristen Cashore spent the time and effort needed to keep the book good through out the entire novel instead of just the first half. This is obviously set before the time of Graceling since it is a prequel, but it isn't set that far back. It starts out giving the story of Leck and his birth and life until he is 10. So about when he ends up being 'adopted' by the kingdom he takes over. He finds himself in a land set on the other side of a nearly unpassable mountain range and in a country that has colorful monsters of every species including human. We are then transported to the last human monster that can manipulate peoples thoughts and if extremely beautiful which causes people to do things they do not mean to do since they lose their mind at the sight of her. So we follow her as she becomes involved with the kingdom and their involvement in a war and eventually with Leck himself.