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You may recall, way back in March, that I couldn't decide between Dalinar Kholin and Kaladin, when it came to picking a leader to feature in Brandon Sanderson's "Stormlight Archive" series.
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And I feel pretty much the same when it comes to Katsa and Bitterblue, from Kristin Cashore's "Graceling Realms" series.
In the case of Dalinar and Kaladin I went with both, so I'm going to follow that precedent for today's post, and spend a little time with both Katsa and Bitterblue.
When it comes to their leaderhip roles and style, they're even more distinct than Dalinar and Kaladin. Of the two, Katsa is far more an inspirational leader, in the same way as Katniss in The Hunger Games. (Ha! Loving the overlap between those names!)
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The two Kat's are not entirely the same, though. Where Katniss is a very public figure who inspires a nation, Katsa works in secret to bring about change. She definitely leads in those endeavors, and inspires those about her though, which helps the changes ripple wide -- but her role is that of an eminence grise, rather than a public leader.
Bitterblue on the other hand is a ruling queen, so a very public figure. She has also inherited a kingdom--Monsea--that was traumatised by the tyrannical and exploitative rule of her father, King Leck. It was Katsa who rescued Bitterblue from Leck when she was a young child, giving her the opportunity to grow up unharmed and learn different ways of ruling. When she becomes queen, Bitterblue works hard to right Leck's wrongs and bring peace and reconciliation to Monsea.
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Where Katsa is charismatic, Bitterblue is conscientious. She is also, as Kristin Cashore herself said when I interviewed her for Bitterblue's release:
“…I love her loyalty…I love how hard she tries, and I love her refusal to give up.”
On first reading, I was also struck by Bitterblue's generosity as well as her fidelity, by which I mean the way she strives to keeps faith with her subjects, and the truth of Monsea's past. Hard yards for a young and conscientious woman.
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| Audio book cover |
The trait she and Katsa have in common is their commitment to ensuring change and building fairer and stronger societies. Katsa works behind the scenes, where Bitterblue must endure the scrutiny of public life. Yet together and separately, they stand among the great leaders of spec-fic lit.
About Helen Lowe
Helen
Lowe is an award-winning novelist, poet, and lover of story. With four
books published to date, she is currently completing the final
instalment in The Wall Of Night series.
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Helen posts regularly on her “…on Anything, Really” blog, monthly on the Supernatural Underground, and tweets @helenl0we.
Prior Posts: Great Leaders in Speculative Fiction ~
Where To Find 'Em & Why They Rock
February: Mara of the Acoma in the "Empire" series by Raymond E Feist & Janny Wurts
March: Kaladin and Dalinar in "The Stormlight Archive" by Brandon Sanderson
April: Pyanfar Chanur in "The Pride of Chanur" series by CH Cherryh
May: John Aversin in Dragonsbane, by Barbara Hambly
June: Katniss Everdeen in "The Hunger Games" Trilogy by Suzanne Collins
July: Ulric of the Nadir in Legend by David Gemmell
August: Signe de Barbentain in A Song for Arbonne by Guy Gavriel Kay
September: Dr Mensah in the "Murderbot" Series by Martha Wells
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