Title: Grave Mercy
Author: R.L. LaFevers
Series: 1st
Pages: 549
Published: April 3rd 2012
by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
ISBN: 9780547628349
Source: Publisher via Netgalley
Description: Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf? Seventeen-year-old
Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the
sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve
the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has
blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses
to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a
handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives
of others. Ismae's most important assignment takes her straight
into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under
prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for
the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s
vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?
I Give This ...
Oh man was I looking forward to this. Assassin nuns in medieval Brittany, yes please. I love historical fiction and this sounded like just that mixed with a little bit of spunk. Sadly, I think I missed something. It was nearly as good as I had built it up to be.
I think I had Ismae's character held to a higher stander. Being a female assassin with her set of circumstances behind her, I just didn't expect her to fall in love as easily as she did. I really thought she would have more of an internal struggle. She's been through some pretty extreme things that would cause her to dislike men. Duval is the first man she's had any real contact with outside of the convent and she falls for him. Seems a little too convenient. I struggled with this fact a lot because I liked Duval too.
I liked the historical and political parts. The intrigue with who the duchess might marry and the pull for political power was intense. I was intrigued that Duval was so involved with the court considering who he was. He would do anything to protect the duchess even at the expense of his own life. I think that's probably what makes Ismae so willing to overlook everything she's ever promised herself. But, there's almost too much information presented. It a really long book, and some of the details really drag it down. I'm not looking for a historical fiction to rival in length to the Outlander series. I think the story could have been told in much fewer pages.
I think I was most disappointed in the lack of actual assassinating. Sure, its there a little bit. But, I wanted more of it. We barely get a glimpse of this life that Ismae has been trained for. I enjoyed that we so much of her knowledge of poisons and how it pertains to her work. I also liked how she becomes more than just a handmaiden of death.
I will probably still read the next in the series. I'm curious as to what Ismae might do with her new knowledge of death and how she can play a part in it. Plus, I'm curious as to what might happen with the romance between her and Duval
Dangerously beautiful! This is a thrilling and fantastic read! It is one of those books you can't put down till you know what happens but as you get closer to the last few pages, you don't want it to end. This is what Grave Mercy was like for me, it has everything intrigue, murder, and romance. The length of the book may seem daunting for some but the even flow of the story will make it go by quickly. This was the perfect book for me as I grew up reading historical fiction romance, which takes place in Brittany during the 1400s.
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