Mini-reviews: Grave Mercy and Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers

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Book summary: 

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?

         As usually I'm late for the party because I always wait too long to start a series. Grave Mercy is one of those books that everyone is talking about and you must live under a rock not to hear about it. I have on multiple occasions but considering this is a book about assassins I knew it'd be a right match for me.

          This book takes to Brittany in century and time of great intrigues and fights between courts. Ismae,a girl who managed to escape her father and survive all the years of torture is now ready for a new period in her life. Convent of St. Mortain is not only a nunnery but also a school for assassins, girl assassins who were very valuable for courts and nobles at the time. Being sent for a assignment is a dream for them all, but three friends Ismae, Sybella and Annith (you will notice that they are narrators each book in this series) and after Sybella leaves Ismae has finally got a chance. She has to play a deadly game and make sure that she is on the right side, especially when there is so many sides.

         Ismae is a character I connected with right away. I could feel her pain of being abandoned and tortured all her life and her ambition and eagerness to kill stands on right basis. But despite that she is merciful and it was so good to see her out of her element, even though it was obvious.

         That leads us to only one problem I had with this book, it's predictability. This is one of those books you know the ending as soon as you crack the first page. But despite that world and charters building was highly enjoyable.

Rating: 4 stars.

Buy the book at 

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Book summary:

When Sybella arrived at the doorstep of St Mortain half mad with grief and despair the convent were only too happy to offer her refuge - but at a price. The sisters of this convent serve Death, and with Sybella naturally skilled in both the arts of death and seduction, she could become one of their most dangerous weapons.But her assassin's skills are little comfort when the convent returns her to the life that nearly drove her mad. Her father's rage and brutality are terrifying, and her brother's love is equally monstrous. But when Sybella discovers an unexpected ally she discovers that a daughter of Death may find something other than vengeance to live for...

         The biggest surprise for me while going through some reviews for Dark Triumph was that people generally enjoyed it more than Grave Mercy while here I am wishing Ismae back. I do understand the switch in narration as Ismae's story is right where it should be and we definitely need Sybella to show us another side of the story so we can have the whole picture. Only problem for me was that Sybella wasn't someone I connected with.

          Like Ismae, Sybella has been through hell and back while growing up. Always used and without real protection especially as her father changed wives like some people change shoes. She never had a strong maternal figure to lead her trough life. For that she is used to protecting herself but even being strong and independent her father is not someone she will tackle easily. But now she has new purpose and covenant and her friends give her strength she never had and with that she meets someone who show her that vengeance is not the only feeling there is.

           My only struggle here was that at moments I felt like Sybella's character is taken too far and her life is so dark that I have no idea how she get out of that sane. I wasn't sure I could  admire her inhuman strength as it was too much to take in.

           But next book Mortal Heart will be about Annith and her situation is the most interesting to me for many reasons and I truly hope it'll put some new light on the story.

Rating: 3.5 stars.

Until the next time,