Grave Mercy is the first book in Robin LaFevers' His Fair Assassin series. A series about girls, who are Death's daughters, trained by the covenant of St. Mortain which still serves the gods of old to be assassins.
Ismae is born with a scar on her back from the poison her mother took to try to abort the pregnancy. The scar and the fact she lived is evidence she is a daughter of Death, a god of old. At fourteen, her "father" sells her off into marriage, but that quickly turns sour when her new husband sees her scar. She is rescued by the local herbwitch and hedge priest who take her to the covenant of St. Mortain.
Once she passes the Mother Superior's test, she is started on her training to become an assassin to Death's will. At the covenant, she meets her first real friends, Annith and Sybella. At seventeen, she is sent on her first assignment, but on her second assignment she runs into the problem of Duval.
Duval is the most trusted adviser to Brittany's duchess, and with Ismae encounter with him, the mother superior and the Chancellor are unsure if he can be trusted. Duval, himself, is quite angry with all them, because they have foiled his plan to question the traitor.
A complicated scheme is worked out, and Ismae is sent with Duval to court as a spy for mother superior and as Death's handmaiden. Ismae soon learns not everything is what it seems, and she just might be in over her head. She must learn to think for herself, and along the way she is falling in love with Duval. And just maybe the will of men is not the will of Death.
Who knew that nuns as trained assassins could be such a fabulous book. This book has just about everything you could possibly want, mystery, action, adventure, and romance. Ms. LaFevers does a fantastic job of keeping you guess who is scheming what, and who is the biggest traitor. Her story has wonderful twist and turns to it, without being unbelievable.
Her characters are not the classic beauties, but you fall in love with them all the same. Ismae has a harsh past and is devoted to her calling. It is interesting to watch her grow as a character, from a blind devotee of the commands handed down by her covenant to someone who no longer sees the world in black and white, but with shades of grey. Despite being trained assassin, she still has a very big heart as seen in her interactions with Annith and Sybella, and later with Anne and Isabeau.
Duval is a wonderfully complicated character. From his devotion and love for Anne and Isabeau, to the animosity between him and his mother. He is a master of strategy, and with the intelligence he possess, it is no wonder that his enemies are afraid of him.
The slow courtship between him and Ismae is beautiful. I am so glad it is not another love at first sight YA books. I like it when they take the time to get to know each other, and that is what brings about their feelings for each other.
I am excited that the next book in the series is about Sybella. I can already tell that she is going to be a complicated, damaged, but wonderful character to get to know better.
If you haven't started this series, yet, I highly recommend picking this one up.
Currently Reading:
Endless Knight
by Kresley Cole
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