REVIEW: Grave Mercy

Grave Mercy
Author: Robin LaFevers

Ismae is 17 years old, and dreads her upcoming marriage to a much older local farmer. She has no choice. Her father has arranged the wedding -- sold her, really. Three silver coins. But on the day of her wedding, Ismae's new husband takes one look at the red scars that run down her body and abandons her in fear. The red scars, caused by burns from the herbal poison her mother used in an attempt to abort her before she was born, signifies to the villagers that she was sired by the God of Death himself. A local priest arranges for her to go to the Convent of St. Mortain where she will learn to serve the God of Death as an assassin. Ismae is trained in the use of poisons, various weapons and garrotes to carry out the will of Mortain. After months of training, she finds herself in the Court of Brittany surrounded by political intrigue and treachery. It is here that Ismae learns what it truly means to serve Mortain, the God of Death.

I enjoyed this book. Ismae is a complex and interesting main character. She knows her duty and follows orders, but she makes some decisions based on her own moral compass. I liked the fact that she doesn't just blindly follow orders, but reasons things out and learns to think for herself. Plus, she's a real badass with a crossbow! The concept of a convent dedicated to serving Death and an assassin order of nuns was an intriguing premise. The story is well written and perfectly paced.

Grave Mercy is the first book in the His Fair Assassin series. There are three books in the series so far, with two more books coming out in 2018 and 2019. I enjoyed this first book so much that I immediately checked the other two books, Dark Triumph and Mortal Heart, out of the library so I could read them right away.

Robin LaFevers has also published several middle grade books under the name R. L. LaFevers. For more information on the author and her books, check out her website at: www.robinlafevers.com