(His Fair Assassin #1)
4 out of 5 stars
Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
ARC received through Netgalley
ARC received through Netgalley
Grave Mercy has been on my to be read list for a very, very long time. Ever since the cover was revealed I knew I had to get my hands on this one, I mean, she is holding a crossbow!
Ismae has been unwanted all of her life. Her mother took poison to expel her from her womb, and after that it doesn't get much better. When the opportunity arises for her to join the St Mortain convent she jumps on it. Here she is trained as an assassin in service of the ancient saint of Death. When she is sent away on a mission, she will have to choose between fulfilling her duty or following her heart.
The first thing that came to mind while reading Grave Mercy is epic fantasy. The second is medieval fiction. Young-adult fiction didn't enter my mind until I saw this book labelled as such. For me Grave Mercy doesn't have that typical "young" feeling that YA books have. I guess that because the main character Ismae is a teenager it is a correct label, but I'm afraid it creates an expectation that it can't live up to. It's not the fluffy light historical romp through medieval fantasy land, full of kick-ass nuns that can do ninja tricks. Instead, it has courtly intrigue and mystery and conflicting interests. It makes for an engaging read - but I fear that a lot of people diving into Grave Mercy will not be expecting this level of seriousness.
I personally loved it. I'm a great fan of epic fantasy and of huge tomes containing page after page of world-building and plot background. This already is a pretty fat book with it's five-hundred pages, but I actually wouldn't have minded if there were more. As it is, I think some people will be put off by it's length. Yes, there are five-hundred pages. And no, not every single one of them has a fight or action in it. There is a lot of walking and talking, sitting down and some more talking, spying and listening to people talking. Ms LaFevers has spun a beautiful tale, but you can only appreciate it if you truly have the patience to see it play out.
Ismae is a great leading character, and I had no troubles at all to emphasise with her. I may not agree with every one of her actions, but I can understand all of them. Besides Ismae there are some other pretty awesome characters; I have so many favourites that I'm not going to describe them all. The love interest gets an honourable mention though - it was great to see that a mysterious guy doesn't have to be a rude guy. He is a very kind and chivalrous person, which made it easier for me to believe his and Ismae's connection.
The whole fantasy aspect was subtle but very well done. If you're looking for a solid fantasy read set in the middle ages, I would certainly recommend Grave Mercy. I'm very much anticipating the sequel, which will be told from Sybella's perspective, another girl from the convent.
Blurb
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?
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?
Other reviews you might be interested in
- Review: Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder (4/5 Stars)
- Review: A Witch in Winter by Ruth Warburton (4/5 Stars)
- Review: Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen (4/5 Stars)
- Review: Brisingr by Christopher Paolini (2/5 Stars)
More links
6 comments:
I loved Grave Mercy! Glad you enjoyed it, too. :)
I've actually just started reading GRAVE MERCY and while I'm not really far into it at the moment (only 8%), I'm really liking what I've seen already. I'm glad you enjoyed it, too, and thanks for sharing your review! I'll definitely be going back to it now to find out more about this intriguing world!
Carina
Fictional Distraction
Yay! Some people were really bored with Grave Mercy.. I'm glad you're not one of those either :D
Hehe, I hope you keep enjoying it Carina! Be prepared for a lot of plot twists (: Happy reading!
I'm not a big fantasy lover, but I loved this one. Perhaps because it is subtle, as you said. I also found the book difficult to put down. I didn't know how long it was since I was reading the ebook and didn't pay attention. I was stunned when I found out its length. I didn't find it slow at all. Great review. Thanks!
Thanks Annette! I was very much surprised that this book is 560 pages too - it didn't feel any longer than the regular 350 for me. It's such an engaging story that you just kind of forget how long you've been reading
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