#robin lafevers

[kindredwhimsy]

"One heart cannot serve two masters."

Grave Mercy – Robin LaFevers

[lady-sybella]

ISMAE RIENNE

Grave Mercy, Robin Lafevers

[elliepassmore]

Grave Mercy review

4/5 stars Recommended if you like: fantasy, Medieval fantasy, assassins, political intrigue TW child marriage, assault/abuse, attempted SA I first read this when I was 13 and haven't read it since, so it was a shock to go back and realize just how young Ismae is when the book opens. I do think LaFevers could've done to age her up a little (and Sybella in her book). Even 15 or 16 would be better (still bad, but better). Luckily, Ismae is only 13/14 for the first chapter or so, after which she's 17, though at times she reads older. I really like the concept of a convent for assassins. There are so many intriguing possibilities there and we get glimpses of the lessons Ismae and her peers get in fighting, poisoning, and seduction. While we spend only a brief time at the convent, I'm definitely intrigued by the goings-on there and wish the book explored that setting a bit more. The reasoning behind certain things in this book is a little confusing for me and I wish there was a more thought-out explanation. The convent trains assassins who are fiercely loyal to Brittany and their young duchess, which is fine and good, but then it's cloaked in this idea that Mortain wants them to be patriotic because keeping Brittany independent keeps him alive since the French would stamp out their religious practices. I can understand one position, protect the duchess and Brittany as a whole, or the other, serve Mortain, but the way they were combined is a little weird to me. I mean it does make sense, but the way it's been put together just doesn't quite fit. That being said, I loved seeing Ismae put her training and abilities to use. As a novitiate about to be ordained, Ismae is only just coming into a lot of her Mortain-gifted skills, such as the ability to read souls and see the marque of death. As a result, we get to learn a lot alongside Ismae as she goes through trial and error on her mission and discovers that some of her abilities are more complex than she, and the convent, initially thought. I also liked reading about Ismae's assassin skills and think she does a good job keeping it subtle while still managing to get the job done. Ismae herself is determined to do her job protecting the duchess and Brittany. She's a good assassin and is able to put her skills to multiple uses, from actually killing people to snooping to soothing a sick child. What perhaps stands out the most is her intense loyalty to Duchess Anne and to her sisters in arms. Despite being raised in an abusive household, then sent to a loving convent of assassins, Ismae has a gentle soul and wants to see justice done. Duvall is a mirror to Ismae, though not an assassin, and is equally, if not more so, dedicated to keeping Duchess Anne safe and Brittany independent. He comes off as pretty gruff at first, for good reason, and he's infinitely suspicious of Ismae when they first get paired together. As the book goes on, however, it's clear that his suspicion and gruffness are just the surface and underneath he has clear love for the young duchess and his other friends. Duval is a strategist and I enjoyed the scenes where he's laying out plans or trying to puzzle something out. The romantic pairing in this book is, obviously, Ismae and Duval. There is insta-lust going on there, but at least it takes them most of the book to get together, which is at least a few months. Ismae is skittish due to her past, busy trying to protect Anne, and has her duties to the convent, which does keep a lot of the romance at bay, but I do like the two of them together and think they work well. There are a lot of court politics going on in this book. Ismae spends the majority of it in Rennes with Anne and Duval, where there are schemes upon schemes. The French are hovering at the borders and Anne desperately needs to make a marriage match in order to secure troops. On top of that, the chancellors of the Privy Council have their own agendas, only some of which map onto what Anne wants/needs. There are a lot of layers to unravel here and schemes within schemes. I enjoyed reading about the politics and trying to figure out what was going to happen next. Overall, I enjoyed this read and loved reading about Ismae again. I think Ismae could've been aged up a bit without impacting the story, especially since she often reads as older than she is, but I still enjoyed the politicking.

[a-duck-with-a-book]

cover art colors -> gold

covers -> I - II - III - IV - V

[livrosemepub]

Trilogia O Clã das Freiras Assassinas - Robin Lafevers

Ordem dos livros

Perdão Mortal

Divina Vingança

Amor Letal

Descrição do livro #1

Aos dezessete anos, tudo o que Ismae Rienne conhecia era pobreza e homens abusivos: garotos que a atacavam com pedras, um pai violento e um pretendente repulsivo, que a comprou por três moedas de prata. Até que ela é levada para o convento de Saint Mortain, o misterioso Deus da Morte. Lá ela é treinada para se tornar uma habilidosa assassina e descobre que foi abençoada com perigosos dons pelo próprio Mortain. Para provar que merece o título de filha da Morte, Ismae parte em uma importante missão envolvendo a segurança da duquesa da Bretanha e o aniquilamento de seu traidor. Mas, ser uma serva da Morte pode não ser exatamente o que as freiras tinham ensinado no convento. Ismae vai aprender que a independência é conquistada com duras consequências, e que o destino de um país inteiro – e do único homem que ela seria capaz de amar – estão em suas mãos. Estabelecida na França medieval, misturando fantasia com ricos detalhes históricos em estilo “Game of Thrones”, Perdão mortal é o primeiro livro do “Clã das Freiras assassinas”, uma trilogia sofisticada, sombria e emocionante.

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[the-dust-jacket]

[-outofcontext-]

Courting Darkness #OutOfContext

[the-tbr-jar]

Shelf Confidence BPC

February 5 2022

If you like Graceling, try Grave Mercy.

Both books have female assassins with dangerous powers who fall in love with someone they weren’t supposed to and are set in a high court/kingdom.