Title: Grave Mercy
Author: Robin LaFevers
Genre: Young Adult
Buy it on Amazon: Hardcover (currently bargain price of $6.80) or Kindle
Book Description:
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?
What I Think:
I feel like this job of being an “assassin” is at least in part easier to handle than Celaena’s role in Throne of Glass - but maybe that’s because I feel like Ismae’s just doing what would already be done by “Death”? I kept jumping to conclusions on who the bad guy was in this book and I’m so glad some characters maintained their integrity for me. It was definitely an engaging read. Although there are clearly some “good guys” throughout the book that they try and frame as bad. LaFevers could have made that more tricky, but it’s okay. SPOLIER: My favorite part in the book is when Ismae meets death and learns about mercy as well…that’s a bit of a spoiler, but it certainly changed my outlook on the book and I think I would have been happier to know that earlier.
