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blessedwannab's review against another edition
3.0
Misericorde & Garrote Wire
Grave Mercy was such a surprise! Yay for YA-MA for forcing me to read this book in a group read, because I likely would never have picked it up on my own.
Ismae is the daughter of death, and after a hard life she is spirited away to the Convent of St Mortain. Once there she discovers that they would like to train her as a Handmaiden of Death to be an assassin for the old God/Saint Mortain. Ismae is thrilled with this, as her hard life has made vengeance sound wonderful.
After three years of training she finally is given an assignment and soon she finds herself caught up in the political intrigues of the Duchess Anne and the fight for Brittany's freedom against the French.
This is the very first book I have read that pairs a true Historical Fiction with an element of Fantasy. Sure sure, Outlander was a Historical Fiction and had a dash of Fantasy because of the time travel. I don't count that though, because in Outlander the time travel was secondary, or possibly even further down the list, of ways I would classify that book. The time travel was a paradox thought to happen due to the 'auld ones', and as Scotland is full of magic and legends of magical/mystical things happening I never felt that it could be classified as true Fantasy. But Grave Mercy, the Fantasy is just as prominent as the Historical Fiction. They coincided magnificently and really balanced each other well, bringing a new spin to an old genre.
In the group read thread I stated that while I thought the characters were well-developed I never thought they were personable. I still stand by that statement, however by the end I found that cared about them anyway. Isn't it true that sometimes, once you get through the exterior, even the reserved can still be loveable?
And lastly, while there is a romance in the book, I never felt that it overshadowed the core of the story which was Ismae and the convent, and the fight to save Anne's Duchy. The two characters that slowly grew to love each other did so gradually, and never once did they put their burgeoning feelings for each other ahead of their goals for the good of the country. And, bottom line, THAT is why it was a great story with admirable characters.
4 stars
Grave Mercy was such a surprise! Yay for YA-MA for forcing me to read this book in a group read, because I likely would never have picked it up on my own.
Ismae is the daughter of death, and after a hard life she is spirited away to the Convent of St Mortain. Once there she discovers that they would like to train her as a Handmaiden of Death to be an assassin for the old God/Saint Mortain. Ismae is thrilled with this, as her hard life has made vengeance sound wonderful.
After three years of training she finally is given an assignment and soon she finds herself caught up in the political intrigues of the Duchess Anne and the fight for Brittany's freedom against the French.
"But the two sisters could not be more different. Amourna was happy and giving, but her sister, Arduinna, was fierce, jealous, and suspicious, for such is the dual nature of love."
This is the very first book I have read that pairs a true Historical Fiction with an element of Fantasy. Sure sure, Outlander was a Historical Fiction and had a dash of Fantasy because of the time travel. I don't count that though, because in Outlander the time travel was secondary, or possibly even further down the list, of ways I would classify that book. The time travel was a paradox thought to happen due to the 'auld ones', and as Scotland is full of magic and legends of magical/mystical things happening I never felt that it could be classified as true Fantasy. But Grave Mercy, the Fantasy is just as prominent as the Historical Fiction. They coincided magnificently and really balanced each other well, bringing a new spin to an old genre.
In the group read thread I stated that while I thought the characters were well-developed I never thought they were personable. I still stand by that statement, however by the end I found that cared about them anyway. Isn't it true that sometimes, once you get through the exterior, even the reserved can still be loveable?
And lastly, while there is a romance in the book, I never felt that it overshadowed the core of the story which was Ismae and the convent, and the fight to save Anne's Duchy. The two characters that slowly grew to love each other did so gradually, and never once did they put their burgeoning feelings for each other ahead of their goals for the good of the country. And, bottom line, THAT is why it was a great story with admirable characters.
4 stars
revanchist's review against another edition
4.0
If there wasn't a history fan inside me, I wouldn't have been able to finish this. *mild spoilers below*
The synopsis has just caught my attention. Assassins?? Nuns??? Eh? The start was quite okay. The story started out as this 14-year old girl forced to marry this disgusting pig-thing or whatever, then being rescued by the herbwitch that later on she found out had been forced to abort her, by the command of his repugnant father, not her mother. Next, she trained three years in the convent with nuns to practice killing. Honestly I don't know why am I so interested with these kinds of things. Later on, most of it then "besieged" the duchess's dilemma. The whole time I was letting the horrible situations of the 15th century sink in, I always think about my preferences otherwise. If I do not like social studies at all, or history at least, this book would have bored me out of my wits. Some elements are predictable, I have to admit. Forced marriages, the real spy, the monarchy's power, armies, war.. The Duchess is also awesome, and that's saying something since she's just 12. Damn it, Brittany.
I have to admit the romance is kind of adorable. I know the main characters would end up together, but I still held on since the unnecessary fluff scenes we face in most YA novels today are opted out and instead we have this slow-burn romance that really came from genuine affection. Well what do you know. I appreciate the author for this, and for not forgetting the planning and poisoning and throat-cutting and stabbing-and-turning things etc. in the middle of all that.
I am happy to say that Ismae, the protagonist, has greatly improved since then. In the end she was less arrogant and more appreciative of kindness and love, wherever they come from. She also grew from communing with Death, learning that we all make our own choices.
Though I expected a really magnificent ending (please forgive me for being so demanding), I just wanted to say that I was greatly awed. It has left me smiling, so I give this a pretty high rating. Rhymes again.
The synopsis has just caught my attention. Assassins?? Nuns??? Eh? The start was quite okay. The story started out as this 14-year old girl forced to marry this disgusting pig-thing or whatever, then being rescued by the herbwitch that later on she found out had been forced to abort her, by the command of his repugnant father, not her mother. Next, she trained three years in the convent with nuns to practice killing. Honestly I don't know why am I so interested with these kinds of things. Later on, most of it then "besieged" the duchess's dilemma. The whole time I was letting the horrible situations of the 15th century sink in, I always think about my preferences otherwise. If I do not like social studies at all, or history at least, this book would have bored me out of my wits. Some elements are predictable, I have to admit. Forced marriages, the real spy, the monarchy's power, armies, war.. The Duchess is also awesome, and that's saying something since she's just 12. Damn it, Brittany.
I have to admit the romance is kind of adorable.
Spoiler
How can you resist Duval..?I am happy to say that Ismae, the protagonist, has greatly improved since then. In the end she was less arrogant and more appreciative of kindness and love, wherever they come from. She also grew from communing with Death, learning that we all make our own choices.
"..Even darkness gives way to light sometimes.."
Spoiler
If I had known sex would be the only answer, well, ok. But, why?peytonm's review against another edition
5.0
I had this story on my Kindle and read it sporadically while on airplanes. Probably not the best way to read a great book like this, but honestly every time I picked it back up, I was right back into the world Robin LaFevers created. Ismae is a great female lead, and I always love assassin stories! Duval is a great partner for Ismae, and my fondness for him grew the more I read. This book reminded me of Tamora Pierce's Alanna series in a good way with the court intrigue and fish-out-of-water tropes.
happyharlequin319's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
trishgeee's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. maybe 4 stars.
historical fiction with assassin nuns! i didn't want to put it down at all but it wasn't spectacular if that makes sense. am looking forward to the rest of the series.
historical fiction with assassin nuns! i didn't want to put it down at all but it wasn't spectacular if that makes sense. am looking forward to the rest of the series.
kirstenrose22's review against another edition
5.0
I *totally* loved this. Assassin nuns! A fantasy-ish late medieval setting in Brittany! Lots of political intrigue! Yeah. (The political intrigue ended up being just a touch easy enough to figure out well before the characters did - but I loved the setting and the set-up enough that I didn't care by that point.)
beaa_reads's review against another edition
4.0
I didn’t have many expectations going into this book, as I don’t read much historical fiction, but it was good, if a bit dull in places
skyereadss's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
gothiclibrarian's review against another edition
I had seen a little buzz on Twitter about this book and was interested in the synopsis so when I saw it as a two day promo on Netgalley, I jumped at the chance to read it. Once I realized the length was over 550 pages, I was a little concerned but a friend on Twitter told me that it flew by and she was so right!
The story starts immediately with action and giving you a sense of the characters. Before I knew it, I was over 50 pages in. This book is so good! The story draws you in, the characters are amazing. I love strong female characters and Ismae is certainly that. I loved that she doesn't take everything at face value, that she questions her believes and what she's told before she finally does what she feels is right.
The mystery of "who is behind it all" is the best part (well, almost...Duval is the best part) of the entire novel. You're lead in so many possible directions, with so many plausible reasons. I was able to figure out who the bad guy was (didn't trust him at all from the moment he burst onto the scene) but was so annoyed that I couldn't figure out the how to a huge plot near the end. When it was revealed it was a major "OHHH" moment. Though I don't think I would have ever figured it out.
Duval. Oh, Duval. Can he be real? Please? The romance of this book is that slow-burning, hate turns to tolerate turns to like...kind of storyline. And when I say slow-burn, the book is 500+ pages...it's SLOW. But not frustratingly so. It's believable and you want to root for them. I love when the romance goes like that; when the characters genuinely respect and care for one another over a significant event/span of time rather than instantly. And since I can't resist, I have to quote one line because it made me laugh out loud. It is something Ismae thinks to herself: "I comfort myself with the knowledge that if Duval ever feels smothered by me, it will be because I am holding a pillow over his face." Beast is a close second for a favorite character. He's rough around the edges but he's so loveable.
I'm not going to lie. The last 60 pages or so reduced me to a sobbing mess. It was moving and heartbreaking and wonderful all at once. However, I should say that it doesn't take much to make me cry.
I did have one minor gripe with the story. It's a spoiler though. Your clue is The Antidote. I wasn't enough for me to dislike the book, but it was enough for me to say "Really?" out loud. If you've read the book and would like to discuss, shoot me an email or a tweet. I encourage it.
Overall, this book is worth it. The length isn't an issue because the characters and the plot move it along so swiftly. There is mystery, intrigue, fantasy, pretty much anything you'd want in a great book. Though it isn't perfect, I can't really say anything bad about it because the rest of the novel is so amazing in my opinion. It's a hard book to put down but so worth the end result.
I'm greatly looking forward to the next installment which I was pleased to discover will be told from the perspective of another character who was as equally, if not more charming than Ismae. If ever there was a point that I will someone to write quickly, it is now.
The story starts immediately with action and giving you a sense of the characters. Before I knew it, I was over 50 pages in. This book is so good! The story draws you in, the characters are amazing. I love strong female characters and Ismae is certainly that. I loved that she doesn't take everything at face value, that she questions her believes and what she's told before she finally does what she feels is right.
The mystery of "who is behind it all" is the best part (well, almost...Duval is the best part) of the entire novel. You're lead in so many possible directions, with so many plausible reasons. I was able to figure out who the bad guy was (didn't trust him at all from the moment he burst onto the scene) but was so annoyed that I couldn't figure out the how to a huge plot near the end. When it was revealed it was a major "OHHH" moment. Though I don't think I would have ever figured it out.
Duval. Oh, Duval. Can he be real? Please? The romance of this book is that slow-burning, hate turns to tolerate turns to like...kind of storyline. And when I say slow-burn, the book is 500+ pages...it's SLOW. But not frustratingly so. It's believable and you want to root for them. I love when the romance goes like that; when the characters genuinely respect and care for one another over a significant event/span of time rather than instantly. And since I can't resist, I have to quote one line because it made me laugh out loud. It is something Ismae thinks to herself: "I comfort myself with the knowledge that if Duval ever feels smothered by me, it will be because I am holding a pillow over his face." Beast is a close second for a favorite character. He's rough around the edges but he's so loveable.
I'm not going to lie. The last 60 pages or so reduced me to a sobbing mess. It was moving and heartbreaking and wonderful all at once. However, I should say that it doesn't take much to make me cry.
I did have one minor gripe with the story. It's a spoiler though. Your clue is The Antidote. I wasn't enough for me to dislike the book, but it was enough for me to say "Really?" out loud. If you've read the book and would like to discuss, shoot me an email or a tweet. I encourage it.
Overall, this book is worth it. The length isn't an issue because the characters and the plot move it along so swiftly. There is mystery, intrigue, fantasy, pretty much anything you'd want in a great book. Though it isn't perfect, I can't really say anything bad about it because the rest of the novel is so amazing in my opinion. It's a hard book to put down but so worth the end result.
I'm greatly looking forward to the next installment which I was pleased to discover will be told from the perspective of another character who was as equally, if not more charming than Ismae. If ever there was a point that I will someone to write quickly, it is now.