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foraging_pages's review against another edition
4.0
I’m very glad I read this novel after having my eye on it for years. It always sounded so intriguing - handmaidens of death. I enjoy when novels based on historical events are well researched and truthful as is the case of Grave Mercy. The conflict between France and Brittany, the duchy, the wars and heroes, and the court politics alike. All of those elements paired with the old gods and those who serve them made for a solid plot line.
At the beginning, I wasn’t sure I really understood Ismae. We learned of her past, but I wasn’t connected to her. I hadn’t seen enough of her personality before we were in the middle of the conflict. That problem fixed itself when her gifts became more apparent. I love Duval, though. He was easy to love as a character.
At the beginning, I wasn’t sure I really understood Ismae. We learned of her past, but I wasn’t connected to her. I hadn’t seen enough of her personality before we were in the middle of the conflict. That problem fixed itself when her gifts became more apparent. I love Duval, though. He was easy to love as a character.
godfrina's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.75
Honesty first - I skim read the last 30% or so.
This book took for.ev.er. to finish.
I can't put my finger on why, but it felt like dragging dead weight between other reads. Should've probably dnf'd but I just find that hard to do (stupid really).
The premise is so promising, girl from desperate backgrounds gets trained as a godly assassin in a secret convent and sent out to missions, meeting political players (eyebrow wiggle), traitors and rulers along the way.
It sounds badass but it felt like a tame afternoon tea party with a bit of scheming in between. I guess, I just wanted more. More strong Ismae, that doesn't need leading on from one clue to the next plot point. For me, the romance didn't really gel that much either. I do wonder if I will ever read the follow ups in the series.
This book took for.ev.er. to finish.
I can't put my finger on why, but it felt like dragging dead weight between other reads. Should've probably dnf'd but I just find that hard to do (stupid really).
The premise is so promising, girl from desperate backgrounds gets trained as a godly assassin in a secret convent and sent out to missions, meeting political players (eyebrow wiggle), traitors and rulers along the way.
It sounds badass but it felt like a tame afternoon tea party with a bit of scheming in between. I guess, I just wanted more. More strong Ismae, that doesn't need leading on from one clue to the next plot point. For me, the romance didn't really gel that much either. I do wonder if I will ever read the follow ups in the series.
alyssaindira's review against another edition
3.0
*no spoilers were harmed in the making of this review*
"I am a handmaiden of death. I walk in his dark shadow and do his bidding. Serving him is my only purpose in this life"
Hey guys, so I finished Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin, #1) by Robin LaFevers. It was a twisty and winding read that's for sure. In my opinion it was kind of a quick read due to how easy the writing was to skim. It wasnt too jammed packed with details, nor was it to sparse. it was just right. Enough to let you know whats happening in the story, but not too much to overwhelm you. The storyline did that job all on its own. Ha. What I mean by that, is that this storyline had so many little subplots occurring within it, that it was hard to keep track, in my opinion. Lots of different things were happening during the course of this novel and sometimes it was hard to discern how it impacted and influenced all the other events in the story. it was very much like a game of chess. So many pieces to put in motion. So many pawns. So many traitors. Enemies. So many of the opposition, not much og the defense. Oy. All the deception, deceit, and betrayal was woven intricately into the very heart of this novel. That in itself, was all the action that this novel needed. Forget the little physical attacks here and there, the political intrigue of this novel took the cake. That, was overwhelming. I nearly got lost in trying to figure out everyone's schemes and strings and yada yada yada. I honestly dunno how Ismae tolerated it all. I probably would have just cut the heads off all the snakes before I had a chance to get bitten. At least, I would hope I would. But the atmosphere of the court,man that was more toxic than any of her flipping poisons. Despite all that, I feel like she really discovered who she was and who she wanted to be among all the pariahs. She found out that indeed, her saint was mor ecomplex than anyone could have anticipation. And that indeed, there is not only vengeance in death, but also mercy. Grave, mercy. And the person who spurred her to truly question what was in her heart, her soul, her very blood, is the man with the purest and lightest soul of them all. Duval. It was in him, that Ismae discovered that even in the gravest darkness, there can be light. Now, I admit, first i was extremely wary of the man and looked for signs of treachery along with Ismae. And like Ismae realized, not everything is how it seems, and that people only see what they desire. Duval was slowly shed his armor throughout the novel and reveals that he is loyal, passionate, tender, caring, protective, and just the best man to have on one's team. He truly was something else. As was there romance. While I liked it, I didnt really feel it, ya know? But perhaps that is just on my end, cause I didnt get as immeshed in the story as I would have liked, I just skimmed along the surface like lurker, not really diving into the story wholeheartedly. So maybe thats why the flames of passion didnt rise as high as they could of, to me anyway. My opinion, as always, feel free to read the book and form your own. Alright, so yeah, the story was alright. I liked it and the characters. Although it wasnt the action wasnt the type of head on action I am used to, it was more slow building and subtle, it was still entertaining enough. As always, if you guys have any questions or comments, feel free to drop em below. Till next time. Bye.
"I am a handmaiden of death. I walk in his dark shadow and do his bidding. Serving him is my only purpose in this life"
Hey guys, so I finished Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin, #1) by Robin LaFevers. It was a twisty and winding read that's for sure. In my opinion it was kind of a quick read due to how easy the writing was to skim. It wasnt too jammed packed with details, nor was it to sparse. it was just right. Enough to let you know whats happening in the story, but not too much to overwhelm you. The storyline did that job all on its own. Ha. What I mean by that, is that this storyline had so many little subplots occurring within it, that it was hard to keep track, in my opinion. Lots of different things were happening during the course of this novel and sometimes it was hard to discern how it impacted and influenced all the other events in the story. it was very much like a game of chess. So many pieces to put in motion. So many pawns. So many traitors. Enemies. So many of the opposition, not much og the defense. Oy. All the deception, deceit, and betrayal was woven intricately into the very heart of this novel. That in itself, was all the action that this novel needed. Forget the little physical attacks here and there, the political intrigue of this novel took the cake. That, was overwhelming. I nearly got lost in trying to figure out everyone's schemes and strings and yada yada yada. I honestly dunno how Ismae tolerated it all. I probably would have just cut the heads off all the snakes before I had a chance to get bitten. At least, I would hope I would. But the atmosphere of the court,man that was more toxic than any of her flipping poisons. Despite all that, I feel like she really discovered who she was and who she wanted to be among all the pariahs. She found out that indeed, her saint was mor ecomplex than anyone could have anticipation. And that indeed, there is not only vengeance in death, but also mercy. Grave, mercy. And the person who spurred her to truly question what was in her heart, her soul, her very blood, is the man with the purest and lightest soul of them all. Duval. It was in him, that Ismae discovered that even in the gravest darkness, there can be light. Now, I admit, first i was extremely wary of the man and looked for signs of treachery along with Ismae. And like Ismae realized, not everything is how it seems, and that people only see what they desire. Duval was slowly shed his armor throughout the novel and reveals that he is loyal, passionate, tender, caring, protective, and just the best man to have on one's team. He truly was something else. As was there romance. While I liked it, I didnt really feel it, ya know? But perhaps that is just on my end, cause I didnt get as immeshed in the story as I would have liked, I just skimmed along the surface like lurker, not really diving into the story wholeheartedly. So maybe thats why the flames of passion didnt rise as high as they could of, to me anyway. My opinion, as always, feel free to read the book and form your own. Alright, so yeah, the story was alright. I liked it and the characters. Although it wasnt the action wasnt the type of head on action I am used to, it was more slow building and subtle, it was still entertaining enough. As always, if you guys have any questions or comments, feel free to drop em below. Till next time. Bye.
shhchar's review against another edition
5.0
Well thought out, multi-layered mythology; compelling characters (sometimes too many, but there's a perfect guide in the front of the book); mysterious plot -- all in all a great start to a trilogy!
mollywetta's review against another edition
4.0
I was poised to love Grace Mercy by Robin LaFevers. One of the blurbs on the back said feminists will love it. It’s about a daughter born to Death trained to be an assassin by a convent of 15th century nuns. Cool concept. Plus, I’d heard Ismae was as kick ass as Katsa from [b:Graceling|3236307|Graceling (Graceling Realm, #1)|Kristin Cashore|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1331548394s/3236307.jpg|3270810].
My first thought was that this book was entirely too long. This was not a story that you needed 549 pages to tell. The political intrigue of the plot meandered unnecessarily (And I like political intrigue. I have a poli sci degree, after all.) I’d have cut down on that and had more battles. Or at least assassinations. I’m not usually one to shy away from long books—usually I don’t want them to end—but I could have cut 100 pages out of this and still been satisfied.
The story starts off with a bang. For the first two chapters, I was pausing to read sentences aloud to Mister BS. The writing is strong in places. But the story also drags in the middle.
The romance felt a bit forced. In my opinion, Ismae was too aware too early of her feelings for Gavriel. And Gavriel was too good. I wanted him to have a dark side (or at least a hint of one), but he was unfailing to the end. Not believable. While the intimate scenes were well-rendered and had tension initially, my heart wasn’t fluttering. I wasn’t wondering if they were going to end up together. I knew it, so there was no suspense.
Anne, the twelve-year-old Duchess, doesn’t seem twelve at all. Sure, age was different in the 1400s…but not that different. She speaks and acts like an adult.
My favorite part was when Ismae tells a story to Anne’s younger sister. This is where LaFevers fairy tale style shines. Mortain, the god/saint of death Ismae serves, was walking and came upon two twin sisters (also gods). One he falls immediately in love with and the other is skeptical and jealous and shoots Mortain through the heart with her arrow to protect her sister. Mortain thanks her for reminding him that there is always a cost to love. What Ismae does not relate is the true ending—the fallout, the tragedy. Because happy endings really are all about when you choose to pull the curtain and proclaim it “the end”. This scene is what bumped it from 3 to 3.5 stars for me.
I enjoyed this book, but it isn’t making the “favorites” list. I loved the blend of historical and fantasy, and am going to be checking out other similar titles, so if you have any suggestions, let me know!
My first thought was that this book was entirely too long. This was not a story that you needed 549 pages to tell. The political intrigue of the plot meandered unnecessarily (And I like political intrigue. I have a poli sci degree, after all.) I’d have cut down on that and had more battles. Or at least assassinations. I’m not usually one to shy away from long books—usually I don’t want them to end—but I could have cut 100 pages out of this and still been satisfied.
The story starts off with a bang. For the first two chapters, I was pausing to read sentences aloud to Mister BS. The writing is strong in places. But the story also drags in the middle.
The romance felt a bit forced. In my opinion, Ismae was too aware too early of her feelings for Gavriel. And Gavriel was too good. I wanted him to have a dark side (or at least a hint of one), but he was unfailing to the end. Not believable. While the intimate scenes were well-rendered and had tension initially, my heart wasn’t fluttering. I wasn’t wondering if they were going to end up together. I knew it, so there was no suspense.
Anne, the twelve-year-old Duchess, doesn’t seem twelve at all. Sure, age was different in the 1400s…but not that different. She speaks and acts like an adult.
My favorite part was when Ismae tells a story to Anne’s younger sister. This is where LaFevers fairy tale style shines. Mortain, the god/saint of death Ismae serves, was walking and came upon two twin sisters (also gods). One he falls immediately in love with and the other is skeptical and jealous and shoots Mortain through the heart with her arrow to protect her sister. Mortain thanks her for reminding him that there is always a cost to love. What Ismae does not relate is the true ending—the fallout, the tragedy. Because happy endings really are all about when you choose to pull the curtain and proclaim it “the end”. This scene is what bumped it from 3 to 3.5 stars for me.
I enjoyed this book, but it isn’t making the “favorites” list. I loved the blend of historical and fantasy, and am going to be checking out other similar titles, so if you have any suggestions, let me know!
novelotl's review against another edition
3.0
Great premise! This was a book that I’d started years ago but never finished and finally got back around to reading. I found the politics to be very confusing, the magic/power system left me with a lot of questions, and the characters were overall relatively bland. It did hook me until the end though!
nandaluna14's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 unfortunately I grew more and more frustrated with the story as it progressed, some plot twists were predictable and the romance shadowed the plot
geekwayne's review against another edition
4.0
'Grave Mercy' is the first part of a new series by Robin LaFevers. You only had to say assassin nuns and I was in.
Ismae's only hope to escape from an abusive father is in an arranged marriage, or so she thinks. When her new husband proves himself to be as brutal (or moreso) than her father, she is miraculously taken away to a new life. She finds herself in service to a god of death known as St. Mortain. She learns the ways of deathdealing and how to only kill victims that bear the mark of Mortain. Before she is fully ready, she is sent out on her first mission, which has political ramifications for her people against an invading France. She is charged with protecting a young duchess while trying not to get too involved with her handsome brother. She is in a world she has never known, and surrounded by treacherous people. Will Mortain guide her hand true to save the life of the duchess?
I really liked this book. It moves along briskly. Ismae is a likeable enough character and prone to mistakes. It's YA, so it's got the romance angle which doesn't usually appeal as much to me, but it wasn't cloyingly annoying here. Ismae remains strong and independent throughout. I liked the sort of alternate medieval setting with it's strange gods. I understand the next books are told from a different character's perspective, but I think I'm ok with that.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this really good ebook.
Ismae's only hope to escape from an abusive father is in an arranged marriage, or so she thinks. When her new husband proves himself to be as brutal (or moreso) than her father, she is miraculously taken away to a new life. She finds herself in service to a god of death known as St. Mortain. She learns the ways of deathdealing and how to only kill victims that bear the mark of Mortain. Before she is fully ready, she is sent out on her first mission, which has political ramifications for her people against an invading France. She is charged with protecting a young duchess while trying not to get too involved with her handsome brother. She is in a world she has never known, and surrounded by treacherous people. Will Mortain guide her hand true to save the life of the duchess?
I really liked this book. It moves along briskly. Ismae is a likeable enough character and prone to mistakes. It's YA, so it's got the romance angle which doesn't usually appeal as much to me, but it wasn't cloyingly annoying here. Ismae remains strong and independent throughout. I liked the sort of alternate medieval setting with it's strange gods. I understand the next books are told from a different character's perspective, but I think I'm ok with that.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this really good ebook.
tjandrey's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0