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A review by gothiclibrarian
Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers
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.