Review: Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers

From Inside Jacket: Annith has watched her gifted sisters at the convent come and go, carrying out their dark dealings in the name of St. Mortain, patiently awaiting her own turn to serve Death. But her worst fears are realized when she discovers she is being groomed by the abbess as a Seeress, to be forever sequestered in the rock and stone womb of the convent. Feeling sorely betrayed, Annith decides to strike out on her own. But across Brittany, the tides of war are drawing ever nearer, with France pressuring the beleaguered duchess from all sides. Annith's search for answers threatens to rip open an intricate web of lies and deceit that sits at the center of the convent she serves. Yet to expose them threatens the very fabric of her existence and an unforeseen chance at love that she can no longer deny. Annith must carefully pick a path and, gods willing, effect a miracle that will see her country - and her heart - to safety.  

My Rating: 4 hearts for the first 3/4 of the book; 3 hearts for the last 1/4 

Thoughts on the Novel: Though I loved both Grave Mercy and Dark Triumph, I was still hesitant to begin reading Robin LaFevers’ Mortal Heart because I knew that it was Annith’s story. While Sybella intrigued me in Grave Mercy, I couldn’t say the same about Annith in either Grave Mercy or Dark Triumph. So, I wasn’t sure how captivated I’d be with her story.

Surprisingly, despite growing up at the convent, Annith turned out to have a quite interesting backstory. Furthermore, LaFevers made me grow to like and admire Annith over the course of the novel because of her determination to serve Mortain and become the best novitiate possible in spite of not being blessed with any gifts. But, I have to say, I still like Ismae and Sybella much better.

I also enjoyed the girls’ romances (in their respective books) more than I liked Annith’s. Unlike Ismae/Duval and Sybella/Beast (who all make appearances), Annith’s romance was very much a case of instant love. Moreover, she was amazingly bold when declaring her attraction; I would have expected someone who grew up in a convent and wasn’t used to interacting with men to be a lot shyer and more nervous around the opposite sex.

A bigger issue that I had with Mortal Heart though was the incredibly disappointing ending. Spoiler alert: The idea of averting a potential war between Brittany and France by hitting Charles VIII with Arduinna’s arrow so that he would fall in love with Anne was just so laughable! In addition, I didn’t get the whole concept of the Nine turning into mortals; it was weird, and not very well-explained – not just philosophically, but also in terms of the plot because LaFevers didn’t address what happened to the hellequin who weren’t killed protecting Annith and Balthazar. 

Mortal Heart was released in November 2014 by HMH Books for Young Readers. 

Comments About the Cover: Since Annith’s weapon of choice is a bow, I really like that the model is holding one.  

In exchange for an honest review, this book was received from the publisher (Thomas Allen & Son) for free.

Review: Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers

From Goodreads: When Sybella arrived at the doorstep of St Mortain half mad with grief and despair the convent were only too happy to offer her refuge - but at a price. The sisters of this convent serve Death, and with Sybella naturally skilled in both the arts of death and seduction, she could become one of their most dangerous weapons. But her assassin's skills are little comfort when the convent returns her to the life that nearly drove her mad. Her father's rage and brutality are terrifying, and her brother's love is equally monstrous. But when Sybella discovers an unexpected ally she discovers that a daughter of Death may find something other than vengeance to live for ... 

My Rating: 4.5 hearts 

Thoughts on the Novel: After reading and loving Robin LaFevers’ Grave Mercy way back when it was released, I knew that sooner or later, I’d read Dark Triumph, the second novel in the His Fair Assassin series. While I was a bit bummed out that it wasn’t about Ismae and Duval, I was curious to learn more about Sybella, who I found fascinating in Grave Mercy.

Whereas the political backdrop was such a large part of the story in Grave Mercy because of Duval’s presence and his association with Brittany’s Duchess Anne, Dark Triumph focuses more on Sybella’s narrative. It’s therefore much easier to mentally keep track of all the characters, but it becomes harder to know what is happening at court since Sybella has been assigned to d’Albret’s household. She does eventually make her way to court though, where we get to see Ismae and Duval.

As much as I loved Ismae in Grave Mercy, I love Sybella even more. Her story is so sad and awful that you not only can understand the reasoning behind her choices in the past, but also admire her resiliency. 

As well, I loved the romance. Although I thought that Sybella developed feelings for Beast a little too quickly considering her backstory, it’s easy to see why she did. Unlike the men she is surrounded by, Beast is loyal, honourable, and courageous. Another thing I liked about the romance was that Sybella fell for Beast based on his personality rather than his looks and acknowledges that he isn’t and will never be labelled as handsome. But, this was very realistic because as a man who is overcome by bloodlust on the battlefield, it makes no sense for Beast to not be a physically scarred warrior.

A fantastic companion novel to Grave Mercy, Dark Triumph was released in April 2013 by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. 

Comments About the Cover: I really like the tagline and how deadly Sybella looks. 

Review: Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

From Inside Jacket: Escaping from the brutality of an arranged marriage, seventeen-year-old Ismae finds sanctuary at 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 must pose as mistress to the darkly mysterious Gavriel Duval, who has fallen under a cloud of suspicion. Once there, she finds herself woefully under prepared - not only for the deadly games of love and intrigue, 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? 

My Rating: 5 hearts 

Thoughts on the Novel: One of the books I’d been eagerly waiting for to be released this year was Robin LaFevers’ Grave Mercy. Regardless of the genre, in my opinion, any novel which involves an assassin is worth at least checking out. Having read Grave Mercy, I can now say that the wait was totally worthwhile because this historical fantasy not only has a protagonist who’s an assassin, but also contains political intrigue, mystery, Death as a character (which you just can’t go wrong with), a sexy romantic lead and a great romance.

I loved that Ismae was such a kick-ass heroine. She’s smart, strong, and knows how to inflict pain and kill people using all kinds of weapons and poisons. LaFevers also makes you care for Ismae right away because we’re told within the first five pages that Ismae bears a scar left by the poison her mother used to try to get rid of her from her womb, and that her father is physically abusive as is her new husband. When given the chance to either become one of Death's handmaidens or be married to another man, it’s not surprising that Ismae chooses to learn how to kill men.

The secondary characters in Grave Mercy were also well-characterized; and LaFevers does a good job of showing the complexity of her characters. People’s actions are motivated by different things and when circumstances change, who the reader defines as “good” and who they define as “bad” changes as well.

Of course my love for Duval was unwavering. I mean, the guy is a handsome noble who’s loyal (although that’s in question), persistent, and always plotting something! Come on, admit he’s irresistible! Oh, and that last quote of his … *swoon*

What I really loved about Duval however was that he was good for Ismae’s character development. Although their relationship starts off rocky since neither of them is thrilled to have to work together on their separate missions, it blossoms gradually; and in the process, causes Ismae to open herself up to the possibility of love and the idea that people can redeem themselves. By spending time with Duval, Ismae learns to follow her own instincts rather than just blindly obeying the orders of the abbess of St. Mortain.     

                                                                                       

A novel sure to appeal to fantasy lovers and those who enjoyed Lisa T. Bergren’s River of Time series; Grave Mercy will be released by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt on April 3, 2012.  

Comments About the Cover: It’s perfect for Grave Mercy! The castle and brewing storm in the background captures Anne of Brittany’s tumultuous situation. I also love that the model is holding a crossbow and wearing a long dress that’s not only appropriate for the time period but can easily conceal a number of smaller weapons.  

In exchange for an honest review, this book was received from the publisher (Thomas Allen & Son) for free.