His Fair Assassin #3

Publisher: HMH Books For Young Readers

Publication Date: November 4, 2014

Rating: 4 Stars

Source: ARC acquired in a trade

Pages: 444

Add it on Goodreads!

Summary (from Goodreads):

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.

She has spent her whole life training to be an assassin. Just because the convent has changed its mind doesn't mean she has...

Annith has always been the obedient one at the convent. Always doing what is expected of her to the best of her abilities, just waiting to be chosen for her chance to serve Mortain and go on assignment. But that day never comes and Annith discovers that she is being groomed by the abbess to become the next seeress of the convent. It is not a fate at all that Annith wishes for so after the abbess leaves the convent to go to the duchess, she takes matters into her own hands and leaves the convent to go to the abbess and demand answers.

First of all, I think that if I had to choose, this would be my least favorite of the books. It took a bit for this book pick up and get interesting. The beginning is really slow. The time she spends at the convent trying to decide what she's going to do seems to drag on forever! But it picks up a bit when she finally leaves and finds herself among the Hellequin where she meets the mysterious Balthazaar. When she finally gets fed up with them never getting to where she needs to be, she leaves and she ends up with the warrior followers of Arduinna and goes on some adventures with them until the book really picks up and she FINALLY ends up with everyone else and the story finally picks up.

Annith is easily my least favorite of the three main protagonists in this series. It took me awhile to warm up to her. She's incredibly stubborn. She is jealous, but I guess it's easy to see why as she has been training her entire life for the opportunity to serve Mortain and she is never called upon to do so. All of her friends are chosen to go before her and she doesn't understand why. She really kind of annoyed me when she was first reunited with her friends and everytime Ismae so much as muttered a word to another human being, Annith is thinking, oh wow she's so different. But she's also really smart and brave and kind. And ever so protective of the girls left in the convent, just wanting things to be fair and safe for them. She won me over in the end. She is really good and cares so much for others.

Balthazaar I feel I can't say much about because spoilers, but I can't help but feeling like Annith WOULD fall for Balthazaar. I am entirely not surprised. But also kind of surprised because I wouldn't have actually imagined this to happen.

I knew the abbess was super shady, but maaaaaan. I wouldn't have imagined all that actually happeneing! I wasn't so far off with my theory I wrote about in the Dark Triumph review.

I loved getting more Ismae/Duval and Sybella/Beast in this book! 

And I liked the ending of this book, it was a good ending for this series. 

So even though 3/4 of this review is me talking about what I really didn't care for about this, I really did love this book as well! This was such a fantastic series and I am so glad that I picked it up! I just feel like I can't say anything else because I don't want to ruin anything for those out there who are even later to this party than I am! Because this one would suck to be spoiled for I believe! And also it is 1:30 AM and I am not feeling very eloquent in my words.

Review: Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers

His Fair Assassin #2

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children

Publication Date: April 2, 2013

Rating: 5 Stars

Source: Purchase

Pages: 385

Add it on Goodreads!!

Summary (from the back of the book):

I lean forward, pushing my body out past the battlements. The wind plucks at my cloak, buffets against me, as if it would carry me off in flight, just like the birds or the knight's soul. Let go, it cries. I will take you far, far away. I want to laugh at the exhilarating feeling. I will catch you, it whistles deductively.

The convent has returned Sybella to a life that nearly drove her mad. Her father's rage and brutality are terrifying, and her brother's love is equally monstrous. And while Sybella is a weapon of justice wrought by the god of Death himself, He must give her a reason to live. When she discovers an unexpected ally imprisoned in the dungeons, will a daughter of Death find something other than vengeance to live for?

When I first started this book, I felt like I was going to be disappointed that it wasn't about Ismae and Duval. I shouldn't have worried though because I found this to be just as good as the first one and I loved reading about Sybella just as much as Ismae!

Three years ago, when Sybella first came to the convent of St. Mortain, she had just escaped her family who had driven her half mad. The convent took her in and trained her alongside Ismae and Annith in all manner of assassin techniques. When she is finally ready for assignments, where does that complete witch of an abbess send her? Right back into the evil clutches of her family she had finally escaped. Back to her father who is none other than the vile d'Albret who cares for no one but himself and her brother, Julian, who cares for her in a way that brothers shouldn't care for their sisters. So basically, I was concerned for Sybella's well being during this whole book. She doesn't especially seem to value her own life.

The only reason that Sybella can hold out so long with d'Albret is because the abbess has promised that she would be able to kill him. But no matter what horrible, treacherous things he does, he never gets marqued for death! Frustrated, she waits for a message from the abbess. When it finally comes, it's not an order to kill d'Albret, but to free the Beast of Waroch from her father's dungeon and send him to aid the duchess. He is a big dude and seriously injured, but she manages to get him out by bringing out his battle fever and he knocks her out and when she comes to, she is also on her way to the duchess. She thinks she is finally free of d'Albret.

Sybella is a great character. She has had an incredibly rough life. The book focuses a lot on her dark past and how she is trying to move on from it. She questions the existence of her god on many occasions, positive he can't be real if a man like d'Albret is not marqued. She is selfless. She enjoys killing those who deserve it and does everything she can to help protect those who cannot help themselves. She is a good person.

Beast is also wonderful. In the first book you see how very loyal he is to the duchess and his friend Duval. He is described as being incredibly ugly, but on the inside he is so far from ugly. He is kind, caring, gentle. On the way to meet the duchess, he goes out of his way to save every innocent person he finds to be in trouble. He is a killing machine and will be the first to put his life on the line in a battle. Especially if he is asking the same from others. He seems to have no care at all for his own life when his battle fever comes over him. He is just a good person.

Jamette.. I hated her. She is a rat and uses Sybella's secrets against her to gain favor with d'Albret. In the end, the only reason she tried to help Sybella was for her own sake. She couldn't bear what was going to happen to someone she loved if Sybella couldn't help them. Witch.

The only other character I feel the need to say anything about is the abbess. And this will mostly be a rant and a theory for the next book. Why is she so awful!? Sybella FINALLY gets away from d'Albret when she makes her way to the convent just for that witch to send her back to gather information! What information do you need? He's awful and there isn't a single thing he can do to redeem himself, just have to kill him, marque or no, and be done with it! And then she gets out of there again when she leaves with Beast and when they make their way to Rennes, the abbess is there and tells her that she needs to go back there AGAIN?!? That is so obviously a death sentence because obviously she's the one who freed the prized prisoner as they went missing at the same time!! And the she black nails her saying if she doesn't go she'll either send Ismae or Annith?!? In the first book, I thought the abbess was just a witch to Ismae because she saw Mortain and tried to tell her stuff about his will and the abbess was jealous and not about to take advice on the subject from a novice. She's shady man. I don't think that she's out to do Mortain's will at all. I think she's just out to get vengeance on her own will. I have a theory that since both Ismae and Sybella have seen Mortain now, Annith obviously will next and I think the three traits that they have (Ismae = mercy, Sybella = justice, and whatever Annith will be) will be what Mortain's will really is and I think they will somehow take over the convent and teach of Mortain's goodness and not just his vengeance. That makes it sound like death is only a punishment! Okay.. Rant over.

The romance in this book felt a bit fast. They only knew each other a few days. But I really liked it. They're perfect for each other. Sybella needs someone kind and gentle after all the horrors she's been through at the hands of the men in her life. Beast is just the man for the job! He's so full of love and can look past the darkness about her and love her the way she needs to be loved!

Other than the escape from d'Albret and the journey across the country, not a whole lot happened plot wise. But it was still an excellent story and I cannot wait for the last part of it from Annith! This series is so excellent and I just love the little history lesson you get with them! 

Review: Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

His Fair Assassin #1

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Publication Date: April 3, 2012

Rating: 5 Stars

Source: Purchase

Pages: 549

Add it on Goodreads!

Summary (from the back of the book):

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 be willing to take 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 underprepared—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?

This book totally blew me away! It was so much better than I was expecting, not that I was expecting it to be anything but good! This book has everything! Betrayal, politics, romance, adventure, action! It will have you questioning everyone you meet as to what their motives are!

This story follows Ismae who is sold by her father at the age of fourteen to marry a disgusting pig farmer named Guillo. She is rescued and taken to the convent of St. Mortain where she chooses to serve Death and is taught all the skills an assassin may need. Three years later, she is ready to begin going on assignments. Her first big assignment is to pose as a mistress to Gavriel Duval who is the half brother to the duchess of Brittany. She is to keep an eye on him because the convent has reason to believe that he is up to no good. But among those closest to the duchess, Duval seems the least suspicious to Ismae. So they must try and figure out who the real traitor among them is. I really enjoyed the mysterious aspect of this book. Who is the traitor among them working for the French? It really kept me guessing and feeling unable to trust anyone and I loved it!

I really enjoyed the characters in this book! Ismae is very dedicated to doing the work of Mortain. She doesn't question what the convent is telling her, believing them to know all. She thinks very little of men because all of the men in her life have been horrible to her. So she is not at all trusting of Duval when she is first assigned to tag along with him. But everything she learns while out with Duval makes her question what the convent has taught her about carrying out Mortain's will. Maybe it's not all about vengeance. She wants to believe that Mortain is also merciful. Duval also teaches her that not all men are completely awful like her father and Guillo.

Duval is wonderful. He is kind, caring, smart, strategic, and just wonderful. He is dedicated to the duchess and to helping her get out of a totally gross arranged marriage and helping her come up with strategies to keep Brittany safe and free from France. He is just so very good. He's a bit of a grump as well.

I never in a million years would have guess that Anne, the duchess, was only twelve years old during most of this book! That seems FAR too young to be having to worry about the well being of an entire country and avoiding gross old men who want to marry you for your throne! But I guess that things were far more different back in the day. She is a VERY strong young lady!

The only character that I found to be truly unlikable was d'Albret or whatever his name was. Every other character, not matter how awful they were, I seemed to be able to find the tiniest sliver of good in them or in the motives behind their actions. But that man was just really and truly vile. He was only out to help himself at the expense of a little girl! What a CREEP! Also, Madame Dinan was pretty awful as well. You'd think she'd care a bit more for the well being of the girl she's been caring for for years. I guess not!

I really enjoyed the note from the author at the end of the book explaining how this was all based on true events! It seemed that very few things were pulled out of thin air and I really liked that! I don't think I've read a whole lot of historical fiction in my life, but of them, this would by far have to be my favorite! So interesting!

I liked how everything in this book wrapped up nicely so there’s no cliffhanger or anything, but I’m kinda disappointed that the other two books don’t follow Ismae and Duval! I want to know what other shenanigans they get up to! I feel like there’s so much more that could happen with them! This is the thing that makes me the most sad, but also I am excited to know what happens with the character who the next story is about! 

I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who likes historical fiction, assassins, and ‘courtly drama’, as I saw someone say. That is a good way to describe this!