Book Review: Grave Mercy, Robin LeFevers

Reading Level:    Young Adult 

Hardcover:         549 Pages 

Publisher:           Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, April 3, 2012

Parasols:            5

From Goodreads:

Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?

Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of 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 finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, 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?

If you haven't heard of this book yet, I highly recommend you go out and buy it, download it for your e-reader or borrow from library.  This is a book that I can get behind and give a glowing review on.  It has everything one wants in an epic fantasy.  Firstly, it's so well written.  Secondly, it has a kick-ass heroine.  Thirdly, the love story is a slow burn that has you dying for these two to get together.

Ismae Rienne has pretty much never been wanted.  Her mother took a poison to purge the fetus from her womb.  Her father, knowing that she was marked, wanted nothing to do with her and couldn't wait to sell her off (marry her off?) to a local pig farmer who would readily beat her on their wedding night.  It's not until she is whisked away to a secret convent, that she learns what she is.  She is death.  This convent is not one that you go to pray and have your sins repealed.  The sisters at this church are trained assassins.  


On her first assassination, she is accosted by a jovial, if yet drunk, lug.  During her second assassination, she is found out by a knight of the high court.  He wants answers and wants to know why, Ismae is killing off people who could possibly help him find out who wants to hurt Duchess.


After her two assignments, Ismae is sent to watch over Lord Gavriel Duval and see if it is he who would take the duchy away from the sitting princess.  What we find is a mousetrap of enormous proportions.  Although a bastard, Lord Duval is the Duchess' brother and would see her safely ensconced in her duchy. 


Ismae starts to realize that the convent is not all as it seems and must trust her heart in matters of attending to death.  Although she doesn't necessarily trust the lord Duval, she knows that he is honest and truthful when it comes to his sister's happiness.  


I know that I have to wait a year for the next book in the series, but my goodness, I just could not put this book down.  I devoured it and yet, tried to savor it as well.  I really think this book will be a huge hit for Ms. Lefevers.  Her world building is on point and you get a sense of the time period and the utter chaos that goes on inside the castle walls.  You'll love Ismae and all the side characters that are introduced.  Everyone is fully well developed. I can't tell you how much I really enjoyed this book and would love to read more like this in the future.