Review: Grave Mercy

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publication Date: April 3rd 2012
Pages: 549
Source: Library
Genre: Historical, Mythical Elements, Romance
Goodreads

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?

Grave Mercy is a  very, very unique book about a girl who escapes a bad arranged marriage to live in a convent of the god of death where she learns to do his work and help the court of Brittany. This is a great historical book filled with action and romance that were very well written.

The main character, Ismae has grown up with a very difficult past with terrible parents and a horrible arranged marriage. Ismae is a very strong character despite all that has happened in her life and I really admired that in her. She was very good with other people and there really wasn't anything I didn't like about her. Duval is a character that Ismae has to travel with the the court of Brittany so she can help out in the court. I really didn't like Duval in the begging of the story, he acctually seemed like a bit of a jerk, but as the story continued on and on  secrets about Ismae and Duval are revealed to one another and the seem to warm up to each other. I really liked Duval by the end of the story. The writing in the story is written as people would have though and spoke in the time the book is taking place, but not in an overwhelming sense. The beginning was a little slower than I would have liked, but it picked up very quickly. The book is set up to be written as three companion novels, one for each of three girls who are part of the Convent of St. Mortain. I think that is a really cool way of putting together a world, and I can't wait to hear the stories of some of the other characters that were barely touched on in the story.

Grave Mercy is an amazing, interesting, action packed adventure book filled with amazing characters and a few I can't wait to learn more about.