Book Review: Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers

Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Publication date: April 2013
Pages: 400
Source: Library
For: Fun (and for assassin nuns)
Series: His Fair Assassin, Book 2

Summary 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...

Things I Liked:
I wholeheartedly love the setting and the plot of this book.  I love seeing a time and a place that doesn't often make it into historical fiction (or historical fantasy).  It was fun to watch the intrigues and the politics play out.  I was fascinated (and sickened a few times) by the things people did for power then (and I'm sure still do now).  Plus, I love seeing women who had power and could wield it well during a time when most women were simply easy targets or repressed.  Fun, if not light, stuff.

Things I Didn't Like:
This book was definitely quite dark.  Sybella is rather depressing character.  In fact, I found her belief that she is inherently evil, completely unlovable, and totally flawed to be a bit much at times.  It seemed like she often wouldn't even give herself any kind of break.  And yes, this is likely a very real result of the horrors she grew up in.  Still, at the end she does seem to give herself a break.  There were a lot of dark deeds and disturbing details that made the book less enjoyable, though more interesting I suppose.  I'll be interested to read about Annith and kind of hope she might be a bit more cheerful than Sybella was.

Read-alikes:
Start with Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers
Poison by Sara Poole

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !@
a few here and there

mrg-factor: XX
mostly obliquely referenced, but some disturbing details

v-factor: ->->->
there is quite a bit of assassinating and killing and what not

Overall rating: ****

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Book Review: Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
Publication date: April 2012
Pages: 560
Source: e-book from NetGalley
For: Review
Series: His Fair Assassin, Book 1

When Ismae was born, she was marked as the daughter of Death. So when she ends up at the convent devoted to St. Mortain, she is welcomed with open arms and trained as an assassin to deal death to those who are marked to die. But an assignment to protect the young Duchess of Brittany might just test her loyalty to the Sisters against the feelings of her heart.

Things I Liked:
What I think stuck out to me the most in this book is the intricate plot and complicated heroine.  I love the idea (I mean, who didn't perk up at the idea of assassin nuns?) and I really enjoyed watching Ismae's progression from her oppressed home to powerful assassin to compassionate woman.  The politics and the twisty slippery villains and plots kept me interested and reading to know just what would happen next.  I especially love how nothing is easy for Anne - it would seem nice to have a convenient way out of all her troubles, but she doesn't and I like it, even as I wished it would happen.  I suppose that is because she was a real person and real stories don't often have convenient endings.  There is so much in this book that I can't even talk about all of it and do it justice (plus the numerous beautifully expressed reviews I've read about it make that even more daunting).  But I think the court maneuevering and political machinations were my favorite things.  Despite having seen who the villain was well in advance, I was intrigued enough to continue to the end.  Another fabulous historical fiction, again reminding me just how much I like the genre!

Things I Didn't Like:
It did get a bit long.  I took a lot of long breaks (most of them not of my own choosing), so that might have affected how smoothly the book flowed for me.  I was also a touch annoyed by the somewhat convenient and slightly strange way Ismae manages to save someone near the end.  Definitely not a book for younger teens, what with the mature themes.  Otherwise, I pretty much enjoyed it, especially the parts where she plays the defenseless girl but instead kicks the bad guys around.  Never gets old.

Read-alikes:
Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
Poison by Sara Poole

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !@ 
a few

mrg-factor: XX
implied, not described in detail, but it does happen

v-factor: ->->
she is an assassin so death happens, sometimes in gruesome ways

Overall rating: **** 

I've seen lots of great recommendations for courtly intrigue books floating around as a result of this book.  Anybody have some good historical fiction courtly intrigue books to recommend to me?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage