Red Sister (Book of the Ancestor, #1)

by Mark Lawrence

[kimbacaffeinate]

We meet our protagonist, eight-year-old Nona Gray as she awaits the hangman for killing a man three times her size. Fate steps in and Nonna is saved when, Abbess Glass, the manager of the Sweet Mercy Convent offers her the chance to train as a Novice. Nona is a hunska, and you will learn more about this ability and others at the school. This magical school trains young woman on the path, blades, poison, physical combat and more. The magical elements are brilliant from what each girl possessed to what she can achieve.

I loved attended the Convent. If magical schools thrill you from lessons to boorish teachers, you will devour RED SISTER. Most of the setting takes place within its walls. From spells to training I was enthralled not only by the skills, but the worldbuilding, hierocracy, and political maneuvering that Lawerence developed within this world. A lot of what we learn is threaded throughout the tale, from lessons to conversations. Thus avoiding the need for information dumps, and while not entirely understood the magical elements hint at more to come.

The world is on the verge of collapse, and their civilization has been pushed into this tiny corridor whose fate is dependent on the moon, which we are told keeps the ice that covers the remaining world at bay. Lawerence revealed a brutal world where the church and rulers have power. There are layers of plots as we devel into the social hierarchy, meet indentured humans, and learn that the blade rules.

Written in third-person, this tale can be dark and brutal at times, but Nona and other characters offer balance as they pull the reader into their daily life. Prophies, villains, and uncertainty had me flipping the pages and eager to learn more. Lawrence cleverly added in flashbacks concerning Nona, and I thought they were well placed.

On a side note. Skip the prologue. I am not going to lie, I read it twice! All I could think was, "What the heck have I gotten myself into?' Nevertheless, I continued, and yeah, I still don't understand it. Well, I do NOW, but trust me, read it at the end.

"It is important, when killing a nun, to ensure that you bring an army of sufficient size. For Sister Thorn of the Sweet Mercy Convent Lano Tacsis brought two hundred men"

RED SISTER wrapped up brilliantly while setting us up for the next installment. Nona is a compelling and complex character whose strength and sheer determination has me counting the days until I can reenter this world. RED SISTER is a book you will want to add to your bookshelf.

Copy provided by publisher. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer