Grave Mercy, 1 (His Fair Assassin, #1)

by Robin Lafevers

[Briana @ Pages Unbound]

I was neutral toward the release of this book before it came out and not at all caught in any of the general excitement about it or the concept of “assassin nuns.” If anything, I was a little skeptical of something based on that concept. After reading it, however, I must admit I was pleasantly surprised. The book is immensely excited and very well-executed.

One might believe at first that there is going to be a lot of action in Grave Mercy. There is—but the bulk of the book focuses on court intrigue. Ismae must uncover who is plotting against the duchess and what their plans for her are—death? an unpleasant marriage? A few times I skimmed over some lengthy passages explaining the political situation, but most of the plots in and surrounding the palace are fascinating, and there are lots of twists to keep readers wanting to know more. The main perpetrator is not overtly obvious, but there are some nice clues to suggest to the readers who might be responsible. LaFevers does not just pull a villain out of thin air and try to pass it off as “surprising.”

Most of the characters are also really interesting, beginning with the sisters at Ismae’s convent and going straight to the palace. The love interest is strong, clever, and loyal. Some readers have called him “brooding,” but I read his emotions as deep worry for the duchess and his home, which made him more endearing and heroic. Ismae is generally strong, as well, but she can take awhile to catch onto things. Her back story makes this reasonable, but there are still some moments that will inspire eye-rolling. By the end, she gets her act together.

I am a little unclear on how Ismae is allowed to have a legitimate romance. In the opening scene, the readers see her get married. This marriage is never explained away. Was it invalid for some reason? Is LaFevers taking advantage of the medieval debate about whether consent, consummation, or both were necessary for a valid marriage? Are readers supposed to know this?

But I am impressed with how LaFevers manages the Middle Ages in general. Somehow, an assassin nun comes across as believable—perhaps because their order is rather secretive. There are great references to how court politics might have worked at the time. LaFevers also very nicely incorporates a pagan religion without going over the top bashing Catholicism, which is refreshing.

Grave Mercy is a gripping read with a strong protagonist. I am very much looking forward to reading the next in the series.

This review was also posted at Pages Unbound Book Reviews.