Guest Review: Grave Mercy

My cinema buddy, Sarah has popped again to share her thoughts on ninja assassin nuns...and if that doesn't intrigue you, nothing will!

Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin #1)
Robin LaFevers

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

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?

Whilst I love my current office job, it has seriously impinged on my reading levels in the last 18 months.  Previously, I would get through a book in around 3 days.  Now?  Only one every 6 days.  This means that I am not as much help to Mel when it comes to doing reviews as I used to be, although it does mean that I try my very best to only read books I think I’m really going to enjoy, rather than a lot of ‘oh, I’ll give it a go’ books.  I thought that Grave Mercy looked a book right up my street – thankfully, I was right. 

The premise is not a vastly original one – one character has a horrid childhood, is saved by a seemingly well-meaning group who train them in their field of expertise (in this case, assassination), said character is sent out to dispatch a mark, and instead sparks fly.  However, when the horrid childhood is brought about by a failed attempt at abortion, the well-meaning group is a convent for the training of assassin nuns, and the intended mark is the bastard half-brother to the ruling Duchess it all becomes rather more than un-original!

Our heroine is Ismae, our hero Duval, and, unlike in many fantasy novel romances, both are strong-willed, untrusting and capable of playing the game whilst notching a crossbow.  It was also a very pleasant change to read about two people falling in love with the other’s personality, not their physical appearance.  At no point is either character described as beautiful/handsome/striking/lovely etc etc, instead they both appear to be, well, normal!  On a good day, they scrub up well, on a bad day, they don’t.  A very satisfying novel for us average-lookers! 

Despite doing History A-Level, my knowledge of French history is extremely limited, so I have to admit to having no idea whether or not the events portrayed in Grave Mercy are accurate.  This does mean, however, that I could enjoy the political machinations as they were described, and without bias.  Add to this an alternative take on the subject of Gods that leaves many a question unanswered and many an avenue to be explored, and I am gagging to get my hands on book two in the series.

In short, if you like your romances realistic, your fantasy historical, and your nuns to be assassins, then I defy you to not enjoy Grave Mercy.  One for fans of Naomi Novik and Maria Snyder, 8.5 out of 10.

Early Review: Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2)

Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2)

Sarah J Maas

Publisher: Bloomsbury - To Be Release 15th August 2013

E-Arc Courtesy of Netgalley and Bloomsbury

Eighteen-year-old Celaena Sardothien is bold, daring and beautiful – the perfect seductress and the greatest assassin her world has ever known. But though she won the King’s contest and became his champion, Celaena has been granted neither her liberty nor the freedom to follow her heart. The slavery of the suffocating salt mines of Endovier that scarred her past is nothing compared to a life bound to her darkest enemy, a king whose rule is so dark and evil it is near impossible to defy. Celaena faces a choice that is tearing her heart to pieces: kill in cold blood for a man she hates, or risk sentencing those she loves to death. Celaena must decide what she will fight for: survival, love or the future of a kingdom. Because an assassin cannot have it all . . . And trying to may just destroy her.

This is what all YA series should be! An independent but passionate heroine caught between her vows and her secrets – check. Two heroes who accept her for who she is but still care – check. Love triangle that makes sense and isn’t frustrating or overwrought – check. Action – check. Soul searching – check, big revelations – check, an increasingly tense wider arc – check, great secondary characters – check. What more can I say, other than this book ticks all the check boxes and creates a few new ones!

As the King’s Champion Celaena has been ordered to kill those the King deems his enemies or traitors, but she finds herself less than enthused to kill for the man who is responsible for the death of her family and continues to dominate and enslave the whole continent. However, if she doesn’t obey him not only her own life is forfeit but also that of her friends, Chaol, Captain of the guard and Princess Nehemia. However, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t other people in the realm unwilling to oppose the king and soon Celaena has to decide how far she will go for those she loves and what she will fight for.

Celaena for young age has been through a lot and is intent on surviving, but at the same time she is starting to open up for the first time. I love that her character has grown so much and yet she is still making selfish choices at times and mistakes. It makes her feel real and the dilemmas she is struggling with even more difficult. That’s not to say Celaena along makes this book work. Both Prince Dorian and Captain Chaol are more than usual romanic interests and both struggling with dilemmas of their own. The balance between personal and  loyalties to the kingdom are strong – at times I just want to shake them both to be more aware of who they are serving as King! There are so many wonderful moments and twists that usually come at the end of a book just sneak up on you in the middle and make you wonder what will happen next. My heart was in my throat on multiply occasions and I never wanted to stop reading.

I am really hoping this is a longer series than just a trilogy as I can see so much possibility and adventures ahead for our assassin and her friends! This is where all other YA books need to look for inspiration.

Recommended for fans of Robin Lafevers and Maria V Synder. 10 out of 10

The Assassin's Curse Review

The Assassin’s Curse

-       Cassandra Rose Clarke

Publisher: Strange Chemistry

E-Arc copy courtesy of Netgalley and Strange Chemistry

Ananna of the Tanarau abandons ship when her parents try to marry her off to an allying pirate clan: she wants to captain her own boat, not serve as second-in-command to her handsome yet clueless fiance. But her escape has dire consequences when she learns the scorned clan has sent an assassin after her. And when the assassin, Naji, finally catches up with her, things get even worse. Ananna inadvertently triggers a nasty curse — with a life-altering result. Now Ananna and Naji are forced to become uneasy allies as they work together to break the curse and return their lives back to normal. Or at least as normal as the lives of a pirate and an assassin can be.

Ananna was raised on board ship by her pirate parents, but when they want to marry her off in return for political support in their war, she takes an instant dislike to her husband to be and runs away. Pursued by an assassin sent by her suitors family, Ananna ends up saving his life  instead and being dragged into a curse that bind her and her assassin Naji close together.

This book is very easy to read. Told from Ananna point of view with liberal use of local slang and dialect, it really feels like you are in someone else’s head. There are some great scenes – the fight in the desert, the storm at sea which are well described and visual. I liked the world with the difference between the pirates, cities and ice-islands all feeling part of the same world. Some of these images have stayed with me long after closing the book. There are some intriguing characters that I wanted to get to know better – especially the woman first mate of the ship, but this is really the story of Ananna and Naji.

It is with Ananna and Naji that I had a couple of reservations – Ananna seems easily won over by Naji. One minute he’s trying to kill her, the next she trusts him enough to blindly follow him wherever he wants. I know she is only sixteen, but she feels much younger to me with plenty of teenage mood-swings and jealousy. Naji remains a mystery throughout – I never really felt like I knew his motivations at all. He seems incredible ignorant of women and bizarrely aware of his scar for a cold-blooded assassin. However my biggest issue is with the ending, which seems to arrive suddenly. Not a cliff-hanger so much as just a stop – it meant that the story up to that point doesn’t feel like a coherent plot. This is supposed to make you desperate to read the next book, but I just felt like I was short changed with this book.

There is a cool idea here – pirate girl and assassin out to break the curse on them, and I think this would be adored by some younger teens. However, I was expecting something more.

Recommended for fans of Rae Carson and Gwenda Bond. 6.5 out of 10      

Throne of Glass Review

Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1)

-       Sarah J Maas

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Review Copy courtesy of Bloomsbury: Released 2nd August 2012

After serving out a year of hard labour in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin. Her opponents are men—thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the kings council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she’ll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom. Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilarating. But she’s bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it’s the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best. Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined...

It feels like I’ve been waiting ages for this book to come and for once it was worth the wait! Celaena, assassin extraordinaire is given the chance of freedom from the mines of Endovier, if she takes part in a tournament to become the king’s Champion. The fact that she hates the king and all his does in his never-ending conquest, doesn’t stop her from grabbing the chance and working hard to return to her full fitness after a year of drudgery.

Celaena is thrown into a situation which will test her strength, her courage and challenge her core beliefs. After reading four novellas starring Celaena, I felt like I was meeting up with an old friend – but this is a friend who has been changed by her experiences – and she still has some secrets. Celaena is an angry young woman – she is proud, arrogant (deservedly so) and confident in her own abilities. But she is strangely vulnerable when it comes to trusting others – she doesn’t have a sneaky, cunning side to her, being straight forward and wilful. She is a great role-model – if you don’t mind the assassin part!

I loved the introduction of the new characters – Captain Westfall and Prince Dorian, both old-fashion types of men, full of courage and morals in a world lacking in both. Her friend Princess Nehemia is one intriguing character and I want to know more about her, while her companionship with fellow competitor Nox was built on respect and I liked him more than I expected. In short, every character was unique and interesting.

The plot meandered slightly, taking place over so many weeks that so much time was rushed over a simple – training continued. Tension built towards the end and many foundations for future conflict and excitement was laid. In many respects this was very much setting the scene and introducing the new set up. However, the writing was easy to fall into and get swept along with – Sarak J Maas has a deft touch with words, painting pictures of the world that makes it feel like you are there in the winter air yourself.

Throne of Glass is a fun read with traditional fantasy elements. It is so easy to swallow that you are left immediately desperate for more (there is definitely something addictive in the writing!). I think it will be a long wait for the next book in this series to come out.

Recommended for fans of Kristin Cashore and Maria V Synder. 8.5 out of 10.

The Assassin and the Throne of Glass Novellas #2

The Assassin and the Underworld (Throne of Glass Novella #0.3)

-      Sarah J Maas

Kindle Book

When the King of the Assassins gives Celaena Sardothien a special assignment that will help fight slavery in the kingdom, she jumps at the chance to strike a blow against an evil practice. The misson is a dark and deadly affair which takes Celaena from the rooftops of the city to the bottom of the sewer—and she doesn’t like what she finds there.

After her summer in the Desert with the silent assassin, Celaena returns to Rifthold determined to free herself from the King of Assassin – and discover what happened to her friends Sam after their adventures with the Pirate King...

This is the first time in these novella we see Celaena at work, taking an assignment to kill one of the leading slave traders. It was great watching her at work – scouting out the locations, using her brains and seeing her clash with her mentor. She is still very impetuous and reacts more than she thinks, but that lack of cunning, of long term thinking is one of the things I like most about her. It was also great to see her reunite with Sam as they struggle to figure out what their relationship to each other is.

This had a very sweet ending, that made me happy, but also slightly scared as I can’t help thinking this isn’t the happy ending it seems for Celaena.

Recommeded for fans of Tamora Pierce and Rae Carson. 8 out of 10

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The Assassin and the Empire (Throne of Glass Novella #0.4)

-       Sarah J Maas

Kindle Book

Celaena Sardothien is the assassin with everything: a place to call her own, the love of handsome Sam, and, best of all, freedom. Yet, she won’t be truly free until she is far away from her old master, Arobynn Hamel; Celaena must take one last daring assignment that will liberate her forever. But having it all, means you have a lot to lose . . .

This is where things all go wrong for Celaena. In order to finally escape from the King of Assassin – and for him to not come after them, she and Sam agree to pay him off. But in order to raise the money, they need to assassinate the king of the underworld – the one in charge of all crime in Rifthold and his sadistic lieutenant.

Celaena still has secrets – and I liked that after three novella’s there still seems to be more to discover about her and why she is hard and difficult most of the time. However, both Sam and Celaena’s youth seems to be at fault here with neither of them questioning what is happening – and as a result suffering for it. I was heartbroken reading some parts of this – even if they weren’t entirely unexpected.

This leads us perfectly into the start of the full length novel – one of my most anticipated reads for this summer!

Recommeded for fans of Isobelle Carmody and Kristin Cashore. 8 out of 10

The Assassin and the Throne of Glass Novellas Review

The Assassin and the Pirate Lord (Throne of Glass Novella 0.1)

- Sarah J Maas

Kindle Book

A Throne of Glass novella.
On a remote island in a tropical sea, Celaena Sardothien, feared assassin, has come for retribution. She’s been sent by the Assassin’s Guild to collect on a debt they are owed by the Lord of the Pirates. But when Celaena learns that the agreed payment is not in money, but in slaves, her mission suddenly changes—and she will risk everything to right the wrong she’s been sent to bring about.

This was so much fun to read! Celaena Sardothien is a sixteen year old assassin – beautiful, confident and deadly. When she and her colleague and rival, Sam are sent to the Pirate Lord by the King of Assassins in order to conduct a business exchange, she is horrified to find they will be bringing back slaves. Celaena is cocky but extremely competent – always looking for an edge. Yet despite this prickly service she has real heart and a strong sense of honour. Not that she has a heart of gold – but I feel she may have a streak of gold in her heart somewhere!

Added to this is an exciting world where pirates and assassins have leaders, there is a conquering land hinted at in the back ground and there is plenty of action. The action is smoothly done, thrilling and very visual. I could easily see events in my mind and would love to see a TV series or film with these characters! While short, this is the perfect introduction to a new fantasy world and one I very much want to explore! Luckily for me there are another three novellas and a full length novel which is published soon so I will definitely be exploring this world in more detail!

Recommended for fans of Robin Hobb and Rae Carson. 8 out of 10.

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The Assassin and the Desert (Throne of Glass Novella 0.2)

-       Sarah J Maas

Kindle Book

The Silent Assassins of the Red Desert aren’t much for conversation, and Celaena Sardothien wouldn’t have it any other way. She’s not there to chatter, she’s there to hone her craft as the world’s most feared killer for hire. When the quiet is shattered by forces who want to destroy the Silent Assassins, Celaena must find a way to stop them, or she’ll be lucky to leave the desert alive

Following on from The Assassin and the Pirate Lord, this story follows Celaene as she spends time in the Desert with the Master of the Silent Assassins, hoping for a letter of recommendation to allow her to return home. The difference between the Master and his silent assassins and the Kind of Assassins who raised Celaene is marked – particularly the difference in how they treat their followers – one encouraging and the other dissenting is fascinating. The desert is always a interesting place to set a story and this is no exception. I loved the chase scene as well as Celaene’s frustrations that the master won’t train her.

I found this story more enjoyable than the Pirate Lord, Celaene is more relaxed in this story as she’s not on a mission. Her developing friendships with people in the desert is a joy especially given the different personalities of them all. This felt like a much more emotional story with Celaene making some decisions on how she wants to live her life, but at the same time there is plenty of action as Celaene doens’t lack for skills!

Fun, exciting and fulfilling this is a perfect teaser for Throne of Glass – as soon as I finished this story, I pre-ordered the novel which is out in August!

Recommended for fans of Rae Carson and Maria V Synder. 9 out of 10  

Early Review: Grave Mercy

Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin 1)

-          Robin LaFevers

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin – Published on 3^rd April 2012

E-Arc courtesy of netgalley and Houghton Mifflin

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?

Ismae is the daughter of the pre-Christian  god of death, Mortain. This means she has been trained in the art of death and knows how to shoot, choke, poison and many other methods of disposing of those who bear Mortain’s mark. When Brittany’s independence is threatened by the French, she is sent into the young Duchess’s court in order to protect and preserve her country. Unfortunately she is unsure who she can trust...and who she trusts might mean the difference between life and death...

This novel set in medieval France and treads a fine line between supernatural and realism. As the daughter of a God, Ismae and her sisters are trained to use certain gifts and as the novel continues Ismae realises that her training might not be as extensive as she first thought as she discovers new abilities. Some of these gifts are the result of intense training but some may in fact have their roots in magic. However, this is never overt and just adds a nice flavour of spice to the story. In the same way there is a romance, but both Ismae and her suitor firmly place the Duchy’s needs ahead of their own throughout – which I liked as it adds pathos and emotion to their actions. The romance is sweet and feels natural  extension of both characters personality.

There are plenty of secondary characters which make the world feel populated and realistic. The writing was elegant and the story exciting and tense. While there are some deaths, most of the action in the story is political. Personally, I love the politics of court life, but it may not be to everyone’s taste – you are forwarned! I loved the mystery of trying to figure out who Ismae could trust and how they could get out of the difficult situation the country had found itself in. It was a tense situation and by no means were all the threads tied up by the end. The mystery of Sybella remains and luckily the second book in the trilogy, Dark Triumph looks like it will tell her story – and I can’t wait!

Recommended for fans of Maria V Snyder and Jennifer Fallon. 8 out of 10.