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Feb 07, 2012

Jo rated it:

“When one consorts with assassins, one must expect to dance along the edge of a knife once or twice.”

Initial Final Page Thoughts.
Well, I thought I was going to hate that... quite the opposite.

High Points.
Ismae. Breton courts. Nuns. The coolest convent EVER. Saints. The genre (my first historical/fantastical adventure… very exciting). Death’s handmaidens. 13th century gadgets. Poison. Saints. Horsies. Beast. Anne. Secret passage ways. Traitors. Secrets. Corrupt More...

19 comments like (31 people liked it)

Sep 11, 2011

Michelle, the Bookshelf Stalker rated it:

This book was outstanding. You have all the fun elements- a young "kick-ass" female assassin gifted by the God of Death, a potential love interest, court politics, revenge, mistrust, and so on.
In addition, you have a beautiful tale of a girl’s personal growth. Watching Ismae go from a naive young girl, who blindly follows, to a smart thinking young woman, was the best part of the book.

Review coming closer to release date!

25 comments like (14 people liked it)

Feb 09, 2012

Jenny rated it:

"I bear a deep red stain that runs from my left shoulder down to my right hip, a trail left by the herbwitch's poison that my mother used to try to expel me from her womb. That I survived, according to the herbwitch, is no miracle but a sign I have been sired by the god of death himself."

Brittany 1485. Ismae has led a tough life at the mercy of the superstitious villagers and at the hands of her abusive father, and she's about to enter into an even tougher marriage when she More...

10 comments like (3 people liked it)

Feb 21, 2012

Book Whales rated it:

Originally posted @ Book Whales

Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?

Ismae has always believed that she’s a curse after knowing that she was sired by the God of Death himself. She lived a life of misery and hatred, but all that changed when she was given a chance to stay at the convent that serves St. Mortain, the God of death.

This book was absolutely gorgeous and brilliant! Just… WOW! I was completely hooked once I started rea More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Nov 04, 2011

Chelsea rated it:

I believe this is my favorite ARC since The Hunger Games. Do with that what you will. (In part because: the biggest problem with ARCs is that you are then faced with an even longer wait than usual for the next book to come out, especially if you are not lucky enough - or the series is popular enough - to get another advance. Life is rough, etc.)

It's not very often that I only need to hear two words to add a book to my to-read list. But "nun assassins" pretty much fit th More...

1 comment like (3 people liked it)

Oct 18, 2011

4 Kids Books rated it:

Blessed by the God of Death himself, Ismae has sworn to serve him and her country as an assassin. Trained in a convent with other handmaidens of Death, she has escaped a life of brutality and now has all the capable tools she needs to kill. Sent on a mission to protect a duchess during the hundred years war, Ismae must pretend to be the mistress of a man she does not trust. But as secrets are revealed and lives are taken, she not only uncovers a deeper conspiracy, but discovers that she is falli More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Nov 16, 2011

Catie rated it:

3 1/2 stars

I may have a few mixed feelings about this book, but I know exactly who to recommend this to. Do you love historical mysteries? Court intrigue? Romance? Very light fantasy? Do you love Juliet Marillier? Sherwood Smith? Do you wish that The Queen’s Thief series read a lot more like a romance novel? Then this book is absolutely for you.

Ismae is a young teenager when she’s sold in marriage to a much older man. Her father is happy to be rid of her, but her new More...

44 comments like (22 people liked it)

Feb 21, 2012

Heather rated it:

Why did I read this one so fast? It was awesome that's why! It had a fun premise with just the right mix of action and romance.

Summary from cover: 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 a More...

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Sep 12, 2011

Katie rated it:

This book ... it made me supremely happy. It had tight, crisp prose, a classic storyline that still manages to be fresh and engaging, lovely development, and OH DID I MENTION THE ASSASSIN NUNS? No??!! Well, allow me to take this time to mention the F*CKING AWESOME ASSASSIN NUNS. The only thing that I disliked about this one was the part where it ended. (RL, if you do not release the sequel pronto there will be stalking.) Although I must say that there was a nice sense of closure for the fi More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Oct 18, 2011

Angie rated it:

(a few chapters in, reading like an historical novel so far. still, not too bad. yet.)

Ismae, A low-born young girl in medieval Brittany is given a chance at a life different from the misery and drudgery of being wife to the cruel man who gave her father a few silver coins--as an assasin in service to the Saint Mortain. After training in all sorts of methods of efficiently dispatching a person chosen by her god for death, she is sent into fieldwork and given an assignment she's not su More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Dec 29, 2011

Teri rated it:

A tough heroine and a history lesson all in one, a Grave Mercy will captivate readers and keep you turning the pages. Ismae has been Marie d y birth as something different and while abused and sold she soon finds herself in a position of power as a Handmaiden of Death or one of Mordain's Daughters.
Why will capture readers in the story is not only Ismae's struggle with her own past and current path in life, but also within what she feels in her assignments.
As the tides turn and a coun More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Oct 15, 2011

Emily rated it:

Robin LaFevers has out done herself with her newest book. Set in mid-century Brittany, Ismae has endured hatred her entire life. It is said that she was sired by the god of death, Mortain. Her human father hates her and tried to have her poisoned before she was even born. After being sold into a marriage, the people of the town who still worship the old gods spirit her away to the convent of Mortain. It is here she learns the true nature of her gifts: that she a handmaiden of death, placed here More...

3 comments like (1 person liked it)

Aug 10, 2011

Marika rated it:

I grew up reading Tamora Pierce, whose books had the right mix of strong heroines, fights, magic, betrayal, romance, and gods. R.L. LaFever may follow in Pierce's footsteps, but Grave Mercy holds its own special magic. Ismae is a strong, beautiful heroine, and one of Death's daughters. Acting as an assassin, or one of Death's handmaidens, she delivers vengeance upon those marked for the grave. As her work brings her closer to a young Duchess and her family, Ismae begins to learn more about h More...

4 comments like (2 people liked it)

Oct 12, 2011

BJ at Dark Side of the Covers rated it:

Q. What do you get when you combine a Handmaiden of Death, political intrigue, dark magic, poison, romance, fancy dresses, herbs, and chess?

A. Grave Mercy!

What I Loved:

Girl Assassin! I love a heroine who is genuinely deadly, not just full of attitude. Ismae is definitely lethal; she’s been well-educated in the art of death, especially poison, and this part of the story was well-developed – just enough detail given at the right times so that it added to the More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Feb 12, 2012

Erica rated it:

THE BOOK THAT HAS IT ALL! If you loved Graceling, if you find strong female heroines to be your own ultimate heart's desire, and you love to long for a love story to come to a red hot firepoker conclusion, look no further. The story is so eloquently thought out that readers may believe it all to be based on a purely true history, and those used to a fascination with death ala all things paranormal will NOT be disappointed either. If you want to read a great YA novel this year, read this one, More...

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Sep 12, 2011

Robin rated it:

Love this book. I am not one to read period books, that being said I enjoyed this one. From the beginning it wraps you in the story. The developement of the characters is really good. You feel the characters and feel for them.

It is a sad start to the story. Ismae is poor and traded for a few silver. She would seem to go from bad to worse, when she is save by the people she thought to help try to kill her in the womb. She is lifted to be empowered and taught to use herself as a weapon. More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Dec 10, 2011

Bibliotropic rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Jan 02, 2012

Mlpmom rated it:

I have to hand it to LaFevers, she really came up with a great new, fun and somewhat unique concept in the world of YA.

Not only do we get a kick butt heroine who knows how to take someone down with a crossbow and doesn't take crap from anyone but she is also a daughter of the God of Death himself and is on a mission to do his work.

Oh and did I mention that this book is set in the15th century and involves not only a conspiracy to take over the throne, death, destruction, d More...

1 comment like

Oct 15, 2011

Julie rated it:

Set in Brittany in 1458, this is an interesting tale of Ismae who is rescued from an abusive marriage her father arranges so she can join and be trained by a group of female assassins. She travels to the court of Anne, the Duchess, to help protect her and her kingdom. As always, with stories set so far back in time, it is hard for all the language to sound authentic. My other complaint is that I think the story went on a bit too long. A little editing in the middle might have helped. Howev More...

0 comments like

Jan 18, 2012

Elizabeth (Miss Eliza) rated it:

Ismae almost died before she was born. Her mother tried to purge her from her body because she knew that Death was Ismae's father. All her life she has been marked by death with a dark wine stain from her shoulder to her hip. On the day of her marriage to a man she neither loves nor likes, he learns the truth and attempts to kill her. The herbwitch that tried to end her in the womb now rescues her and sends her to the convent of St. Mortain. There Ismae learns that she is cursed, but with gifts More...

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Sep 18, 2011

Cheri rated it:

Rescued from a lifetime of abuses, Ismae Rienne escapes to the convent of St. Mortain. There she is accepted. There she is admired. There they know she was sired by Death himself and will train her to do his bidding. To kill at his command. A task she’s perfectly suited for—until she meets Duval.

A YA romantic historical fantasy set in medieval France—with teen girl assassins. Could there be a more idyllic book for me?! No. No there couldn’t. Perfect prose that hooked me fast, a cast More...

3 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 09, 2012

Danielle rated it:

A daughter of death is saved from life and marriage with a brutal pig farmer by going to the convent of the god of death. She is rescued and given a purpose, but that comes with a price. She must work as an assassin, which doesn't strike her as a bad deal. However, what happens when love enters her life?

An interesting historical fiction? Fantasy? Historical fantasy perhaps. It delves into the history of Brittany (not just a name, people, but a region of France and formerly an independe More...

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Dec 31, 2011

Annabell rated it:

I loved the idea of this book. I love characters that take control of their own lives. I especially love women who escape from whatever is going on in their lives and turn around and fight instead of constantly running away. I really did enjoy this book, mostly because of the characters and relationships, but it didn't have that "wow" factor. Even when the action was going on, my heart wasn't racing, I didn't feel scared for the character, and it really felt kind of boring. I feel More...

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Jan 16, 2012

Cassi aka Snow White rated it:

3.5/5 stars

This book was pure guilty pleasure read for me. It's got a abbey full of assassins, many who happen to be daughters of death himself, a prickly heroine who thinks she hates men *cough doesn't last cough* court politics, treason and arranged marriages. Seriously, how can I not read a book where a woman carries a crossbow under her dress?

If I complained about this book being a guilty pleasure read it would be like buying blue shoes and disliking them for not More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Feb 02, 2012

Giselle rated it:

Intrigue. Murder. Politics. What more could you want?

Ismae gets rescused by a priest from a future with an abusive husband. The two journey to the convent, and is trained by the church to do St. Mortain's work. But most of all she's an assassin who is marked by Death himself. She slowly gathers the trust and respect of her fellow mentors and is finally assigned on a mission.

I won't say what that mission will be just because I don't want to spoil anything for anyone, but l More...

2 comments like (3 people liked it)

Jan 07, 2012

Amanda rated it:

Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?

Ismae has always known that she doesn't quite fit in. After her mother attempted to end her pregnancy with Ismae, the girl was born with a horrendous birthmark, that many claimed marked her as the daughter of Death. At the age of 17, Ismae is married off to a brutal man who has little love for her. After running away, Ismae takes refuge in the convent of St. Mortain, a strange place where the sister practice the art of assassination to serve More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Feb 15, 2012

Brooke rated it:

I think what made this book so incredible was it’s insanely strong lead, Ismae. She goes from being this weak insignificant girl at the beginning of the book to this tough powerful woman by the middle of it. And with a little help from the local Herbwitch, Ismae is able to escape her original fate; being married to someone who abuses her and someone she ultimately doesn’t love.

Once she arrives at the convent of St. Mortain the story really takes off! I loved reading about her time th More...

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Jan 30, 2012

Coranne (Short and Sweet) rated it:

Nun Assassins- need I say more? Grave Mercy follows the story of Ismae as she grows and develops as a handmaiden for death. Given the summary above, you would think that most of this story takes place in the convent- I would say the summary for Goodreads covers the first eighth of the book.

Rachel LaFevers is a fantastic writer. The idea of being an assassin and an assassin in the high court of Brittany has a few paths it could take- it could be full of smut and bed More...

2 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 29, 2012

Jessi (Reading in the Corner) rated it:

Ismae's life has been a struggle to survive from before she was even born. When someone tries to end your life before it begins, how much hope can you truly hold for your own future? When Ismae is spirited away in the night from her brutal arranged marriage, she discovers that there's a whole world of opportunities waiting for her should she choose to join with the convent and dedicate her life to Death...

Ismae is a fierce young woman whose life hasn't been easy but she's made it t More...

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Jan 30, 2012

P.J. rated it:

Beautiful!

I've been a fan of Robin LaFevers since I first discovered her books via Google Alert (long story having to do with The Emerald Tablet). So I bought and read her Theodosia series and fell in love with the world and the writing. And now I'm thrilled to offer up for giveaway an ARC of Robin's latest book, a young adult this time.

GRAVE MERCY: HIS FAIR ASSASSIN BOOK 1 by Robin LaFevers (Houghton Mifflin, April 3, 2012)

I'm going to give you five reason wh More...

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