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Red Sister

(Book of the Ancestor #1)

Mark Lawrence (Goodreads Author)

4.16 · Rating details · 44,245 ratings · 4,590 reviews

The international bestselling author of the Broken Empire and the Red Queen’s War trilogies begins a stunning epic fantasy series about a secretive order of holy warriors...

At the Convent of Sweet Mercy, young girls are raised to be killers. In some few children the old bloods show, gifting rare talents that can be honed to deadly or mystic effect. But even the mistress ...more

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Kindle Edition, 477 pages

Published April 4th 2017 by Ace

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· 44,245 ratings · 4,590 reviews

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Sep 28, 2016 Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I just reread this book again today in preparation for starting book 2, and it is just as good as the first time :)

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.

Man, what a hook.

This is classic Mark Lawrence in that it's extremely violent, unflinchingly bloody, and gives no fucks, which may be bad for anyone who isn't really fond of brutality involving children (seriou ...more

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Jun 28, 2016 Mark Lawrence added it · (Review from the author) · review of another edition

If you enjoyed Red Sister then don't forget to tell someone else (or hundreds of someone elses :) ). All authors depend on word of mouth, and it is always appreciated.

My first published book *not* in the first person.

A new book in the same world (new characters) comes out April 21st 2020: The Girl and the Stars

STOP PRESS! Library Journal gave Red Sister this starred review.

“In this stunning, action-filled series launch, Lawrence (“Broken Empire” trilogy) establishes a fantastic world in which r ...more

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Jan 17, 2019 chai ♡ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, adult-sff, young-adult, poc-rep, adult, lgbtq-bi, lgbtq-ff-side, read-in-2019, lgbtq-rep, disability-rep

The experience of reading Red Sister is akin to getting onto the wrong train—the story draws you relentlessly in and you can’t see the journey ahead, much less guess what it holds. An equally daunting and exciting interruption of the mundane. Depending on the reader, you might decline the adventure and choose to disembark at the next stop. Or you could stay, drifting, allow yourself to be jolted out of your habits and see it through ‘til the end.

I’m glad I chose the latter.

“It is important, w

...more

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Nov 01, 2016 Petrik rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Coming-of-age fantasy fans

Shelves: favorites, arcs-and-review-copies

ARC provided by the publisher—Harper Voyager—in exchange for an honest review.

The magic of rereading Red Sister strikes a gold mine.

Other than a few changes or grammatical fix, I rarely rewrite my full review. However, Red Sister merits one because I loved it so much more than my first read; the quality jumped from great to amazing in my criteria. I was pleasantly surprised by this. I decided to reread Red Sister in order to refresh my memory before I continue with the series, I didn’t expect to ...more

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Sep 11, 2018 Emily (Books with Emily Fox) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

(4.5) I was craving a good fantasy book and this was perfect for it!

School setting, fun magic system, badass nuns?! YES!!

Loved the characters, the world (although I need to know more!), the magic system, the story... I need the second book ASAP!

Totally recommend :D

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Aug 22, 2018 Rick Riordan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I've been a fan of Mark Lawrence's gritty 'grimdark' fantasy novels for a long while now, but I think Red Sister may be my favorite. (Sorry, Prince of Thorns. I still adore you.) Elevator pitch? Okay, it's reductive, but imagine Hogwarts as a nunnery that trains young girls to be assassins. The world of Abeth orbits a slowly dying sun. As a result, most of the world is encased in ice except for an ever-shrinking corridor along the equator, where humanity is squeezed together, fighting for surviv ...more

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Jun 12, 2017 Elena May rated it really liked it · review of another edition

It is important, when killing a nun, to ensure that you bring an army of sufficient size.

Are you kidding me with this hook?!?

Is this the best opening sentence in the history of fantasy or what??

Okay, I know. It’s the Prologue. Many books have action-packed prologues that don’t match the rest, so let’s move on to Chapter 1...

No child truly believes they will be hanged.

This was my first Mark Lawrence book. I’ve been aware of his works for some time, and he once again got o ...more

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Nov 19, 2017 Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle-own, fantasy-all, hardback, unhauled, own

Do not mess with these nuns . . .

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

No child truly believes they will be hanged. Even on the gallows platform with the rope scratching at their wrists and the shadow of the noose upon their face they know that someone will step forward, a mother, a father returned from some long absence, a king dispensing justice . . . someone.
...more

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Jan 05, 2017 James Tivendale rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, netgalley, freecopy, books-to-review-q1-2017

I received an advanced copy of Red Sister from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I would like to announce my gratitude to Mark Lawrence, Ace and Berkley Publishing Group for this opportunity.

Throughout this narrative, we flaunt within the mind of and follow the actions of Nona. Our protagonist is a young girl who we are introduced to initially whilst she is awaiting execution via the gallows for killing a renowned pit-fighter. Luckily for Nona, it just so happens that Abbess Glass, w I received an advanced copy of Red Sister from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I would like to announce my gratitude to Mark Lawrence, Ace and Berkley Publishing Group for this opportunity.

Throughout this narrative, we flaunt within the mind of and follow the actions of Nona. Our protagonist is a young girl who we are introduced to initially whilst she is awaiting execution via the gallows for killing a renowned pit-fighter. Luckily for Nona, it just so happens that Abbess Glass, who manages the Sweet Mercy Convent has taken such an interest in her hardships that she offers her the option of joining the nunnery as a Novice, thus escaping the impending death sentence. A large contingent of the interested parties are not particularly happy with this outcome. Perhaps the reason being that Nona did murder the son of one of the wealthiest and proudest men in the world. The repercussions of this singular act ripple throughout the tale.

Nona, a fiery but slightly damaged peasant with talents she doesn't truly understand then finds herself in the establishment where the Sisters of Sweet Mercy frequent. It is here where they train future nuns within certain art forms and most importantly, where all revere the Ancestor. Did I mention that these novices are trained to become some of the deadliest killers in the land for their Holy purposes?

"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"

The nunnery is reminiscent of the magic schools such as those created within The Kingkiller Chronicles and A Wizard of Earthsea. Claustrophobic atmospheres, close friendships, harsh teachers, bizarre traditions, bullies and the ultimate shaping of the raw talents shown by Nona, and others; into what their potential will allow. Nona reminded me of Sonea from the Magician's Trilogy. They are similar with their poor upbringing, attending establishments of special education against the wishes of many influential individuals and also, whispers that they are some kind of "chosen one". This is a lot darker than Trudi Canavan's trilogy. The vein here is more sinister, despondent and Nona's past seems extremely more tortuous than Sonea's did.

A large percent of Red Sister is set within the convent. The trials and tribulations here, in some aspects, are similar to youth experienced by all young girls such as making friends, dealing with bullies and disliking teachers amongst other dramas. What isn't similar to our world is that the novices become trained in extreme fighting (using fists, knives and throwing stars), taught about poisons and other skills that readers would describe as magical. The convent also has what is known as the Blade Path, which is a timed assault course like activity which would put army endurance tests to shame. In addition to the antics at the convent, the nuns and novices travel elsewhere in this world should their studies find it befitting, such as training with other youths at The Academy. The escapades elsewhere mainly lead them to the capital city of Verity, however; I will not say much about the storyline when the sisters are "unleashed" from their habitual establishment. A highly intriguing aspect of this book was the ingeniously placed flashback sections regarding Nona's youth prior to being found guilty of murder. Examples include juggling lessons and her being abandoned by her family. Each flashback adds an extra layer to Nona's already intricate, complex and perhaps even notorious character.

In Lawrence's envisaged world, the moon is falling, there are two miles high fields of ice encompassing the majority of the globe leaving The Corridor where the action takes place and also, one of the finest "magic-systems" I have ever seen depicted in fantasy.

The "magic-system" is labyrinthine in its complexity. I used quotation marks with that phrase as to describe it as being as simplistic as that statement is underwhelming for what has been created. For precision, complexity and potential - the magics are potentially on par with the Warrens used in Malazan and Allomancy in Mistborn. At the moment, as stated, I would say they are on par, however; we have no idea of the full possibilities. We were given glimmers throughout of the extra powers certain characters witnessed without understanding and which they could learn when older to manipulate to their will. It is exciting. There is a good mix of John Woo: Stranglehold like slowdown of time, thought control, mind sharing, walking "The Path" to obtain phenomenal destructive power, Witcher-like tracking senses amongst other talents. The skills they have acquired depend on which of the four legendary Abeth tribes these novices descended from.

The fabrication of the abnormal powers seems confusing at first but I believe this is intentional. Nona is of course, in an educational environment and as she learns about the magic, possibilities, poisons and histories of the world, then we as readers learn it also. Our gaps in knowledge are filled as the tale progresses, with the necessary information as Nona learns herself; which equals heightened affinity to our protagonist because we are going through the same learning issues and symptoms.

This book has scenes of macabre and harrowing happenings but it will then switch back to a pleasant scene in the Convent's dormitory where Nona, as a 9-year-old is gossiping about the happenings in the nunnery and also chatting to her fellow novices about families and friends as young children would. These scenes brought me metaphorically back down to Earth where I had to put the book down for a second and re-analyse that these girls were that young going through what would make many grown men weak at the bladder. It is a great juxtaposition and unifies Nona's relationship with important characters such as Ara, Hessa, Zole and Clera.

The finale of this story was utterly breathtaking. Nona is one of my favourite characters in fiction. Lawrence has created one of the most engaging fantasy worlds that my mind has allowed me to visit. At the finale, the second book is set up exceptionally well. It hit me yesterday that because I have an advanced copy of this, that I have to wait even longer for the second book. That is quite upsetting. When it is released officially I will buy this as it deserves a prime of place on my literal favourite bookshelf in my library. This tale was so extraordinary in my mind that I am questioning my previous ratings of other similar stories in this genre. So, note to authors; if I take a star or two off your rating then it is Mark Lawrence's fault, not mine.

James Tivendale x ...more

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Apr 03, 2017 Emily May rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2017, fantasy, arc

Ah, this is going to be a hard book to review. I have a lot of mixed feelings about Lawrence's latest work and I'm going to try and organize my thoughts as best I can.

What I love most about Lawrence's writing is the fact he's - to be frank - dramatic as fuck. He knows how to create a nail-biting, bloody, on-the-edge-of-your-seat kind of scene. Red Sister opens with an army coming to kill a nun:

It is important, when killing a nun, to ensure that you bring an army of sufficient size. For Sister

...more

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Mar 06, 2017 Melanie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, read-in-2017, magic, favorites, fantasy

ARC provided by Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest review.

“A book is as dangerous as any journey you might take. The person who closes the back cover may not be the same one that opened the front one.”

This story surrounds a young girl, given away by her mother and village after a frightful night. Yet, even being given away, our young protagonist, Nona, proves that there will always be room in your heart to love. The children that are given away to be sold are worth as muc ...more

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Jan 24, 2018 Anne rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, favorites, fantasy, read-in-2018

100% badass from start to finish.

description

When I think of nuns my mind doesn't immediately leap to a group of violent assassins.
Or, at least, it didn't use to.
Now? Well, now perhaps I'll think twice before I try to put the smackdown on a Sister. Who knows what sort of training they've had or weapons they're hiding under those habits?!
You can never be too cautious with those religious types...

description

So, yeah this is basically a story that centers around a little girl with supernatural Wolverine claws who's tryi ...more

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Oct 05, 2016 Petros Triantafyllou rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

It had never crossed my mind that I would read a greater story than that of Kvothe the Arcane. I had never thought it was possible to find a greater character than the Emperor Jorg Ancrath. I had never even slightly considered that there might be a fantasy world out there toppling that of Τhe Final Empire, and most definitely, I had never thought that i could love a book more than The Night Angel. But here we are.

Nona, a young girl of eight, orphaned by her father and abandoned by her mother, i It had never crossed my mind that I would read a greater story than that of Kvothe the Arcane. I had never thought it was possible to find a greater character than the Emperor Jorg Ancrath. I had never even slightly considered that there might be a fantasy world out there toppling that of Τhe Final Empire, and most definitely, I had never thought that i could love a book more than The Night Angel. But here we are.

Nona, a young girl of eight, orphaned by her father and abandoned by her mother, is waiting her turn on the gallows. She committed a terrible crime; that of saving a girl that was not meant to be saved. But Nona isn't a simple girl. She has Hunska blood in her veins; a residue from a civilization long lost, blessing her with unique abilities. So, she is given a choice. Either pay for her crimes, or join the Convent of Sweet Mercy; a military monastery with the reputation of raising little girls to fearsome warriors. But even though Nona is determined to leave behind her violent past, her powerful enemies are not...

"There is, in the act of destruction, a beauty which we try to deny, and a joy which we cannot. Children build to knock down, and though we may grow around it, that need runs in us, deeper than our blood. Violence is the language of destruction, flesh so often the subject, fragile, easy to break beyond repair, precious: what else would we burn to make the world take note? Your death has not been waiting for your arrival at the appointed hour: it has, for all the years of your life, been racing towards you with the fierce velocity of time’s arrow. It cannot be evaded, it cannot be bargained with, deflected or placated. All that is given to you is the choice: meet it with open eyes and peace in your heart, go gentle to your reward. Or burn bright, take up arms, and fight the bitch."

Mark's work is one of beauty and ingenuity. His great mastery with words alongside the excellent use of allegories and aphorisms result in a purposeful and interesting prose with no equal. A significant number of archetypes are reversed, twisted and contorted with the unique skills of a master craftsman, taken beyond functionality and turned into art. Worth mentioning is the exceptional handling of anaphoras in the two prologues and the epilogue.

The world-building is delicate and refined. Although most of the story takes place inside the convent, the world is explored through flashbacks and tales. The magic is complex and multi-leveled; you can say it's a mix of DragonBall and Mortal Kombat*. Finally, the characters are well-composed and far more compelling than the ones from the Broken Empire. I found myself caring for the fate of more than four nuns.

Being lucky enough to get my hands on this ARC already, i'm not sure if I have to declare this book the greatest work of fantasy fiction for 2016 or 2017. Well... why not both?

*You are going to see something like this:
description

You can find more of my reviews over at http://BookNest.eu/ ...more

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Mar 27, 2017 Robin (Bridge Four) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: super-sidekicks, 2018-reads, kick-ass-heroines, witches-warlocks-and-magic, 4-5-stars, fantastic-fantasy

Sale Alert!!!: 11May20 This is the Audible Daily Deal. If you don't have it pick it up $5.95

I WON!!!!

description

The amazing Mark Lawrence is sending me a signed copy of this. I AM SO EXCITED!!!

I won it and now I've finally read in since Grey Sister comes out shortly. Full Review To Come but NONA is awesome.

description

...more

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Feb 13, 2017 Emma rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: author-offer

When I started this I was a bit worried.

Actually, it wasn't the start, the prologue was heart-thuddingly, pulse-poundingly exciting:

It is important, when killing a nun, to ensure that you bring an army of sufficient size.

That opening sentence... Seriously, could you resist the lure of that dark promise??

Then the first chapter.

No child truly believes they will be hanged.

If I could do that scream emoji on here, picture that. It's the kind of beginning that makes you sit up in your seat, tense a ...more

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Mar 06, 2017 Jessica ❁ ➳ Silverbow ➳ ❁ rated it really liked it

Shelves: rabid-reads-reviews, assassins, fantasy, kickass-heroines, from-author, acerocstars

Reviewed by: Rabid Reads

First of all, b/c I've already been asked numerous times, YES, this is an entirely new trilogy, unrelated to Lawrence's previous works. So if you tried to read PRINCE OF THORNS and DNFed it b/c you couldn't tolerate that little shit of an MC (I've been assured that he gets better around 40%, but I haven't personally made that determination for myself), now's your chance to give Lawrence another shot.

Second of all, even after reading through it again when I finished the bo ...more

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Dec 26, 2019 NReads marked it as to-read · review of another edition

I need to read a Mark Lawrence book

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Feb 10, 2017 Bookwraiths rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, review-freebie, e-books, grimdark

Originally reviewed at Bookwraiths.

My rating is 2.5 stars.

Red Sister is a novel which has (rightly so, in my opinion) been dubbed the new Harry Potter for young adults. And, without a doubt, it follows the familiar pattern of children growing up and being trained by wise teachers at a specialized school for youth; the narrative fully embracing the whole coming-of-age and Chosen One mythos for good measure. Our main character’s unfortunate past and current travails chronicled in excruciating deta ...more

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Apr 26, 2018 Samantha rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites-2018

4.5 stars!

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Mar 30, 2017 Lady Luna. ✨ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: badassery, great-books

Full review now up!

4/5

"Or burn bright, take up arms, and fight the bitch.”

This ARC was provided by NetGallery in exchange for an honest review. Release date in Australia is 6th of April 2017

I went into Red Sister with apprehension, because I didn't love this authors other series Broken Empire. So automatically knowing this was a YA I thought I'd hate it. However I got it completely wrong, I actually really enjoyed reading this book and it was actually a fantastic coming of age, YA b ...more

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Apr 07, 2017 Elle (ellexamines) rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: genre-experiments, sff-high-fantasy, 2-star, zzzzz-did-not-finish, z-read2018, y-out2017, gay-genre-fiction

my first two reactions to this book were basically
→so it's badass assassin nuns and some of the girls are not straight? bring it on
→I know right i didn't think i'd ever actually get to this either

and I fully admit that this book has a badass beginning:

Nona thought of Raymel Tacsis lying in his father’s halls surrounded by Academy men sweating to keep him from death. Saida was dead - Nona had seen her feet poking beneath the seat in the prison yard, their wrappings still stained with

...more

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Jul 18, 2017 Philip rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: dying-earth, 2017-releases, high-fantasy, fantasy, author-man

4/5/18 re-read in preparation for Grey Sister. I feel like I need to bump up my rating to 4.5ish stars. There is a lot of nuance I didn’t catch (or didn’t remember at least) from my first read. I especially like the science fictional elements of the world building with the corridor and the ship hearts and the focus moon, etc. Really sets it apart from other high fantasy. Very much looking forward to book 2, again with Heather O’Neil as the (fantastic) audiobook narrator.

—————————————————

4ish st 4/5/18 re-read in preparation for Grey Sister. I feel like I need to bump up my rating to 4.5ish stars. There is a lot of nuance I didn’t catch (or didn’t remember at least) from my first read. I especially like the science fictional elements of the world building with the corridor and the ship hearts and the focus moon, etc. Really sets it apart from other high fantasy. Very much looking forward to book 2, again with Heather O’Neil as the (fantastic) audiobook narrator.

—————————————————

4ish stars.

This is an adult book with what are, in my opinion, actually some pretty good characterizations of kids and teenagers. It's got my favorite "school of magic" since Brakebills. It's got a fairly complex "magic system" with a lot of potential. And it's about killer nuns, isn't that cool? Basically it's everything I was hoping The Name of the Wind would be but wasn't. This isn't frivolous, jovial high fantasy, but there is occasional humor presented in a mostly natural, unforced way. It's fairly grim and dark but, again, with some pretty decent representations of young people forming friendships, getting themselves into shenanigans, and growing up to be killer nuns.

There may or may not be a "chosen one," who's to say? (view spoiler) That title is passed around to a few different characters based on a prophecy (that may or may not have actually been given?) and different characters' interpretations of it. There are a few other classic elements of magic schools and high fantasy in general but they're mostly done in a way that isn't cliche or stock.

Mark Lawrence writes very well. He doesn't mince words or try too hard to be clever. He does a good job balancing the dark story with some genuinely likable, almost warm, elements. I was surprised and impressed with the quality of writing. This is probably the most excited I've been about high fantasy in a while. Lots of potential.

The audiobook narrator, Heather O'Neil (variously listed as Heather O'Neill) does a really great job and I'll probably continue to listen to the rest of the trilogy. Recommended.

Posted in Mr. Philip's Library ...more

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Jun 09, 2017 Eon ♒Windrunner♒ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

~ 22 April 2018 ~
Started Grey Sister, and even though there was a nice recap to start off with, I just couldn't remember enough of the tiny details of the first book. So, grabbed the first one again and reread done and dusted now. Still awesome.

4.5 Stars!

You remember when you were a tiny little girl and did very bad things and because of that found yourself in a convent being trained as a nun specializing in the deadly arts? Yeah, same thing happens to Nona, the star of this story. ;)

"It is i ...more

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Nov 10, 2019 Val ⚓️ Shameless Non-Snowflake ⚓️ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: religious-elements, dark, 0-in-my-library-read, 4-stars, fantasy, clear-my-bookshelf-challenge, magic

3.75 Stars

The beginning was really good. The world-building was pretty solid and the writing was easily digestible. The middle, however...got a little tedious at times and felt a little slow.

Luckily, the ending more than made up for it.

It’s definitely a darker premise (thus the basis of its appeal to me)...But I have to say that sometimes, when the girls were working together to do certain things (example: Zole’s bodyguard...heist) it felt reminiscent of the HP trio and their hijinks. Except m ...more

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Sep 08, 2019 Daniel Greene rated it really liked it · review of another edition

My Full Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekiH6... ...more

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Mar 22, 2017 Lauren (Shakespeare & Whisky) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: bitchin-female-protagonist, favorites, fantasy, 5-star-books

Your death has not been waiting for your arrival at the appointed hour: it has, for all the years of your life, been racing towards you with the fierce velocity of time's arrow. It cannot be evaded, it cannot be bargained with, deflected or placated. All that is given to you is the choice: meet it with open eyes and peace in your heart, go gentle to your reward. Or burn bright, take up arms, and fight the bitch.”

I'm not going to quote the opening lines as literally everyone else has but suff ...more

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Mar 18, 2017 Nicole rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2017, fantasy, arc

"It is important, when killing a nun, to ensure that you bring an army of sufficient size."

I went to a Catholic school for 14 years, nuns were the ones responsible there. Naturally, we disliked them, they were mean, heartless, and too strict. However, after this book, all I can say is wow, I wish that was my kind of school! Because you see, these are no ordinary nuns. I mean who would train the students to poison, kill, and destroy? Of course, in self-defense ;)

Meet Nona ...more

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Apr 12, 2017 Haïfa rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, arcs_review_copies

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Note: I upgraded my rating to 5 because it's been days since I finished this book and the story, the atmosphere and Nona are still with me. The more I think of this book, the more I love it !

A solid 4.5 stars read !

Red Sister is the first book of Mark Lawrence's new series : The Book of the Ancestor. If you haven't read Mark's other trilogies (The Broken Empire and the Red Queen's War), no worries ! Red Sister takes place in an entire ...more

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Mar 06, 2017 Dannii Elle rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantastic-fabrications

First Read: March 2017, Rating: 4/5 stars
Second Read: March 2020, Rating 4.5/5 stars

Meet Nona Grey. She is not yet ten years old and is already awaiting her execution. And the man she murdered put her there. As she is poised, ready to face the hangman's noose, her saviour arrives in the form of Abbess Glass. Her salvation is the Sweet Mercy Convent, which transforms young girls into fierce warriors, who fight in the name of the holy Ancestors. Her choices are to swing or to train.

She chooses to First Read: March 2017, Rating: 4/5 stars
Second Read: March 2020, Rating 4.5/5 stars

Meet Nona Grey. She is not yet ten years old and is already awaiting her execution. And the man she murdered put her there. As she is poised, ready to face the hangman's noose, her saviour arrives in the form of Abbess Glass. Her salvation is the Sweet Mercy Convent, which transforms young girls into fierce warriors, who fight in the name of the holy Ancestors. Her choices are to swing or to train.

She chooses to train. She tries to forget about her blood-soaked past, the monster hidden inside herself, and all the traitors that have betrayed her. She tries, instead, to focus on the few new friends she manages to make and excelling in all of her subjects. And if she tries hard enough, she may be able to convince herself that she is a normal, young girl just like the others. Almost.

Nona provides the reader with such a strong female protagonist that it wasn't hard to empathise and align with her plight. But she was far from perfect. She was impetuous and tempestuous, prone to single-minded stubbornness and reckless abandonment of the rules. She was also sincere and guileless, quick to forgive and long to love. In short, she was raw and she was real.

The convent provided a wonderful atmosphere in which to see Nona's character grow. Partially, this dealt with topics concerning any young girl at school - friendship troubles, schoolwork trials and teacher tribulations. There were also elements unique to this setting and these characters.

The convent was a world of its own; closed off from the rest of humanity and with its own system of hierarchy and morals. The novices must learn and endure in order to succeed and excel. It is an environ that exists to be transformative and to give each and every inhabitant the room to grow and evolve, for the reader and for the purposes of the plot.

The training the inhabitants endured was of a very singular nature; all designed to hone them into ruthless warriors. Part of the training involved aligning themselves with 'the Path' of magic. This allowed them to absorb inhuman abilities, but was dependant on which of the four legendary Abeth tribes the novices descended from. This magic was complex and multi-faceted, allowing the individual to move what should not be moved and kill what could not be killed.

Nona finds she can access the 'path' on occasions of high emotion. She has Hunska blood in her veins that allows her to channel this ability. And these abilities also awaken an ancient prophecy that foretold of Nona's coming...

Despite this being absorbing in its complexity and bold in its bloodiness, I found myself a little muddled by the structure of the magic system. The 'why' was explained, but I struggled to properly formulate the 'how'. I wanted a little more structure to the formulation of how magic worked and this book would have been faultless.

This book gave me absolutely everything I desire from a great fantastical read - paramount world building, relatable characters, action-packed plot, stimulating narrative and a well thought out, if a little too dense, magical system. This book delivered on every front and my only negative is that I have to wait so long until the next instalment! ...more

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Mar 26, 2017 Anthony Ryan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Given the landmark nature of Mark Lawrence’s Broken Empire books comparisons with his latest offering are inevitable. However, I feel ‘Red Sister’ deserves to be considered on its own merits as the start of a completely new series. Via a third person narrative we follow the exploits of village outcast Nona who finds herself rescued from the gallows at a young age to be raised and educated as a nun in service to the Church of the Ancestor. It shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise to discover t Given the landmark nature of Mark Lawrence’s Broken Empire books comparisons with his latest offering are inevitable. However, I feel ‘Red Sister’ deserves to be considered on its own merits as the start of a completely new series. Via a third person narrative we follow the exploits of village outcast Nona who finds herself rescued from the gallows at a young age to be raised and educated as a nun in service to the Church of the Ancestor. It shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise to discover that Nona is not the praying, contemplating, helping the needy kind of nun. No, she’s the more the kick-ass, unnaturally swift with a very particular set of skills variety. She’s also possessed of an instinctive, almost maniacal need to protect those she sees as friends. Nona’s world is often an ugly place, full of scheming priests and morally bankrupt nobility. Civilisation is confined to an equatorial corridor between two encroaching ice shelves, maintained via the ‘focus moon’, a vast orbiting mirror built generations before. It’s clear this is a colony world of some sort, but it’s also a world where magic exists, or at least something so powerful and mysterious it can be mistaken for magic. The population is descended from four distinct genetic groups which have interbred over the centuries. A person’s role in life often determined by their lineage. Nona, being mostly of the slightly built but remarkably swift ‘Hunska’ line with a smattering of magical ‘Marjal’ blood, is destined to be a warrior nun, or ‘Red Sister’.

The scope of the story is deliberately restricted, confined mainly to the Convent of Sweet Mercy with occasional forays into the outside world. This restricted setting focuses the narrative on Nona’s emotional growth and her relationships with the other novices. We find a vibrant and compelling mix of personalities amongst both Nona’s fellow students and her tutors, including spoiled but kind former princess Arabella, utterly deadly blade mistress Sister Tallow, mischievous poisons mistress Sister Apple and the politically adept Abbess Glass.

Lawrence makes a virtue of placing an inherently heroic central protagonist at the heart of the narrative. Nona’s journey from outcast to powerful heroine recalls the work of the late David Gemmell with its many trials, complexities and betrayals proving a protagonist doesn’t have to be ‘anti’ to be compelling. The lyrical excellence of previous books is present in full force here and it’s fair to say that Mark Lawrence has evolved into a master of his craft. In ‘Red Sister’ he has produced a novel that is as thought provoking as it is entertaining, and as poignant as it is ferocious. Highly recommended. ...more

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About Mark Lawrence

Mark Lawrence

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Other books in the series

Book of the Ancestor (3 books)

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Emperor of Thorns (The Broken Empire, #3)

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Quotes from Red Sister

“A book is as dangerous as any journey you might take. The person who closes the back cover may not be the same one that opened the front one. Treat them with respect.” — 268 likes

“Your death has not been waiting for your arrival at the appointed hour: it has, for all the years of your life, been racing towards you with the fierce velocity of time's arrow. It cannot be evaded, it cannot be bargained with, deflected or placated. All that is given to you is the choice: meet it with open eyes and peace in your heart, go gentle to your reward. Or burn bright, take up arms, and fight the bitch.” — 91 likes

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