Fantasy: maiden of an order for a god of Retribution

[Dark]

First off, let me say that it is not Grave Mercy, though there are many similar aspects which caused to me wonder if I was reading the same book I was remembering, it was obviously not the further I read, and more so as I fleshed out the parts I remembered.

And thank you for trying to help. :)


Setting:
* not modern times [maybe 1400-1800 AD]
* a city run by the guilds (and I believe royalty above them, but unsure)
* law is such that only getting caught will get you reprisal from justice deliverers
* proof of crime & an according price will set member(s) from an order after the target
* this order is made up of all women who devote themselves to a god of Justice/Retribution(/Death?)
* these members are allow to act freely (often killing or otherwise harming) when needed, thus appreciated yet feared [maybe sanctioned assassins/spys?]

Plot:
* main character is a child a first, but we get a late-teen to mid-twenty woman shortly after and there on out
* while a child, begs/steals outside of the city gates, thus no worry of the order, as part of a beggars/thieves children group
* [believe the group was run by a man/guard just outside the walls who housed & fed them (just enough) for their pickings]
* goes inside the city because maturing and was afraid of staying while maturing [hiding as boy? afraid of leader's interest?]
* taken (I forget how/why) to the order since could not survive alone in the city
* trains in the beliefs of the order and how to go about its work (agility, weapons, disguises, womanly arts, etc...)
* goes out on assignments
* while on assignments, they travel through the city crowds cloaked so all know them only by dress and thus purpose, or across the rooftops (for ease) with different safety areas/nests to rest/hide/heal [coinage for missions as well?]
(view spoiler)[
* one assignment requires that she brings back a man's eye(s) [think this kill was done on a boat]
* [believe we later learn that it was a lesson killing by the Guilds to the free merchants who were organizing, and the order, or its leader, was paid knowing the claim set before them was false or likely so, which lead to ...]
* she begins to rebel against the order's leader/priestess [doesn't sense her target's guilt?]
* a price/marque is set on her by her own order, thus hunted by fellow members of her order while fleeing
* has to fight her fellow members, singularly and in groups; might have had to kill/maim some who gave no quarter
* confronts order's leader with some other members behind her
* while laying out her claims/facts against the leader, their god steps up through her [bleeding eyes? glass-shattering while speaking?] and denounces current seer/leader
(hide spoiler)]

Misc:
* main character herself has no magics (healing, strength, ESP, etc) that I can remember
* main character is not a thief (not after joining the order), sorceress, magician, mage, etc...
* no vampires, werewolves, faeries, or the lot of mythical creatures; gods maybe, but not in flesh
* most notable disguise was a gaudy, flashy nobleman known to be eccentric in dress (with hats and masks all the time) at the dock taverns and shops to keep persona alive and news flowing
* [believe children were nearly exempt to severe punishment, like losing a hand for stealing, but teenagers were iffy and adults no]
* no electric goods nor vehicles

[Arielle Rae]

The Magicians' Guild? I'm not sure but the plot does sound familiar
Maybe The Shifter?

[Dark]

Neither unfortunantly, but thanks for looking. Added a "Misc" section for any other details I can remember or help rule out other novels.

Arielle Rae wrote: "The Magicians' Guild? I'm not sure but the plot does sound familiar
Maybe The Shifter?"

[Kagama-the Literaturevixen]

Maybe Thief's Covenant?

[Althea *Go wolves and dragons!*(Coach Hedge)]

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24... ?

[Dark]

Nope, but I've read both the Widdershins & Mairelon series thus far and enjoy both.

Widdershins has similarities, but lacks several key plot points that I remember quite well; while yes, she was picked up off the street as a child, she wasn't taken to nor trained by any guild, though she later joined one (years?) later.

[Kagama-the Literaturevixen]

Dark wrote: "Nope, but I've read both the Widdershins & Mairelon series thus far and enjoy both.

Widdershins has similarities, but lacks several key plot points that I remember quite well; while yes, she was ..."

Ok. Sorry I missed the bit about the heroine NOT being a thief after childhood.

I hope you find your book :)

[Dark]

Kagama-the Literaturevixen wrote: "Ok. Sorry I missed the bit about the heroine NOT being a thief after childhood."

No worries as I added that afterwards to help narrow the search down. ;)

[Kagama-the Literaturevixen]

Dark wrote: "Kagama-the Literaturevixen wrote: "Ok. Sorry I missed the bit about the heroine NOT being a thief after childhood."

No worries as I added that afterwards to help narrow the search down. ;)"

That explains it. Hmm I will do some more digging.

[Mir]

This sounds reminiscent of a story I read, I *think* in Paper Cities: An Anthology of Urban Fantasy. Maybe it was a longer work by one of the authors in that. You could take a look and see if any names jump out at you. If I had to take a stab I'd say the story I'm thinking of was by Jay Lake, but I'm really not sure.

[Dark]

Miriam wrote: "This sounds reminiscent of a story I read, I *think* in Paper Cities: An Anthology of Urban Fantasy. Maybe it was a longer work by one of the authors in that. You could take a look and see if any n..."

Green was the closest match I saw from Jay Lake, but I've read it and know it to not be it. Someone also suggested The Night Angel Trilogy, but main character is male. Both good reads, especially The Night Angel Trilogy.

[stormhawk]

Warrior by Marie Brennan. Original title was Warrior/Witch. Has similarities to your inquiry, but Magic does come into the story.

[Dark]

stormhawk wrote: "Warrior by Marie Brennan. Original title was Warrior/Witch. Has similarities to your inquiry, but Magic does come into the story."

Nope. I pulled out my copy of the both books in the series just to check, but it isn't it.

[Jai]

It reminds me of Michelle Sagara's Chronicles of Elantra Bundle series. I really liked these books and the main character.

[Dark]

Cast in Shadow isn't it, but I added it to my reading list for later. :)

[Dark]

Still looking for this one, and it irks me I still can't remember the title, so giving it a bump.

Help me fellow readers, you are my only hope! (repeat with some static b/w repeats for laughs)

[Arielle Rae]

This is most likely not it, but it's an amazing series to read anyway

[Dark]

Not it, but yes, it is an amazing series. I've read that and the Imriel's Trilogy, but not Moirin's Trilogy yet.

[Lark]

I think the book is Assassins of Tamurin by SD Tower.

It matches most of your description and it really does have a similar feel to Grave Mercy. The only thing that might be off is that misc comment about a flamboyant nobleman. but for the most part, the heroine was accused of being a thief at the start, taken and trained as an assassin for a god of death at a convent, deployed to kill people, etc.

[Ann aka Iftcan]

The Assassins of Tamurin for Lark's clicker.

[Teresa]

Hello. I am trying to post a question about a book that I am trying to find . . . don't know how! Thanks!

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Teresa wrote: "Hello. I am trying to post a question about a book that I am trying to find . . . don't know how! Thanks!"

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Dark]

Lark wrote: "I think the book is Assassins of Tamurin by SD Tower.

It matches most of your description and it really does have a similar feel to Grave Mercy. The only thing that might be off is that misc comm..."

Though the synopsis sounds off, I've added to my list and will check it out!

Update, 2hr later: Read the first four chapters, and nothing sounds familiar. Haven't gotten to the bit about living outside city gates I described and doesn't look likely to happen, so going to say this isn't the right one for now, but will continue to read just in case.

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Dark, are you still looking for this or did you find it?

[Dark]

Still looking for it. q-q

[Raz]

I don't think it's this book, since a lot of the details don't match up, but Maledicte by Lane Robbins has a couple of similar elements.

The protagonist starts as a thief in a child-gang. Dresses as a nobleman, learns to fight, and there's a goddess of vengeance. BUT there's also a whole bunch of details that don't match. You might like the book though.

[Dark]

Yeah, Maledicte is not it, but I'll give it a gander. New book suggestions are always helpful. :)

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Still looking?

[Dark]

Sadly yes and open to suggestions that seem close.

[Rainbowheart]

Still looking now?

Do you think it was definitely adult fiction?

[Dark]

Still haven't found the book. Could be YA, but don't think so.

[Dark]

Still looking for it, but going to re-read all the suggested books as a query about it on ChatGPT Books suggested Grave Mercy as the most likely match.