Review: Grave Mercy

Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin #1)
by R.L. LaFevers
Published April 3rd 2012
by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
ARC from Netgalley

Summary from Goodreads:

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

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?

Thoughts:
Truth to be told, I was actually expecting a lot more from this since I've been eyeing the book since last year. I thought Grave Mercy is all about bad-ass nuns who goes on killing people for the 'greater good'. You know, kind of like that Angelina Jolie movie 'Wanted'. But being a historical fantasy, I guess it is unavoidable that the earlier parts of the book is so very slow. Nothing much happens that really interest me and I almost give up but thankfully the ending redeemed the book in my expectation.

Likes
The secondary characters are much more interesting than the MC; Ismae. I found myself drawn to the other female characters especially Ismae's fellow convent sisters; Sybella and Annith. Sybella is much more mysterious since she usually appear out of the blue and seemed more ruthless and cunning.The budding romance between Ismae and Gavriel is sweet but anyone could have predicted that this two would eventually end up with each other. Both of them are spies, of course they would fall in love.

Dislikes
If only the book was shorter! The scenes at the court and all the nobles introduced here and there are so damn uninteresting to me. There's too much politics to be dealt with since everyone is fighting for the crown from it's young duchess. I wished there was a lot more action but apparently everything is done so secretively. Too much historical elements and not enough fantasy for me. I feel that this book veered towards adult historical more than a YA fantasy.

The saving grace of the book is the ending. And the fact that Ismae finally kick some ass in the end. God, thank you!

Recommended for: fans of historical fantasy
Verdict: 4 stars.

In my Debut Author & Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge 
Available on: Amazon