Grave Mercy

4.5/5 Stars

So Assassin Nuns! What more could you ask for! This book piqued my interest purely because of said nuns. And yes they are nuns devout to Death, but it is a convent nonetheless that trains young girls to be assassins.

There is obvious female power and strength in this book with the convent being full of strong female characters. At the beginning of the book, we learn that Ismae has been treated horribly by both her parents and her husband. However, this does not stop her from escaping with the help of a priest who then takes her to Saint Mortain.

One issue I have with the book is Ismae's immediate acceptance of her fate. She automatically trusts the nuns and believes in their cause after she survives the poisoning. She even convinces another girl to stay on her first night. Another is that after chapter 5 you jump three years ahead. While I understand that this was done to move the book along, it would have been nice to see aspects of her training.

The main chunk of this story is Ismae on her final test before taking her vows to Mortain. This test involves time with Duval. Duval is an interesting character who is clearly hiding things throughout the story but he still treats Ismae with respect and knows what she is capable of.

The interactions between Ismae and Duval throughout the book are fantastic. They are both respect each other and each other's opinions on important matters. I love their various interactions and plotting. Together they are able to solve the mystery and find the traitor.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The world of Assassin Nuns is enticing and magical. Cannot wait to read more in the series.