Book I (His Fair Assassin Trilogy) by Robin LaFevers (2012-04-03)

Not my typical read, but a enjoyable change of pace. I was a little worried by the first few chapters, but that changed suddenly and I found myself so engaged that I couldn't put the book down. Dark Mercy has action, romance, a compelling story line, and believable, well developed characters set in the 1400's. It is marketed as a teen book, although I don't think I would recommend it to my young teenage daughter, but I am conservative in this regard. A great read!

I really enjoyed this book. LaFevers did a decent job with character development but Excelled at setting and plot. I felt like I was dropped into Brittany during the 1400's. It was a great work of Historical Fiction with just a little bit of fantasy and romance thrown in for good measure. I originally borrowed the series from a local library but once I finished them I bought myself copies that is how much I enjoyed the series.

Great title, interesting premise, but with a first person narrative voice that did not fit the view point character's background and a tone that I can best describe as "grimdark lite" (grimdim?) I just could not get in to this book.
Your mileage may vary.

Interesting stories with rich characters. There are plot twists that go beyond a love triangle (which is far too popular in today's YA lit). It's a good read. It's not over the top amazing, but it's still very good.

I enjoyed the first book, though it took a little longer to get into than I would like. In addition, the character development took a while... the two main characters changed their opinions of one another rather quickly in my view... though I have heard good things about the 2nd and 3rd books in the series-and I would like to see how everyone ends up. I would recommend, but more so to continue on in the series than for this book in and of itself.

Such a new concept!! This is definitely something new in the book world, and in the days of vampires werewolves and apocalypse's , it's definitely well received! This is one of those books where you read it and don't want to put it down. There's lot's of action, some romance and definitely some death, BUT there's a lot of depth. This book thrusts the main character in a world she is completely unfamiliar with and she's forced to handle it according to her training as a killer nun! Yeah you read that right! She was taken in by a covenant of women who consider themselves the right hand of the god of death, and do his bidding. When their soon to be sovereign start's having trouble in her own court Ismae is the girl to answer the call. It's well written and very addictive! You should DEFINITELY read this book!

The beginning hooked me. The middle bored me a little, but the end came together as I expected it to. All in all, a decent read, but predictable in nature (the characters & their actions), even with an unusual story concept.

Without knowing what the next book is about, this one seems like it could easily stand alone. So if you want to try it out on a rainy day, I'd recommend it for fun.

This book was an intriguing mix of fantasy, lore, and historical fiction with a dash of romance. And when I say dash, I mean it--this isn't a romance book dressed up at something else. The plot development was steady, the twists were unexpected, the tension was real, and the payoff was sweet. All in all a well-written and very enjoyable book. I will be buying the second book, which features a different character from the convent, Sybella.

A convent in Brittany that trains nuns to be assassins… honestly, do I need to say more? Well, actually, there is a good bit more that could be said. I wouldn't say that the plot is revolutionary, but the premise is engaging, the characters are compelling and well developed, the setting is rich enough to feel personally real, and the writing style brings it all together into a compelling read from start to finish. I highly recommend it!

I am still in awe of this beautifully written masterpiece. I cannot get over how drawn in I was. Great characters, lots of intrigue and high court back stabbings. Written where it is easily understood even with all the characters. This is the first book of a trilogy. I cannot wait until next spring when the next comes out featuring Sybella and I would say the third will feature Annith. Just a guess. I would recommend this book very highly.
Mercy not Vengence.

I loved this novel. The ending was a little predictable but the twists and turns in the story were interesting. I had no idea it was historical fiction until the end of the second novel. I loved watching the growth of the characters. I was never bored. There was frequently a feeling of "who done it" and the romance was appealing yet not the focus. I look forward to reading other novels by this author.

The plot at the begining is interesting, boring in the middle, and becomes interesting again at the end. Overall it's a good read. We can learn the european history from the book.

I've seen this book in the book store in Thailand, the cover of the book in Thai version is more beautiful that this cover.

I love strong female characters. Ismae was wonderful. I enjoyed her flaws and how she really came into her own skin and embraced all her imperfections.
Duval was loveable from the start to the end. He had his own scars to heal from. Just a good match.
Very quick read. Moving on to book #2 with high hopes.

I received and opened this when I arrived home from work around 9pm last night. I read until my eyes crossed with exhaustion, I awoke, and I finished it before attending to anything else this morning.

Note to self: when I receive the next two books (which I will be ordering once I submit this review), I must not start them unless I have time eat them whole--immediately.

I really enjoyed this novel. The characters were believable and drew me into the story. The historical aspects werebgreat and the court intrigue pulled me in and had me rooting for the duchess. I loved watching Ismael grow in her confidence and develop the ability and trust in herselfbto make hard decisions. I can't wait to read the next book in the series!

I almost quit reading after the first chapter or two...so glad I didn't. I guess I just couldn't figure out the god of death. But after reading a while it came together. I usually read historical romances but honestly the cover of the book really intrigued me. The book was very exciting with lots of twists and turns. I loved the characters too. I cannot wait to read the next book.

LaFevers does a wonderful job of taking the reader into a poor woman's life in the dark ages. At least I think she does, not having been there myself. Also, she doesn't let her heroine turn sappy-sweet when she falls in love. After all, the heroine is at the right age to find a mate...but he is an appropriate match for her.

FIVE STARS! Fantasy at its finest, this book is an addictive mix of high fantasy and historical fiction. A win/win for all! Fierce and powerfully gothic, this heroine is one you can cheer for as she finds wholeness and love through the dark art of death. A brilliant romance, a gripping plot. GRAVE MERCY aims to please.

This book was incredible! I loved the story (place and time) and the characters. It was incredibly addicting. Ismae is an awesome protagonist because she can actually hold her own in any given situation and Duval is a loyal and honorable guy. I found it incredibly refreshing that their love was based on mutual respect and trust rather than "love at first sight". Some have said that the pace for this book is a bit slow, it's not. The pace is perfect for the story. The romance on the other hand is gradual. But I think that's how it should be. Love isn't always fast. Plus, the fact that they aren't always showing their affections makes the time that they do all that more special! The other characters also added a lot to the story. Some you'll love, others you'll hate and others will leave you wanting more.

So surprisingly good and refreshingly original. Awesome mix of history and magic. Couldn't put it down! The protagonist wasn't disgustingly man obsessed like in many books in similar genres. And there was NO LOVE TRIANGLE!! It was appropriate enough to share with my 14 yr old daughter. I can't wait to read the rest of the series!

I really enjoyed this first book in the series. The author does a good job and introducing the reader to the world and does an awesome job of setting up the characters. If you liked the poison study series then I think you will enjoy this book.

Honestly, I began reading this book and couldn't get into it all all. So I set it aside for a few weeks, until I ran out of books(and spare money) and soldiered through. The end of it was fantastic. So for anyone looking to read this book, I would 100% recommend it, just be prepared, because it takes a while for it to get going. Ultimately, though, it was fantastic.

This novel has enough suspense to keep me interested through out the whole book. I like this book and recommend it to anyone who likes lots of action during the olden times. The angle of female assassins and deception work well together. It has a good ending that is open for other books as well.
Thank you

I was very impressed with this story! LeFevers had a very original concept about a daughter of death. I throughly enjoyed the story, my only complaint is it isn't a true series to me. The next book has nothing to do with Isme but with another character from the book. I was really looking forward to following Isme's story and don't really want to continue with all new characters.

How could a book about women trained in a Convent to become assasins not be great! Author uses some interestng Historical data to create a fascnatng story. Tells a great tale and character development is enjoyable. Good Book just for reading pleasure.

In my opinion books live or die with their characters. This book has well drawn unusual interesting characters. Writer did her homework as to the setting and story. Fun read. Sexy without actual being smutty. I look forward to the third book as I have already read the second.

read but a couple of the story lines were predictable such as what happens with her scars . but I found it interesting the writer's world that she creates .this is kind of dark but enthralling to learn about, it is a bit thought provoking. Reafing book 2 and 3!!!

*I listened to the audiobook version.*

What would it be like to be the daughter of Death, trained in weapons, poison, and the art of killing? Ismae would know. That's the life she's been given. When Ismae is saved from her brutal and torturous life as a turnip farmer's daughter, she is taken to the convent of St Mortain - the god of Death. There she learns that she has been given gifts and talents by her true father, and her mission is to serve him by using those gifts. She is thrust into the court of the duchess of Britany, and her mission is to protect the duchess from the ever closing circle of betrayers.

What Ismae doesn't prepare herself for is Duval. Dark, dangerous, loyal, good Duval.

I'm in love with this book. And I'd be lying if I didn't say I'm a little in love with Duval himself. There are dark themes to this book. I mean, c'mon. We've got a convent full of nuns and novices trained in the arts of seduction and killing. There are no explicit sexual scenes, but there are undertones because seduction is sometimes the way to get to a target who has been marked for death by St. Mortain. The violence is not graphic either. I never felt uncomfortable. Even so, because of the mature themes, I'd recommend this for older readers.

And I want to end my review by saying that even though the intrigue was thick (I often confused characters and lost my way in the intrigue and coups), and the romance was sort of a secondary theme, it was still satisfying. I LOVED the end. Please read it, so you can see why I'm a little in love with Duval.

Although the story line and plot twists were fairly predictable... this book was really, really good!!!
I know the next books follow different characters and I want to have those just because I'm invested enough.

I loved this whole series. Some people have commented about the length, but I didn't even notice. Great "YA" series with strong female leads. At first, I was frustrated that they didn't follow the same character for every book, but it turned out to be the best part of the series. I read the whole series on round trip flights and was bummed when it was over.

Excellent book! I highly recommend it. It's not overly romantic, just enough. I liked Ismae's character and how strong she is. Anyone who wants to read about a strong female lead character at a time when women were not afforded rights, this is this is the book for you.