Grave Mercy

His Fair Assassin, Book 1

By: Robin LaFevers

Narrated by: Erin Moon

Length: 14 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

Robin LaFevers has enchanted young readers with her Nathaniel Fludd: Beastologist and Theodosia series, which earned starred reviews from Booklist and Publishers Weekly. In Grave Mercy, LaFevers crafts a fantastical tale sure to win her a new fan base among young adults.

Escaping an arranged marriage, 17-year-old Ismae finds sanctuary in the St. Mortain convent, where the sisters worship the gods of old. There, Ismae learns that the God of Death has special plans for her—a destiny that will one day compel her to betray the man she loves.

©2012 Robin LaFevers (P)2012 Recorded Books, LLC

I Heart Death's Handmaiden!

I’m going to leave this review short in order to not spoil.

This book has it all... A 14 year-old girl forced to marry by an abusive father is saved and sent to join assassin nuns who train her in poison, combat, history and “the womanly arts” to serve her father Mortmain the god of death--- while an illegitimate, fiercely loyal brother fights to save his country and his sister who would be ruler of Britain. It’s historical. It’s fantasy. It’s romance. It’s a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Ismae and Duval slow boil relationship---and the mystery behind who is betraying them at every turn made the book almost impossible not to listen to. I, like the book nerd I am, did my grocery shopping last night with my headphones on in an attempt to finish the book because I was so hooked.

This is worth the credit I used for it…and, while I think it could have stood on it’s own quite well, I am so glad that there are more to come!!

Loved to read something fresh

What made the experience of listening to Grave Mercy the most enjoyable?

The book flows beautifully, no long pauses to distract you.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Grave Mercy?

When she shot the arrow into the guy's head with a mini bow

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

the moment when someone new looked at her scars.

Great story

Lots of details. Interesting plot. I am hooked. I want the next of the series

Enjoyable, if familiar, YA historical fiction

While the story follows many of the tropes of its type, it is well written and excellently performed.

It's okay

The book was an easy listen thanks to the narrator--she did a great job.

However, the story seemed to have so much promise, but was underdelivered. I was super intrigued warrior nuns serving the saint of death as assassins, However, the whole part about living and training in a convent where death is something wielded by these maidens--almost completely glossed over. The actual description of the convent and her training was only what seemed like a few paragraphs. Also, the idea that saints remain relevant as long as people continued their reverence--really great idea (sounds like Neil Gaiman's American Gods). However, the entirety of the novel focused on a rather weak court drama of undercutting the young Duchess of Brittany for a chance at her crown. While Ismae's service as a handmaiden of death was consistent to the book, it took second stage behind the intrigue and her feelings for Duvall.

The romance is a slow boil. I ended up cheering for Ismae and Duvall to recognize each other's love, but I don't know how he fell in love with her. At first he was all annoyed that she had accompany him to the Duchess's court. Then out of nowhere, he suddenly had feelings for her that Ismae tritely misinterpreted and ignored.

And of course, somehow this rather unclever girl becomes St. Mortaine's favorite daughter as she discovers her role as a handmaiden, something of which her superiors become jealous and petty.

I found this novel through recommendations from fans of Maria Snyder's "Poison Study." I think Snyder does a much more masterful job developing her main character from prisoner to badass than LaFevers does. LaFevers just kind of expects the reader to think Ismae is a badass after she neatly assassinates someone who angered St. Mortaine, and LaFevers writes the story based on this assumption. Snyder, on the other hand, develops Yelena at a respected pace, getting the reader's to excite in her successes and lament her losses. In short, if you haven't read Poison Study, I suggest that over this.

All in all, it's fine listen if you really don't have the energy to engage in more complex literature. The author managed to keep me hooked until end of the novel, which was impressive considering I knew how the book was going to end long before it did. I don't know if it's worth a credit, perhaps your local library will have it, because I doubt you will want to listen to it more than once.

Great book, surprised me, was not what I expected!

Great story, loved the overall plot.
there cod definitely be a second book the way the story ends makes it possible. I was skeptical of this book when it was referred to me. I would say this book surprised me pleasantly.

Powered through it in less than 24 hours.

This story is well worth a listen. It really captured my attention and I couldn't stop listening until the mystery was solved. To be honest, I had my suspicions in the beginning (no spoilers here); but despite my predictions coming true, the twists were not blatantly obvious.

I respect the main character, Ismae, and was glad to see her grow into her own. There's no surprise that she forms a bond with Duvall (okay slight spoiler - though obvious), but it was nicely developed and not awkwardly thrust upon the reader.

I did wish the author elaborated on describing the scenes and the fashion a bit more. In period pieces, like this, unless you actually Google the time period, it's hard to imagine where the characters are and what they actually look like by simply naming the piece of clothing or the room and not actually describing it in detail. In checking in to the time period, however, it was fun to discover the true history woven into the story.

I also really liked the incorporation of mythology by the author.

As far as the title suggesting this story is going to merely be about a female assassin (yes, I got the La Femme Nakita sense at first) and full of action, it's actually far from it once the story really gets going. I would catagorize it more of a mystery/thriller with a touch of romance.

After getting hooked on the characters of this book, I was actually very excited to look into Book 2 to learn more about them. Unfortunately, I am dissappointed to report Book 2 is apparenty focused on another assassin (Sybella) which makes a few (though vital) appearances in Book 1. Despite my disappointment to not get to explore the life of Ismae in detail anymore, I did find Sybella's character quite intriguing however, and still look forward to experiencing her side of the story. FYI, I hear Book 2 won't be published until 2013.

FRESH Story!

What did you love best about Grave Mercy?

The heroine is someone you can really root for. She does not whine and constantly make awful decisions and that in and of itself is a breath of fresh air. The romance and sexual tension is thick but its doesn't cloud the story and feels true to someone who has spent their entire life fearing (and killing) men. All in all it was predictable (at least for me) but I really enjoyed every minute of it.

OUTSTANDING!!!

What does Erin Moon bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Grave Mercy was absolutely OUTSTANDING!!! Author Robin LaFevers turned the concept of death into one hell of a story. A wonderful mix of fantasy, gods, assassins, royals and the game of thrones. I was enthralled from the very beginning to the end. The audio version made it all the better. Narrator Erin Moon was fantastic and she brought all the characters to life with a fervor that was unique to each individual. This pair worked great together. I am looking forward to experiencing more of Robin LaFevers and Erin Moon's work. AMAZING!!!!

Entertaining, but could have been better

Any additional comments?

I have a tendency to dislike 1st person narratives, and that is one of the detractors from the book. While Ismay had her own "voice" as a narrator, I found it common. The strength in the book lay in its history and description of the period, and in the believability of the characters' belief in the 'old gods' and their power.

The political machinations of various characters were balanced well with the more personal stories. The romance aspect of it was predictable, but not horribly done.

Overall, a decent read that could have been better.