MY RATING~3
When I picked up Courting Darkness out of my TBR pile, because it is September, the start of Fall and all things witchy and dark, a book about death’s daughter seemed spot on. But I had NO IDEA that it was tied into LaFevers’ previous series His Fair Assassin.
Being the good bookish reader I am I immediately put Courting Darkness back in my TBR pile and cracked open Grave Mercy.
Grave Mercy has a great premise based on nuns that are assassins who serve the God of Death, Saint Mortain, killing those that bare his marque, and need to be killed.
I was excited for this book, however, for me it only had random sparks that held my interest between long stretches of boredom. This was probably, for me, because it read more like a romance novel.
I did enjoy the main heroine, Isame, who was born into poverty, and sold into marriage. She escapes her life of abuse by being smuggled by an unbeknownst guardian into the convent where she begins training as a handmaiden of death. Her personality was charming, I loved her quirky logic and her character definitely grew throughout the book.
Her love interest, Gavriel, and the book as a whole were predicable and the ending seemed rushed. Although I did love the historical aspects, plot twists, and assassin aspect.
Most importantly I was very intrigued by Isame’s convent sister Sybella and all the mystery surrounding her, therefore, I have already begun the second book in the series Dark Triumph and I am pleased to say it is already reading at a faster pace for my liking.
