Review: Grave Mercy

Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin, #1) by Robin LaFevers 
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Format: eGalley
Source: Provided by Publisher For Review 
Release Date: April 3, 2012
Amazon |  Goodreads
★★★★☆

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?

Though Grave Mercy is a historical novel, it certainly didn't read like one! Ismae's story is as engrossing and action-packed as it is intelligent and emotionally driven.

What I loved most about Grave Mercy was Ismae's growth from a broken, hopeless girl, to a confident and strong woman. Once taken in by the convent, young Ismae learns skills she could never have dreamed of learning in her old life. She learns thousands of ways to kill and finally finds a home in the convent. Ismae's personal growth was certainly not limited to her confidence and strength: She grew emotionally the most of all. She learned of real love, due to the kindess and trust of Duval.

Robin did a fantastic job developing the relationship between Duval and Ismae! It was such a natural and believable progression. Both Duval and Ismae were constantly on guard with one another, worried the other might betray them. Yet, somehow, over time they were able to gain each other's trust. Their love carried a realness with it that is rare in YA books these days. I also enjoyed the fact that their relationship didn't overshadow their duty. Both Ismae and Duval maintained noble and loyal intentions throughout the book.

Because I couldn’t dedicate solid reading time to Grave Mercy, the pace seemed to slow a bit in the middle. Even during that time, my desire to learn what would happen to the characters never feigned.  Grave Mercy is a strong start to a hopefully fantastic series!

If you liked Graceling by Kristin Cashore then you will like Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers!

Review: The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale

The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale
by Christine Bell
Carina Press
Advance uncorrected proof received from NetGalley
Genre: Historical Romance, Time Travel
★★★☆☆


 
I'm a time pirate-born in 1810, now a 21st-century woman. I travel through time trying to right wrongs without disrupting the fragile balance between what is and what can never be.

That's why it's vital that I go to 1836 and find the man who conned my brother out of his Time Travel Mechanism as quickly as possible. If the technology falls into the wrong hands, it could change the world as we know it. The notorious Duke of Leister definitely qualifies as the wrong hands. An amateur scientist of the slightly mad variety, he's bound to figure out how to use the TTM sooner rather than later.

I knew this wouldn't be easy. But I wasn't counting on him being as sexy as hell. Or winding up chained to his bed...

via goodreads

What I Loved

• Original plot
• Saucy and tough female protagonist
• Quick and mildly entertaining read
• Time travel elements

What I Didn't Like

• This book was quite short, and a bit too slow for my liking. There was always something going on, but I just couldn't get into it.
• The characters just seemed very shallow to me. Perhaps this is because there was not enough time to really get to know them.

Overall Rating: ★★★☆☆

Review

I think this story would be best for someone looking for a quick read. I was looking for something with a bit more substance. I personally felt that the plot was rather simple and shallow, though it does get a bit more interesting later in the book. Characters could have been somewhat more developed as well. I finished this book feeling as if I had not really accomplished anything by reading it. It always felt like it was missing something. As I said earlier, I recommend this for someone who is looking for a quick, mildly entertaining read (airplane ride perhaps?).