Mortal Heart

Annith has watched her gifted sisters at the convent come and go, carrying out their dark dealings in the name of St. Mortain, patiently awaiting her own turn to serve Death. But her worst fears are realized when she discovers she is being groomed by the abbess as a Seeress, to be forever sequestered in the rock and stone womb of the convent. Feeling sorely betrayed, Annith decides to strike out on her own.

She has spent her whole life training to be an assassin. Just because the convent has changed its mind doesn't mean she has...

*May Contain Spoilers*

Robin LaFevers ends the His Fair Assassin trilogy with Mortal Heart. It's time for Annith's story, a young girl who has appeared in both prior books. She's always lived at the convent and no one knows the story of her parents or her innate talents. But the time has come to reveal all secrets and atone for all crimes. 

Annith knows nothing of her own history. She was raised by Mortain's own, trained to be an assassin like her sisters. She's loyal, incredibly skilled, respectful, and tired of walking on eggshells. Due to her upbringing, Annith always tries to keep everyone around her happy. As a child, she was punished frequently for making simple mistakes or because the convent's headmistress desired it. Thus, Annith grew up to be pliable and obedient. Readers will sympathize with Annith and understand why she wishes to escape the convent. Throughout the novel, more and more of Annith's history is revealed and readers will become closer to her as she learns more about herself. Annith's non-judgmental ways and persistence, as well as her unfaltering hope and innocent heart, will undoubtedly win readers over. 

The plot continues to focus on Brittany and the Duchess Anne. Annith's story overlaps with the previous two books, but continues past the adventure of Sybella and Beast. Annith travels to confront the Abbess and meets up with the Hellequin riders and Arduinnites along the way. When she finally reaches the Abbess, Ismae, Sybella, and the Duchess, the French have invaded and are closing in with no help coming to save the country of Brittany. I'm no history buff, but this fictionalized version makes it all quite intriguing to me. LaFevers has intricately altered the timeline and the facts but has kept the main story line consistent with actual events. The whole plot is highly entertaining and the writing style is detailed, focused, and a study of itself. Viewpoints, understanding, and beliefs are malleable as the story evolves and it's an quite an enjoyable ride. If only it would never end... 

Rating: 4.5/5 Cups

     

WWW Wednesday (164)

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you’ll read next?

          

01. Currently Reading:
Eve Brenner: Zombie Agent by A. Giacomi. The sequel to Zombie Girl, Eve has volunteered to be studied in hopes of a cure for the Azrael virus. As a thank you, the CSIS agrees to train her so that she can participate in field work. As long as she doesn't eat anybody...

02. Recently Finished:
Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers. Gah, how much I love this series. This second installment focused on Sybella and her rescue of the Beast of Waroch. With secrets revealed, love recognized, and revenge.

03. Reading Next:
Candy and the Cankersaur by Jason Sandberg. Throwing in a children's book to keep you folks on your toes!

Dark Triumph

When Sybella arrived at the doorstep of St Mortain half mad with grief and despair the convent were only too happy to offer her refuge - but at a price. The sisters of this convent serve Death, and with Sybella naturally skilled in both the arts of death and seduction, she could become one of their most dangerous weapons.

But her assassin's skills are little comfort when the convent returns her to the life that nearly drove her mad. Her father's rage and brutality are terrifying, and her brother's love is equally monstrous. But when Sybella discovers an unexpected ally she discovers that a daughter of Death may find something other than vengeance to live for...

*Contains Spoilers*

Sometimes I commend myself on not catching onto a series until all of the books are out because that means one important thing: no wait! And with the His Fair Assassin series, the struggle would have been quite real. Robin LaFevers continues the series with book two, Dark Triumph, which focuses on Sybella, a character briefly introduced in Grave Mercy. Though she seemed wild and completely insane in book one, that changes drastically in this installment, giving readers a very deep look into the complexity that is Lady Sybella D'Albret. 

That's right. She's a D'Albret. One of the main villains (if not the biggest villain) is the father of Sybella of Saint Mortain. Though I use the term 'father' loosely as readers of the series know that Death's Handmaidens are all sired by Death himself. Immediately, Sybella is torn between good and bad, right and wrong. Through many trials and recounted tribulations, readers will slowly but most certainly come to see her as an incredible, resilient character. Sybella has a past that 'haunted' doesn't even begin to describe. She was not only molested by her brothers, she was beaten, tortured, and somehow managed to live through it all. Both sympathy and empathy will allow readers to fully connect with Sybella while at the same time, her love story with the Baron of Waroch, also known as Beast, will give readers hope that she can have a happily ever after. 

The story line picks up a few pages before book one ends. Readers see Sybella going to warn Ismae of the trap she and the Duchess's entourage have just waltzed into. Following which, Sybella's story truly begins. Readers discover that Sybella was sent to the D'Albret household for two reasons. The first being, obviously, to spy. The second would be to deal the killing blow to D'Albret, but he remains unmarqued for death, forcing Sybella to stay her hand. When she receives direction to save the Baron of Waroch, who is trapped in the dungeons, Sybella decides that after freeing him, she will kill D'Albret no matter the consequences. Instead, she is accidentally knocked out and taken with Beast to the countryside. A quite humorous and happy kismet. 

Now, on the run for both of their lives, Sybella must transport Beast across the country while nursing him back to health. The love story in this second book is much like the first, slow burning. The background love story adds to the intrigue of the fictionalized history while remaining as a subplot and allowing the fight for life, liberty, and the country of Brittany to take the main stage. Though revenge does play a large role. With the first two books in this trilogy being so engulfing, I absolutely cannot wait to get my hands on the final one. No matter how much I don't want the assassin nun trilogy to end. 

Rating: 4.5/5 Cups

Book One

WWW Wednesday (163)

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you’ll read next?

          

01. Currently Reading:
Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers. The second book in the His Fair Assassin series. The focus lies on Sybella, a very interesting and elusive character in the first book.

02. Recently Finished:
The One by Kiera Cass. The last book in The Selection series! Finally! Review coming soon with series spoilers. (Or maybe not...)

03. Reading Next:
Eve Brenner: Zombie Agent by A. Giacomi. Sequel to Zombie Girl. Can't wait to read this undead sequel!

WWW Wednesday (162)

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you’ll read next?

          

01. Currently Reading:
The One by Kiera Cass. The final novel in The Selection series. We'll see if America gets the crown or if Maxon chooses another one of the elite.

02. Recently Finished:
Eve Brenner: Zombie Girl by A. Giacomi. Interesting zombie thriller full of guts and gore. Review coming soon.

03. Reading Next:
Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers. More assassin nuns! The second book in His Fair Assassin series. The first one was so amazing. I can't wait.