Grave Mercy Review

Author: Robin LaFevers

Release Date: March 5, 2013

Synosis: (from amazon.com)

Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage to the respite of the convent of St. Mortain. Here she learns that the god of Death has blessed her with dangerous gifts and a violent destiny. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others. But how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who has stolen her heart?

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My Review:

This book far surpassed any expectations that I originally held (especially after one of my friends said she DNFed it). The world building was great and the characters were all super dynamic and realistic. The writing style was beautiful and I loved the historical aspect that was added throughout the book. The plot was super engaging from the very beginning and I absolutely loved how the romance was not the typical "love-at-first-sight" type (or a love triangle). The book was extremely entertaining and a relatively quick read (despite being 550 pages long). I found it extremely hard to put down, as I connected with the characters almost as soon as it started. As the plot thickened and loyalties were questioned it became more and more intense and interesting, and I was constantly questioning who was trustworthy and who was not. Ismae really develops throughout the book as she realizes that the assignment that she originally thought would be simple turns to be more complex and challenging than she expected, and as she struggles to do what her convent and Death expect of her while remaining true to herself. Overall this book was super powerful and I would definitely recommend it to those who enjoy fantasy as well as historical fiction.

Overall Grade: A