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YA Review: Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

3/12/2012

12 Comments

 
Picture
Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin #1)
Author: Robin LaFevers
Publication Date: 4/3/12
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Blurb(GR):
Why be the sheep, when you can be the
wolf?


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?

Review:

I may have a few mixed feelings about this book, but I know exactly who to recommend this to.  Do you love historical mysteries?  Court intrigue?  Romance?  Very light fantasy?  Do you love Juliet Marillier?  Sherwood Smith?  Do you wish that The Queen’s Thief series read a lot more like a romance novel?  Then this book is absolutely for you.

Ismae is a young teenager when she’s sold in marriage to a much older man.  Her father is happy to be rid of her, but her new husband doesn’t know that she bears a large red scar on her back - a scar that marks her as one of Death’s daughters.  He is less than pleased (read: murderous with rage) when he discovers the mark, but Ismae is rescued by a hedge priest and bundled off to the convent of St. Mortain, the god of death.  Soon she is in training to be a handmaiden of death, skilled in espionage and murder.

This book reads a lot like a romance novel, but I really enjoyed that about it.  The romance between Ismae and Duval is slow-building, believable, and pretty smoldering.  I was a bit surprised when the book finally seemed to be getting to “the good stuff” and then it pulled one of these:

“Sometime later…

Boo.  Apparently this is a young adult novel!  Which is unfortunate because it reads so much like an adult romance, and I think that it would be better if it embraced that a bit more.

My only huge disappointment is that Ismae suffers from what I am now going to refer to as “Driven Snow Syndrome” (because I see this so frequently that it deserves a label):  she’s the kind of character who says, “I’m not a normal human being with a sexuality; I’m a woman.”  That is, until one special man comes along and then suddenly it’s, “What are these FEELINGS that I keep having?  Why is my heart pounding?  Why are my loins quivering?”  She startles like a little bird every time he touches her, and she’s conveniently skipped out on the “womanly wiles” classes at the convent so she has absolutely no knowledge of what sex is even about.  Ladies, isn’t it enough that men have spent centuries pretending that our sexuality doesn’t exist and over-valuing our “purity?”  Do we have to do it too?  Come on.

It’s also a bit unbelievable that Ismae would be a competent spy/assassin/seductress, and yet have no knowledge of court etiquette, social nuance, or male-female interaction.  Not to mention…she has a giant SCAR.  How is she supposed to insinuate herself at court as someone’s mistress if she can’t undress in front of anyone?

Still, Ismae completely charmed me.  I love her snap decision making and wild leaps of tangled logic.  I love her awakening and growth as a person.  I love that she’ll dangle out of a window to eavesdrop on someone.

I also really love the mythology: the god of death and all his forms…the convent of assassins, for god’s sake!  I love that I had some serious doubts about Ismae’s “calling” and she addressed every single one.  I’ll definitely be reading the companion novels as they come out!

Perfect Musical Pairing
Marvin Gaye – Sexual Healing

OMG, yes!!  I was *this close* to being able to assign this song only a few months ago, but then…the book that I was reading didn’t go the way that I expected and…I had to choose something else.  Sad.

Finally, a book that actually warrants this song (or at least, that's what I inferred was happening behind the closed curtains).  This almost makes up for the complete lack of visible sexytime.  Almost.

3.5/5 Stars
Readventurer C Signature
12 Comments
Lisa O. link
3/12/2012 12:54:05 am

Driven Snow Syndrome is good. I also didn't like her cluelessness in regard to many small things (one for all: she was extremely late in figuring out the source of the poison). According to me she also suffers from what Flannery baptized as the Eon/a Syndrome.

Reply
Catie (The Readventurer) link
3/12/2012 04:30:22 am

Yes! Lisa I definitely agree about the poison. I figured that out waaaay ahead of time. So many syndromes...

Reply
VeganYANerds link
3/12/2012 05:25:39 am

I really enjoyed your review, Catie and I had a giggle when I saw the youtube you'd chosen.

I really don't know if this is for me, you're the second person to talk about how clueless Ismae is and that usually really bugs me! But I will consider reading this.

Reply
Catie (The Readventurer) link
3/12/2012 09:43:41 am

Yeah, that's a big turn off for me typically too, but for some reason it didn't bother me quite as much in this one. She does start to question everything eventually, which I appreciated. I hope you like it!

Reply
Maja link
3/12/2012 05:38:50 am

At least your review gives me some hope. I have this for review too, and after reading Lisa's thoughts, I was pretty convinced that I'll have to suffer my way through 500 pages of it.
I happen to think The Queen's Thief is perfect just the way it is, but I certainly wouldn't mind something similar with an extra dose of romance. I can't wait to find out how I'll feel about it.

Fabulous review, Catie, as usual. :)

Reply
Catie (The Readventurer) link
3/12/2012 09:45:29 am

Well, who knows? You might like it. :) It's very romance novel-y. The Queen's Thief is worlds away, IMO. Thanks Maja!

Reply
Sam @ Realm of Fiction link
3/12/2012 06:16:35 am

Wonderful review, Catie! I'm in the process of reading this and already appreciate the slow build on the romance between Duval and Ismae. I loved the start, too. But I'm hoping it picks up a bit more now as I can feel my attention slipping. We'll see how it goes. :)

Reply
Sam @ Realm of Fiction link
3/12/2012 06:17:42 am

Oh, I forgot to mention - Interesting song choice. ;)

Reply
Catie (The Readventurer) link
3/12/2012 09:46:57 am

Thanks Sam! You'll see how the song choice fits in very soon... :D

Heidi @Rainy Day Ramblingd link
3/12/2012 09:08:04 am

Hi Catie, Dummy me didn't grab this on NG when they sent the email. It sounds like an enjoyable read, despite the quivering loins. I want the smoldering instead of the sometime later line. Oh well, at least it doesn't go over the line, that is often worse in YA. I will look into this in the future.

Reply
Catie (The Readventurer) link
3/12/2012 09:49:47 am

Yes, I could've done with a bit more smolder myself. I think this book would have been more fun with just a tad more swoony good times. Ah well!

I'm always missing things on netgalley!

Reply
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