Grave Mercy: Robin LaFevers

We've all seen it before: the meek, vulnerable damsel-in-distress who, after some sort of tragedy, finds it within herself to pull through and grow a spine of steel. But only a select few can make it real and make it good. Shockingly, Grave Mercy managed to do both.

Breakdown:

Ismae, a seventeen-year-old with a father who hates her and a mother who died in childbirth, runs away after a marriage to disgusting pig farmer Guillo and is secreted off to the Convent of St. Mortain, where those Marked by Death still continue to serve the gods of old. Once there, she is offered a choice: learn the art of killing and become the wolf rather than the sheep, or turn away and be offered to a kind man in need of a wife.

Not shockingly, Ismae chooses servitude to Mortain, to become a trained assassin and handmaiden to death. Her first assignment brings her into the heart of royals and cutthroat politics. Her mission? Keep a close, dedicated eye on Gavriel Duval, a mysterious and handsome man who the Convent believes to have bad intentions. Also while there, she must fight for an important Duchess named Anne's future and avoid the sly, calculating, slimy man known as D'Albret, whose plans are nefarious and reek of dubious plots.

Too bad she falls in love with Gavriel instead, resulting in a situation that people nowadays like to call "being screwed". Thus ensues your trademarked forbidden love story, only Ismae has a refreshingly firm sense of right and wrong, and does not bounce back and forth with her decision-making. Deciding against killing Gavriel, she incites the Convent's wrath upon herself, only to realize that she never needed them to become the wolf. Only to show her what she could become.

Things I Disliked:

Look, I get it's 1485 and everything, but after a while, m'lord and m'lady get to be kind of tiring. Would it kill you, Robin, to use first names now and then? And enough with propriety! When some gross dude has you slammed up against a wall and is trying to feel you up, I don't think playing a simpering maid is in the cards. More like a knee to the genitals!

Ismae--really? That's what I hate about YA: I mean, I hate the name Violet as much as the next person, but I feel like authors go above and beyond trying to make their characters' names 'stand out'.

Even after Ismae and Gavriel fall in love, Ismae still refers to him as Duval. After sharing your bed with your lover (I'm cringing as I write these words) I'd think it would be acceptable to call them by their Christian name.

D'Albret. I know you're supposed to hate him, but I really hated him. Like, I wanted to jump into the book and stab him in the chest--or maybe cut his head off. Well, either way, points go to LaFevers for doing a bang-up job of a villain.

Overall Rating:

4.5 out of 5: I really did enjoy this book. The characters were believable and likable--most of them--and had a straight set of morals, but at the same time knew things weren't always in black and white. I appreciated the fresh take on the simpering maiden and can I just say that this book is a fantastic example of FEMINISM! I totally recommend this, but know that it's pretty long, so be prepared to stay awake for a long time at night.