Rating: 92.3% | A- | ★★★★★ Warnings: + Violence + Sexual Content + Sexual Violence + Graphic Depictions of Violence Against Children + Mentions of Suicide Synopsis (from Goodreads): In fifteenth-century France, the convent of Saint Mortain provides sanctuary to girls seeking refuge from the cruelty of the outside world. But sanctuary comes at a price—and each of Death’s handmaidens pays it in blood. Grave Mercy is where the story begins, when seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes the brutality of an arranged marriage by joining the convent. An assignment brings her to the high court of Brittany, where she must navigate treason and temptation—especially when the master she serves demands the life of the man she loves. In Dark Triumph, after training as an elite killer to escape her past, Sybella must return to the home she thought she’d never see again. Her quest for justice against her violent family will bring nothing but destruction—until she meets a prisoner who gives her a reason to live. Annith yearns to serve Saint Mortain, but has spent her life watching her far more gifted sisters dole out Death’s vengeance from the safety of the convent. In Mortal Heart, her destiny is finally revealed, and it is the one she feared most: a life as a seeress, not an assassin. But Annith refuses to give up on her dream and decides that nothing will stand in the way of her ambitions . . . not even the convent itself. Spoiler-Free Section When I first sat down to write this review, I realized that I have a longer history with this series than I originally realized. I picked up Grave Mercy for the first time almost four years ago in eighth grade for a book project and put it down after less than ten pages. Granted, it was because I already had my eye set on reading All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. Oh, what could have been. But I digress. Because I read this series one book after the other, I decided to review it altogether rather than by writing about each individual book. Each numerical score in this review is an average of the three individual scores assigned to each book. (And if everything adds to more than 100, that's on me and my truly upsetting math skills.) The books ordered from highest to lowest score are: Mortal Heart (93%), followed by Grave Mercy and Dark Triumph (both tied at 92%). The His Fair Assassin series is a historical fantasy/romance story set in 15th century Brittany under the reign of Anne of Brittany. It is a very specific time period, and there are many intricate details that LeFevers weaves into the story that reassures the reader that she has done extensive historical research before putting anything into writing. For me, the specificity of the time period was refreshing; it sometimes frustrates me when I read fantasy books set in a general "old European setting," with the author taking as many liberties as they wish with the historical period. LeFevers does nothing of the sort. Everything, from the heavy clothing to the unsavory hygiene, is fully preserved. There are three main characters, with each book dedicated to a single point of view. Ismae is the protagonist of Grave Mercy; Sybella, Dark Triumph; Annith, Mortal Heart. However, all three characters appear in each other's books throughout the series, ensuring that there is a sturdy, continuous thread of storytelling. These protagonists are strong, clever, loyal, and unafraid. I am always searching for books with strong female protagonists, but these women are some of the few that have truly resonated with me. Everything about this series is just exquisite. The grittiness of the assassins' work, the intrigue of the court, the bonds between the characters. LeFevers writes with conviction and clear love for her craft. I can't recommend this series enough. (Click "Read More" for spoilers.) (1Plot (24.7/30)
Grave Mercy (26/30) This book receives 8/10s for the beginning and the end, and a 10/10 for its middle third. This book has the most well-paced plot in the series. There is a clear period of rising action, followed by a climax and ending with a denouement. Right from the start, LeFevers throws the reader into the deep end and establishes many of the themes of the series. Namely, Brittany's gods, sexual violence, and killing. What a trifecta. I bear a deep red stain that runs from my left shoulder down to my right hip, a trail left by the herbwitch’s poison that my mother used to try to expel me from her womb. That I survived, according to the herbwitch, is no miracle but a sign I have been sired by the god of death himself. This is a book—a series, really—filled with twists and turns. When the reader first encounters Gavriel and Crunard, they are a threat and an ally, respectively. But LeFevers challenges those labels throughout the novel, until what once was Gavriel's is now Crunard's—and vice versa. I don't often enjoy books in first-person, but it worked well for Grave Mercy because of the conspiracy-esque nature of the story. Ismae is so set in her convictions that she never feels the need to reexamine what she knows—a flaw that comes back to haunt her. This naivete is also mirrored in Mortal Heart with Annith. Dark Triumph (24/30) This book receives consistent 8/10s throughout its three acts. Dark Triumph is the darkest and heaviest entry in the series. Whereas Grave Mercy deals with Breton court life, Dark Triumph deals with Sybella's personal family tragedies, including the death of her child, her brother's molestation, and her violent family members. This story is not for the faint of heart, and I found myself needing to take multiple breaks while reading. The lugubrious nature of the plot makes everything move in a strange pace—sometimes sluggish, sometimes rapid. But this book also has more heart and more emotional development than its predecessor, especially in the scene where Sybella confesses to the Beast about what has happened to her. "She stopped crying the moment they placed her in my arms. I remember her tiny hands, the even tinier fingernail, as she clutched my thumb in a surprisingly strong grip." Her pink rosebud lips rooted around, eager to suckle and draw the warmth of mother's milk into her tiny body. We had but a hand span of moments together, my babe and I. It is an inexpressibly heartbreaking scene, and one that conveys the cruelty of Sybella's situation like no other. Typically a scene like this—filled with endless paragraphs of one character's dialogue—might be considered "info-dumping," but LeFevers does such a flawless job with implying Sybella's pain throughout the story that she creates a solid foundation for the importance of this moment. This is the scene where Sybella learns to trust the Beast wholeheartedly, and it drives the final act of the story to its end. Each book is the story of each assassin—Ismae, Sybella, Annith—coming into their own, but no book in the series feels more like one girl's sole story than Dark Triumph. For Sybella, the story is not limited to this one book—it encompasses her years of abuse, her training at the monastery, her return to D'Albret, and whatever lies ahead. Dark Triumph has such a painful sense of fleetingness rooted in its pages, as though the book has taken on the life and characteristics of its protagonist. Mortal Heart (24/30) This book receives 7/10, 8/10, and 9/10 for its beginning, middle, and end, respectively. Mortal Heart starts out rather dully, with Annith trapped in the convent. The story doesn't pick up until she escapes to the outside world and meets Balthazaar and the other riders. The development of Annith and Balthazaar's relationship is brilliant—and they might be my favorite out of the three couples. The twist in the end regarding Balthazaar's true identity makes his attitude towards Anneith more understandable, but it's clear from the start that he wants to get to know her in a way that no one else has ever thought of. This book is also the most dramatic of the three (in my opinion) because it takes into account all of the plot twists of the previous two books. (I don't have access to my annotations anymore, but I'm fairly certain I typed something like "!!!!" when Chancellor Crunard was revealed to be Annith's father.) Crunard, the Abbess, Anne's marriage—all of it is resolved in this book. Not to mention the grand reveal that Balthazaar is Mortain himself—that one is definitely designed to throw the reader for a loop. Characters (30/30) All three books receive 30/30s for this category. Development (15/15) One of this series' main strengths is character development. Each of the three characters starts from a place with plenty of space to grow upwards. For Ismae, she must learn to see the world in shades of gray; for Sybella, she must learn to open her heart again; and for Annith, she must learn to seek a path independent of the convent. By the end of each book, each protagonist has let go of the rusted facets of their old life and stepped into the trappings of their new life. Additionally, the side characters are simply perfect, both heroes and villains included. Gavriel, the Beast, and Balthazaar are so well-developed and embellished with unique quirks. Madame Dinan, D'Albret, and Crunard are so unapologetically villainous and the reader can't help but hate them with unabridged ferocity. Lure (15/15) Each character in this series is unique, with their own personalities and their own ambitions. None of the girls are similar to each other, despite all being close friends and being raised together. None of the love interests are similar to each other. This diversity of character makes this series so unforgettably realistic. Writing (20/20) Each book receives 20/20 for this category. Descriptions (10/10), Flow (10/10) and World building (5/5) (for Grave Mercy only) The universe of the His Fair Assassin trilogy is probably the most immersive I've found myself in in a while. LeFevers takes a region whose history is not widely known—Brittany—and transforms it into an irresistible place teeming with magic and darkness. She does this through her stellar world building and accurate (as far as I can tell), antiquated diction. The religion of the old gods in Brittany feels as real as any old pagan religion students might study in history class. The language that the characters use to speak to each other is reflective of the long-ago nature of the story, and serves to further immerse the reader in the world of the 1400s. These days, many authors of historically-inspired fantasy books are faced with a choice: use modern language or attempt to write it all in era-accurate diction? Authors who choose to use modern language to tell a story set in a bygone period often surrender part of the immersive nature of their historical setting, choosing accessibility of the story to a wider audience over depth. It is for this reason that I commend LeFevers for choosing to preserve a semblance of antiquated diction and syntax, making the story all the more realistic. Closure/Set-Up (17.8/20) Logic (9/10) Overall, each book ends on a consistent, logical note. The only real gripes I have are pedantic (for instance, I'm still not sold on the method by which Ismae heals Gavriel in the first book). Lure/Closure (8.8/10) The only books with which I have a problem are Grave Mercy and Dark Triumph, both of which I believe don't do enough to entice the reader into continuing the series. Both books employ a certain "hand-off-the-baton-to-the-next-character" relay race approach that I, having become dedicated to the protagonist of that specific book already, do not fully appreciate. Nevertheless, in hindsight, I'm grateful for LeFevers decision to allow each heroine her own book and to ensure that each inter-book transition is as smooth as possible. Total: 92.3% Thank you for reading!
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