Review: Mortal Heart

Book three of the His Fair Assassin trilogy
By Robin LaFevers
Available now from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt BFYR
Review copy
Read my reviews of Grave Mercy and Dark Triumph

I didn't start to read MORTAL HEART as soon as I got it because I didn't want to say goodbye to the His Fair Assassin trilogy.  The first two were darkly beautiful historical fantasy novels featuring two very different, but equally compelling heroines, and their genuine chemistry with their heroic counterparts.  But I couldn't hold off for long.  Amazingly, I think MORTAL HEART might be my favorite of the three.

MORTAL HEART is actually more forgiving to new readers than DARK TRIUMPH.  It winds time back a bit, to shortly after Sybella is sent on her mission (in DARK TRIUMPH) and re-establishes the rhythm of convent life and what is at risk in the War of Breton Succession.  There's been something fishy at the heart of the convent, and it comes to a head as Annith realizes the abbess's orders can't come from their patron saint Mortain (the saint of Death).  The abbess thinks Annith is docile and biddable, when really Annith is helpful and doesn't see the point of making waves.  When she does, she reveals the steel beneath.

I loved Annith's appearances and Ismae and Sybella's books, and she does not disappoint when handed center stage.  She's confident in her skills and her knowledge, but unsure of her heart.  She's never been able to see the marque (which is how Mortain's handmaidens know who to assassinate), and so she's less confident in her kills, even when they save people.  She doesn't know if she's cut out to be an assassin, but she knows she isn't destined to be a seer, locked in a little room, the destiny the abbess is trying to force upon her.

Annith, of course, gets her own romance.  Balthazar is a hellequin, sort of a member of a Wild Hunt.  He and Annith instantly spark - some good ways, some bad ways.  Love certainly doesn't turn Annith into a swooning damsel.

"What was your intent with this sparring of yours?  To entice them?  To entice me?"
...
"If that is the case, then it is their fault and not mine.  I wished only to keep my own skills honed." - p. 141, ARC

I think DARK TRIUMPH had the strongest love story of the three books, although I enjoyed the other two.  Annith and Balthazar's relationship frequently takes a backseat to the action plot, and I am not going to complain about that.

I love how Robin LaFevers wove real history and fantasy together in this series.  She makes the political maneuvering between battles just as vivid and high stakes as the battles themselves.  The Duchess of Breton is in a bad place: the princess is dying, her husband-by-proxy has his own wars to fight, she can't pay her mercenaries, and it's just bad all around.  The struggle to save Brittany from destruction holds equal weight to Annith's personal journey, and both are dealt with together in a satisfactory ending.

His Fair Assassin is one of the best trilogies in recent years.  It starts strong and just keeps going - no sagging middle, no lagging finish.  I highly recommend all three of these books.  They're exciting and insightful, and a wonderful exploration of feminine strength in a time when women were regarded as little more than property.

Review: Dark Triumph

His Fair Assassin (Book 2)
By Robin LaFevers
Available now from Houghton Mifflin (HMH)
Review copy
Read my review of GRAVE MERCY

GRAVE MERCY was one of my favorite books of 2012 so DARK TRIUMPH, the second book in the His Fair Assassin trilogy, had a lot to live up to.  Robin LaFevers does not try to repeat GRAVE MERCY, giving Sybella her own story.

Sybella is a very different person from Ismae.  She's more wild and vicious.  At the same time, she is more self contained, careful not to let others close, because she grew up in a home full of betrayal.  She can trust herself and herself alone.  She never trusted the abbess and knows she was right not to when she's sent back to her home in order to spy.  Her father, d'Albret, is a monster and she longs for the order to kill him.  In the meantime she enjoys assassinating his underlings.

DARK TRIUMPH begins with Sybella warning Ismae and the duchess, risking the exposure of her true loyalties.  It is not an inviting beginning for new readers.  Who the characters are, their relationships to each other, who is important and why is not explained.  The religion of LaFevers alternate Brittany is not explained either, thus new readers must puzzle out who Mortain is and how is handmaidens work for themselves.  I even found myself wishing for a small refresher on the world since it's been awhile since I last read GRAVE MERCY.

I soon fell back into the swing of things.  The scope of DARK TRIUMPH is smaller.  Sybella's focus is moving past her family's history rather than the duchess and the future of Brittany.  She cares about what happens, but it isn't her priority.  I loved the politics of GRAVE MERCY and yet, I didn't miss them.  LaFevers progresses the overarching plot of the trilogy, but she doesn't force Sybella places she doesn't belong.  Some might be disappointed by how different the two books are, though I think more readers will appreciate the detail given to Sybella's character.  I can't wait to see what LaFevers does with Annith in MORTAL HEART.

In addition to espionage, murder, and sabotage, DARK TRIUMPH features a daring rescue and perilous flight across the countryside.  Sybella finds herself accompanying the Beast of Waroch, a berserker imprisoned by her father.  He's not handsome, but he is ridiculously noble and tough.  He's very similar to Sybella, but different from her in ways that provide for perfect balance.  DARK TRIUMPH is less steamy than GRAVE MERCY, but I found myself swooning more.  Although he would not believe it, the Beast is as much a fairytale hero as his name would imply.

Anyone intrigued by Sybella and her secrets in GRAVE MERCY will devour DARK TRIUMPH with relish.  Her family is truly horrifying, and she deserves to find healing and absolution.  LaFevers continues to make history and fantasy collide in the most delightful way.  DARK TRIUMPH delivers all the action and romance His Fair Assassin fans could hope for.

Review: Grave Mercy

His Fair Assassin (Book 1)
By Robin LaFevers
Available now from Graphia (Houghton Mifflin)
Review copy

I'm always a little wary of heavily hyped books, especially ones that sound perfect for me. They rarely live up to my expectations. I couldn't resist GRAVE MERCY - assassins, politics, personified DEATH - but I worried that I wouldn't like it since everyone has been so enthusiastic.

I worried in vain. GRAVE MERCY is fast-paced, satisfying, and a terrific beginning to the His Fair Assassin series. The lovely Ismae Rienne bears a terrible scar from her shoulder to her hip, the result of her mother taking herbs meant to terminate pregnancy. Ismae survived only because she is a daughter of Death. At the age of fourteen the convent of St. Mortain shelters her and teachers her how to use her gifts. Three years later she is an assassin, sent to carry out Death's will in the court of Brittany. Far from the convent, she must learn how to interpret her god's will for herself.

Ismae is one cool character. She keeps her head in tough situations and struggles with understanding her own emotions, much less those of others. She's repeatedly warned to trust no one, but she's fairly good at figuring out who to trust on her own.

The other female characters are also terrific. Anne, the duchess, is central to the external conflicts. She must marry in order to gain enough troops keep the French out of Brittany. But most of her suitors are not suitable at all. Robin LaFevers maintains a careful balance between writing capable, intelligent, independent female characters and acknowledging the historical reality that women in the fifteenth century didn't have many options. LaFevers makes what her characters do with their options count.

The male lead, Gavriel Duval, proves to be an excellent match for Ismae. He's less impulsive, preferring to scheme his way out of tough situations, whereas Ismae is more of a steamroller. Delightfully, they fall in love by talking to each other. They respect each other's abilities and values. And what physical contact there is may be slight, but LaFevers makes is sexy.

If you're looking for a terrific fantasy novel, look no further than GRAVE MERCY. Action, romance, humor - it has it all. I even think it will appeal to both fans of character-driven and plot-driven novels. GRAVE MERCY earns the hype.