flutters's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
readingwithhippos's review against another edition
3.0
If I thought about it too hard I'm sure I could pick this book apart with little criticisms, but I'd rather just revel in my enjoyment and go about reading the next in the series.
inwonderland49's review against another edition
2.0
I know, I'm not in the majority when it comes to rating this book. Let me be clear that I was not able to finish this book. I just could not get through it. Every time I picked it up and read a page or two more, I got bored. I tried to get through this one, I really did. But it just was not capturing my attention.
I gave this 2 stars though, because there is potential. I love the concept of this story. Assassin nuns?! Hell yes! And I hear from reliable sources who did not care for this book, that they loved the second and third book. So, that gives me hope.
Will I read this one again? I will definitely try. But probably not anytime soon. I will attempt this one again, eventually. And hopefully I can change the rating from a 2 to possibly higher. I wish I was able to get through this one because I was so excited to do discussions and what not with the book club on this, but I was so bored when it came to reading this book.
I gave this 2 stars though, because there is potential. I love the concept of this story. Assassin nuns?! Hell yes! And I hear from reliable sources who did not care for this book, that they loved the second and third book. So, that gives me hope.
Will I read this one again? I will definitely try. But probably not anytime soon. I will attempt this one again, eventually. And hopefully I can change the rating from a 2 to possibly higher. I wish I was able to get through this one because I was so excited to do discussions and what not with the book club on this, but I was so bored when it came to reading this book.
sara_evaney's review against another edition
3.0
Well for being an assassin she killed quite few people.
tbandlerjohnson's review against another edition
5.0
AHHHHHH! That is the only way I can think to put my excitement into words as I sit down to try to write a quick review.
First of all, freaking historical fiction for the win! I think we as an entire YA community do not read enough/have enough historical fiction. I absolutely loved being transported into a completely different time and place- one that was very real at one time in history!
Our main character, Ismae (love that name), has dealt with some MEAN, rugged men in her life, namely her father and her "betrothed." So, when she mysteriously gets swooped away to a convent involved with the dealings of death one night, she is not opposed. In fact, Ismae learns that her dance with death in her mother's womb (her mother drank poison when she was pregnant with Ismae to try to "expel her from her womb." yuck.) was not just a coincidence. Apparently, death would not allow her to die and "sired" her in order to do his work. It is revealed to her that she has special abilities in order to help her deal death more efficiently. Example: she is immune to all poison.
Towards the beginning of the book, Ismae literally JUMPS at any chance to do st. mortain's work by killing one he has marqued. However, quickly after her first kills, Ismae is assigned a job that will change her life forever.
The romance is amazing. The love she gains for unexpected people is touching. And the mystery, action, and excitement is amazing. Even the longer parts in the middle did not bore me. I was glued to the book the entire time I was reading it and just LOVED it.
Go read it. Now.
First of all, freaking historical fiction for the win! I think we as an entire YA community do not read enough/have enough historical fiction. I absolutely loved being transported into a completely different time and place- one that was very real at one time in history!
Our main character, Ismae (love that name), has dealt with some MEAN, rugged men in her life, namely her father and her "betrothed." So, when she mysteriously gets swooped away to a convent involved with the dealings of death one night, she is not opposed. In fact, Ismae learns that her dance with death in her mother's womb (her mother drank poison when she was pregnant with Ismae to try to "expel her from her womb." yuck.) was not just a coincidence. Apparently, death would not allow her to die and "sired" her in order to do his work. It is revealed to her that she has special abilities in order to help her deal death more efficiently. Example: she is immune to all poison.
Towards the beginning of the book, Ismae literally JUMPS at any chance to do st. mortain's work by killing one he has marqued. However, quickly after her first kills, Ismae is assigned a job that will change her life forever.
The romance is amazing. The love she gains for unexpected people is touching. And the mystery, action, and excitement is amazing. Even the longer parts in the middle did not bore me. I was glued to the book the entire time I was reading it and just LOVED it.
Go read it. Now.
hgranger's review against another edition
4.0
A solid story. Historical fiction and magic mixed together, a likable protagonist, excellent twists, and assassin nuns. What more could you possibly want? Well, a few details kept this book from hitting literary gold for me:
The book didn't quite warrant 5 stars from me because I felt it could have been a little faster paced and tightened up a bit in some places. I would have liked Ismae to be just a little more assertive and not quite as "I lose all ability to think when he touches my ankle..." Also, it is brave to kill off characters even when they are well-liked but the double whammy at the end seemed a little excessive. (Although the blurb for book two about the wounded knight leaves me with an inkling of hope.)
I would have liked Mortain to be just a little more involved but appreciated that Ismae had to experience her growth alone. And there were some loose threads it would have been nice to tie up - what happened with nasty pig-farmer? Because if he is still alive, they are technically still married. I'm happy with the premise of book two, because I felt Sybilla was wildly short-changed in book one. I hope there is resolution for her and for Annith.
All in all a good 4.5 star read. Looking forward to the sequels.
The book didn't quite warrant 5 stars from me because I felt it could have been a little faster paced and tightened up a bit in some places. I would have liked Ismae to be just a little more assertive and not quite as "I lose all ability to think when he touches my ankle..." Also, it is brave to kill off characters even when they are well-liked but the double whammy at the end seemed a little excessive. (Although the blurb for book two about the wounded knight leaves me with an inkling of hope.)
I would have liked Mortain to be just a little more involved but appreciated that Ismae had to experience her growth alone. And there were some loose threads it would have been nice to tie up - what happened with nasty pig-farmer? Because if he is still alive, they are technically still married. I'm happy with the premise of book two, because I felt Sybilla was wildly short-changed in book one. I hope there is resolution for her and for Annith.
All in all a good 4.5 star read. Looking forward to the sequels.
saluki's review against another edition
5.0
Historical fantasy set in C15 Brittany with assassins/handmaidens of Death. Lots of intrigue, atmospheric settings, nefarious plotting against the crown, great weaponry & fight scenes, wicked good applied dark arts, and the romance isn't shabby either... no simpering women in this one. It ticked all the right boxes for me.
Loved that the reader meets the principle characters of each book in the trilogy from the beginning. Total love for this book! Look forward to the next one.
milkshakevoid's review against another edition
4.0
3.75 stars.
I'm torn with my feelings for this book. I enjoyed reading it immensely. Everything is well done from the writing to the character development to the dialogue. There was never a moment that forced me out of the book with disbelief or annoyance. I read it in two days.
But all those facts aside, it's not the sort of book I see myself rereading. Here's why.
I really adored the main characters. Unfortunately they don't come to a satisfactory end. The end of the novel is closed off rather nicely, and there are no loose ends. However, I found myself wishing that we got to enjoy this final victory. The book was well and truly over, and that's fine. But I wanted more. Trying to explain this without giving away spoilers is difficult, because I would wholeheartedly recommend this book. The writing is witty and beautiful if nothing else (and there's plenty else to be had) but I wanted more.
I wish there was just a fluffy fanfiction-esque short story to go along with the ending. Just to say, we acknowledge the book is well and truly done, the story doesn't need anything else but... Here's a bone.
:/
I'm torn with my feelings for this book. I enjoyed reading it immensely. Everything is well done from the writing to the character development to the dialogue. There was never a moment that forced me out of the book with disbelief or annoyance. I read it in two days.
But all those facts aside, it's not the sort of book I see myself rereading. Here's why.
I really adored the main characters. Unfortunately they don't come to a satisfactory end. The end of the novel is closed off rather nicely, and there are no loose ends. However, I found myself wishing that we got to enjoy this final victory. The book was well and truly over, and that's fine. But I wanted more. Trying to explain this without giving away spoilers is difficult, because I would wholeheartedly recommend this book. The writing is witty and beautiful if nothing else (and there's plenty else to be had) but I wanted more.
I wish there was just a fluffy fanfiction-esque short story to go along with the ending. Just to say, we acknowledge the book is well and truly done, the story doesn't need anything else but... Here's a bone.
:/