elenakassab's review
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. From the previous books, I expected Annith to be whiny and unlikable, but that wasn't the case.
gingerale06's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
merlin_reads's review against another edition
3.0
I had a love/hate relationship with this installment. I had been looking forward to Annith's story since the first book and I feel sort of let down.
Annith has been at the convent the longest, so she cannot understand why she's never sent out on a mission. Taking matters into her own hands, she leaves the convent and plans to confront the abbess head on and demand to know the truth. Of course nothing is that easy and Annith finds more than a few surprises along the way.
So let's start with Annith. I loved the way she was portrayed in the first two books, but here, she really got on my nerves the first half of the book. There was just so much whining. And then when she had the chance to ask her questions, she shied away from them. Then had the audacity to get mad that she didn't get any answers. Like girl, answers don't just come to you. Ask your damn questions.
Then there was the love story - I did like this one the best out of all three books and while it wasn't really insta love because of the history, at times it really felt that way. Balthazar was a very intriguing character and I wanted to know more about him.
But I think the main thing about this book was just how dang predictable it was. I knew every major "twist" before it happened so nothing was shocking. It was just more a "yup, I was right" moment. Now I don't mind predictability in a book if the story still really gets me - see Cinder - but I felt this was just too over the top with it and I just wanted to be surprised a little more.
Overall, this was a good ending to the series. Everything was wrapped up and I enjoyed reading it. I'm interested in the spin-off duology and what that entails so I will probably be picking that up sometime soon.
Annith has been at the convent the longest, so she cannot understand why she's never sent out on a mission. Taking matters into her own hands, she leaves the convent and plans to confront the abbess head on and demand to know the truth. Of course nothing is that easy and Annith finds more than a few surprises along the way.
So let's start with Annith. I loved the way she was portrayed in the first two books, but here, she really got on my nerves the first half of the book. There was just so much whining. And then when she had the chance to ask her questions, she shied away from them. Then had the audacity to get mad that she didn't get any answers. Like girl, answers don't just come to you. Ask your damn questions.
Then there was the love story - I did like this one the best out of all three books and while it wasn't really insta love because of the history, at times it really felt that way. Balthazar was a very intriguing character and I wanted to know more about him.
But I think the main thing about this book was just how dang predictable it was. I knew every major "twist" before it happened so nothing was shocking. It was just more a "yup, I was right" moment. Now I don't mind predictability in a book if the story still really gets me - see Cinder - but I felt this was just too over the top with it and I just wanted to be surprised a little more.
Overall, this was a good ending to the series. Everything was wrapped up and I enjoyed reading it. I'm interested in the spin-off duology and what that entails so I will probably be picking that up sometime soon.
shrodingderp's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
karissa_'s review
4.0
“If Death could grant you a wish, you would use it for someone else? Trade your happiness for someone else's?” I frown confused. "Why must I trade my happiness? I do not understand."
Oh, my little heart is filled with happiness. It is very rare that I love all of the books in a series, in fact the last time I did was with the Infernal Devices but now His Fair Assassin has marqued (lol) me.
I'm not going to lie, this book is far heavier on the romance aspect than the assassinating nuns. Which, after two action packed books was a big shock from what I was expecting but the romance route made more sense for Annith and I was very wrong to doubt LaFevers. The story is also a bit predictable, I mean it was for me at least (I've seen many reviews about how unexpected it was?), but in a good way.
“We are all of us, gods and mortals, made up of many pieces, some of them broken, some of them scarred, but none of them the total sum of who we are.”
I was sure I was going to hate Annith because there was no way I was going to be able to love the main characters from the first two books and her, but again I was pleasantly surprised by LaFever.
Annith, comes to the coven as a newborn and even the nuns had no idea of her past, which was something new to them. Nonetheless, they took her in like the others before and began raising her in the ways of Mortain. However, the abbess at the time singles her out for being to gentle which results in a hard life for Annith until the death of the abbess. With the rise of the new abbess Annith prospers into the best novitiate but is still forced to stay at the convent. It isn't until the abbess sends out one of the younger girls who isn't fully trained that Annith realizes there is something wrong, thus sets out on the hunt to figure out the truth.
“If you so much as snicker, I will kill you all.”
Along the way she meets Balthazaar, sweet, broody, sassy Balthazaar. *heart eyes* Who not only becomes her love interest but has a bigger hand in the story that meets the eye.
Spoiler
lol he's Mortain and how people were surprised is beyond me. Annith is about to become stepmom to a lot of girls lolOverall, this may have been the more romance heavy book in the series but it beautifully ties everything together. I still love it and will/would fully recommend this series to everyone.
lilliangretsinger's review
3.0
The first book in the series was amazing, could not put it down. The second book in the series was slow to start but picked up in the middle. This, the third book in the series though interesting, and incredibly fast at the end like the first book, was incredibly slow and tedious for the first half. I am not entirely sure that the last 100 pages make up for the slow moving progression of the first 300 pages.
Am I glad I read this book? Yes, are there twists that were unexpected, yes. However, I finished this book out of love for the first and because Annith deserved to have her story told too.
Am I glad I read this book? Yes, are there twists that were unexpected, yes. However, I finished this book out of love for the first and because Annith deserved to have her story told too.
alienor's review
DNF 50%. Morthain saves me from the boredom, please.
Annith is no Sybella, I don't care about the big reveals whatsoever, and the writing is so freaking dull and dry that even the action parts drag on. I guess I will never know what the fuss what about. Oh well.
France : 0 - Brittany : 1
I give up.
Annith is no Sybella, I don't care about the big reveals whatsoever, and the writing is so freaking dull and dry that even the action parts drag on. I guess I will never know what the fuss what about. Oh well.
France : 0 - Brittany : 1
I give up.
mmefish's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
T E R R I B L E
The book sends so many awful messages, the plot is weak, almost all mysteries are easily guessable, the "romance" is disgusting. I'll write a full review sometime later, when I'm not as mad maybe.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Confinement, Child abuse, Animal death, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, and Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Sexual content and Toxic relationship
Minor: Incest and Rape
myth's review against another edition
2.0
I think my status updates made my feelings pretty clear, but to sum up:
My politics went mostly missing, the romance is gross, and the narrative did a lot of zany gymnastics to convince me that True Romantic Love is what will out.
I am not convinced.
It's all especially disappointing after the first two books, which worked so hard and got so far. In the end it didn't even matter.
Ahem.
Anyway, I really wanted to like Annith but couldn't quite manage it. Part of it is that it felt like Annith, despite feeling like less of a fleshed-out character than her predecessors, seemed like she was the author's darling and I am a contrary reader. It felt very much like like we were supposed to like her because Mortain has always been in love with her, and, well. See my status updates for my thoughts on THAT subject.
Also there were a lot more Dramatic Fragments in this one than the others, albeit without Sarah Janet's Dramatic Paragraph Breaks.
Your mileage may vary on this book. I was not on board.
That being said, I'm still going to read the new duology because FRENCH POLITICS. ANNE. SYBELLA. ISMAE HELPING RULE THE DUCHY. I'll get back on board for that.
My politics went mostly missing, the romance is gross, and the narrative did a lot of zany gymnastics to convince me that True Romantic Love is what will out.
I am not convinced.
It's all especially disappointing after the first two books, which worked so hard and got so far. In the end it didn't even matter.
Ahem.
Anyway, I really wanted to like Annith but couldn't quite manage it. Part of it is that it felt like Annith, despite feeling like less of a fleshed-out character than her predecessors, seemed like she was the author's darling and I am a contrary reader. It felt very much like like we were supposed to like her because Mortain has always been in love with her, and, well. See my status updates for my thoughts on THAT subject.
Also there were a lot more Dramatic Fragments in this one than the others, albeit without Sarah Janet's Dramatic Paragraph Breaks.
Your mileage may vary on this book. I was not on board.
That being said, I'm still going to read the new duology because FRENCH POLITICS. ANNE. SYBELLA. ISMAE HELPING RULE THE DUCHY. I'll get back on board for that.