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Original Essays | April 29, 2013

Edward Lee: IMG How to Clarify Butter: A Writer's Tale

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Chefs don't have time to write. While I was working on Smoke and Pickles, I was running a restaurant — a daily regimen of testing recipes,... Continue »
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Other titles in the His Fair Assassin Trilogy series:

Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin Trilogy #1)

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Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin Trilogy #1) Cover

ISBN13: 9780547628349
ISBN10: 054762834x
Condition: Standard
Dustjacket: Standard
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Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf? Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts — and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.

Ismae's most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany — where she finds herself woefully under prepared — not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death's vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?

Review:

"Middle-grade author LaFevers (the Theodosia books) makes an outstanding foray into historical romance with an enthralling recreation of 15th-century Brittany. At its center is 17-year-old Ismae, a badly scarred peasant girl who, fleeing her thuggish husband, is taken in by the convent of St. Mortain, whose patron saint is the ancient, pre-Christian god of death. Believed to be Death's literal daughter, blessed (or cursed) with powerful gifts, Ismae is trained as an assassin, highly competent with all weapons and poisons. After two successful missions, she is dispatched to the court of Anne of Brittany to keep track of Duval, the duchess's handsome and tempestuous illegitimate older brother. Reluctantly, she falls in love with him, knowing full well that she may someday be called upon to end his life. Rich in historical detail, well-realized characters, political machinations, and enticingly prickly scenes between Ismae and Duval, LaFevers's complex tale incorporates magic both sparingly and subtly. This powerful first volume of the His Fair Assassin series should attract many readers. Ages 14 – up. Agent: Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary Agency." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Review:

"With characters that will inspire the imagination, a plot that nods to history while defying accuracy, and a love story that promises more in the second book, this is sure to attract feminist readers and romantics alike." Booklist, starred review

Review:

"Fiction and history coalesce in a rich, ripping tale of assassinations, political intrigue and religion in 15th-century Brittany....LaFevers' ambitious tapestry includes poison and treason and murder, valor and honor and slow love, suspense and sexuality and mercy. A page-turner — with grace." Kirkus, starred review

Review:

"The book is well written and filled with fascinating, complex characters who function realistically in this invented medieval world." School Library Journal, starred review

Review:

"LaFevers is an artful storyteller who has created a strong lead character....The tale is one of scheming nobles, political subterfuge, murder, and romance — all of the best aspects of a good read. And like any good mystery, the plot is unpredictable." VOYA

Review:

"Start with the medieval action and mystery of a Tamora Piere novel, throw in some 007 License to Kill action (only the assassins are nuns!) and add two duty-driven and proud main characters involved in an achingly-denied romance (seriously, would you just kiss him already!?!). This triple threat of entertainment is unputdownable." Justine magazine

Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes a brutal arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of assassins — for a price. Packed with love, magic, and deadly games of courtly intrigue and treason, book one of a fast-paced YA trilogy set in 15th-century France combines romance with captivating action.

Synopsis:

[set star] "Fiction and history coalesce in a rich, ripping tale of assassinations, political intrigue and religion. . . . LaFevers ambitious tapestry includes poison and treason and murder, valor and honor and slow love, suspense and sexuality and mercy. A page-turner—with grace." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage to the respite of the convent of St. Mortain. Here she learns that the god of Death has blessed her with dangerous gifts and a violent destiny. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others. But how can she deliver Deaths vengeance upon a target who has stolen her heart?

Synopsis:

Is there no rest for the travel worn and weary? Not if youre Nathaniel Fludd, the worlds youngest beastologist-in-training! All Nate really wants is to track down his missing parents, but when a unicorn falls mysteriously ill, Nates Aunt Phil makes it clear where a beastologists duty lies: to the beasts. And if taking care of the worlds beasts isnt difficult enough, Nate and Aunt Phil must also keep them safe from the villainous Obediah Fludd, who intends to do them harm. With all this taking up every last bit of his energy and time, will Nate ever find the parents he is so absolutely convinced are alive?

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About the Author

R. L. LaFevers (Robin Lorraine when shes in really big trouble) has been fascinated by libraries and museums ever since she first set foot in one. When shes not gazing longingly at ancient artifacts or wallowing in old forgotten texts, shes busy trying to keep one step ahead of her two teenage sons. She lives with the aforementioned sons, her husband, and a demonic cat in Southern California.
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What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 4 comments:
kpg813, January 14, 2013 (view all comments by kpg813)
I loved this beautifully written historical novel. The world created by the author was so vivid and interesting, I can't wait for the second book to revisit this exciting place and time!
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Lieder Madchen, May 1, 2012 (view all comments by Lieder Madchen)
This book was utterly...fascinating. It was at times brutal and very dark, but it was always fascinating. The premise of a convent where young women are trained to be both nuns and assassins was highly original, if rather strange. I was worried that I would find it difficult to sympathize with the heroine, but her feelings were so real and understandable that I couldn't help but like Ismae.

Robin LaFevers is a master at description and atmosphere. You never once felt like you were anywhere but in medieval Europe. One of the reasons that I love me stories set in medieval time is for all of the politics and intrigues that go on in a kingdom, or, in this case, a duchy. In that respect, this book was perfect.

I wondered how the author would handle assassinations being carried out by a teenage girl, but you quickly realize that Ismae is no girl. She is despised by her parents throughout her 'childhood', until her father sells her to a man for a few measly coins. This upbringing gives her the motivation needed to kill, coldly and without mercy. If she had stayed that way through the whole novel I might have given up, but when she becomes exposed to the world she learns to forgive and think for herself.

Gavriel Duval is a fantastic love interest. Loyal to a fault, it is easy to like him from the very beginning. He is as dismayed as Ismae when they find themselves unwilling allies in their efforts to reveal (Duval) and destroy (Ismae) the young duchess's enemies - of which she has many. Thankfully, Duval and Ismae have some likable and heroic friends in the form of de Lornay and Beast. (I am really hoping to see more of Beast in the next book.)

I would not recommend this book to everyone, due to the dark and at times disturbing elements, but I enjoyed it a great deal and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys dark fantasy and historical fiction (though it isn't technically historical). The sequel will be about Sybilla, a fellow assassin of Ismae's, and I can't wait to read it.
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StormyWolf, April 4, 2012 (view all comments by StormyWolf)
I found Grave Mercy a refreshing and intriguing start to what I can only imagine will be a wonderful series. I'd recommend it for those who love Historical Fiction and YA, but don't mind a little Fantasy and Romance thrown into the mix. There is a fair amount of violence and many references to sex, so I'd place this as appropriate for late high-school and older, despite the young characters and inconsiderable language. Daunting as the length may be, Grave Mercy is one book you surely don't want to miss.

Approximate Reading Time: 9.5 hours
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Product Details

ISBN:
9780547628349
Author:
La Fevers, Robin
Publisher:
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH)
Author:
La Fevers, R. L.
Author:
Tanaka, Yoko
Author:
Murphy, Kelly
Subject:
Action & Adventure
Subject:
Children s-Adventure Stories
Subject:
Children s-Science Fiction and Fantasy
Subject:
Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic
Edition Description:
Trade Cloth
Series:
His Fair Assassin Trilogy
Series Volume:
1
Publication Date:
20120431
Binding:
HARDCOVER
Grade Level:
from 9
Language:
English
Pages:
560
Dimensions:
8 x 6.25 in 1 lb
Age Level:
from 14
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Related Subjects


Children's » Action and Adventure » Adventure Stories
Children's » General
Children's » Historical Fiction » Europe
Children's » Science Fiction and Fantasy » General
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Young Adult » Fiction » Horror
Young Adult » Fiction » Paranormal
Young Adult » General
Young Adult » New Arrivals

Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin Trilogy #1) Used Hardcover
0 stars - 0 reviews
$11.95 In Stock
Product details 560 pages Houghton Mifflin Books for Children - English 9780547628349 Reviews:
"Publishers Weekly Review" by , "Middle-grade author LaFevers (the Theodosia books) makes an outstanding foray into historical romance with an enthralling recreation of 15th-century Brittany. At its center is 17-year-old Ismae, a badly scarred peasant girl who, fleeing her thuggish husband, is taken in by the convent of St. Mortain, whose patron saint is the ancient, pre-Christian god of death. Believed to be Death's literal daughter, blessed (or cursed) with powerful gifts, Ismae is trained as an assassin, highly competent with all weapons and poisons. After two successful missions, she is dispatched to the court of Anne of Brittany to keep track of Duval, the duchess's handsome and tempestuous illegitimate older brother. Reluctantly, she falls in love with him, knowing full well that she may someday be called upon to end his life. Rich in historical detail, well-realized characters, political machinations, and enticingly prickly scenes between Ismae and Duval, LaFevers's complex tale incorporates magic both sparingly and subtly. This powerful first volume of the His Fair Assassin series should attract many readers. Ages 14 – up. Agent: Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary Agency." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
"Review" by , "With characters that will inspire the imagination, a plot that nods to history while defying accuracy, and a love story that promises more in the second book, this is sure to attract feminist readers and romantics alike."
"Review" by , "Fiction and history coalesce in a rich, ripping tale of assassinations, political intrigue and religion in 15th-century Brittany....LaFevers' ambitious tapestry includes poison and treason and murder, valor and honor and slow love, suspense and sexuality and mercy. A page-turner — with grace."
"Review" by , "The book is well written and filled with fascinating, complex characters who function realistically in this invented medieval world."
"Review" by , "LaFevers is an artful storyteller who has created a strong lead character....The tale is one of scheming nobles, political subterfuge, murder, and romance — all of the best aspects of a good read. And like any good mystery, the plot is unpredictable."
"Review" by , "Start with the medieval action and mystery of a Tamora Piere novel, throw in some 007 License to Kill action (only the assassins are nuns!) and add two duty-driven and proud main characters involved in an achingly-denied romance (seriously, would you just kiss him already!?!). This triple threat of entertainment is unputdownable."
"Synopsis" by , Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes a brutal arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of assassins — for a price. Packed with love, magic, and deadly games of courtly intrigue and treason, book one of a fast-paced YA trilogy set in 15th-century France combines romance with captivating action.
"Synopsis" by , [set star] "Fiction and history coalesce in a rich, ripping tale of assassinations, political intrigue and religion. . . . LaFevers ambitious tapestry includes poison and treason and murder, valor and honor and slow love, suspense and sexuality and mercy. A page-turner—with grace." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage to the respite of the convent of St. Mortain. Here she learns that the god of Death has blessed her with dangerous gifts and a violent destiny. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others. But how can she deliver Deaths vengeance upon a target who has stolen her heart?
"Synopsis" by ,
Is there no rest for the travel worn and weary? Not if youre Nathaniel Fludd, the worlds youngest beastologist-in-training! All Nate really wants is to track down his missing parents, but when a unicorn falls mysteriously ill, Nates Aunt Phil makes it clear where a beastologists duty lies: to the beasts. And if taking care of the worlds beasts isnt difficult enough, Nate and Aunt Phil must also keep them safe from the villainous Obediah Fludd, who intends to do them harm. With all this taking up every last bit of his energy and time, will Nate ever find the parents he is so absolutely convinced are alive?
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