Grave Mercy
by Robin LaFevers
For: Teens
Genre: YA fantastical historical romantic adventure (aka hard to categorize, which is awesome)
Published: 2012
Description: 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?
Why I liked it: I am not a huge fan of anything dark, so I was a little nervous when I started this book, since it begins in a very dark place and promises more darkness throughout. But this story is not about assassination and death and darkness as much as it is about Ismae coming to terms with herself and her past, and how she finds her own path forward. And the romance in this book is real and deep and not gratuitous (which I appreciated immensely). I highly recommend this to anyone who loves historical romance with lots of intrigue.
Do you have any other suggestions for YA historical romance or historical adventure with a romantic twist? Please share, because I am ready to read!
And happy weekend reading!
*Because someone always asks, MG stands for middle-grade, books written for 8-12-year-olds.