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soireb

soireb

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Lucky Charm
Marie Astor
Last Kiss Goodnight
Gena Showalter
La Práctica del Servicio Comunitario en Educación Especial: Una aproximación teórica desde el Sentir y Hacer de sus actores. (Spanish Edition)
Yarinés Perdomo
A Dash of Style: The Art and Mastery of Punctuation
Noah Lukeman
Elementary Children's Literature: The Basics for Teachers and Parents (2nd Edition)
Nancy A. Anderson

Grave Mercy (Book I): His Fair Assassin, Book I (His Fair Assassin Trilogy)

Grave Mercy  - Robin LaFevers, R.L. LaFevers I think I found myself a new genre!Grave Mercy has become a double first timer for me. It is the first historical fiction that I read as well as my very first ARC galley (thank you NetGalley). To be honest, this being my first ARC I had no idea how things would unravel; I am pleased to say the book did not disappointed me at all.It is a breathtaking story, and although action is not the main feature (even though it has its moments) it is an amazing tale of self-discovery and independence. It takes place in Brittany, circa-late Middle Ages. Ismae was 14 years old when her abusive farmer father sold her into marriage to an even more abusive man from her home village. But soon after she is whisk away to be taken to a convent that prays to Saint Mortain; pagan god of Death. There she discovers the reality behind her birth and hope springs anew.Fast forward three years, and in her new life as handmaiden of Death, Ismae has been inducted and instructed in all things assassin. Have any of you ever played either of the Assassin’s Creed games? I’ve tried the first one, and although I never got to finish it I have watch my boyfriend play through the ones that came out for PS3. Why I bring this up? Because there is a similar feeling to both stories. You can feel Ismae’s emotions as she wrestles with what she has been taught at the convent vs. what she witnesses developing right in front of her.The truth is I that like Ismae. Having a story being told only from the main character’s POV can be daunting. But Ismae is a smart, careful, observant young woman whose inexperience gives her a nice touch of realism. She is a strong character, a survivor. The one person she is supposed to distrust the most is the same person she feels inexplicably drawn to. Duval’s character is a great counterweight to Ismae as well as an equally strong force. Telling you more about him will unfortunately give away too many plot points and I always like to try to avoid ruining the surprises for you guys (~.^).The world around Ismae is both beautifully built and complex. I enjoyed the contrast between life at her home village vs. life at the convent vs. life at court. I can’t wait to read more about the other girls as well. Both Annith and Sybella are intriguing characters and I wish there was more of them in the story. The plot of the tale has enough twists and machinations that all the possible outcomes kept me glued to it. If not for my classes I would have finished the book sooner. Bottom line is, I love this book and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys fiction, be it historical or otherwise. I mean, who would not enjoy the story of a farmer raised, convent trained young female assassin? Originally posted in Journey with words