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Dark Triumph
Dark Triumph
Dark Triumph
Audiobook13 hours

Dark Triumph

Written by Robin LaFevers

Narrated by Angela Goethals

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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About this audiobook

Sybella's duty as Death's assassin in 15th-century France forces her return home to the personal hell that she had finally escaped. Love and romance, history and magic, vengeance and salvation converge in this thrilling sequel to Grave Mercy. Sybella arrives at the convent' s doorstep half mad with grief and despair. Those that serve Death are only too happy to offer her refuge-- but at a price. The convent views Sybella, naturally skilled in the arts of both death and seduction, as one of their most dangerous weapons. But those assassin's skills are little comfort when the convent returns her to a life that nearly drove her mad. And while Sybella is a weapon of justice wrought by the god of Death himself, He must give her a reason to live. When she discovers an unexpected ally imprisoned in the dungeons, will a daughter of Death find something other than vengeance to live for?
LanguageEnglish
Release dateMay 10, 2013
ISBN9781470352158
Author

Robin LaFevers

Robin LaFevers, author of the New York Times best-selling His Fair Assassin books, was raised on fairy tales, Bulfinch’s mythology, and nineteenth-century poetry. It is not surprising that she grew up to be a hopeless romantic. She was lucky enough to find her one true love, and is living happily ever after with him in California. Visit her online at robinlafevers.com and on Twitter @RLLaFevers. 

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    What an amazing read! Can't wait for the third book!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Great continuation of the series, not as much political intrigue as grave mercy but I know some didnt like that. I enjoyed learning about Sybella's past and there is definitely a lot of action. Now just have to wait for the final book of the trilogy...
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    See more reviews on Short & Sweet Reviews!

    So Dark Triumph was definitely one of my most anticipated books of 2013, and it didn't disappoint! Dark Triumph is the follow-up to Grave Mercy, which was one of the first books that I read and blogged about here. While I had somewhat mixed feelings about that book, I still enjoyed it overall and wanted to read more set in that universe, particularly about Sybella and Annith, the other two girls who befriend Ismae when she arrives at the convent. This second installment in the trilogy focuses on Sybella, though Ismae makes a few appearances.

    First off, to anyone picking up this book, I'd highly recommend taking the time to re-read Grave Mercy first, or at least skim the last several chapters of it. The beginning of Dark Triumph overlaps with the end of Grave Mercy, and while I remembered the gist of what happened, I'd forgotten many of the details, major players, etc., so I had to play a bit of catch-up at the beginning. That said, since the story picks up in the middle of the plot action, we don't initially get much backstory on Sybella. So it was a little weird at first to be reading a story with a main character that we know, but still know little about.

    Fortunately, Sybella's comes out in bits and pieces, as key parts of her past are actually major plot points that are revealed as appropriate. I loved learning more about her. She has a pretty tragic past, and while the whole trope of "very damaged young lady learns to be a stone cold bad-ass and also later finds love" is kind of annoying and repetitive in fiction, it's one we're still drawn to as readers, because who doesn't love a good triumph-over-adversity-and-evil story? The more you learn about Sybella's past and the people who hurt her so badly when she was young, the more you're rooting for her to succeed and for justice to be served.

    Dark Triumph felt much more action-packed than the previous book. A lot of readers, myself included, felt that Grave Mercy dragged too much, with too little assassinating for these ninja assassin nuns. While there's still not a whole ton of assassin action, Sybella instead finds herself having to apply her convent-learned skills on the battlefield, so never fear. She proves herself to be incredibly competent in battle, a person who can fend for herself and who doesn't want to put anyone else in danger.

    There is a romance plotline in this story, which isn't really disclosed in the summary but is probably kind of obvious anyway, especially if you consider that this book followed much of the same formula as Grave Mercy. While there is an element of "I don't like you and I don't trust you oops now I love you", and there were some sort of clumsy attempts at causing discord between them which just about any reader can see through. I felt that Sybella and her love interest were pretty evenly matched. They love each other for who they are, flaws and murderous tendencies and all. I also really liked the fact that Sybella is drawn down the same path as Ismae, where she begins to question what the convent's true intentions are, rather than blindly following everything they say. I can't wait to see how this plotline is resolved in the third book in the series, which will focus on Annith, who remains at the convent, training to be a seer.

    Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It does not stand on its own very well at all, so you really need to read Grave Mercy first. It is very violent and includes some sexual references, including some content between Sybella and her half-brother (which is not portrayed as a positive thing, before anyone worries). I am really looking forward to finishing the trilogy with Annith's story!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
     You know what I like about Robin LaFevers? I like that she discovers this fascinating episode of *real* 15th century history and goes, "You know what would make this better? Assassin nuns."And it totally does. In the first novel of this trilogy we meet Sybella only peripherally, but here, the novel is hers. To be quite honest, I wasn't that thrilled. I didn't much like her character in Grave Mercy, but that seems to be because Ms. LaFevers was saving her layers for this story. We learn what makes Sybella so twisted and scared. She has some dark, dark secrets and lives in terror of those secrets being revealed to the ones she loves. Meanwhile, shes on a mission from the convent that is driving her deeper and deeper into madness. Can she escape? Can she heal?I won't tell. You'll just have to read it.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I put off reading this second book for years, because I didn't care for the allusions made in the first book that Sybella, the MC of this story, had a dark past involving parental sexual abuse. But I really wanted to read the third book, and I can't stand reading out of order, so I sucked it up. The allusions were not misdirection; Sybella's background is full of abuse and cruelty, and the author walks a fine line in terms of incest, stopping short by the strictest definition, if not the spirit of it. Either way, it's distasteful and unpleasant; I'd have enjoyed the story more had it not spent so much time on the setup and background. Once Sybella commits to her mission to rescue the Beast of Waroch from her family's dungeons, the story improves, as does the pacing. There's a Deus-ette ex machina in Sybella's unexpected connection to The Beast that I'm not sure was really necessary, though it didn't really affect the plotting one way or the other. Generally, not as good as the first book, but an engrossing read nevertheless. I appreciated the author's note at the end outlining that while the story itself was whole cloth fiction, the events and many of the characters were historically accurate, though she owns to compressing the timeline for dramatic purposes. If I can read and be entertained, and learn a bit about the Duchess Anne of Brittany at the same time, all the better. I read this for a Halloween Square - Paint it Black.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    After reading the first book in the trilogy, and enjoying it immensely, I had planned to skip the second because I found the character of Sybella so singularly unlikeable. But the library had Dark Triumph available as an ebook download and my curiosity won out. Thankfully.

    Learning Sybella's backstory made her into a fleshed-out character and her interactions with the Beast of Waroch made her almost endearing. The story's political intrigues were insufficiently recapped from the first volume but pacing and action, not to mention romantic subplot, left little to be desired.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Liked it a lot more than the first book. Similarly abrupt ending, but the story was more fleshed out and less focused on having to outline political details, which helped it. Still extremely entertaining and I'm looking forward to the third book :D
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Grave Mercy was one of my top ten books last year and I really didn't think there was any way that Dark Triumph was going to live up to it - - especially when I saw that it was switching from Ismae and Duval to Sybella. I wanted more Ismae and Duval. But about thirty pages into this book, I was so into Sybella's story, I didn't care what was going on with Ismae (although I was very happy to see her in this book). Sybella was such a damaged character and it was so great seeing her redemption and her love story. I absolutely loved it. LaFevers had my heart breaking in sorrow for Sybella one moment and exploding with happiness the next. Obviously, Dark Triumph will be one of my top ten books this year.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I had actually kind forgotten about this series until I came across book two, and I'm glad I discovered it again. I think Sybella's story is much stronger than the first book in the series, and her character development felt realistic and honest. She's not a typical heroine, and watching her come to accept the dark parts of her heart made for a compelling read. As per the YA fantasy rulebook, there is a romance that was telegraphed basically from the first time the two characters meet, but overall my issues are minor. Very strong book two in a series I'm eager to continue.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I really enjoyed this book. It's rate that the second book in a series is better than the first, but I feel that way about this book. The first book introduces you to the character but does not do much to make you feel that the character is sympathetic. In this book we learn of the characters life circumstances and so we begin to really understand the complexities of her motivations.

    This book is well worth the read!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I was excited but nervous to read this, as I had adored Ismae and Duval in book one and was kinda sad not to continue on with their story. But I had been intrigued by Sybella in the first book and was interested to learn more about her. This more than lived up to my expectations, and I love it now equally as much as Grave Mercy. And now I'm sad to have to wait another year for Annith's story!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    love this series - the first book was fantastic but I was distracted by other books and was reminded by a friend that I really needed to continue. Looking forward to book three, and also just found out that more stories in this series are forthcoming (aside from what has already been published and I just haven't read yet).
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I am so on the fence with this one... It could have been my mood or the fact that my reading time was always cut short, but something just didn't click.

    The premise of an assassin nun reeking vengeance was quick to pull me in... However, I just never felt fully connected. I loved Sybella and I loved Beast, but did not like them together. While I felt the chemistry at times, for the most part I felt more committed to Sybella & Tephanie. I know it's crazy wanting a f/f romance, but after Sybella fleed D'Albret's home I found my heart so conflicted. I thought there were real feelings there and then she just walked away as if Tephanie never existed. Maybe I read into it all wrong... I don't know. There was just intimacy and gentleness between them and I felt like that was the kind of relationship Sybella deserved. While Beast was kind and gentle in his own way, I thought Sybella deserved more. She lived such a heart wrenching life that I wanted her to find comfort and safety. Maybe that is what she found with Beast, but something was missing for me. I started to feel the relationship bloom towards the end, but it wasn't enough to convince me. There was a lot of talk about Beast being ugly... Where was the talk of his ugliness making him beautiful? Ugh my heart is so torn. Why must Sybella and Beast be together. I need them in their own books.

    Obviously, you can tell that I'm conflicted. The first half of the book I was committed to one thing and then BAM Beast is the new focal point and I'm left wanting to go back to the beginning. This review isn't much help so I will leave you with this... The plot was interesting, the character building was intriguing, and of course the story was well written. My issues were with expectations. I wanted one thing, but that was not Sybella's destiny I suppose. Oh well, this series is still one of my favorites and I will continue onto book 3.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is the second book in a historical-fantasy trilogy, set during the 15th century, about teenage girls who have been trained as assassins. I haven't read the first book (Grave Mercy) and wouldn't have considered reading this one, except that it was recommended as a loose Beauty and the Beast retelling and it sounded like it could stand alone. (Which it mostly does.)I found the first part - when Sybella is living in d'Albret's household - compelling. I liked how the story begins in the midst of things, and the full awfulness of Sybella's situation is slowly revealed. It makes perfect sense, there are things Sybella is not prepared to acknowledge, even in her own thoughts, until she's forced to confront them.I liked how historical details - about the household's structure and its inhabitants' attitudes - are shown from the perspective of a girl who has grown up in this world and is therefore very matter of fact about some things, even as she quietly rebels against others. There were other parts of that I found equally gripping - whenever Sybella is staying in the one place.But the journeys in between... just didn't have the same tension or depth of realism. I can't put my finger on what it was. The story handling the historical aspects better than the fantasy aspects? The way Beast's generally cheerful demeanour was such a contrast to Sybella's that he seemed 2D by comparison? The affect of not having read Grave Mercy and therefore not caring about all of the politics? I don't know! I certainly didn't dislike those parts of the story, I just found them not very compelling. Dark Triumph is dark - but I was forewarned about that and I generally appreciated how those topics were handled. I also liked Sybella's friendships, few though they were.I might read the others in this trilogy.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Sybella’s story is dark and gritty and will leave you wanting more.



    We get glimpes of Sybella in Grave Mercy. She is not a favorite of the Abyss, but she tries not to let that phase her. She’s an incredibly strong female character even when she doesn’t think so. I admore her so much, and she’s been through so much. Herr fahter is a horrible man, and she tries to keep those she cares about safe. She doesn’t think seh deserves happiness in any form. She even tries to fight it.



    There is a lot of action as Sybella tries to fulfill her mission for her saint. She always seems to run straight into trouble, but has no problems handling herself. We also start to wonder whether we should completely believe that the convent has everyone’s best interest at heart. There are so many different ploys for power going on that it is hard to know whose side you should be on.



    Most of the time sequels seem to fall short, but that didn’t happen with Dark Triumph. It pulled me more into this world, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is another book that I enjoyed more than the first in a series. That's not to say I didn't enjoy "Grave Mercy" because I did, but I thought "Dark Triumph" is a better book. The romance is better, as is the character development, and there is far more action and excitement. Both Beast and Sybella are complex, strong, independent characters and skilful killers. "Dark Triumph"is also a lot darker than the first book in the "His Fair Assassin" series, with some quite disturbing issues. So far, this has been a wonderful series and I am really looking forward to the final instalment.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    It's rare that a second book is better than the first but I think this one is!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Set from a different perspective than the first novel, it's not quite as good as the first one, but it stands on its own.

    Sybella's story gives us a reminder of many of the darker things that happened in medieval times.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Full review to come. I'm thrilled that Dark Triumph pulled me out of my audiobook slump :D. I enjoyed Dark Triumph much more than Grave Mercy since it was full of action and adventure and assassinations ;-). I was also quite the fan of the broken heroine and hero loving each other despite their flaws. Things got a bit angsty at times and a bit too love saves the day at the end, but still highly recommended especially if you wanted Grave Mercy to more action-packed ;-).
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    *Final review in progress*

    This was SO much better than the first book of the series. It mostly stands on it's own so you don't have to read the first book but there is some overlap and the first book does better cover the convent Sybella hails from and Mortain, whom she serves.

    The pacing was much better and while still containing lots of historical information, the focus on the plot was much clearer. This story wastes no time getting into the thick of things. The timeline overlaps the lasts parts of Ismae's story in Grave Mercy but the entire story is from Sybella's poitn of view.

    I loved her character! While she seems harsh and a bit cold it is a mask she wears and the further into the book you get, the more you see beneath it. And let me let you, this girl has been put through the ringer a few times in her life. I don't think you can help but feel strongly for her.

    In this book Sybella must come to terms with her family, and her personal history, dark as it was. With help from the Beast, she comes slowly around. There is a romance in this book, but it is slow and sweet and I loved it!

    There is also a lot of action and death. Sybella is no girl to be trifled with. She will risk everything to help those who need it, and will even enjoy it if she can take down a few marqued by Death.

    The blend of action, intrigue, history, and romance was wonderful. This really redeemed the series for me and now has me excited to see what else the author might come out with.

    *I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair, honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.*
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Dark Triumph continues the series begun with Grave Mercy and introduces usto a new assassin, Sybella. Sybella comes from an aristocratic family but herfather is dangerous, unstable, and one of the most powerful men in the Kingdom.He's also just as likely to harm her as to help her. The convent has given her the skills to work against him and his men, but it has also required her to return to the lion's den, supposedly to serve the god of Death.She's given little assistance as she takes on one of the most dangerous assignmentspossible. She digs deep into herself and must find a way to make alliances, perhapsdraw strength and help from her old friends in the convent. Her goal is to save the innocent, even if she sacrifices herself in the process.Fortunately, Sybella remembers her own strength and doesn't sacrifice herselfunnecessarily. Her wit and strength make her one of the more likeable heroinesin a long time - and I'm looking forward to finding her in subsequent books byRobin LaFevers.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I cannot properly express my absolute, unapologetic obsession with this series. The only thing I regret is not reading Grave Mercy and Dark Triumph much, much sooner than now. True, I didn't know about the series sooner than I did, but these books were what I was unconsciously wanting/needing to read. In Grave Mercy, I fell in love with Beast. I am a diehard Beast fangirl, forget that other man Duval, Beast is where it's at. Dark Triumph made me really happy with how Beast's story unfolds. He is just so admirable and I can't even begin to explain how much I love him. Upon first impression, I wasn't really sure what to think about Sybella. She is definitely not anything like Ismae, so I didn't know what to expect from her. Her early life experiences are truly awful and she suffered more than I could have imagined. I was shocked to learn about 'something' that happened in particular to her, which did make me feel real sympathy for her character. I also liked how Ismae and Duval made an appearance in Dark Triumph because I just didn't feel like their story was finished yet and I'm pretty darn happy now. So on to read Mortal Heart.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Summary: Sybella has always been silent about her past, even among her friends at the convent of Saint Mortain, where they train in the arts of Death. But she has good reason to be secretive, since her father is the traitorous D'Albret, who is attempting to take Brittany from its young duchess - by marriage if possible, and by force if not. Sybella knows only too well how cruel and cunning D'Albret can be, which is why when the abbess of Saint Mortain ordered her to return home, she went with the expectation that her father would bear Mortain's mark, and she could end his life. But after she receives new orders - to free one of her father's prisoners - all of her carefully laid plans start going awry. For the prisoner is the Beast of Waroch, one of the duchess's fiercest warriors, but gravely wounded, and with more cause to distrust Sybella than he knows.Review: This book starts off close to the end of Grave Mercy - when Ismae sees Sybella on the tower, warning her of the impending trap - but follows the action from Sybella's point of view, rather than Ismae. I enjoyed this one quite a bit, maybe more than I was expecting to. Even though they're both about death and assassins, this book is substantially darker than the first. Even though Ismae's pre-convent life was not a picnic, it's nothing compared to the damage that Sybella has had done to her, and the scars that she bears - literal and metaphorical - make her a much more complicated, but also much darker, character. She's flawed and hungry for revenge and bitter and only barely managing to hold her broken pieces together, let alone try to claim any kind of future beyond killing her father. It reminded me a lot of the relationship in tone between Kristin Cashore's Graceling and Fire - both protagonists are strong in their own ways, but in both that series and this, the heroine of the second book is more complex, with a darker past and deeper wounds, and it ultimately makes their story more compelling and more heartbreaking. It also means that the romance angle (because of course there's a romance angle) fits into the story somewhat differently. In this case, I initially didn't believe that Sybella fell for Beast as quickly as she seemed to (especially since he was unconscious from pain most of the time they were together), but by the end of the book, their gradual building of trust felt earned, and matched by an equal development of character for Sybella in and of herself, so I was completely won over. This book did again make me lament the fact that Grave Mercy skipped over so much of the girls' time in training at the convent; there are frequent references to how good of friends Ismae and Sybella are, which was not a feeling I got from their limited scenes together in the first book. But, on the positive side, I liked the historical angles of this story just as much as I did in the first one - it felt like this one had some more texture that placed it firmly in its time period - and I was pleasantly surprised to find out that some of the major characters in this story (including D'Albret!) are real historical people. 4 out of 5 stars.Recommendation: Not a standalone. But for fans of the first book, or even people who liked this first book well enough but were hoping for something darker and grittier: this book's for you.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I waited and waited and waited and it was finally here! After reading Grave Mercy and absolutely loving it, I was extremely hopeful for this one, but I'm always a little leery of book 2. But this one did not disappoint! I really liked getting to know Sybella better and getting the explanation of what was happening with the characters who were off-screen in Grave Mercy. The only thing that dropped this a little was that I didn't feel the romance aspect as strongly as I did in the first one. It's still there, but I just didn't feel it as much.

    I would definitely recommend this one!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Another excellent book by Robin LaFevers. The story of Sybella was great and I'm glad she dedicated a whole book to her. You only get a smidge of her in the first book. Can't wait for the 3rd!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The second book in the His Fair Assassin trilogy opens with Sybella warning away the duchess and Ismae - a scene that was familiar to readers of Grave Mercy, from Ismae's point of view. Now we hear where Sybella, the broken girl we glimpsed in the first book, has been all this time. She is a member of d'Albret's household, and while her father - at least in name, if not in fact - is a traitor to the duchess and an absolutely twisted man, she is dismayed to find no marque telling her she can take vengeance and kill him.I'm really enjoying these stories of historical fantasy set in Brittany in the 1400s. As we saw in Grave Mercy, the duchess has been promised in marriage to several people, including d'Albret, but she is struggling to keep her autonomy and rule, defending herself from would-be suitors and France. Dark Triumph doesn't delve into the politics in the same way, but into Sybella and her backstory which is quite grim. I found this book a bit darker and more violent than the first (though it is about nun assassins and daughters of the god of death Mortain himself, so I'm also not sure why I was surprised), but still an excellent read I would recommend to readers of young adult fantasy.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Grave Mercy was the first book I ever wrote a review for (here), and it also happens to be the first book in the His Fair Assassin Trilogy. If you haven’t read it yet, I vote you read Grave Mercy and then read Dark Triumph, because they. are. AMAZING.Any historical fans out there? Because this story is set in 1489 Brittany and is rife with swords, chain mail, knights, castles, counts, lords, ladies, and the duchess. AND it continues to hold all the political cunning and deceit you expect from this second installment. Once again, if you are a fan of historical I would highly, HIGHLY recommend this book!I absolutely LOVE Sybella’s inner dialogue. Seriously, her dry sarcasm and frankness is to die for. And with having been trained in the convent as a handmaiden of Death, her skills with a knife are as sharp as her tongue. AND she’s skilled with all manner of weapons and poisons and disguises. She’s bada** and she does what needs to be done. She has a devastating past that fuels her as an assassin. And though she feels she is too dark and doesn’t believe she has one anymore, she does have a heart and is worthy of love. Okay, so I love everything about her.Now d’Albret, on the other hand . . .*shudders*D’Albret is THE most ruthless, vile, sadistic villain I think I have ever read. He truly is a bloodthirsty monster of a human being–I mean the things he has done and the way his mind works! Let’s put it this way: if you were given the option of either suffering the consequences of d’Albret or having your stomach sliced open and dying a slow, agonizing death, I would suggest you settle your affairs and take Death’s hand. D’Albret is the very essence of evil, and the comforting arms of Death would be preferable to ever encountering the cruelty of that wicked man.And–as expected–there is a love story laced in, but I will not mention who the knight in question is because I do not want to spoil it;) Though when reading the book you’ll figure out sooner rather than later who I am referring to. I’ll just tell you that I LOVE Sybella and the knight who is so fierce and yet so caring. He is THE match for Sybella, and their banter is perfect–I approve this match!One issue I had though . . . Where is the rest? I mean, you can’t end it right there, Robin! *exhales* Alas, I shall be deigned to wait these next months for Annith’s story, Mortal Heart, to finish the tale which thus began a book ago . . . But that’s okay, I can have patience if it means I will know the outcome eventually;) This book is FANTASTIC and in my opinion, it deserves . . .5/5 stars;)
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    What can I say? I loved it. It left me content and smiling, but also sad and mopey. Now I have to wait a whole year for the next installment, His Fair Assasin: Mortal Heart.

    My favorite quote in this deep and dark novel is found on pages 139 & 140. It is a moment of humor that is also, in my mind, the moment in which love begins to bloom.

    Begin quote:

    "I've never met a lady who enjoys her work as much as I enjoy mine."

    "My work?"

    "Killing. Assassin-ing."

    "What are you implying?"

    He looks puzzled at the anger in my voice.

    "That you are very good in what you do. It was a compliment, nothing more."

    End quote
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I really liked this book, but not quite as much as the first. It was a solid second book in the series, but I just couldn't connect with the main character as much as the main character in the first book. (Too bitchy!) From reading other reviews it sounds as though some people thought Grave Mercy had too much political intrigue and preferred Dark Triumph because there's more action. I am the opposite and prefer books with a lot of character development and anticipation rather than just nonstop action and death. As with the first book of the series, I felt like this book had a great plot and had a really solid ending. I can't wait for the third to be published!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Cover Impressions: I really like the covers for this series. Grave Mercy had a beautiful scarlet color, but I think the muted colors here are much more fitting for Sybella, as is the background of a dark corridor rather than a grand castle. Her work is better suited to the shadows.

    The Gist: The His Fair Assassin series continues with the story of Sybella. Having escaped the fear and madness of her father's house, Sybella finds a new home at the convent of St.Mortain. Having been trained in the deadly arts, she is just beginning to find her way back to herself when the political ambitions of her father forces the convent to send Sybella back into his arms. The brutality and unpredictable rage of her father, coupled with the unhealthy obsession of her brother threatens to drive Sybella mad until she embarks on a mission to free an important prisoner and, in doing so, finds an unlikely ally.

    Review: Admittedly, I was underwhelmed by Grave Mercy. I loved the premise of assassin nuns trained in the deadly arts, but was turned off by the breadth of the political intrigue and Ismae's accursed conscience. In the wings, however, waited Sybella. She was such a mysterious and interesting character that it made me long for the release date of Dark Triumph. I am happy to say, Sybella does not disappoint. She is certainly bloodthirsty, (and one point she even mutters "I am in desperate need of killing something.") and she does not often worry about the moral implications as Ismae did. While Ismae faded a little when the love interest was introduced, Sybella railed against him, taking every opportunity to comment on how ugly he was.

    The romantic angle in Dark Triumph was much more palatable for me than it was in Grave Mercy. Beast and Sybella seem equally well matched and neither comes to love the other easily. There was a point at which Beast seemed to have developed an unhealthy desire to rescue Sybella, but that passed and they were placed on equal footing once again. For his part, Beast opened Sybella to a world of compassion that her upbringing had denied her and I really enjoyed how she developed in his presence.

    This book featured much less political maneuvering than its predecessor and this makes for a much faster paced plot. Beast and Sybella's lives have been closely intertwined for many years and the revelation of her secrets adds an air of mystery to the story. There are also a number of exciting battles and the introduction of an interesting new cast of characters. While this book moves the overall plot along and sets up for the final in the series, it also provides a satisfying ending to Sybella's personal story.

    I will definitely be waiting with baited breath for the final installment in the His Dark Assassin series for more of Sybella but, as I remember very little of Annith, I am also excited for a story that follows her and one that finally reveals the secrets of the convent.

    Teaching/Parental Notes:

    Age: 15 and up
    Gender: Both
    Sex: Kissing, Allusion to incest, one instance of consensual sex - not explicit
    Violence: Torture, Rape, Swordplay, Knifeplay, a number of murders including one disturbing (for me) scene featuring the death of an infant
    Inappropriate Language: Whore, Piss, Bastard
    Substance Use/Abuse: Drinking