{August YA Book Club Pick 2012} 
 Assassin nuns. Need I say more? I do? Okay, fine. I'm a sucker for a good court intrigue novel. I was endlessly entertained by the descriptions of Ismae's training and subsequent assignment to help Anne of Brittany take her rightful place as Duchess. The historical context is a little iffy--just overlook it and you'll be fine. Also, maybe overlook the religious overtones and the fact that the "magic" of death-divining isn't properly explained. My book club had some major issues with that. There was a missed opportunity to delve into the specifics of assassin training. That being said, there's some majorly awesome stuff in here. The supporting cast was enjoyable and I loved watching the relationship between Ismae and Duval play out. And yes, it's a trilogy, but the next book is focusing on one of the other girls from the convent so I can only hope the third book will do the same. (Fingers crossed that Book Three will be Annith's story.)