I will openly admit that I'm reading this trilogy out of order, which I sorely regret after finishing Mortal Heart. So my rating might change after I manage to get my hands on a copy of Dark Triumph. After reading Grave Mercy, I fully accepted that this was probably going to be a more romance heavy book than anything else, but was surprised with more adventure and the tale of a young woman breaking free of what she believes restrains her in order to discover who she truly is. 
 I enjoyed this book a more than Grave Mercy, because I truly enjoyed the development of Annith. Ever since reading Ismae's story, I have been anxious to hear more about Annith, the one who has been waiting longer than all the other girls, the one that is so openly desperate to serve Mortain. The only thing that bothered me (not too terribly much, I'm being nitpicky) is how Annith rarely utilized the training she had learned at the convent, even though she stressed how she excelled at everything. We only saw that expertise a few times throughout the book. 
 One thing that pleasantly surprised me was Balthazaar and the Helliquin. Balthazaar posed as a mysterious but equally interesting characters. At first I was certain that Annith and Balthazaar had fallen prey to instalove, but as the story progressed, the connection unfurled itself rather beautifully. 
 True rating is a 3.5.