Ismae's life has been a struggle to survive from before she was even born. When someone tries to end your life before it begins, how much hope can you truly hold for your own future? When Ismae is spirited away in the night from her brutal arranged marriage, she discovers that there's a whole world of opportunities waiting for her should she choose to join with the convent and dedicate her life to Death... 
 Ismae is a fierce young woman whose life hasn't been easy but she's made it through. The sisters at St. Mortain offer her the chance of a lifetime--to seek retribution. She's really a natural at it too. She's immune to poisons and skilled in the arts that the sisters of St. Mortain teach her. While I didn't develop a super strong connection with Ismae, I found that I thoroughly enjoyed her quick decision-making skills (even if she didn't always make the "right" choice) and her strong, take-no-crap personality. 
 The male love interest as it were was interesting to me and by the end I found that I really liked him. His relationship with Ismae developed at a reasonable pace and her reactions to him felt fairly suited to someone unfamiliar with dealing with men (she did, after all, often skip out on that class). She didn't simple bend to the wiles of a man either--her relationship with him felt like a natural extension of her personal development. 
 The combination of setting, action, and characters made this a stellar read for me. I enjoyed the descriptions that Ms. LaFevre puts into your imagination ranging from the harsh countryside to the stark convent and then into the bustling court. The characters each carry their own weight and fill their roles well. Full of religion, court politics, and romance, Grave Mercy is a book that I won't soon forget and I'm quite excited to read the sequel!