Why I love this novel and will be following this series: 
 1. There is no insta-love between Ismae and Duval. This is a great relief. In fact, they can't stand each other, but slowly the tension becomes all too palpable and they act on it. Perfect buildup! 
 2. A kickass heroine who is an assassin nun! OMGGGG!! 
 3. I really liked the politics. They had me almost biting my nails because I was just so afraid for the characters. These are just too tense and dangerous times for them. 
 Things that can be improved on: 
 1. For a master assassin, Ismae didn't kill too many people. I wish she would just do more killing. She talked about her cool weapons and her array of poisons, so why not use them? 
 2. I've read that the sequels will be focusing on Sybella and Anninth, which is cool because I really want to know more about them, especially Sybella. But perhaps not as sequels per se but companion novels. 
 3. (view spoiler)[When Ismae had sex with Duval in order to neutralize the effects of the poison in his body, I mean, I knew she was immune to poisons; this was something introduced early in the novel, but come on. She's an assassin and by all counts, a kick-ass woman. No need to objectify her like that. (hide spoiler)]