Ismae's father has sold her into marriage. While Ismae isn't happy about it, she hopes it will at least get her away from the abuse she faces at home. Her home life has never been happy. Her mother attempted to abort her with herbs, but Ismae survived, scars and all. Many in her small village believe this makes her a daughter of death. When her new husband discovers the scars these herbs have left he feels like he's been tricked. He locks her in the cellar where she is rescued and taken to the convent of St. Mortain, the pagan god of death. 
 Historical fiction. Political Intrigue. A slow build romance that doesn't pirate the entire narrative. Well built characters. I've had this on my list for a while, and I have no clue why it's taken me so long to read. I'm glad I decided to go ahead and read the first two books before the last in the series comes out on November 4th (If the second is as good as Grave Mercy, the last installment should prove a pretty great birthday present to myself). 
 I'm a sucker for some good political intrigue in a court setting. I love that this was Brittany too. This is a relatively small land holding in the modern conception, but this made the stakes higher. Everyone wanted it, and its size made it harder to protect and keep. They are also fighting for their old ways of life and belief. When all this clashes with personal interests it makes for an interesting read. Add to this a female assassin and we're cooking with gas. Although, I did wonder sometimes how she maneuvered so effectively in her gowns. That's talent folks. Yes, I did predict some of the political plot points, but I don't know that any of it was necessarily supposed to be a surprise for the reader. 
 Were there other parts of the court I wish I could have seen? Yes. But LaFevers does a spot-on job of keeping us focused on what serves our plot while also including details that help set the stage without dedicating pages to descriptions. The characters go on hunts. There was entertainment in the great hall on a pageant day. I wish there had been more detail at times, but I'm glad these details never overwhelmed the narrative. 
 I was invested in these characters. I love how Ismae gradually grew and changed over the course of the novel. This is a strong female character who also has weaknesses and vulnerabilities. She gets snippy when she is afraid she doesn't appear strong enough, or looks like she doesn't know something. She is loyal, even when she feels her loyalties are split. She intrigues me. I also appreciated that while romance was a definite part of the story, it didn't overtake everything. It made me root for our couple all the harder. And it made their feelings feel more mature. 
 I enjoyed the friendship between Ismae, Annith, and Sybella, and I wish I'd gotten more than peeks of it. I wonder what their early days at the convent together looked like. Sometimes I feel cheated that I did not get to see these scenes in the convent, others I thank LaFevers' pacing instincts that she saved us from some literary training montages that really wouldn't have served the plot in any distinctive way. I hope that this friendship is further explored as the series goes along. 
 The supernatural world of the novel is somewhat half-formed and confusing, but oddly enough I kind of liked that. For me, it helped set the tone of mysticism in the later middle ages/ early Renaissance when the novel is set. There was no way to really know the rules, or know if it was true, but belief was everything. Watching Ismae grapple with these beliefs as she went from a sheltered girl in the convent that saved her, to an active member of the intrigues at court was interesting and dynamic. I think a lot of people can relate to that shift in early adulthood where you take ownership of your beliefs, and they may or may not match up with what you've been taught your entire life. 
 This is just a well-crafted, fun novel that hits a lot of my literary sweet spots.