This story isn't nearly as exciting as the His Fair Assassin trilogy by Robin LaFeveres, but bear with me.
There are two things you need to know about me:
1) I never physically react to books while reading, unless is those occasions I'll laugh out loud slightly or smile. Other than that, I never express outwardly emotions when reading. The only time I ever cried (or what I pass off as crying I.E. the brimming of tears) was when I was thirteen and reading the end of Only The Good Spy Young by Ally Carter. For those of you who have read the book, you know what happens at the end (not the very end, that's another story, literally), but one that will cause a teen girl who marathoned the three books in four days to want to tear her hair out. After that and all my reading escapades, including reading The Fault In Our Stars, never had I cried, nor expressed any emotions. You probably get the hint now. I'm an emotional, heartless bitch.
2) Unless a series (consisting more than one book, this including dualogies, trilogy's, and full length series) has completely captivated my attention and has me dying for more, I won't read the next installment, if it is released, for a much longer time afterwards. This doesn't happen if the series is bad and I'm just putting off finishing it, but ones where I am on board with finishing the series, and thoroughly enjoy it. Often what happens in when the next book is not released yet, I will forget that the book (series) is expecting another installment, then before I know it it's years later. There are alot of books to read, and series that I want to finish sooner, that lengthen the gap to when I get to the other books in such series.
Back in 2012, when Grave Mercy, the first book in the His Fair Assassins trilogy, released, I got my hands on it from the library and barely got past the first chapter. As time goes on, my pickiness for books wanes thin and now I really couldn't care much for certain element in a book, but back then the thought of Medieval France with no electricity and having to travel by horse, didn't thrill me. But nevertheless, a few months pass by and I give it a go.
I finished it.
And I enjoyed it.
I always love the plot, and the general idea of the story. This may be a good idea to tell what the series is about.
It takes place in medieval France in the region of Brittany in northern France. At that state, France is attempting to overthrow and take control of Brittany in the political atmosphere of the book (this element of politics takes an important role in the book, but it surely does tell you more and give you a better description and outlook on whats going on than I will). At this time, everyone, or maybe to those just in Brittany, follow and serve God and His Nine saints. To make it simpler, our main protagonist(s) serve Mortain, the Saint of Death. Those sired by Mortain (whose mothers have lain with Death in order of protectiveness of their child) are gifted with special gifts, that will later in life best suit them to fulfill his duties. usually these mothers don't survive, and the girls are blamed, and in a close encounter with death, are rescued and brought to the Convent of Mortain, where they are trained to be assassins and do Mortains biding.
Grave Mercy was good, but didn't have much of an impact with me, which is why it took me two years to get to the sequel that is Dark Triumph.
Each book in the series takes you through the view point and life of a different assassin who serve Mortain, and are, yes, all connected, but that is not a spoiler.
About the end of January, I was browsing through the town library in which I just moved to, and along with a dozen other books, the His Fair Assassin trilogy caught my eye. Grave Mercy was good, I was intrigued with the plot and idea, so I picked up Dark Triumph, aware that it was told through a different view point.
Oh. My. God.
Dark Triumph was so good. Amazing, at best. There was a certain element in the beginning that made me iffy, and I didn't really want to read about it, but I pressed on. Thank God I did.
With these books, trust me on this, you have to give them time. At least a hundred pages in. If that wont do it, go for two hundred. If you're on Grave Mercy, take on Dark Triumph. Trust me on this. If it were shit, I would have told you.
At my next trip to the library, I immediately sought out Mortal Hearts, which I just finished about roughly eight hours ago.
In this book we follow Annith, who is shortly seen (at least to my memory) in Grave Mercy, and briefly mentioned in Dark Triumph. When finishing Dark Triumph, just for what was mentioned about the girl, plus for she is the other girl in the trio of sisters that are similar in age, I already knew I was going to be reading from Annith's point of view. Which is exciting for we did not get much of her in the books.
Again, though thrilling events took place, I found myself not as captivated about 100 chapters in, wondering if it was going to get better or if I was just wasting my time. But again, I pressed on. I only really needed about twenty pages later.
This is the first book ever I have thrown.
I read the twist.
Stuck in the book mark slowly.
And tossed it.
Then rolled myself into a burrito with my blanket, barring my face into my bed, and silently screamed to myself because it was 1am and everyone was sleeping.
Some may be able to pick things out, but my God. It's such a thrill, there are twists that are just woah. And it is all done beautiful and carried out in such a way that it doesn't completely destroy you in the end, but the journey to that point does.
It's beautifully done, greatly written, and I learned how to say shit in French.
Learning to curse in a different language is always a plus.
My feelings on the ending, for it is wrapping up a trilogy, in one of confliction. We do have closure, and things going on are tied up, but I'm not fully satisfied. I guess because the books created such a reaction from me, and just hit me like BAM! so much, I was expecting a little more of a wow effect in the end. Don't get me wrong, it was good, but not a good as I would have liked.
I guess I would have liked if those in Nantes (rivals to the Duchess in Brittany) had a little more attention in Mortal Hearts, and more happened with it in this book, rounding off the edge on that. To be honest, I am not fully satisfied with how things turned out with a certain character ( I fear if I mention the name it will give you an advantage to guessing the plot twist beforehand and getting out of the full experience), but with Annith and her lover. For him, I feel as if maybe what happened didn't happen, and he remained the same. That is all I'm saying on that matter.
However, greats series, and fabulous final installment.
This may have been greatly boring, and I apologize for that, and if I did this incorrectly. It is my first review and I will get better within time. But I cannot improve if I do not try and fail.
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