Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin, Bk 1)

Adult/YA Fiction

G/A.  LaFevers, Robin. Grave Mercy. Houghton Mifflin, 2012. 549p. 978-0-547-62834-9. $17.99.

At the convent of St. Mortain, seventeen-year-old Ismae is trained as a highly skilled assassin in weaponry and poisons, as well as the feminine arts, in order to serve as a handmaiden of death.  St. Mortain, the god of Death, has also blessed her with powerful gifts.  She sets off on a mission at the court of Anne, Duchess of Brittany.  Anne’s court is filled with intrigue and political machinations and Anne’s own life is being threatened. Ismae poses as Gavriel Duval’s mistress, Anne’s handsome brother, but instead finds herself slowly falling in love with him.  When she is called upon to fulfill her vows, she finds herself at odds with her own desires.  Ismae must uncover the plot against Anne before it is too late.

-C. Campos, Angeles Mesa Branch Library, LAPL

Born Wicked: The Cahill Chronicles Book 1

High School Fiction

G/A. Spotswood, Jessica. Born Wicked: The Cahill Witch Chronicles, Book 1. Putnam’s Sons, 2012. 336p. 978-0-399-25745-2. $17.99.

Cate’s mother dies, making her promise to take care of her two younger sisters.  Cate and her sisters are harboring a terrible secret—they are witches and if they are found out by the Brotherhood, they will be sent to an asylum, to a prison to do hard labor, or be put to death.  In six months, Cate must come to a decision, either to marry or to join the Sisterhood. She must announce her decision at her upcoming Intention Ceremony or else the Brotherhood will choose for her.  Her best friend from childhood, Paul, returns to court her, but Cate’s attention is fixated on Finn Belastra, the new gardener.  Her mother’s diary also reveals that she and her sisters may very well be the sisters of a prophecy predicted to bring great power back to the witches, but also usher in a new time of terror.  Cate is faced with heavy decisions. Will she choose between her two suitors or join the ranks of the Sisterhood?  How will she ever find the means to save everyone she loves? 

 

-C. Campos, Angeles Mesa Branch Library, LAPL