Mortal Heart By Robin LeFevers

So the day I received this arc, I nearly died. I jumped found likes magic bean, screamed, all that good stuff! So to finally share this with you is a pleasure!

Also, note this review took so long because I had to read the first two books first, I mean DUHHH

I have a few critics I'd like to share specifically, but before that. I absolutely LOVED the idea of the hellequins, I thought it was refresing and epic and oh so cool! They reminded me of in the Lord of The Rings, those creepy dead dudes that ride the dead horses--wow I need to get on finding the correct terms for those guys, I'm doing them no justice!--I do hope you guys know who I am referring to. In this series they were like lost souls trying to regain their honor by riding with other guys who shared regret. Bottom line, so cool!

 I adored it, however when Annith became mingled up with them I felt everything moved too fast! One second, she met them and the next she was falling over Balthazaar. He was one of the hellequins, seemingly the leader. I was like....ookay? I think in this book the pacing was a bit off. Ms. LeFevers moved to slowly in the beginning with the convent then far too quickly with the hellequins and the Arduinnite girls which you meet shortly after.

The revelations in this book I think will surely quench readers and fans thirsts for what we've all been wondering since Ismae first questioned the convent. I personally cannot say I liked Annith considering the thoughts that crossed her mind after learning a few things regarding herself, she differs greatly from her two friends Sybella and Ismae which is shown in this case, however I didn't find her to be as likeable as the two of them. This is what I like about Ms. LeFevers, that woman has got some cool revelations up her sleeves that she just dishes out and they are so creative, man you don't even feel surprised,your just like 'wow nice idea.' 

The ending was a literal happy ending which I know I should be pleased about however it diverges greatly from reality, it was all too perfect which made it all too fictional had there been a few heart wrenching moments that would have been better. I know fans will like it, but even being a reader and not a critic by name I had minor issues with this. If a book makes me cry (might I say there has only been a few) that ultimately means I have made some attachment to it and I had no attachment with any of the characters or the situations posed and thats not a good thing in my eyes. 

Dude, I want to cry man, make me cry! It just seems I'm just too heartless or no ones getting me in the feels. Wah, so sad :(

There really is nothing more to say, unless I spoil the entirety of the book but I wouldn't be so cruel to do that! 

Happy reading! Well, waiting for most of you guys. MWAHAHAHA! No its really not funny. I HATE waiting! JUST COME OUT ALREADY AND END MY TORTURE

Firesword3000 (Noob Number One) 

Dark Triumph By Robin LeFevers

Okay, so I think I've got more to say about book one now that I've read Dark Triumph. I actually appreciate Grave Mercy a lot more now. And see that's the thing I love about books and what is ideal for sequels and what every reader hopes for when they read a sequel, that when it connects to the first book, it truly does connect.


I was pretty much bored throughout reading this to say the least, but certain points in the book I did pay attention, perhaps like the last 200 pages I was intently reading as for the beginning it was a bit of a drag.


What I really loved was the Miss. LeFevers brought Sybella's past into this book and really exposed her vulnerable side in ways that made everything just fall together!


I hate spoilers, I don't want to spoil anything, but now I see as a blogger, DANG it's HARD to keep spoilers out of reviews! So I won't spoil it, but I just want to say there's a romance which is like no other I have ever seen before! And it's excellent! Uh no not the brother-sister romance that's wrong, just when you read, you'll know! :D


You really see the strength of Ismae and Sybella's relationship in this which I think is really awesome! Considering how Sybella was introduced first in the book one, maniacal and insane, I suppose considering where she lays now, it makes sense. Together they've really grown as people and they've got that friendship and care for each other all there. I'd love to see more of it, for them to perhaps fight alongside one another o,r now that they both question the convent, do something together.


D'Albret from the first book is predominant in this, this is not a spoiler I assure you, Sybella is a D'Albret. You've got the self conflict of 'am I a daughter of Mortain or D'Albret' going on a lot in Sybella's mind especially as there's a bit of incest going on....


D'Albret's are hardcore messed up and you really really see into the deeper, darker side of the family that wasn't shown in Grave Mercy. This book is, yeah well title says it, dark, at least darker from the first book.


There were a couple of interesting revelations revealed all the way at the conclusion of the book which I really admired the author for bringing about so well. Earlier on in the book bits and pieces of Sybella's conscience are brought into it, but it's all clarified at the end of what the whole picture of those segments are as a whole.


Sybella as a character you can see her progression and a bit of a change in her by the end of the book, which is always great because as human beings so much as one occurrence can completely change our outlook on everything!


Though personally I wouldn't recommend this, I know people would enjoy this series and I do offer you to try it out!
Oh yeah now on to Mortal Heart! Stay tuned for that review! It'll be coming out soon hopefully! :)


Firesword3000 (Noob Number 1)

Grave Mercy By Robin LeFevers

Well I so happened to finish this book nearly two days ago but having been SWAMPED with work and school and squeezing in time to read, this review is late.


Sorry...


Anyhoooo!!!! I've been HONORED to receive an ARC for Mortal Heart the third book in this series to be released in November. I literally died when I found out and jumped for joy and screamed and all the usual fangirling I go through when getting a new book :)


So I decided I needed to get reading! And fast!


I liked the convent concept, especially since it was a convent of girls training to be assassins. I mean I'd have really liked it more had we gotten a look into how Ismae the main character came to be the assassin sent on her first mission, however those missing years I suppose are just open to our interpretation and imagination! That's always a good thing though.


I have mixed feelings on this book, I have no idea how to explain it! I didn't really love it but I didn't near hate it. The fact it was in first person was cool as most authors don't tend to use that point of view so it was a change, a welcome change for my reading material.


Ismae I feel like wasn't all that fully fleshed out, I feel like she was missing something. I'd have liked to have gotten more of a deeper insight into her and as a character I didn't feel anything much for her. She didn't seem to be much of an assassin either in my opinion, I think that's what got me! Yeah! I wish Ms. LeFevers had shown off her abilities a lot more, she was more in touch with her poisons skills, but as an assassin I would hope that she knew how to use a proper wielding weapon which of course she had to have known, but how was I supposed to know her skill level if it wasn't fleshed out.


Gavriel Duval....


Eh. I didn't see anything special in him. Sorry. And their romance wasn't anything BOOM and FIREWORK like. It was expected, it was obvious they'd fall in love, but it wasn't anything magical. I wouldn't dare say forced, but it was more like a crush which so happened to be stamped as love.


I don't really enjoy romance things, but I'm sure I would respect and even like it somewhat if it was developed and not forced. Love doesn't take like three days like Romeo and Juliet (that's another story however) so the fact that most authors nowadays get these relationships going in one book need to rethink the extent of the relationship and time period. That's all! :D


I wish so many different things to have happened, it was about 500 so pages, but there wasn't all that much really going on for me. There was the conflict for Ismae between herself and the convent which was bound to happen, the outcome of all that I liked though, but for the most part eh.


The beginning of the book with Ismae joining the convent and introducing the crazy girl, Sybella, left a question mark for that girl's identity and her future and Ms. LeFevers seems to be picking up the second book at the end of the first one with Sybella! So perhaps there in fact will be much more detail on Ismae and especially, which I await eagerly, Sybella!


Would I recommend this?


Errrrrrrrrrrrrr....


Probably not


Firesword3000 (Noob Number 1)