Grave Mercy is the first book in the trilogy His Fair Assassin.

Ismae is rescued from a harsh father and husband and is brought to the convent of St. Mortain, the God of Death. She agrees to stay and serve St. Mortain, since she is intrigued by the promise that the convent will teach her skills to kill men so that they will never be able to harm her again. As a handmaiden of Death, one of Ismae’s assignments sends her to the court of Brittany so that she can gather information for the convent, but once there she finds her heart conflicting with her duty.

This book was an interesting read with well-developed characters and storyline that concerns people and politics. The story’s setting in Brittany during the year 1485 makes it a work of historical fantasy. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy historical fiction or novels with an assassin-related theme or plot. If you enjoy the assassin element of this story I would recommend Graceling by Kristin Cashore, and if you enjoy the political element and court intrigue I would recommend Crown Duel and Court Duel by Sherwood Smith.