Author: Mark Lawrence
Series: Book of the Ancestor #1
Age: Adult
Genres: Fantasy
Publication Date: April 7, 2017
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Source: eBook & AudioBook
Purchase: Hardcover | Paperback | Kindle | Audible | B&N | Kobo | Play Store | iBooks
Synopsis:
I was born for killing – the gods made me to ruin.
At the Convent of Sweet Mercy young girls are raised to be killers. In a few the old bloods show, gifting talents rarely seen since the tribes beached their ships on Abeth. Sweet Mercy hones its novices’ skills to deadly effect: it takes ten years to educate a Red Sister in the ways of blade and fist.
But even the mistresses of sword and shadow don’t truly understand what they have purchased when Nona Grey is brought to their halls as a bloodstained child of eight, falsely accused of murder: guilty of worse.
Stolen from the shadow of the noose, Nona is sought by powerful enemies, and for good reason. Despite the security and isolation of the convent her secret and violent past will find her out. Beneath a dying sun that shines upon a crumbling empire, Nona Grey must come to terms with her demons and learn to become a deadly assassin if she is to survive…
My Rating:
Favorite Quotes:
"To call something a lie, child, is an unhelpful characterization. Words are steps along a path: the important thing is to get where you're going. You can play by all manner of rules, step-on-a-crack-break-your-back, but you'll get there quicker if you pick the most certain route. Lies are complex things. Best not to both thinking in terms of truth or lie -- let necessity be your mother and invent!" - Abbess Glass
"Hunger lies beneath all of our ugliest transactions." - Nona
My Thoughts:
This was absolutely phenomenal! I can't even deal with all the emotions that I feel at this moment. From page 1 to the end ... I was on the age my seat as I read each line. Mark Lawrence is officially an author I have to read all works from. This was action-packed, bloody, deadly, sweet and built on friendships between girls. I loved it!
Nona was young when life gave her sour lemons. She was given away, sold and then taken in by the Sweet Mercy Convent. She grew up knowing nothing but anger, rage and self-loathing. She's deadly, but she's also the purest person ever. Nona is phenomenal. She's very impulsive, but she also thinks things through. She's been trained to kill and has murdered before. Rage is her best-friend, but only when protecting those that she loves. I love her name as well -- Sister Cage. She's a beast! Learning that she three-blood - hunska, quantal and marjal - in her was awesome. I can't wait to see how she continues to grow in her power!
Abbess Glass is my favorite sister of them all! She's the one to always save Nona from trouble and speak some sense into her. Glass is sort of a motherly figure to Nona. She isn't much for violence, but her skills to analyse any situation and plot are out of this world. I loved her and her boldness as well when facing High Priest Jacob -- INSANITY! Abbess Glass is crazy!
Clera was one that I loved, but as the story progressed I began to see subtle changes in her character towards Nona and the way she looked at life. I knew she would be the one to do something stupid. Those snippets of the future was crazy! I can't deal with her...can Nona or someone kill her? Please and thank you! She is hunska trash to me.
Arabella is a character I hated at first, but as the story progressed I began to love her! She may be a pompous, spoiled, rich girl, but she also has a sweet heart when it comes to people she really cares for. She is considered two-blooded as she has quantal and hunska. Her growth and boldness was amazing. Plus her name -- Sister Thorn is just so perfect for her.
Hessa is the only friend Nona has had since the age of 9. Hessa also was sold and traded, but then taken to the convent. She's a quantal and very good with her abilities. I love Hessa! She's so sweet and timid, but at the end she got bold. Hessa is best-friend goals!
Sisters Apple, Kettle, Wheel, Pan and Tallow were all amazing! Some were more dangerous and rude than others, but they all taught something profound to the girls. I loved them as "teachers" of the convent.
Zole is the four-blood chosen one as she contains gerant, hunska, marjal and quantal. She seemed worse than Arabella at first, but I came to like her bluntness and swift thought process at the end. I'm interested in seeing how things advance for her.
High Priest Jacbob, Raymel Tacsis, Yisht and Sherzal all played their villainous roles well! I can't say who I hated the most because they all did such treacherous things.
I mean there are just too many characters to gush over!!! The world is amazing, the magic system is intriguing and I mean there are bad-ass assassin nuns...there's nothing better than that. Seriously, read this book!
Have you read this book?