Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany, where she must pose as mistress to the darkly mysterious Gavriel Duval, who has fallen under a cloud of suspicion. Once there, she finds herself woefully underprepared – not only for the deadly games of love and intrigue, but for the impossible choices she must make.
Ismae is marked with the mark of her sire, Death, or as the Bretons call him, Mortain. She escapes an arranged marriage and is sent to the Convent of St. Mortain where she is trained to be an assassin, carrying out the orders of her god in his protection of the young duchess of Brittany, Anne. When she is sent on her first missions, she becomes entangled in the political intrigue surrounding Anne and her numerous suitors, all of who need to offer her military and financial assistance in keeping the French out of Brittany. She is assigned to court to spy on Gavriel Duval, a member of the Duchess’ privy council. It is through her relationship with Gavriel, that Ismae begins to understand her true calling. This is full of interesting historical information, and thankfully the author provides both a map and a list of characters for readers. Although long, the action is fast-paced. The romance between Ismae and Duval really is secondary to the political intrigue.
560 pages
ISBN: 978-0547628349
Recommended by Alice L. Cyphers, Librarian and Reading Specialist, Pennsylvania, USA