Grave Mercy

""Of course, many die without our help. However, there are those who deserve to die but who have not yet encountered the means to do so. At Mortain's bidding, we help them on their way.""

- The Abbess on St. Mortain's mission

A 2012 historical drama/romance by Robin LaFevers about Ismae Rienne, daughter of the God of Death and rising assassin in the convent of St. Mortain. After two relatively easy assignments, she is sent into the high court of Brittany to find and eliminate the traitors who plot to undermine the soon-to-be dutchess Anne and hand the country over to France.

Grave Mercy is the first book in the His Fair Assassin trilogy and the sequel, Dark Triumph due out spring of 2013.

Tropes used in Grave Mercy
"Duval:Sweet Jesu!... You are supposed to eat it, not disembowel it."
 * Ass in Ambassador: The French ambassador.
 * Big Damn Heroes: Ismae arries in time to stop D'Albret from raping Anne and.
 * Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: It involves 15th century European nobility, so this is more wide spread than the bubonic plague.
 * Dark Is Not Evil: Mortain is often referred to as a dark god, but is also considered merciful.
 * Divine Intervention: Aside from marking targets for death, Mortain.
 * Don't Fear the Reaper: Mortain is actually a merciful deity and kind to his daughter.
 * Drop What You Are Doing: Ismae drops her goblet when the Abbess casually mentions that the convent kills people.
 * Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": The Abbess is never named.
 * Femme Fatale: The handmaidens are trained in "womanly arts" in additon to killing.
 * Foregone Conclusion: Let's just say you shouldn't be planning on making any trips to the soverign nation of Brittany.
 * Funny Background Event: While talking to Duval, Ismae is cutting a pear and not paying attention to how much damage she is doing to it with her knife.


 * Honor Before Reason: Ismae refuses to assassinate anyone not marked for death either by the Convent or Mortain, no matter how much they need killing.
 * Karma Houdini: As of the end of the first book, numerous evil characters are still alive and well.
 * Knight Templar: All of the convent, and Ismae in particular, and willing to kill because Mortain says so.
 * The Late Middle Ages: Set in the 1488, right before the fall of Brittany to the French.
 * Missing Mom & Disappeared Dad: Ismae's mother died early and her father is never seen..
 * Peripheral Demographic: This book has a decent number of fans who dislike like the romance and historical genres.
 * Rape as Drama: D'Albret tries to rape Anne partly to ensure that no other suitor would want her.
 * Too Dumb to Live: The herbwitch points out to Ismae's father that trying to kill the God of Death's lover and their child will probably not end well for him.
 * True Love's Kiss:.
 * Two Lines, No Waiting: Not the book, but the series appears to be shapping up this way with the second book being about Ismae's friend Sybella.
 * Wicked Step Father: Ismae's father is scum, to say the least.