Review: Dark Triumph (His Fair Assassin, #2)

Dark Triumph (His Fair Assassin, #2)

Author: Robin LaFevers

Summary:

Sybella arrives at the convent’s doorstep half mad with grief and despair. Those that serve Death are only too happy to offer her refuge—but at a price. Naturally skilled in both the arts of death and seduction, the convent views Sybella as one of their most dangerous weapons.

But those assassin’s skills are little comfort when the convent returns her to a life that nearly drove her mad. Her father’s rage and brutality are terrifying, and her brother’s love is equally monstrous. And while Sybella is a weapon of justice wrought by the god of Death himself, He must give her a reason to live. When she discovers an unexpected ally imprisoned in the dungeons, will a daughter of Death find something other than vengeance to live for?

This heart-pounding sequel to Grave Mercy serves betrayal, treachery, and danger in equal measure, bringing readers back to fifteenth century Brittany and will keep them on the edge of their seats.

Published April 2nd 2013.

*

Song of the day: Young & Beautiful by Lana Del Rey (Listen while reading the review)

Robin LaFevers once again astounds with her flair for writing heart-warming romance coupled with her skill for spinning an ambitious web of deceit and scandal. 

A seductive yet redemptive tale of Sybella-- a girl who harbours twisted secrets and dangerous vendettas, this story shines with both the haunting horror of the traditional Bluebeard folktale and the breathless magic of Beauty and the Beast.

The Bluebeard of the novel is D'Albert, a cruel, unscrupulous father to Sybella and also one of the suitors for the Duchess' hand in marriage. The thought of that in itself is repulsive as D'Albert could as well as be the father of the Duchess of Brittany with both a middle-age paunch and a leer characteristic of a greedy fifty-year-old man. Much of Sybella's emotional turmoil revolves around D'Albert as she first yearns to escape from the confines of his residences and then plots to take her revenge by assassinating him. However, the truth behind Sybella's motivation for revenge is shrouded behind a fog as we know close to nothing about her childhood and the real reason which propelled her to escape into Mortain's convent.

Yet, Sybella's carefully planned strategy is thwarted by the appearance of a new prisoner in the dungeons of D'Albert's castle-- Beast, our hero of the tale and the strongest knight in the realm. As she is currently undercover as one of the Daughters of Death to aid the rescue of Beast, she struggles between her duty to the convent in carrying out the rescue and her desire to stay and take the life of D'Albert.

A series of heart-pounding events follow, as Sybella gets thrown off her original track of plans into a whole new adventure. The dark and frightening thoughts that plague Sybella's mind are at times disturbing, but mostly fascinating and illuminating. We are repulsed-- not by her, but by the hands which administered the brutality of her childhood. But, ultimately, we are empowered with the beautiful strength of Sybella, rising from the dust and walking out of the shadows into a future that she never once imagined was hers to be blessed with.
    

While Grave Mercy was of epic proportions, covering the courtly intrigue, political scandals that plague 15th century Brittany, Dark Triumph was a more intimate experience, a story of a girl's personal journey.

Addictive and brilliant, Sybella is a true triumph of a character, in every sense of the word. Dark because of the past; triumphant because of the present.

Source: For review purposes from the publisher

Via Netgalley.

xoxo,

Sel