Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Oct. 11th, 1943-A British spy plane crashes in Nazi-occupied France. Its pilot and passenger are best friends. One of the girls has a chance at survival. The other has lost the game before it's barely begun.

When "Verity" is arrested by the Gestapo, she's sure she doesn't stand a chance. As a secret agent captured in enemy territory, she's living a spy's worst nightmare. Her Nazi interrogators give her a simple choice: reveal her mission or face a grisly execution.

As she intricately weaves her confession, Verity uncovers her past, how she became friends with the pilot Maddie, and why she left Maddie in the wrecked fuselage of their plane. On each new scrap of paper, Verity battles for her life, confronting her views on courage, failure and her desperate hope to make it home. But will trading her secrets be enough to save her from the enemy? - Taken from Goodreads.com

Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers (His Fair Assassin book 3)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first two books in the trilogy, Grave Mercy and Dark Triumph, Stop! I don’t want to ruin one of my favorite series for you.

Please visit the Recaptains blog if you need a refresher on the first two books in the series.

“Because love is stronger than death.”

Brittany, December 1488

Annith is annoyed that she is still at St. Mortain's convent, waiting for her turn to serve Death. She has watched both Ismae and Sybella come, train and leave as novitiates to serve Mortain. Ismae is currently at court and while Sybella is on her fourth assignment. No one has heard from either in over six months. When a new girl, Melusine, arrives at the convent, Annith escorts her to the infirmary. Leaving her with Sister Serafina, Annith goes to alert the abbess of Melusine's arrival. As she nears, Annith hears the voices of the abbess and Sister Eonette. Annith listens in. Sister Vereda is ill and this leaves the convent Sightless. With Duchess Anne's rule over Brittany shaky, her unexpected illness could not come at a worse time. When Sister Eonette is dismissed, Annith scampers down the hall so as not to get caught. She informs the abbess of the girl's arrival whom was expected. After a brief discussion about the girl, the abbess says that maybe Annith could serve as novice mistress until she is called by Mortain. The abbess laughs at the look of disgust on her face. Annith explains that she doesn't want her other skills to weaken so that she wouldn't be ready for Mortain's call. The abbess sends her on her way.

Having lived in the convent since a newborn, Annith learned that collecting secrets and keeping them to herself helped her survive the former abbess, a tyrant called the Dragonette. She rushes unseen into the private chapel off the abbess's office to eavesdrop on the conversation with Sister Thomine. Annith can scarcely believe it when the abbess declares her plans to make Annith the new Seerees. She is so distraught that she barely hears Sister Thomine's dismissal. Annith pulls herself together and tries to think of a plan to change the abbess' mind. She runs into a clutch of older girls and they ask her if she knows why the abbess has meetings going on. Annith says she doesn't and one girl, Sarra, cannot believe that Saint Annith isn't in the know. Unable to keep her anger under wraps, Annith snaps at her and earns her admiration. Since no one knows, Annith promises to find out in the next day or two.

Not wanting to be stuck at the convent, Annith begins her plan to ensure that the abbess doesn't make her the next Seerees. She shows all of the Sisters that she is the superior novitiate and the only choice for Mortain's next call. Annith only realizes after the fact that by helping Sister Serafina nurse Sister Vereda back to health that she has shown the abbess how truly dedicated she is. When she is called into the abbess’ office one day, Annith is completely unprepared for the conversation. The abbess proudly informs her that she is to start training immediately with Sister Vereda to become the next Seerees. The abbess is disappointed that Annith is devastated over being chosen for what she sees as a great honor. Annith silently wonders if the Dragonette spilled her darkest secret when she promised not to. The abbess tells Annith that this is Mortain’s will and she has two choices; accept or be cast out. The abbess reassures her that there will be a widowed father looking for a new wife to care for his children. Annith does ask for time to pray and reflect before making her decision. The abbess reluctantly agrees to three days.

Annith must formulate her escape plan quickly. She agrees to train with Sister Vereda because the abbess is getting ready to go on a trip. It will be the perfect time to snoop for answers. She hopes to find out more about her birth mother and the circumstances that led to her being dropped off at the convent as a newborn. With all of the training the Dragonette gave her, she cannot believe that Mortain’s purpose for her is to stay at the convent. She knows that she will not survive being locked away for the rest of her life, never leaving the island. After the abbess departs, Annith searches her office and only finds a diary of sorts that the Dragonette kept that details some of the horrific events of her upbringing. Deciding that she won’t find anymore information, Annith makes her escape plan. Forging a message from the abbess requesting her to join her on the mainland, she packs her bag. She decides to make one last stop before leaving, Sister Vereda’s room for the Tears of Mortain. Unable to place a drop in her eye without waking Vereda, Annith decides to take the entire bottle in the hopes that no additional novitiates will be sent on missions without the gift of Tears. She is determined to find the abbess and ask why her to be the next Seeress.

What is Annith’s secret that the Dragonette kept for her from the others? Why does the abbess want Annith to become the next Seeress? Who is the first to discover Annith’s defection? Where does Annith flee to? Can she find Ismae and Sybella? Is Mortain’s will for Annith to be a Seeress or is it something else? What will Annith find outside of the convent walls?

Fans of the series will be delighted to see how the stories of Annith, Ismae and Sybella  wrapped up.

Visit Robin LaFevers’ website.

Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers (His Fair Assassin book 2)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't read the first book on the trilogy, Dark Triumph, Stop! I don't want to ruin one of my favorite series for you.

Some readers may find it helpful to reread the last ten chapters of Grave Mercy.The events that transpire at the end of that book overlap and are told from a different point of view in Dark Triumph.

"Vengeance is divine."

Brittany 1489

Told from Sybella’s point of view, Dark Triumph picks up just before she goes out on the north tower to warn Ismae that d’Albret has set a trap to ensnare Anne, the Duchess of Brittany. Seeing that her warning was heeded and the duchess escaped, Sybella begins watching the small contingent of guards being slaughtered. Her attention is drawn to a beast of a man, the last one standing to fight against d’Albret’s legion of men. Knowing that his death is imminent, she wishes for her own. Sybella is startled when her half-brother Julian discovers her. She tells him the duchess escaped. They both know d’Albret will be furious and leave to prepare for his arrival.

Sybella escaped from her father’s household three years earlier and arrived at the convent of Saint Mortain. Now the abbess has sent her on a mission, back to the personal hell she once fled. She is to look to see of d’Albret is marqued for death. D’Albret is her cruel and murdering father. Believing she has been at the convent of Saint Brigantia, he is openly distrusting of her return. Julian keeps her secrets but at a terrible price. He forced an incestuous relationship upon her. Only the knowledge of being a handmaiden of death and the task of killing her father gets her through the days.

With each cruel act and murder, Sybella is desolate to find that d’Albret has yet to be marqued. When word arrives from the abbess, she is dismayed to learn that her father’s death has not been ordered. Instead, she is to determine if Baron de Waroch is d’Albret’s prisoner. If he is, she must rescue him if the duchess has any chance of keeping her throne. Angry over not being ordered to kill her father and his plans to use her to seduce men on order to obtain information, she heads to dinner. Signaled by d’Albret, Sybella sits with her intended target. Looking across the room, she sees that Jillian is not happy. Later, she meets up for her rendezvous. Before she can decide how to get away, Julian has slain the man because Sybella is his.

When her attendants talk about ghosts in the tower, Sybella suspects this is where d’Albret is keeping his prisoner. Devising a plan, she makes two trips to scout out the situation. Unfortunately, she is caught on the second trip by Julian. A bit suspicious, nonetheless he takes her to see the “ghost” she is looking for. Distressed at the sight of the prisoner, Sybella is horrified to learn d’Albret plans to use him to send a message to the duchess. He is to be hanged, drawn and quartered before being delivered to her. Julian questions Sybella on how she got into the tower and she realizes that he is more involved with their father than she ever imagined.

The following day at the midday meal, d’Albret announces that the next day he will send the duchess his message. Sybella knows that time is up. Sneaking into the tower that night, Sybella is surprised to find the jailor more than willing to help her get the prisoner to safety. In bad shape and a giant of a man, she has no way to carry him out. Playing on his sense of duty to the duchess, Sybella calls on his “battle lust” to get him moving. Once outside, she sees that time is running out if she hopes to dispatch d’Albret that night as well. Goading him one last time to make it to the awaiting cart, the prisoner swings at Sybella and she is knocked unconscious.

Blinking awake in the daylight, Sybella finds herself in the cart with the Baron and his jailing traveling in the countryside. Her chance to kill d’Albret is gone. Why did the jailor help Sybella? How will d’Albret retaliate for her betrayal? Will he ever be marqued for death? Why did the abbess send Sybella back to her personal hell? Can she ever escape from Julian’s “love”? What happens when Sybella finds herself growing to care for the Baron? And can Sybella find herself worthy for love?

Book three, Mortal Heart is due out in the spring of 2014. This time the story will focus on Annith, who escapes the confines of the convent to strike out on her own.

Visit Robin LaFevers' website.



Grave Mercy by Robin LeFevers (His Fair Assassin book one)

“Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?”

Brittany 1485

“I bear a deep red stain that runs from my left shoulder down to my right hip, a trail left by the herbwitch’s poison that my mother used to try to expel me from her womb. That I survived, according to the herbwitch, is no miracle but a sign I have been sired by the god of death himself."

Ismae Rienne wasn’t wanted even before she was born. Her mother’s efforts were for naught and Ismae’s life has been anything but pleasant. When her husband-to-be Guillo pays her father three silver coins, she briefly believes that her life may get better. After being married by a hedge priest in Guillo’s cottage, Ismae quickly realizes she has gone from the cruelty of her father to the rage of her new husband when he sees her scar. Beaten and thrown into a root cellar, the hedge priest comes back for her and takes Ismae on a journey. They eventually take a small boat to a remote island where a convent is located.


The convent is dedicated to Saint Mortain; one of the old gods who predates Christ, the patron saint of death. Ismae meets with the reverend mother and unknowingly passes the test given to her. Ismae is immune to the effects of poison. The reverend mother goes on to tell her the mission of those at the convent. It is the “nuns’ job to train those sired by the god of death. We teach them to perform their duties quickly and efficiently. Usually, we find that He has given His daughters some special skill or art. Abilities that will aid you as you carry out His work.” Ismae counters with the fact she would be committing murder, but the reverend mother states that they are the hand maidens to Death and only carry out his will. If she chooses to join, Ismae will be trained in Mortain’s arts of killing stealthily so that no man will ever be a threat to her again. Thinking of her father, Guillo and the other men and boys of her village, Ismae is intrigued until the reverend mother tells her not all of her victims will be like Guillo. She continues by saying, “He will ask for sacrifices, but it is not your role to question. Only to serve with love and obedience.” When asked if Ismae agrees, she asks what will become of her life if she says no. The reverend mother states that they will find her a kind and gentle man in need of a wife. Ismae has two options; to leave the world of men behind and train to kill them or “be handed to one like a sheep.” Ismae chooses a life dedicated to Saint Mortain.


And so Ismae begins her new life of servitude to Saint Mortain. Her training includes physical defense, ways to effectively kill a man and the arts of womanhood as well as working with Sister Serafina to learn how to make the poisons needed at the convent. Ismae’s training takes place over three years before she is sent on her first mission. She is successful in poisoning the man marked by Mortain but does run into a bit of trouble when a tavern patron strikes up a conversation and follows her upstairs. To Ismae’s horror, he seemed a bit suspicious of her, but she escapes undetected back to the convent. She is immediately sent out on a second mission. The reverend mother is sending her with Chancellor Crunard to stop another man believed to be leaking information about the duchess of Brittany to the French government. Once again successful in her mission, Ismae almost escapes but another man enters the room. He begins to question her and seems suspicious. She eventually escapes him without blowing her cover.


The next morning, Ismae is debriefing with Crunard and the reverend mother when a man bursts into the office. Ismae is shocked to see that the man from the night before is in front of her. Gavriel Duval, a member of the nobility, wants to know why Ismae keeps killing the men he is trying to get information from concerning France. Feigning interest in cooperation with the convent, Duval soon finds himself tricked into working with Ismae by the reverend mother. Neither Duval or Crunard and the reverend mother trust one another’s motives. For her final assignment before swearing allegiance, Ismae will go to the high court of Brittany and pose as Duval’s mistress to find out what she can about France’s plans for Brittany but also what exactly Duval is up to.


At the high court, Ismae finds herself woefully underprepared for the task at hand. Soon caught up in the palace intrigue, Ismae doesn’t know who to trust. When she begins to question not only her orders but all she has learned at the convent, Ismae needs to make some heart wrenching decisions. Who is loyal to the young duchess of Brittany and has nothing but the best intentions for her? What happens when Ismae’s heart begins to rule her judgment? Will she be able to trust herself to do the right thing?


Grave Mercy is an absolutely fantastic start to a great fantasy trilogy that will delight fans of Kristen Cashore, Cinda Williams Chima and Rae Carson.


The next installment of the trilogy, Dark Triumph, will be published in 2013.


Visit Robin LaFavers’ website.