Ummm No. Not sure what happened between book 1 and 2, but this one couldn't keep me interested at all.

Let's get this one out of the way first. I was feeling very reluctant to touch the second book in this series, because the first left me so confused in my vague state of boredom, anger, and disappointment. But this all vanished in a queasy half-flash when I realized that the second book was about Sybella, and thus, that there being three books and three main girl characters we'd have different narrator and surely the Author was growing, because it was a growing process, you know, writing.

And I kept pushing through this book, kept waiting for that part where everyone said the first half was cold fish like Book One, but then somewhere past the forty-five percent line it grew flowers and mutated and became amazing. (After seeing something like that I happen with [b:Defiance|11410430|Defiance (Defiance, #1)|C.J. Redwine|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1341967711s/11410430.jpg|16343248] I was willing to hold out). Except I was still holding out at the end of the book.

This book is insanely convenient. I love how people who are paid to spy on you by a sadist, maniac, known for killing people for just looking the wrong direction while in front of him, will 'conveniently' be too scared of ghosts to follow the main character their being paid to spy on. And how all the keys in the castle are new, except for the one to the door we need. Which will be old, thick and rusted. And how once you get to that old, thick rusted door it will open "quiet as a moth flying."

I could keep going. This book never stops being conveniently. When three characters need horses, magically three people on horses, who need to die, will appear. Our main character will claim to be a whore and an assassin, but she never sleeps with any for secrets or safety or at all almost, nor does she kill anyone in the whole of this novel when not out of self defense. Which is amazing for someone who's epiphany is about being Death's Vengence. When she never revenges anyone.

Just like we play with the notion of head tipping to incest pretty much every chapter of half the book, but never actually touch it. Let me tell you how much better, and more honestly portrayed, Cersie and Jamie are on both their POV's. And POV -- which brings me to the straw that literally broke me of even being able to give this book two stars -- the same way it broke me in [a:Beth Revis|4018722|Beth Revis|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1284958744p2/4018722.jpg]'s book -- YOU CANNOT HIDE A SECRET THAT BIG IN FIRST PERSON POV. EVER.

Not when it is something someone would think about. Any and all of it. I don't mean just that worst last traumatic blocked out piece. Just. No. No. No.

Consider me done with this series, its convenience, its claiming to be things it never backs up, and now a very very very shoddly done surprise ending. ( )

There is some really dark subject matter in this book for being for Young Adult. There's incest and pedophilia but in the middle ages that must have been acceptable.

I'm not sure who I hated more in this story, d’Albret or the Reverend Mother. d’Albret is a disgusting human being who kills people for looking wrong at him and who wants to marry the duchess who is twelve years old. Barf! The Reverend Mother is cruel and cold and I just get the feeling that she's not trustworthy.

Sybella is d’Albret's daughter and has had to suffer his cruelty to herself and others. She was sent to the convent of Saint Mortain when she was around twelve after a horrible event which made her half mad.

The convent worships Mortain, one of the nine old God's before the Catholic Church took over. All of the girls who go there are said to be daughters of Mortain mostly because of the manner of their births where they should have died. Most of their mothers died during childbirth. The girls are taught to be assassin's for Mortain and the country of Brittany.

The Reverend Mother sends Sybella on assignment right back to d’Albret to spy on him since he is a threat to the duchess. Then the Reverend Mother sends a crow with a message for Sybella to help a prisoner escape from the dungeon.

Baron de Waroch aka Beast was taken prisoner by d’Albret who plans to draw and quarter him and then send his dead body parts to the duchess. He is chained and out of his mind from fever from a wound in his leg when Sybella comes to rescue him. How does she plan to get his huge form out of the dungeon.

The author did a fantastic job at recreating history and mixing real characters along with fictional characters with assassin nuns. You would think it would be corny but it is anything but. ( )

This was my favorite book of the trilogy. Sybella's trauma and her growth spoke to me. While some parts of the plot were predictable (e.g., the romance) this book also had some real tension that kept me deeply engaged with the story. ( )

I went into this book thinking that the protagonist was Ismae from the first book in the series. She is not. (FYI I listened to it)
The ending had some surprises but was a bit predictable. ( )