Review – DARK TRIUMPH

TITLE: DARK TRIUMPH

Hi!

SYNOPSIS: Sybella’s duty as Death’s assassin in 15th-century France forces her return home to the personal hell that she had finally escaped. Love and romance, history and magic, vengeance and salvation converge in this thrilling sequel to Grave Mercy.

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. The convent views Sybella, naturally skilled in the arts of both death and seduction, 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. 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?

LINKS: Robin LaFever’s Website | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

REVIEW: DARK TRIUMPH is not centered around Ismae, like GRAVE MERCY was. Instead it is centered around Sybella. Sybella played a supporting role in GRAVE MERCY, but in DARK TRIUMPH, she is playing the lead. In this book, we get to see Sybella’s journey, her hardships, and her history. Like, Ismae, we get to watch as Sybella discovers things about herself and realize what it truly means to be the daughter of Death.

I would definitely recommend this book to fans of GRAVE MERCY. It was written similarity, while it contained some differences. Like GRAVE MERCY, DARK TRIUMPH is centered around a strong female protagonist who just happens to be an assassin for Death himself. There is also a hint of romance – just like in GRAVE MERCY. DARK TRIUMPH featured the reunions of some characters along with deeper backstories. But like I mentioned before, DARK TRIUMPH is Sybella’s story, not Ismae’s.
When I first heard DARK TRIUMPH was going to be about another character, not the one we got to know in the first book, I was a bit wary. I wasn’t sure how I would feel about Sybella taking the reins from Ismae. I liked Ismae and I liked her story. I would have loved to continue reading about her and what happens next in her perspective. However, I was pleasantly surprised. With the writing of the book similar to the writing of GRAVE MERCY, and a different character, Robin LaFevers managed to craft yet another beautiful historical story. I enjoyed reading about Sybella and what she went through. At the end, I got to know Sybella better and I liked her a lot more. The fact that Ismae (and Duval!) make a guest appearance helps too.