Book Blog - DARK TRIUMPH by Robin LaFevers

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?

Have you ever come across a book by a favorite author in which a favorite minor character from a previous book comes back to play a major role?  And it's like Christmas, Valentine's Day and your birthday came all at once?  And then you read it and you just wish that one day you'll be able to write a book that's half that good?

Several months ago, Robin LaFevers tweeted that she had finished copyedits on DARK TRIUMPH.  I dashed off a congratulations tweet because my own relationship with copyedits has been rocky at best and anyone who can get through it deserves a tiara and some champagne.  I totally fangirled when she tweeted back, but her message was something like, "I'm a little nervous, because this is the darkest story I've ever written."

Which only made me want to read it more.

I nearly bit the hand that offered me an ARC and finished the book within a couple of days, despite being on a deadline for my own copyedits (see above).  I won't lie--this book is dark.  But it's a wonderful, rich dark, tempered in chiaroscuro with brilliantly bright romance and moments of grace.  It's fun and fast paced and brutal and tender and I almost wish I hadn't read it so I could read it for the first time again when I get my own copy.  And I can't wait to read Annith's story next.