Dark Triumph (His Fair Assassin #2)

Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers is the second book in the His Fair Assassin series that takes place in 1489 in Brittany at a time when the rule of Brittany is inherited by a thirteen year old girl and both France and her nobles plot to take over control of the country.

Mortain is the god of Death. Those who serve in his convent are not nuns but assassins. They are trained in the art of killing and to see the signs of those marked for death. And in this time of unrest, they are the perfect spies within the royalty and nobility.

Sybella has been assigned to infiltrate the house of D'Albret - the same house she escaped when she joined the convent. Her father, who rules through cruelty, drove from her the will to live. Now she will have to find her way back inside to help the Duchess retain control of Brittany. The only reason she agreed to such an assignment is the promise from the Abbess that she will be the one to kill D'Albret.

When a message comes that she is to rescue a knight loyal to the Duchess, her plans to kill D'Albret are put on hold... especially when her rescue goes awry.

LaFevers' series is great historical fiction with a hint of magic/fantasy or religious fervor that presents as such. The books will pull readers in right away and keep them enthralled until the last page, only coming up for air to check her blog for the publishing date of the next book!

LaFevers, Robin. (2013). Dark Triumph. New York: Houghton Mifflin.