Part spy novel, part feminist coming-of-age tale, LaFevers's riveting story set in 15th-century Brittany begins with Ismae Rienne describing a "deep red stain that runs from my left shoulder down to my right hip." It's a trail left by the herbwitch's poison at Ismae's birth. "That I survived, according to the herbwitch, is no miracle but a sign I have been sired by the god of death himself," Ismae continues.
Ismae has been promised by her father to a repulsive man who, upon discovery of her "stain," beats her and locks her in a closet. Rescued by the hedge priest who performed Ismae's marriage and the herbwitch who delivered her, Ismae finds refuge in the convent of Saint Mortain, the patron saint of death ("older than any saint, older even than Christ," the abbess tells Ismae). LaFevers, who proved her deft touch with mysteries in her Theodosia series, skyrockets to new heights here. At the center of her tale lies a traitor who is leaking the secrets of Brittany's court to France. The author layers atop the mystery the tensions between a monarchy in Brittany that wishes to remain independent of France, the Bretons' loyalty to their gods despite pressures to convert to Catholicism, and Ismae's personal struggles between carrying out the orders of her convent and her own instincts about whom she can trust. LaFevers renders secondary characters as fully as leading players.
In exchange for carrying out the convent's orders, Ismae receives training in weaponry, poisons and "the womanly arts." Each of her victims bears a mark from Mortain that only Ismae and her sisters can see. The amount of research LaFevers conducted comes through in the level of detail that informs Ismae's selections of the appropriate weapon, poison or gown for each situation that arises. When Chancellor Crunard, a patron of the convent and a member of Brittany's inner council, enlists the convent's help in discovering whether Gavriel Duval--one of the duchess's most trusted confidantes--is a traitor to Brittany, the responsibility falls to Ismae.
As she gets drawn deeper into court, Ismae begins to trust Duval's loyalty to the duchess. During one of her early assignments, Sister Vereda, the convent's seer, told Ismae, "Remember, true faith never comes without anguish." What if Mortain's mark is not always what it appears to be? Is her own growing attraction to Duval muddying Ismae's perceptions? LaFevers's story of betrayal, intrigue and romance will keep readers burning the midnight oil until the very last page, and leave them impatient for the next two tales, which follow fellow pledges in the convent of St. Mortain. --Jennifer M. Brown
Shelf Talker: Proven mystery writer LaFevers outdoes herself with this tale of court intrigue, betrayal and romance, narrated by a trained assassin in 1485 Brittany.