Dark Triumph

I must admit, I was so disappointed when I started this book and it wasn't a continuation of Ismae's story. I wanted to know how she and Duval were getting along. Instead, it followed Sybella, the other handmaiden of Death on her quest to take down her evil father. Well call me pleasantly surprised! I loved this sequel int he Fair Assassins series. Sybella is determined to kill her father, who does unspeakable things to all who cross him, including six wives. He is determined to marry the young Duchess from the previous book, Duval's sister, and take over her kingdom. When Sybella foils his plot, she witnesses a brave knight named the Beast take on her father's men. When she finds out he survived and her father plans to hang, draw and quarter him, she sets out to break him free and return him to the Duchess. As she breaks him out, gets kidnapped and nurses him back to health, she realizes she may have feelings for him. This goes against everything she believes about herself. She sees herself as a Dark soul, incapable of love. Her only mission to kill. The Beast seems to bring out her loving side and she is totally confused by this. Sybella takes a journey of self discovery and finds that love is the only thing that can conquer hate. The book is fast moving, filled with adventure, stealthy knife work and enough evil to fill a room. Robin LaFevers knows how to tell a tale that has you on the edge of your seat, rooting for whatever characters she has on the page. I am only disappointed to have to wait a year to find out what happens next, to the last of the three Handmaidens of Death. And I won't be disappointed that it doesn't follow these same characters. Happy reading my friends!