Trust Your Heart

"We are all of us, gods and mortals, made up of many pieces, some of them broken, some of them scarred, 
but none of them the total sum of who we are."

--Robin LaFevers, Mortal Heart

Genre: YA Historical Fiction

Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers

Pages: 464

Publication Date: November 4th, 2014

Source: ARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review

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Previous Books in Series: Grave Mercy & Dark Triumph

Goodreads Description

Annith has watched her gifted sisters at the convent come and go, carrying out their dark dealings in the name of St. Mortain, patiently awaiting her own turn to serve Death. But her worst fears are realized when she discovers she is being groomed by the abbess as a Seeress, to be forever sequestered in the rock and stone womb of the convent. Feeling sorely betrayed, Annith decides to strike out on her own.

She has spent her whole life training to be an assassin. Just because the convent has changed its mind doesn't mean she has...

Oh my gosh, is this really the end?! No more His Fair Assassins?! Ugh! I love this series and think the idea of assassin nuns is pretty much the biggest juxtaposition ever if not for the coolest. Grave Mercy and Dark Triumph are two of my favorite books and I was SO excited to see how our story would conclude and where our fabulous and deadly ladies would end up...plus I just really wanted to see more Duval...sorry not sorry...

Annith

This story focuses on Annith, our last girl still stuck at the covenant and not all is well. Annith is frustrated with good reason for not having been sent on an assignment yet when she has been training the longest. Bunch of bullshit if you ask me. She starts to question the abbess and if things are really as devout as she was led to believe. Much questioning occurs and Annith decides to strike out on her own and from there we have our story. Obviously a lot happens up to her leaving but I can't give you all the sexy details now, can I?

So I really had no opinion at all on Annith going into this but she clearly shows how awesome she is early on. I love that everyones perception of her is that she is a pushover and will do whatever they tell her and she's all, nuh uh bitches, I got my own game plan now. I love characters who realize that they are strong, have power of their own, and go after what they want. Annith is one of those characters. She is tired of always following the rules and wants to get shit done. She is the most talented initiate they have and they are wasting her skills. Oh, and that abbess? What a bitch. I wanted to jump inside the pages multiple times and throat punch her. Ugh. The worst. Go Annith when she stands up to this self-righteous asshole. But for real, Annith kicks ass in much the same way as Ismae and Sybella but forges her own path in doing so.

The Story

Annith's journey isn't an easy one and along the way she meets the hellequin, dead men on the hunt during the night for lost souls...creepy, much? Totally. But we DO get to meet the delicious Balthazaar here and hello! Hi! How ya doin'? You can warm me by the fire anytime you want, lover. Anyways. Their relationship is tenuous and complicated, the best kind but as much as I love a good romance, and this one is good y'all, it is not the main focus of our story.

Because I can't give too much away I will tell you that plots and secrets and answers I never knew I wanted come out. A LOT of important plot point I never thought to question play a major roll and DRAMA is on the horizon. However, my favorite character interactions, hands down, goes to our ladies. Their friendships and dynamic is oh so fun and I loved the girl time we got. Ismae, Sybella, and Annith are so strong and I LOVED LOVED LOVED seeing them right in the mix of all the political drama helping the duchess keep control of Brittany. I also didn't mind seeing Duval and Beast. The glimpses into their relationship now had me swooning and I loved revisiting them to see how devoted they still are to their loves. Sorry I can't be more detailed however it is definitely worth not knowing anything going into it.

The Perception

I think my favorite part of this entire series arc is the embrace and love they have for Death. The perception they have that death is just another part of life and a pitstop on your overall journey is beautiful as it is comforting. I love that they worship an idea that most people fear and this installment more than the others explores how death can be welcome, a comfort, and not something to fear. The scenes with Isabeau were especially poignant and had tears leaking out of my eyes. It was just so beautiful and so simple seen through the eyes of that child. I love what Robin LaFevers did with this series and these women and this message in particular.

The Pacing

While I was very into this book there were times when I felt it dragged a little. In the overall picture of the book upon finishing it all makes sense in regards to character development and plot progression but there were still times I felt that things could have been wrapped up or moved along a little quicker. I really didn't feel like the book picked up until at least page 100 if not around the 150 mark.

Reserved Seating

Defintiely pick this up if you're into historical fiction, kickass women, and strong storytelling. This is an amazing series and this book is a fantastic conclusion and left me very satisfied.