Mortal Heart
Rating: 5/5
Summary: Annith is an initiate at the Convent of Saint Mortain, where she has lived her whole life. She has believed she was an orphan and was never wanted by her mother. Annith is by far the best initiate yet, but she still has not been chosen to go out on a mission for their God. When she hears that she is being groomed by the Abbess to become the next seeress, Annith is fearful of being shut in for the rest of her life. Feeling like she has no choice, Annith runs away from the convent.
I was worried that I wouldn’t like this book. I’ve seen a lot of bad reviews for this book. Many people say that the first book was the best in the series and that they degraded in quality from there. I, on the other hand, did not think that at all. I loved this book just as much as the others. Honestly, I’d say that the second was my favorite and this my second favorite. I loved Grave Mercy and Ismae too, but not as much as Sybella or Annith. They are definitely all very strong women protagonists!
When Annith went off on her own, I was afraid of an Eve rerun. Eve ran away and had no street smarts or skills whatsoever and probably would’ve died if not for Arden. But I shouldn’t have feared! Annith has all the skills the convent could train her with. Her first night out, Annith runs into hellequin and becomes part of their ranks. The mysterious leader Balthazar seems vaguely familiar, but Annith cannot place his handsome face. She travels with them for a while trying to reach the court of the Duchess where the Abbess has gone. She must convince the Abbess that she is fit to leave the convent.
Throughout this book, Annith meets a lot of friends and makes friends with almost all of them. I loved how she could do that, but then still have doubts and anxieties about herself. It was so believable. It was kind of sad too, because Annith is strong and seriously talented with weapons. However, I could relate to that so much even though I am not a death nun. Another thing I liked about Annith was her faith. She is always supporting Mortain and asking for his guidance or strength. I am not religious but I can appreciate dedication in any form. She also learns the real story of her birth and upbringing and how she ended up at the Convent of Saint Mortain.
The plot of the book was very entwined with the events of the Duchess’s court and kingdom. I think there wasn’t as much history in this one as Grave Mercy, but there was more than Dark Triumph. It felt like an even blend between history and fiction. I also liked how we learned more about the other Saints and their worshippers. The ending wrapped up the trilogy nicely, but I want more. I want to see where these girls are in five years. I hope the author writes a short story or something about events after Mortal Heart.
