Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers

Series: His Fair Assassin #3
444 p.
Published: 11/4/14
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Source: From publisher for review

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...

My thoughts:
I loved the second book so I came into this one expecting the same. It was different but it seems that the author went back to more of the political intrigue and that did slow down parts of the book a bit. I didn't mind that but I know that not everyone enjoyed that aspect in the first book.

I did find the plot twists in this story to be predictable. I guessed them very early on. This does not mean I didn't enjoy it, but I do think the intended impact was lessened. I also did like the romance early on but didn't like the twist in the end. I didn't hate it, but I was saddened to see it move away from the pagan culture. I liked the tension created in the world between the One God religion with the pagan one created by the author. I don't want to reveal more than that, but I think it was a plot point that was easy to see.

I think my favorite part of the stories was the connection the girls Ismae, Sybella and Annith all had with each other. I think that connection strengthened the girls and they all became more independent because of their friendship. I felt that connection was strengthened in this book.

I give this book 3 1/2 stars. I enjoyed the trilogy as a whole. I recommend the books to those that enjoy fantasy.