All that stands between her and these choices are the pride of a thwarted assassin, the ambition of a would-be empress wielding the Inquisition like a blade, and the vengeance of the empire’s richest lord.
As the world narrows around her, and her enemies attack her through the system she has sworn to, Nona must find her own path despite the competing pull of friendship, revenge, ambition, and loyalty.
And in all this only one thing is certain.
There will be blood.
Anyone who knows me well knows that I absolutely loved Red Sister. I recommended it all the time when I worked at Barnes and Noble last year. Grey Sister was no different - the world just gets more complex, the characters more interesting and developed, and the situation concerning magic and the kingdom more dire in this sequel.
I did an amateur blogger thing where I read this a while ago and forgot to write the review afterwards so I may be a little scatterbrained in this review. But the best part is, is there are parts that I remember even from so long ago because I enjoyed it so much.
The social system and learning systems in this world are so interesting. In Grey Sister, you really get to see Nona struggling with conforming and with being teased by her envious peers. Mark Lawrence does something great with this series in that he has all the storylines of a great, classic fantasy while playing will all those tropes just a little along the way. The Chosen One is super chill and nonchalant. People who do horrible things tend to get their way. Instead of the bully getting her due justice, it is Nona that must run and figure out how to survive in response. She gets beat up and put down and truly struggles along the way and doesn't really follow the hero's journey as one would think.
The secondary characters really come to forefront in this sequel. There are many different focuses throughout the book and we follow various people all around the kingdom as all of the parts begin to get moving. If I remember correctly, I did get confused at times about what was really happening and where I was and who was doing what. I always found my way back, though. As a fan of Nona, I did wish that we were with her a little more often, and I have to say her journey and destination were not what I was expecting.
I told my coworkers that Red Sister reminded me of an adult version of the Alanna series by Tamora Pierce. While I think that this sequel definitively diverts from that comparison, I do think that fans of those classic fantasties, with really developed worlds with complicated politics and a large cast of diverse characters, will enjoy this series and this book in particular as we move forward to the last installment.
** I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. **
Find out more about Mark and his books here: http://www.marklawrence.buzz
Happy Reading!
Jasmine
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