Ah, this is going to be a hard book to review. I have a lot of mixed feelings about Lawrence's latest work and I'm going to try and organize my thoughts as best I can.

What I love most about Lawrence's writing is the fact he's - to be frank - dramatic as fuck. He knows how to create a nail-biting, bloody, on-the-edge-of-your-seat kind of scene. Red Sister opens with an army coming to kill a nun:

    It is important, when killing a nun, to ensure that you bring an army of sufficient size. For Sister Thorn of the Sweet Mercy Convent, Lano Tacsis brought two hundred men. 


Then the novel's timeline takes a step back into the past as we join eight-year-old Nona on her journey from almost being hanged to her time training at Sweet Mercy's Convent for Young Girls, spanning several years.

Being someone who grew up alongside Harry Potter, magic boarding school books have a special place in my heart. I love the inevitable jealousies, rivalries and friendships that form between the students. And, hey, it's almost like the four Hogwarts houses because here the girls train to become either Red Sisters, Grey Sisters, Holy Sisters or Holy Witches.

The beginning and end of the book are awesome. It opens action-packed and dramatic, and ends likewise. The writing is superb. The more I learned about the world and magic system, the more excited I got to explore it further in the next book.

Unfortunately, it was the middle chunk of the book where I felt let down. To be honest, it was just quite... boring. It's a fairly medium-length book, and it's on the shorter side for adult fantasy, and yet it felt so very long. While I enjoyed the various character dynamics and the training/learning for a short while, it quickly became repetitive. Nona and the other sisters-in-training go to lessons, train, talk about the Path, train some more, go to more lessons...

I feel like the author has a great story to tell here, and the final quarter is where we get some payoff for the long, dragged-out wait, but for me, it wasn't quite enough. I found myself unfavorably comparing this book with other "dark" and/or "adult" magic school books like Skin Hunger and The Queen of Blood. I enjoyed both of those more.

Also, I found Nona - and the characters in general - to be a little stock. She interests me enough to pique my interest in the sequel, but she falls into the same old badass female assassin mold that's become the norm in fantasy. I look forward to her character being more developed in the next book.

I will definitely be reading the sequel. The ending drops off of a dramatic cliff and seems to promise many exciting things for the future of this story and world. Despite the pacing issues, it's hard not to want to come back for more of this bloody, nasty drama.

I was actually, really, really excited to read Red Sister. I love Mark Lawrence's other works and I was really hoping to be a great reader and spread the word on his soon to be released novel Red Sister (again, releasing tomorrow), but I've failed miserably and I didn't even take all these months gloat about my ARC like my usual selfish self.

Let me say, first and foremost, this is a really good book. Mark has created a solid concept with a new, refreshing take on fantasy, and it's a strong piece of feminine heroism. And what more could this Trump ruled world need than a good old ass kicking heroin to look up to? These girls work their asses off, and then they fight their asses off and it is epic.

I enjoyed seeing the world through a non-chosen-one perspective. Nona isn't anyone special, she's a normal girl with a terrible past and a hard life to look forward to, but she takes the opportunity she's given to learn and to grow and to become something more than the simple farm girl she would have been had she not been thrown into the convent with the other sisters. This book isn't about being special, it's about becoming special, about becoming empowered and confident in your abilities and it's really a fantastic look at the world.

Everyone who has been fretting, waiting, biding their time, kicking themselves for not being a blogger to get their hands on an advanced copy and cheating the system... Trust me, it is worth the wait. It may start off a bit slow, but I know Mark will grow this world into the epic tale he intends it to be.

Nona has a natural ability to fight and at eight years old she’s already convicted of murder. She finds herself whisked away to a special covenant that trains young girls to become assassins, and herein lies the base of the plot and all I can say is WOW. I was absolutely blown away by Red Sister.

The world building in this book is phenomenal and I want to know so much more about it. The sun is dying, the planet is slowly being enclosed in ice and with it humanity is changing, becoming desperate and looking to prophecies. There is a focus on the four races, each with unique talents in combat. The magic system is complex and is split between two schools of magic, and there is a plethora of diverse specializations for both.

On top of the detailed world, the book also nailed atmosphere. I felt a sense of wonder as Nona learned not just about fighting, but about magic and the world around her through her classes. It gave me a nostalgic feeling about a certain school of magic that I had also enjoyed in the past. I actually liked Nona a great deal. Even though she is a tiny little ass kicker she’s also extremely flawed and has a difficult time dealing with interpersonal relationships. Having a heroine who wasn’t perfect in every way was really rather refreshing. Experiencing her school days as she befriended other girls at the covenant was just plain fun and I liked most of the characters.

As Nona’s opinions of certain friends fluctuates as the story goes along, I found my opinions of those same characters changing as well. Does Nona hate this girl because she’s truly awful? Or is it because of petty jealousy and pressure from friends that her view of this other girl is distorted? I found these subtle details about Nona’s change of heart to be really clever – it really shows how her character develops over the course of the story while also making me as a reader realize just how invested I was in the character.

Oh and of course, this book is full of action. Lawrence truly has a gift with words and reading descriptions of action sequences was exhilarating. The fights are extremely violent and rather brutal. I love the way this author writes. I couldn’t get enough of it!

I think the only thing that I found frustrating was how slow the characters were to seek help when faced with danger much larger than themselves. There were several points where it was obvious certain characters were up to no good, but no one ever went to the abbess or the other sisters with information. Even worse, several characters even mention to Nona that she should tell someone and she never does. I’m talking about the kind of danger that puts folks in danger, or even gets some killed. I can kind of forgive the characters because all of them are young but it’s just frustrating because it feels intentional in order to draw out the story.

Overall, Red Sister has become both one of my favorite reads of the year and now one of my favorite fantasy books. I’m excited for the rest of the series and I’m very interested in exploring more of Lawrence’s work. I may have a new favorite author!

*** 5 STARS***

PLOT

My very 1st Mark Lawrence read & boy was it something! nothing could’ve prepared me for what lay ahead but the first few pages in the first chapter did manage to leave me wide eyed. Right off the bat we are introduced to a 8 year old Nona & the harsh reality of the world she lives in. The opening scene had me asking strangers on the train “oh! so no man, woman, or CHILD is safe under Mark’s pen huh?!?!” well the answer to that is NO! no one is safe & plenty are hungry enough to sell their children to avoid starvation. Nona is literally saved from the noose at the very last second by a Nun from Sweet Mercy Convent which is by no means your typical convent. This also won’t be my typically styled review, I finished this book days ago & have gone above & beyond to avoid a book hangover. I will try my best not to fangirl all over this review, back to the Plot…

Sweet Mercy Convent gave me Hogwarts mixed with a Ludus (like in Spartacus) vibes. The nuns at Sweet Mercy all specialize in one skill or another ranging from fighting to magic. Everyone in this world is a descendant from of the following four tribes:

Hunska: Speed (faster than your average human)

Gerrant: Physically large & strong

Marjal: ability to do magic on a smaller scale

Quantal: ability to walk the path & more complex magic

The students who enter are sorted by the abilities they’ve shown a inherent skill towards or in the case of Gerrant & Hunska, are visibly on display. The girls also attend classes in various subjects pertaining to each skill and go through ranks in the following order: Red Class, Gray Class, Mystic Class, and Holy Class. Nona will have 10 years of education in the convent in order to become a Red Sister. During her time & training in the convent there are outside forces at work seeking retribution for old wounds. Nona has secrets, ones that she doesn’t want her peers to ever find out for fear they will see the darkness within her. Nona has a bloody violent history leading up to the noose where she would be hung for her crime. We follow her progress in Sweet Mercy Convent as she learns to hone her skills all the while dealing with inside & outside threats.

CHARACTERS

We follow Nona from age 8 to about age 11 in this first installment in the Book of the Ancestor series. She has only known violence & the need to survive when she is brought to Sweet Mercy Convent. She is shrouded in mystery & likes it that way, often times making up stories for her past. Perhaps Nona’s biggest weakness is her unquestioning loyalty to those that call her “friend”. In Sweet Mercy we are introduced to the Abess & sisters who run the convent & teach the classes. I found myself enjoying some of these characters like Sister Apple for her specialty which I won’t reveal since it is spoilery. Also, Sister Kettle who watches over the library, won me over with her threat to anyone caught folding pages in books. Besides the vast array of sisters, there were three other girls in Nona’s class we get to follow closely. There’s Clera who has a love/hate relationship with Nona, Arabella who fiercely watches over Nona, and Hessa who is connected to Nona & often plays the voice of reason. Friendships play a center focus in Red Sister, we see Nona learning the highs & lows all the while living in a competitive setting. Arabella was hands down my favorite & seeing their friendship unfold was awesome since as a reader of Young Adult, I don’t often see positive F/F friendships. This was a change of pace & there were definitely betrayals & double crossings in the mix but that’s to be expected in this world where violence is the law of the land. I like my characters flawed & complex and Lawrence delivers with Nona as well as her friends. No one is wholly “good” or “evil” & therefore nothing is ever black or white in this world, we get a ton of gray til the very last page.

WRITING & FINAL THOUGHTS

I finished reading Red Sister some time last week & was left speechless…so much so that I couldn’t bring myself to write this review. I needed to digest what was my first ever Mark Lawrence book & gather my thoughts. From start to finish, Red Sister held me in its grip for various reasons including the no holds barred violence that follows our main protagonist. The world building at first seemed like it would overwhelm me but Lawrence weaves in the ranks & paths so well, that there really was no need to refer to the glossary. About the glossary LOL! MAJOR points for placing the glossary at the very beginning of the book as opposed to the very end where no one ever thinks to look haha! although as previously mentioned, it wasn’t necessary other than as back-up info to this world. The writing is very detailed but in a useful way if that makes sense, it wasn’t overkill. The fight/training scenes were the most detailed & I was able to get a vivid picture almost as if I were watching a movie. Told in third person POV, Red Sister’s opening pages starts you off with a glimpse of events taking place in the future. This alone was a HUGE motivator for me as far a page turning goes, I needed to find out what that whole scene was about & how everyone managed to get to that point…WHAT WENT WRONG?!?!?! to say that I loved my 1st Mark Lawrence book is a HUGE understatement, I’m in it for the long haul my bookish peeps! If you’re a mostly Young Adult Fantasy reader & are considering taking the leap into Adult Fantasy, this may be a great place to start. For fans of bad a** female heroines, vivid  fight scenes, positive female friendships, positive LGBTQIA representation and elements of the Potterverse…this book is for YOU! 😉

Some of my closest book blogging buddies have already read Red Sister & I will spend Monday visiting their reviews to finally read their thoughts & complain about the wait til’ book 2 haha! Is anyone else reading Red Sister? If you have a review up, please drop that link in the box below & I’ll gladly swing by for a chat 🙂

HUGE thanks to Ace, Netgalley, and Mark Lawrence for the eGalley of Red Sister in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are my own.

"A long blade, thin, carrying a slight curve, its edge cruel enough to cut silence and make it scream."

RED SISTER by Mark Lawrence intrigued me, and I was thirsty for a dark fantasy featuring a kickass heroine. This is my first experience with Lawerence, and I quickly found myself wanting to savor this character driven tale with its dying world and magic. Fans of GRAVE MERCY and the Fair Assassin's series will find themselves slipping quickly into this world.

I am not going to be able to do this tale justice and will be vague as experiencing this world, and its characters are best left for the reader to discover.

We the meet our protagonist, Nona Gray as she awaits the hangman for killing a man three times her size when she is the tender age of eight. She is saved when the manager of the Sweet Mercy Convent, Abbess Glass offers her sanctuary and a place in the nunnery to train as a Novice.  Nona is a hunska, and you will learn more about this ability and others at the school. This magical school trains young woman on the path, blades, poison, assassins and more. The magical elements are brilliant from what each girl possessed to what she can achieve.

The Convent was fascinating, and if magical schools thrill you from lessons to boorish teachers, you will devour RED SISTER as most of the setting takes place within its walls. From spells to training I was enthralled not only by the skills, but the worldbuilding, hierocracy, and political maneuvering that Lawerence developed within this world. A lot of what we learn is threaded throughout the tale, from lessons to conversations, avoiding the need for information dumps, and while not entirely understood the magical elements hint at more to come.

The world is on the verge of collapse, and their civilization has been pushed into this tiny corridor whose fate is dependent on the moon, which we are told keeps the ice that covers the remaining world at bay. Lawerence revealed a brutal world where the church and ruler have power. There are layers of plots as we devel into the social hierarchy, meet indentured humans, and learn that the blade rules.

Written third person, this tale can be dark and brutal at times, but Nona and other characters offer balance and pull the reader into their world. Prophies, villains, and uncertainty had me flipping the pages and eager to learn more. Lawrence cleverly added in flashbacks concerning Nona, and I thought they were well placed as were the dreams.

On a side note. Skip the prologue. I am not going to lie, I read it twice, and thought what the heck have I gotten myself into? Nevertheless, I continued, and yeah, I still don't understand it. Well, I do now, but trust me, read it at the end.

"It is important, when killing a nun, to ensure that you bring an army of sufficient size. For Sister Thorn of the Sweet Mercy Convent Lano Tacsis brought two hundred men"

RED SISTER wrapped up brilliantly while setting us up for the next installment. Nona is a compelling and complex character whose strength and sheer determination has me counting the days until I can reenter this world. This is a book you will want to add to your bookshelf.

Readers coming from Mark Lawrence’s The Broken Empire and The Red Queen’s War will find that his new novel Red Sister is a wholly different beast—and not just because we are now venturing into an entirely new universe, completely unrelated to those trilogies. There are other differences as well, like the fact the story is told in the third person, follows a protagonist who is a young girl, and—at least to my eye—does not feel as dark as Lawrence’s previous works.

The book introduces us to the icebound world of Abeth, populated by people who descend from four main “tribes”: the Gerant, distinguished by their great size and strength; the Hunska, dark-eyed and dark haired, capable of great speed; the Marjal, who possess the ability to tap into the lesser magics; and finally the Quantal, who are gifted with the ability to work greater magics and enter a state known as “walking the Path”. Children who manifest even a single talent characterized by any of these four tribes are highly sought after by various institutions from churches to academies, and those who display two or three can even be worth more than their weight in gold. Across the land, children are given away or sold if they show potential, which is how protagonist Nona Grey ends up traveling in a cage along with a dozen other boys and girls her age, being carted off to a prospective buyer.

But things don’t exactly work out for Nona. At the age of eight, she finds herself facing the hangman’s noose for committing savage attack on a member of a noble family. However, just before her execution can take place, she is rescued by the abbess of Sweet Mercy, who whisks Nona away to her convent where young girls are trained to be fighters. There, Nona flourishes as a novice and learns the ways of the sisters, becoming especially adept in the arts of combat because of her Hunska blood. She also makes a lot of friends, though she still guards her secrets closely, unable to fully come clean to anyone about why she was sold away from her village—and why her mother allowed that to happen. Eventually though, Nona learns the hard way that the past always has a way of catching up with her, and unfortunately, her old enemies have not forgotten what she did to them either.

At first glance, Red Sister may seem to lack the complexity of Lawrence’s previous novels. I might even have felt an inkling of “Young Adult vibes” coming off at some points, and not just because of the age of our protagonist. After all, many of the genre’s tropes also hold true in the first half of the book, not the least of them being the beloved “magic school” motif, following Nona as goes through the motions of attending her various classes, making new friends and enemies along the way. Dare I say, at times these themes are almost Harry Potter-like in their style and treatment, despite the school here being a convent, Nona and her friends are all training to be killers, and the teachers are nuns who have a disturbing tendency to poison their students for fun or punish misdemeanors with a good old head-shaving. There’s even the trope of the “hated professor”, inevitably the sister Nona manages to piss off on the very first day, who then winds up holding a grudge against our protagonist for the next two years. To my bewilderment, the familiar concepts didn’t stop there either. Throw in the idea of prophecies and the foretold coming of a literal “Chosen One”, and I was starting to wonder how this could be written by the same author who never ceased to surprise me with his inventiveness and imagination from his previous trilogies.

Which just goes to show, I really should have reserved my judgment for until I reached the second half of this book. Not that I didn’t enjoy myself in the first half, mind you, namely because I actually have fondness for training school stories no matter how common they have become. I also adored Nona’s camaraderie with her fellow novices, despite or perhaps because of the long time those friendships took to build. This book places a huge emphasis on the bonds of trust, and I appreciated how much attention was spent on relationship-building in the first two hundred pages or so. Still—and I think most readers who have read the book will agree—the real fun doesn’t begin in Red Sister until Grey Class, after Nona has spent two years at the Sweet Mercy convent, or roughly around the halfway mark. This is where all the game changers are. The big threat is introduced. Secrets are revealed. Nona and her friends take action.

Furthermore, even while the plot employs a number of coming-of-age tropes, the overall story is compelling and the characters are irresistible, making it very easy to be swept up in the action and excitement. Mark Lawrence is a great writer, which is no secret to me of course, his skills on full display here as he experiments with new spins on old ideas, perhaps trying to push the boundaries of his own comfort zone. And yet, in spite of how different Red Sister feels compared to his previous books, fortunately a number of strengths remain the same. For one thing, you can be sure this novel will include a meticulously constructed world full of various intrigues, as well as Lawrence’s in-depth characterizations. Compared to the first person narrative used to his previous trilogies, the third person mode in Red Sister may feel a little less nuanced, but the genuine emotions and personalities involved are still right there.

Still, I wouldn’t be surprised if this book ends up being polarizing among the author’s fans, simply because he has indeed shaken things up quite a bit. That said, on the flip of the coin this could also mean that readers who couldn’t get into either The Broken Empire or The Red Queen’s War trilogies might find themselves taking to this novel instead. So if you found those books to be too grim (or Jorg from The Prince of Thorns too unpleasant), it may be worth a shot to revisit Mark Lawrence again, since Red Sister is a whole new ballgame. As someone who has enjoyed all his previous novels, I must say reading this new series opener was a little jarring at first, but by the end I was enjoying myself immensely and now I am looking forward to the next installment.

Red Sister is a rare example of a novel where not much happens but it doesn’t matter because the characters are so strong.
The first book in a new trilogy, it is a solid coming-of- age story set in a world where magic exists and girls who possess it are sought to become trained killers in the name of religion.
Much of the action centres on protagonist Nona’s childhood and her time at the Sisters of Mercy convent, an ancient and spiritual training ground for the next generation of warriors. Lawrence smartly interweaves the story with snippets of Nona’s future, hinting that the final two books will explore a larger, darker story, but for the most part book one is a tale about a young girl finding herself and discovering her powers.
Reading 400-odd pages of her schooling should not be so entertaining, but it is because of the wonderful richness to Nona’s character. Lawrence is a master world builder with a knack of creating engaging, three-dimensional characters.
As a standalone novel Red Sister is very good. But what it does is set the scene for what promises to be an epic middle and final act in this exciting new trilogy.

Red Sister by Mark Lawrence is the first book in his new Ancestor series. When I started this book, I wasn’t sure what to expect, since some of the new fantasy books that I have read have been ok.  I am happy to say, I loved Red Sister. Wow, what a fantastic story line, equally fantastic characters and wonderful world building.  
In Red Sister, Nona Reeve is our young heroine, but there are a number of young girls that play major parts in this story.  The story starts with 8 year old Nona facing execution in the gallows, only to have a nun save her.  The Abbess Glass, who runs the Sweet Mercy Convent, manages to whisk Nona away and brings her to her convent, which is filled with young girls, who are novices in training.  Nona, who is a peasant, is at first uncomfortable surrounded by those who come from families, who can afford the Convent fees.  Why is Nona brought there, as she has no family and is still being sought out for murder?

The Nuns in the convent all have strange and magical abilities, and in each class the girls are trained how to use those abilities, such as weapons (knives, throwing stars), shadows, paths, poisons, spirituality, etc.   These trainings were unique, strange and very difficult; much time is spent on watching the girls learn from these nuns.  But early on, Nona will find two friends to trust, and eventually others will accept her, and they will form a wonderful group of friends.  I loved Nona, Ara, Clera and Hessa.  But the cloud over Nona’s head remains, as those who are determined to get Nona back to pay for her crime,(which was truly done in self defense), will stop at nothing to get her.  The Abbess will once again save her, at a horrible cost, but Nona, will have to find a way to use her untrained ability to win the battle.  We know that though she is saved, those villains will continue to haunt her for the rest of this story.

What follows is an intense, harrowing and exciting tale of a young girl, her friends and their growth to be more than they were destined to be; in a place where they are trained to become self sufficient, and learn to be deadly killers, if need be.  Nona will become a kick-ass heroine, who will need to use her anger to utilize some of her special Hunska blood that will help magically enhance her abilities.  Nona not only is tough, but her loyalty to her friends makes her special.  Some of the other girls will also learn from their training from their at times dark atmosphere, strange and tough teachers to be equally powerful.

The last half of the book upped the ante that left you holding your breath as Nona, and the girls faced danger & death defying situations.  They will also learn more about Nona, and her abilities as they struggle to survive. What a fantastic climax to a wonderful story.  There was an epilogue that has us waiting with bated breath for the next book in this series.   If you enjoy fantasy, in this unigue intriguing world, with a fabulous heroine and other wonderful characters, you must read Red Sister.

While reading Red Sister, I could not help but realize that this story would appeal to fans of Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers and Nevernight by Jay Kristoff. There are similarities in this story to both of these books.  Do not misunderstand though, this novel is its own animal. If I had to narrow down what I felt the similarities were it would be that this story has members of a religious order that trains the candidates to become fighters and learn the art of poisons etc. similar to the characters in Grave Mercy and Nevernight. The main character Nona also reminds me of the main character from Nevernight. Nona is not without feeling but everything is black and white with her. She processes things on a different level than most people.

The world development of Abeth was just so creative. The planet has been encased in ice with only a small portion called the corridor that is inhabitable. While imagining this world I imagined Earth encased in two mile high ice everywhere with the exception of a long strip that followed the equator. Loved that! Within this corridor is where all the action happens. Imagine that the entire population was squeezed in such a small place. There would always be fighting between clans just due to over population.

Nona’s story is a bit misleading at the start. Her story is told between past and present time transitions and when she shares stories they are sometimes false. You don’t know that her story was untrue until later on when she explains the falsehood but when you do get the full story it is amazing! What I did know from the start was that she was given up by her tribe to the child collector for free. Usually this act is one in which the child collector pays for the child. He buys the children that parents are willing to sell for money and that he believes may show signs of ancient blood lines. Showing a strong bloodline from one of the ancient tribes is usually a good indicator of one’s fighting prowess and in a civilization that is barbaric that is a good thing.

On Abeth the people descended from four tribes. These tribes were the Gerant (large in size), Hunska (very fast), Marjal (able to tap into lesser magic), and Quantal (can do greater magic). The closer the person is to full blood the greater their abilities. Once bought these children are then sold to respective buyers who are looking for certain bloodlines. Nona was sold to a man who kept the children until they either showed their full potential or he re-sold them. His purpose for the children were to be used as prize fighters. It is there that Nona’s life was shattered and she began on a new path.

We meet Nona as a little girl who literally has a noose around her neck. If it was not for the quick thinking and deceptive ways of Abbess Glass she wouldn’t have a story to tell. Nona was taken to the Convent of Sweet Mercy and this is where a majority of the story takes place. This might be a turn off to some readers as a large portion of this story is training and the changes that the characters go through. Such as friendships, betrayals, angst, teacher-student relationships and dealing with the past. A whole plethora a life experiences.

The story follows ten years of Nona’s life and of the other characters that live at the convent as well. At the start, all the backstories are surface level. As the story goes on the characters develop layers and it quickly becomes a very satisfying read. Do not mistake this for an easy read though. There are scenes that are without mercy and compassion and just downright cruel. In this world though, there is very little room for such things. The story-telling is vivid, engaging and hits you on an emotional level. It makes for a truly amazing platform for a series to build on. The ending is powerful and quite a cliffhanger. You will not be disappointed in Red Sister!

*Thank you to NetGalley & ACE for this eARC of Red Sister*

If you read any of my other reviews, you might notice a trend... I have so many books on my TBR list, and there may be a good bit of time between when I request a book and when I actually get to read it. So, I have a tendency to request books after reading their description or reading good reviews, then not exactly remembering what they're about or why I requested them when it comes time to read them. 

This was was the case with Red Sister. I didn't remember what it was about, and the short description I read on NetGalley before downloading it only talked about the author's previous best-selling series and how this is the start to his new series. So, that's all I had to go on when I started reading the first line:

"It is important, when killing a nun, to ensure that you bring an army of sufficient size. For Sister Thorn of the Sweet Mercy Convent and Lano Tacsis brought 200 men."

I've found that going into books you know you requested but don't know what they are about can be pretty exciting. It's not like just picking up any book at random and starting to read. That could spell disaster. Imagine instead, going through a bunch of books and reading descriptions and reviews, picking out 20 or so that you think you will like, then forgetting about them for six months. Then, randomly picking up one of those books and start reading, without looking at anything else about it.

I doubt the description said anything about armies killing nuns, but starting out a book with that first sentence, gave me an awesome first impression, and the rest of the book followed suit.

I absolutely loved everything about this book! The main character is strong and independent, and the author never takes away from that at all by adding a cliche love interest. The story doesn't call for it, and trying to add it in there would have ruined the story IMHO. The heroine is perfectly capable of rescuing her self, and she does (sometimes with a little help from her friends)!

After reading this book, I did a little more research and found out that it isn't going to be released until April, meaning that I could be waiting a long time for a sequel. :( While I might not be waiting patiently, I will be waiting anxiously awaiting more about Nona the nun! 

I received a copy of this book from the publishers, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

The latest series from Mark Lawrence is out today and I was lucky enough to have received an advanced copy. Lawrence is a talented writer who creates very complex characters that have a muddied past and there are many times where you really don't like the protagonist. In Red Sister we have a young street urchin, named Nona, who was trained to fight in the pits and is then taken to a convent where she is taught to hone her skills. Because of her violent past and the secrecy in which she is brought to the Red Sister's convent makes her rough around the edges to say the least. And while it great that Lawrence has once again chosen a female lead, Nona is more likable than the characters that he has written in the past. Nona's background makes it easy to sympathize with her, even when she makes boneheaded decisions.

Lawrence attempts to create a bit of a mystery in the form of a prophecy but muddles it up a bit with the latest recruits. I liked the prophecy at first but then as I read further started to grow annoyed with it. Interspersed in the book are current events where Nona is taking on a large army on a valley filled with large columns and it is there that we have a bit of a cliffhanger. To discuss it more would ruin the book for potential readers but it does make you want to pick up the next installment to figure things out.

The world building is also quite interesting as the world that the story is in has a lot of political intrigue that is modestly skimmed and could really add to the story if brought in properly. While I do feel as if Red Sister is probably the most YA or least grimdark of all of his books, it shouldn't deter you from checking it out. The series has a lot of potential and I plan on reading the next one. Red Sister hits bookstores today.

Red sister paints the life of  Nona a special girl who lives in a village that ostracized her based on her looks. Despite the cruelty Nona is a gentle and kind person, desperately seeking friendship. She is sold into slavery and a sucked into a harsh world where survival is only for the strongest. A colorful mesmerizing story of girl who becomes a legend by living by the sword. The Red sister shows us that we may not choose the world we are brought into but we can overcome anything it throws us, if we are strong and clever enough.

"That's my secret and my shame. I'm Nona Grey, war is in my veins, and the screams of my enemies are music to me."

* * * * *
5 / 5

Absolutely incredible. Red Sister is the amazing, heartwrenching, slow-paced, bloody story of ten year old (then twelve, then older) Nona Grey, first sold to a child-seller, then to a a gang of ring-fighters, then inducted into the Sweet Mercy convent of assassin-nuns to save her from the hangman's noose. It started with a bang and ended with my heart in pieces and my eyes yearning for more. Seriously, it starts with:

"It is important, when killing a nun, to ensure that you bring an army of sufficient size. For Sister Thorn of the Sweet Mercy Convent, Lano Tacsis brought two hundred men."

And Red Sister only got better from there on out. Exponentially better.

Nona Grey is our wonderful protagonist. She's inquisitive, bold, and as afraid as any ten year old has the right to be. I don't much like books with younger protagonists, but Lawrence wrote Nona so beautifully that have no complaints about her character - most of the time I forgot how old she was. She and her companions are children but they are not childish. I certainly never found her annoying. We meet her at the hangman's noose, having killed a prized and noble ring-fighter who threatened her friend. She is whisked away from death by Abbess Glass of the Sweet Mercy Convent as Nona dully reflects on how she came to be here, trafficked in the cart of a child-seller, having been given up and rejected by her mother and her village. Nona is a strong-blooded Hunska, her speed making her a valuable recruit for a killer nun, and so she enters training. 

"Keep that fire. Use it. We're wild things us men, and when we remember it we're at our most dangerous"

Nona's tough as nails, pisses off half the nuns and is beloved by the others. She makes friends rarely but when she does she'll defend them unto her dying breath. She's also powerful but not overpowered, a very fine line to walk that Lawrence has managed to tread exceedingly well. There's a prophecy about a Chosen One, but it isn't Nona. She's fiery, damaged, haunted by her past, and confused as she grows into her new powers. At the convent Nona first befriends money-driven, power-seeking Clera, whose father has been jailed. Then there's golden-haired, beautiful, Chosen One Arabella, whose relationship with Nona is developed lovingly from antagonistic to friendship:

"Ara's crimes appeared to be confined to being beautiful, being born rich, and being the Chosen One. Everything else, Nona realised, was something given to her by Clera, or something assumed."
 
Lawerence's choice here is not only a heartwarming moral message but much more interesting than the "mean-girl Chosen One" trope, and I grew to love Ara fiercely. Nona's entrance into the Convent is not without it's troubles: The Tacsis' want their revenge for their son, the Emperor's sister wants her hands on the Chosen One and thus the power of the prophecy, and killer ice-tribe child Zole comes loaded with secrets and antagonism. Lawrence crafts a plot heavy with deceit, politics, betrayals, friendship, and gory, bloody scenes of violence. There's also a plethora of fascinating and highly developed female characters (and a couple of relationships between them hinted at) against the backdrop of an interesting world.

"We may fight here in this hall and think that because are battles are unconstrained by rules that we truly understand what it is to make war. Do not be deceived. Fights end with defeat. And death is the only defeat a warrior understands."

I did think Red Sister might end up being unnecessarily gory. I read another of Lawrence's books a number of years ago (long enough to dull my memory of it properly), the Prince of Thorns, and I vaguely recalled it being rather bloody. He's also renowned for some scene involving a dog, I think. Whilst Nona's world is harsh and cold and the convent tough, it is never anything out of line. Yes, there's gore, and it is rather unpleasant to think of a twelve year old killing people, and the convent can be unpleasant in it's punishments, but there is nothing you would not expect from the synopsis of the book. Off the top of my head, only two scenes struck me as horrifying - one involving animal cruelty and another where Nona is whipped under the command of royalty. 

The world, though not actually much explored in the book beyond the convent and the nearby city of Verity, is intriguing. The planet is named Abeth and it is almost entirely covered in uninhabitable ice, with the exception of a fifty mile inhabitable strip running around the equator: the Corridor. Lawrence gives the impression that the planet is rather large, as the Corridor is made up of hundreds of different nations. We have a bit of exposure to the ice tribes through Zole and Nona's memories of her father; tribes range the ice, hunting, scavenging and catching fish, and live in the tunnels beneath the ice, abandoned by people long past. Vast, cold, ice winds blow off landscape into the Corridor such that it seems like the world is in perpetual winter. It is a shame that we don't get to see much more of the universe, but this is more than made up for by the wonder that is the magical system.

"Among the stars the quantal built their lives around the Path, generation upon generation, until it lived in their veins."

The people that currently inhabit Abeth can be traced back to four tribes: Gerant, with great size, Hunska, fast and nimble, Marjal, able to tap into lesser magics, and Quantal, able to walk the Path. Some people have a touch of tribe blood, others present more strongly: half or full bloods. The Convent has little interest in Marjals who can create fire, warp shadows, and bend the earth. These are the domain of the Academy, though a couple of the characters have a touch of Marjal. Nona is a full Hunska and this gives her a fascinating ability: she can slow down time on command, giving her the ability to consider her options more fully. This isn't exactly a rare ability at Sweet Mercy, which makes it extra interesting to see fights played out between two Hunska, or to have Lawrence consider Hunska against Gerant. How far can speed go towards winning a fight? 

But Quantal is the rarest and most curious of them all. Lawrence devotes a fair amount of time to exploring the Path, that which runs between life and death, the holiest of journeys. Step and walk upon the path and you are granted destructive powers of the divine in a very literal way. Two characters, Hessa and Ara, can walk the path but this manifests in differing and intriguing ways. The Path is accessed by mastering serenity and patience, by changing your perspective, but it comes at a high cost.

"Here's a moment. All the world and more has rushed eternity's length to reach this beat of your heart, screaming down the years. And if you let it, the universe, without drawing breath, will press itself through this fractured second and race to the next, on into a new eternity."

The writing - I always start my reviews with a favourite quote at the top. Lawrence's writing is so beautiful that I had trouble restricting myself to only using a handful of quotes to pepper throughout this review, let alone chose a favourite one. I use the highlighter function liberally on my Kindle, but for Red Sister when I started marking every other page, I knew I had to chill out. Lawrence writes sparsely - there's no massive chunks of description. But what he does write is evocative, beautiful, and immersive. There's a seamless blending of present moments and past recollections, of third-person perspective but also allowing a glimpse of Nona's inner thoughts and motives. He's also mastered the art of sounding like you are imparting wise, insightful comments, and then ruining them with a hilarious remark:

"You will learn about pain, fear, rage, and control. You will learn how to balance the first three to achieve the fourth. And you will cary those lessons into Grey Class where I will put weapons in your hands and teach you what it is to be a Red Sister. In Grey Class I will teach you how to make the fuckers bleed"
 
This coming from a serious, wise, deadly nun, it made me laugh aloud. On that note, there is a reasonable amount of strong language used, but I never thought it was excessive or used purely for shock value. 

One warning I have is that some may find the pacing a touch too slow. I thought it was perfectly done, but I have a weird and undying love for "training" scenes where we can watch our character slowly develop and evolve into the person they become at the end of the book. The first half of the book traces Nona's journey to the convent and through her entrance to the Red Class, the youngest of those at the Convent. I never thought this was dull - there's intrigue, politics, prophecies, relationships and characters to explore, as well as a bunch of flashbacks. What there isn't is a lot of blood, which some may find disappointing. The second half is where the action kicks it up a notch as Nona is twelve and a member of the Grey Class. There's a whole chunk more ring-fights, blades, more complex and interesting magic, and, yes, blood. Just something to be aware of. 

My only real criticism of Red Sister is that at the start most of the characters seem to blur into one. There's a few standouts - Abbess Glass, Arabella, Hessa, and Clera - but then there's a mishmash of nuns - Sisters Wheel, Tallow, Rule, Chrysanthemum, Flint, Kettle, Pan, Rock - and students - Croy, Jula, Ketti, Leeni, Ruli, Suleri - who all start to blur into one. As it progressed, I definitely managed to keep a grasp on all of the different characters, but the nuns all having similar names threw me off a bit at the start. Other than that, I have no complaints other than the fact that I have to wait for the next one to come out!

I've written a pretty long review (by my standards), but that is nothing less than Red Sister deserves. It's clever and compelling, the premise itself is original, the writing outstanding, and the characters equal parts lovable and terrifying. Do yourself a favour and read it!

My thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for an ARC of this book.

The author creates a unique world that is very detailed and quite captivating. I would not have believed a book written about nuns could be adventurous and exciting.

Wow. This book shows a world being encroached by ice on all sides as the planet's sun is slowly dying. Nona and the other novices at Sweet Mercy Convent are shown the religion of the Ancestor and the different ways the Sisters serve the church. This book digs into the emotional spectrum of loyalty and friendship all wrapped around an amazing plot and unbelievable action. Lawrence is continuing to make everything that comes from his pen be exceptional. I can't wait for the story to continue!

This was my first book by this author and I really enjoyed it. Even though it was a new author for me I had no issues getting into the flow of the writing style and was immediately interested in this new world. There are quite a few interesting/intriguing characters and I enjoyed their progression throughout the book. The world building was done very well and the plot was great. The magic system was an interesting one, which I feel will further expand in the next books. I don't know that I fully understand it but I thought it was so well done. It is perhaps a little slow at times but it is all part of the set up and I personally never felt it dragged. I am excited to see where things will go from here and I will definitely be picking up the sequel.

Let me just air my shame right now, this is my very first title by Mark Lawrence. Yes, I know. I am just now popping the Lawrence cherry. There will be no comparisons to previous work. I am actually thankful for this embarrassing  fact (although I was about 100 pages when I immediately ran out and bought the entire Broken Empire series) <– Spoiler, this book is flipping good! As I excitedly dove into this 400 page beauty, I discovered the an unbiased approach was going to work in my favor because this is going to be a tough review minus any previous conceptions or comparisons.

♦

“It is important, when killing a nun, to ensure that you bring an army of sufficient skill.”

The sun is dying and in a world encapsulated and limited by ice. One young girl has been bought and sold. Nona Grey has been labeled a monster and cast aside. When she finds herself staring through the noose of her finality, rescue comes in the unlikely form of a nun.

Taken to the Convent of Sweet Mercy, she begins the arduous task of training and transformation. She is to become a Red Sister. Devoting her life to the Ancestor, she enters a journey of self discovery and metamorphosis that will challenge her to face her inner demons  head on and learn to hone the very skills that have terrified and haunted her throughout her short existence.

But why have the nuns chosen to spare Nona and take her in? Why is she still sought after? During her transition and time at the convent, Nona Grey will uncover answers and a world she never knew existed. Is she prepared to accept her fate and fight?

“The Path had filled her and in doing so had woken her to the understanding that for all her she had been hollow.  It turned her flesh to gold, her mind to crystal. She wanted more. Even ass the power of it terrified her and she felt her body shaking beyond her control, she wanted more.”

Instead of concentrating on the plot of a story you should be reading, I want to discuss the elements to make this worth the time of any fantasy fan. Red Sister is a slower but steady and rewarding read. At times I felt mentally tapped after pouring through the pages, but in the greatest of ways.  I was heavily invested and there is a lot to digest. Nona Grey is complex and consuming. She is delivered to us as so much more than one could expect to comprehend at 8 years old. Her sheer rawness and brutality draw you in immediately, refusing to release. Walking in her footsteps, we soon realize that the fact that she is a child is often lost because she instantly becomes so much more.

This is a highly character driven account that presents a tale of the fight for survival through an amazing ensemble of individuals and lavish world construction. Lawrence has created a cast of children, Sisters and adversaries that manage to deliver on the grandest of scales.  While the gore and action are very much present, I found all emotions being fully accessed and tapped into to create a truly unique and provoking experience.

The plot manages to go beyond engaging as I found myself almost exhausted at times. I was completely immersed and committed to Nona and her personal battle. And it did feel very  personal. There are many things occurring within the Convent and out, but Nona’s internal struggle is a pilgrimage.

“Those that burn short burn bright. The shortest lives can cast the longest shadows.”

The world that Lawrence has constructed is elegant. The fluid transition of flawless narration between past memories and the present solidify this beautiful composition, adding a real sense of  depth and vastness that I have come to expect from true epic fantasies. An innovative magical system is set in place that is not only refined and well thought out, but captivating while carefully avoiding any unnecessary complexities.

I found myself in great admiration of the Lawrence’s ability to develop an amazingly strong yet imperfect world of female protagonists. The writing carries throughout each page with such ease, almost poetic at times, inviting your further. For all of the bleakness and dark, there is an amount of sophistication and poise present that make this a deeply gratifying and beautiful read.

“A single flame in the dark. A single note hanging in an empty place. A single sparkle upon a wind-rippled lake.”

Well polished and seductive, this is a story best left for the reader to discover and devour on their own accord. Red Sister tempts with many promises and delivers and caters to even the greatest of expectations. A gripping, yet open conclusion has left me yearning for more. I have fallen for Nona Grey in the most spectacular of ways.

*I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for this opportunity. The above review is my own, unbiased opinion.

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

So I read an ARC of Red Sister, by Mark Lawrence, back in December but I have been holding off talking about it because I wanted to review it closer to publication date, and because I needed to calm down a little so that this review wasn’t the word vomit equivalent of “go buy it now”. I like to think that Mark and I have a fairly interesting relationship in that I have moved from one of his loudest detractors to one of his larger fans. The Thorns trilogy was really not my thing, but I found The Red Queen’s War charming, fun, exciting, and very well written. When Mark announced that he had a new series coming out, in a completely new setting, I was excited. I looked forward to seeing if my enjoyment of Mark’s work would continue to grow, and maybe his new book would be his best yet. I was not ready for Red Sister.

Red Sister is of a fairly different style than Mark’s earlier books, but is still completely him. The book feels like the spiritual sibling to Name of the Wind and Blood Song, but might surpass them both for me.  The book tells the story of Nona, an orphan of sorts who enters into the Sisterhood - an order of battle nuns that specialize in training girls to be Sisters. Sisters are trained to be warriors, scholars, tacticians, and magic users all in the service of a well rounded education in being awesome. The book's plot is character driven, revolving solely around Nona’s life and various challenges and events that confront her and how she handles them. Mark has always been an excellent character writer, and a focus on this as the driving force of the book was an excellent choice - as he has only gotten better. The cast is fantastic, and the book places a large emphasis on friendship and the development of relationships that really struck home for me. Red Sister takes place in a magic school of sorts, and the teachers are some of the best since Harry Potter. Their charismatic classes, weird personalities, and clear love of their students nailed my guilty pleasure of magical schools when it comes to fantasy.

The characters are phenomenal, but the world is no slouch either. In traditional Lawrence style, there are some interesting things going on in the world that I won’t spoil, but the magic system might be one of my favorite of all time. The world of Red Sister has four ‘schools of magic/powers,’ each based on bloodlines. People of the world are descended from four distinct groups, each with their own powerful traits. While most individuals have had so much mixing they do not have the powers of any, a small collection are still able to access the powers, abilities, and traits of their ancestors. Some of these people can even access to more than one. Gerants are gigantic, hunskas can move at extreme speeds, marjals have small unique magic powers that remind me of the x-men, and quantals can manipulate energy around them to powerful effects. Nona is a hunska - but we see action from all four and the interplay between these groups is some of the most exciting reading I have done in a long time.

Speaking of Nona and her hunska abilities, the combat in this book is astoundingly good. Red Sister would do Joe Abercrombie proud and has some of, if not the, best fighting I have ever read. As mentioned, hunskas can move at extreme speeds but they also can perceive time more slowly allowing them to assess their fighting as it happens. Nona’s ability to have an inner monologue of analysis while she is fighting for her life enhance the thrill and adrenaline of fights greatly. In one particular scene involving a test, I got so immersed in what was happening my significant other started shaking me because I had started screaming aloud without realizing it. The combat is that good.

Red Sister also feels like a kinder and more mature book than Mark’s earlier work. While it is not as grim or dark as his first two trilogies, it is certainly not a bastion of sunshine. In the past I have had minor difficulty following the plot of some of Mark’s books, but Red Sister strikes the perfect balance of keeping you in the know and letting mystery build. The book grounds you in the world, establishes the status quo quickly, but then centers you on Nona’s life as a focus. This allows for a great structure, but also leaves tons of room for Mark to improvise to keep things interesting (which he does in spades). In line with this, Red Sister tells a very full and satisfying story but it only feels like the tip of the iceberg. On finishing the last page I got the sense that he is just getting started and it is only going to get better from here.

I don’t actually have any criticisms for Red Sister. It is always possible for a book to be better, but I personally can’t think of a way I would improve Mark’s newest creation. It is definitely going to be a contender for my number one spot of 2017 and I suspect it is going to sweep the awards this year. 2017, the gauntlet has been thrown and the challenge has been sounded. Red Sister has set the bar high for fantasy this year and we shall have to see if anyone can meet it. The Quill to Live unequivocally recommends Red Sister by Mark Lawrence, go buy it now.

Rating: Red Sister - 10/10

Today I will be reviewing Red Sister by Mark Lawrence

A copy of this book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own. Thanks to the wonderful people over at Ace Roc Books and Netgalley.

AHHH, were to start on this review? This is a hard book to review for me. A book I was long looking forward to, from my favorite author no less. Unfortunately it was a disappointment. Yes I said it, I still can’t believe it is so. I am not here to bash this book, it was not a bad book, in fact it is a pretty damn good book. I am sure it will be very popular and do very well. It was just not a book for me.

I can hear it now, so explain yourself Mr. MightyThorJRS. So I will try. The first 80% of this book or so was, well, boring for me. It was a struggle to make it through. A monotonous coming of age, Convent/training/studies, outcast/chosen one, type of beginning that had me questioning my will to continue. The cast of characters offered nothing in the way to help keep my attention. No one stood out or demanded I take notice. The world building is well done and the magic system is interesting. The book of course is well written, Mark Lawrence is too great for it not to be. It just did not work for me. The last 20% or so is absolutely fabulous. The action and story finally come to a head and there is somewhat of a payoff for slogging though all the boring in the beginning. Not enough to completely save the book for me, but definitely enough for me to be excited for the next installment. I am truly looking forward to the next book in this series, now that all the boring is out of the way (hopefully) the characters can get down to business.

In conclusion, like I said not a bad book by any means just not a book for me. Mark has written my favorite books and series. He is my favorite author, and will continue to be. This Book is not those books or series. It should not have to be compared to those. Mark has proven he is not afraid to go outside of what people might expect of him. He can’t be expected to stay in others comfort zones of what they think they want in a Mark Lawrence book. I hope me not loving this book does not hinder anyone from reading it. You should read it, form your own opinion. I am sure many will love it. Like I said to another huge Mark fan recently on social media, I will give it some time and reread this book, by the end of the series I will probably be shouting my love for this series. But for now, this book was not for me. Not every book is written for me, or my taste, and I am okay with that.

As you know if you have read my reviews before I am not about long reviews with synopsis and spoilers. I just give my opinion on my experience with this book and you can take it from there. Now on to the next book.

I think I will go with 3.5 stars, 3 for the first 80% and five for the last 20%. Does that average out? Ah well!

3.5/5 STARS - MightyThorJRS

All of my reviews can be found here: https://mightythorjrs.wordpress.com/