Dark Triumph (His Fair Assassin, #2) by Robin LaFevers

I normally do not like historical fantasy. Honestly, I would have never read the 1st book if it wasn't free. But Grave Mercy was such a entertaining read and I really had no clue who the 'bad' person. I was very pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed it. In fact, I enjoyed Grave Mercy so much, that I tossed ALL the other books that are my reading list aside and purchased Dark Triumph the day it came out. I have a history background and it usually drives me crazy the liberties that people take. LaFevers does a satisfying job of balancing the history and fantasy aspect in both books. 

Dark Triumph begins with Sybella warning Ismae and the duchess, risking the exposure of her true loyalties. It is not an inviting beginning for new readers. Who the characters are, their relationships to each other, who is important and why is not explained. The religion of LaFevers alternate Brittany is not explained either, thus new readers must puzzle out who Mortain is and how his handmaidens work for themselves. Some may wish for a small refresher on the world, however I thought this was refreshing. Too many authors spend too much times doing recaps when all you want them to do is get to the good stuff.

Sybella isn't instantly likeable like Isame but as her backstory is revealed throughout the book, the reader begins to understand why Sybella is the way that she is. In addition to espionage, murder, and sabotage, Dark Triumph features a daring rescue and perilous fighting across the countryside. Truth be told, the perilous fight scenes are a bit over the top and not very believable. But that does not reduce the entertainment value of this book.

I've said this once and I will say it again, not all books can be The Hunger Games nor do they have to. Was this the BEST book ever? No. But that does not take away how enjoyable it is.