Courting Darkness (Courting Darkness Duology, #1) by Robin LaFevers
Published by HMH Books for Young Readers on February 5th 2019
ISBN: 0544991192
Pages: 498
Goodreads

This dark and lusty tale set in 1489 begins where the His Fair Assassins series ends with the same sharply drawn characters, passionate decisions and political betrayals that made the series popular with historical fiction fans.  Told in first person in alternating episodic chapters, Sybella and Genevieve are both trained assassins from the convent of Mortain, the god of Death, with different roles and gifts.  Sybella and her lover, Beast of Waroch, protect the Duchess of Brittany as she travels to France to marry King Charles in order to bring peace to the nations.  Sybella has the added burden of protecting herself and her two younger sisters from Pierre d’Albret, her dangerous brother, while trying to locate an ally in the French court whom she has never met.  Genevieve has been in deep undercover in the French court for so long without a message or instruction from the convent that she takes matters in her own hands for developing her gifts and finding her way to stay faithful to Mortain.  Poisons, sword fights, knives, arrows and the evil intentions of those hungry for power pulsate throughout this historical based romance.  Not recommending for cream of the crop due to this being a spin-off of the His Fair Assassins series and reading that series will enrich and explain many complicated plot threads and identities.  Due to the complex historical situations and the passionate love making, suggest for mature High School readers or new adult readers.

Reviewed by Sheila Dube, Springvale Public Library