After being rescued from her abusive new husband as a young teenager, Ismae learns she is Death’s daughter and sent to live with others who share her lineage at the convent of St. Mortain. She is trained as an assassin and taught that the work she does in the service of Death is noble. But is she really just a political pawn? That question begins to torment Ismae when she’s sent to carry out her latest mission, at Brittany’s high court. She’s there under the ruse of being betrothed to Duval, brother to the young duchess. When the mark of Mortain appears on Duval, identifying him as her next target, Ismae is torn between duty and treachery: She is falling in love with Duval and believes she can trust him, which means she can’t trust everything she’s learned. Ismae is determined to serve Death her own way by story’s end in a novel full of intrigue, romance, and duplicity, and destined to be continued. Ismae is one of several female characters who showcase many kinds of strength, some of them unexpected. (Age 14 and older)

Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?

Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts--and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.
Ismae's most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany--where she finds herself woefully under prepared--not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death's vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?