Saturday, April 6, 2013

Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers Blog Tour - Excerpt & Giveaway



I absolutely LOVED Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers, so I am very excited to be part of the blog tour for the second book in the series, Dark Triumph. In addition to an exciting excerpt, I have two great contests - one is just for my tour stop, while the other is shared across all the tour stops.



Sybella arrives at the convent’s doorstep half mad with grief and despair. Those that serve Death are only too happy to offer her refuge—but at a price. Naturally skilled in both the arts of death and seduction, the convent views Sybella as one of their most dangerous weapons.

But those assassin’s skills are little comfort when the convent returns her to a life that nearly drove her mad. Her father’s rage and brutality are terrifying, and her brother’s love is equally monstrous. And while Sybella is a weapon of justice wrought by the god of Death himself, He must give her a reason to live. When she discovers an unexpected ally imprisoned in the dungeons, will a daughter of Death find something other than vengeance to live for?

This heart-pounding sequel to Grave Mercy serves betrayal, treachery, and danger in equal measure, bringing readers back to fifteenth century Brittany and will keep them on the edge of their seats.




About Robin:
Robin LaFevers was raised on a steady diet of fairy tales, Bulfinch’s mythology, and 19th century poetry. It
is not surprising she grew up to be a hopeless romantic.
 
Though she has never trained as an assassin or joined a convent, she did attend Catholic school for three years, which instilled in her a deep fascination with sacred rituals and the concept of the Divine. She has been on a search for answers to life’s mysteries ever since.

While many of those answers still elude her, she was lucky enough to find her one true love, and is living happily ever after with him in the foothills of southern California.

In addition to writing about teen assassin nuns in medieval Brittany, she writes books for middle grade readers, including the Theodosia books and the Nathaniel Fludd, Beastologist series. You can learn more about those books at www.rllafevers.com


Excerpt from Dark Triumph:

The gardens are deserted, since no one else is fool enough to venture out to this raw, barren spot. I take a slow breath and revel in the solitude. I am forever attended by someone — my ladies in waiting, my brothers, the various hangers-on of my father’s court — and I crave solitude. That and freedom. I glance overhead and try to recapture that soaring feeling I had when my falcon launched from my wrist, but I cannot.

 Instead, an irritable caw brings me back to earth as Monsieur Crow lands on a branch before me, then cocks his head, as if wondering why I have taken so long.
 “You’re a fine one to talk,” I scold him, but he knows I do not mean it and hops close. As I move toward the branch, I see that the note is wrapped tightly around his ankle and covered with black wax so that someone would have to be very close in order to see he bore a message.
 I slip my knife from its sheath, and the bird gives a caw of objection. “I have no other way to get it off, you silly creature.” A quick snip and a slice, then wax crumbles and I am able to unwind the note from his leg. As I shove it into the knife sheath at my wrist, the crow looks to me for a reward. “I have nothing for you today — I am sorry. Now go. Quickly! Before you get us both killed.” I flap my hands at him and he hops but one bush away. “Hsst!” I say, and with a caw of reproach, he launches into the sky and disappears over the castle wall.
 “Talking to the crows, my lady?”
Bertrand de Lur’s deep voice nearly causes me to jump. Instead, I use the startled movement to swing gracefully around and face him.
 “That will earn you a reputation of witchcraft,” he says.
 I tilt my head and smile mockingly at him. “Do they not say that already?”
He inclines his head, conceding the point. “Even so, it is not safe for you to be out here alone, my lady.” While his voice is rich and cultivated, there is something about the way he says my lady that makes the words feel like a slur. Or perhaps it just seems that way because his lust is so thick it reaches out and enfolds me like a mantle. How long has he felt this way?
 “Where are your attendants?” he asks, his voice hard.
 Even though I do not care for Jamette, I cannot surrender her to the threat I see lurking in his eyes. “I ordered them from my side. I have a headache and wanted fresh air.”
 He glances around at the secluded section of garden, his eyes missing nothing. “I would think my lady’s beauty would attract a nightingale or a linnet, not a bedraggled crow.” He steps closer then, and for the first time I grow wary. Does he think me such damaged goods that he can take liberties without fear of reprisal from my father?
 “It is not safe to be alone out here, not with all the men-at-arms we have posted. Any one of them might come upon you and be moved to take advantage of your unattended solitude.” He takes another step toward me.
 Because I want to back away from him, I force myself to move forward until there is but a  handbreadth between us. I gaze steadily into eyes. “Do you really think any of the men would be so foolish as to risk my father’s wrath in such a way? Surely they would not wish to see their guts strung up from the castle walls?”
 There is a long moment of silence, then finally he nods. “Your point is well taken. Come, I am to escort you to your lord father.”
 

Contest #1 - A paperback of Grave Mercy and a hardcover of Dark Triumph. This contest is exclusive to my tour stop. US/Canada only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Contest #2 - a prize back from the author. US only.



 





21 comments:

Anonymous said...

I really want to read this series because of the unique plot. I love the idea of this book series and would love to read it :) Thank you so much for this amazing giveaway!

Unknown said...

I am absolutely looking forward to reading Dark Triumph. Thanks for the giveaway!

Anonymous said...

Yes, I do want to red this series! I already bought the eBook of Grave Mercy when it was on sale at Amazon. So I'm DYING to read this series~! :) Thanks for the giveaway!

Alyssa said...

Why NOT?!

But seriously, I love Grave Mercy. I love historical fiction, and Grave Mercy was my all-time favorite book of last year.

Thank you for the giveaway!

A.J. said...

I love the series! I don't own copies though, so I would love to enter. :)

Unknown said...

The book looks really good, I actually haven't had a chance to read Grave Mercy yet. ;-; cause I fail...kay? But they look really good and my friend has read it and said it was fantastic.

So I definitely looking forward to a chance to read both Grave Mercy and Dark Triumph.

tammy216 said...

I have already read the first book in this series and I absolutely loved it. I am excited to see the story through Sybella's eyes in this book. Thank you for the giveaway :)

Vivien said...

I really liked Grave Mercy!! Assassins are bloody awesome to read about. I have been waiting for the sequel for months!

Christina said...

I love how unique this series is, and Beast was probably my favorite character from Grave Mercy. How cool is it that he and Sybella get their own book??

Paint the Sky With Stars said...

Loved Grave Mercy, looking forward to Dark Triumph. :)

Ntzee said...

Who wouldn't want to read this series? It's freakin AWESOME!! =)

Unknown said...

I've already read the first book and it was amazing!!

Unknown said...

I think the ? is why would I not want to read this series. The first book= amazing! I could not put it down! I unfortunately do not have a copy for myself so it would be amazing to win it and the SECOND ONE! Thank you so much!

Unknown said...

This series is about assassin? I am in!!

Maidenveil said...

I've read Grave Mercy and I loved it!!! I like reading fantasy and I have fascinations about assassins. :D

Sarah said...

I am excited to read Dark Triumph to see if it continues Grave Mercy's story or tell it from Sybella's point of view.

Anonymous said...

I'm stalking the internet in hopes of winning a copy of this book. I just discovered the series and fell in love with it. Thanks for hosting!

Lena said...

This book looks awesome!

Holly Bryan said...

Thank you for this! I've been wanting to read Grave Mercy for over a year and have NO EXCUSE for having gone this long without doing so!! But I'm excited that at least book 2 is out now and I can read them back-to-back. My two favorite genres are and have always been historical fiction and fantasy, so this series that sort of blends the two sounds PERFECT to me. I've got ALL my fingers crossed for this!!

Jessy said...

I read the first book and loved it, so naturally I need to get my hands on the second book.

Unknown said...

I've been really interested in reading this series for a long time. I love that she is an assassin! Thank you for the giveaway! Fingers crossed that I win :)

 
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