Dark Triumph picks up where Grave Mercy left off: Medieval Brittany faces a war on two fronts--one from the French, who strive to conquer it, and one from rebel nobles within, who seek to control the thirteen-year-old duchess who currently rules the country. The Sisters of Mortain, handmaidens to Death and expertly skilled assassins, are all the stand between the Duchess and certain defeat. This volume follows Sybella, the troubled young noblewoman we met in the first book, as she strives to hold on to her fragile sanity while getting close enough to kill the rebel leader--her own father.
This book was the title I was most excited about from ALA, so that might color my review a bit. Sybella is a fascinating character, with a lot more darkness in her than Ismae (our heroine from Grave Mercy); by the time we meet her, Sybella has already tried to take her own life once, and only her quest for vengeance against her father keeps her from trying a second time. As the story unfolds, we get more glimpses at what Sybella has suffered at the hands of her own family (they make the Lannisters look warm and fuzzy). Then she gets her new mission: free a prisoner who's being held in her father's dungeon. The ensuing escape is the meat of the book, and I won't ruin it for you by going into too much detail. This book comes out in April, and you should move it to the top of your to-read list!
I got an ARC of that too. I gave it to my library director though.
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