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)