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The second book in The Book of The Ancestor trilogy called Grey Sister (Click here to buy it*) is an enjoyable read. Written by the great Mark Lawrence known for his Broken Empire trilogy continues his exploration of the grim dark fantasy genre. And will be hard to beat for my book of the year. I’m going to try to keep spoilers to a minimum.
Should you read this book? If you loved the Red Sister then yes you must certainly read this one to see how Nona grows as a character, and how the world conspires against her. If you haven’t, there is a great introduction that explains all the core points of the first book. Even so I would recommend reading the first book.
Nona, The Grey Sister
Grey Sister continues the story of Nona. A young girl who after a number of unfortunate events found her way into the convent of Sweet Mercy. Unlike other convents, this one trains it’s nuns in the ways of assassination. Think of it as a school for Assassins. There are various ranks of nuns and Nona at the beginning of the book advances to the next rank.
What I enjoyed of this book over the first book, is the feeling of belonging. In the first book, Nona was very alone even when she joined the convent. She did make a few friends but that came to an abrupt end. By the end of Grey Sister, Nona has many more friends, feels like the convent is home and even calls one of the teachers a friend. It’s a great reprieve from the dark cloud that overshadows Nona which I am glad Lawrence included.
Nona is also haunted by a demon called Keot. He plays a huge part in her life since Red Sister. If she is discovered to possess such a demon, bye-bye Convent.
Nona, The Enemy Maker
Even so, Nona still continues to make enemies though far fewer than in the first book Red Sister (Click here to buy it*). A rivalry develops between her and another nun. A nun that has it all, money and abilities that are enviable. She makes an enemy of Nona on the first day they meet and this continues throughout Grey Sister. This rivalry continues to grow and I didn’t see the end result coming. It was an unfair result but not an unbelievable one. And this was just a sub plot.
Nona, The Avenger
Nona’s real goal is to avenge her fallen friend Hessa and also return a Shipheart to the convent. A Shipheart is an artefact from long ago that holds incredible power than boosts those that are close to it. At the start of Grey Sister, it’s all Nona can think about and is her singular thought. Schoolwork comes second and she even risks expulsion to meet her goal. Towards the end of the book Nona as a revelation that changes all that. It’s a very rewarding aspect of the book and Lawrence layers all the plots skilfully on top of each other.
Abbess, The Convent’s Leader
This book splits in two, half told from the viewpoint of Nona and the other by Abbess The Convent’s leader. Abbess viewpoint is far less focused and instead she has a more worldly viewpoint. She serves the Ancestor but also her Nuns. Even when Nona seems to be running headfirst into trouble.
Initially Abbess’ chapters are quite slow going but make a nice reprieve from Nona’s fast paced chapters. However, just like Nona’s chapters, they start to ramp up in pace and in drama until the very end. You learn to respect Abbess even with her misgivings. She knows her limits as well as how the world works. She’s a puppeteer that uses her pieces as she can while trying to protect them all.
My initial view was oh no another character to detract from Nona’s chapters. But I did enjoy them as they went along and are very important to the overall story.
Kettle, The Teacher.
Towards the end of the book, Nona’s chapters then further split into two viewpoints. Nona links with Kettle so that they can’t lose each other when they delve into the abyss. Think The Skill from the Robin Hobb’s books. Being able to view the world through another’s eyes.
From the events of the first book, Sister Kettle is corrupted and is able to wield the darkness. She knows it won’t be long until she is kicked out of the Convent so she does what she can for Nona. As we explore more of her life we start to feel for her and she no longer feels like a teacher unlike the other Sisters. Just like the Abbess she will do anything to protect those that come under her care.
How I Feel Now
I really can’t wait to get stuck into the final book of the trilogy. The ending was epic and I can’t wait to see what happens to all the characters that I have grown to love. Nona now feels like she belongs somewhere so will that change her willingness to do everything in her power to accomplish her goals.
Grey Sister is a great read and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys the darker side of fantasy. 4/5
Grey Sister
The second book in The Book of The Ancestor trilogy called Grey Sister (Click here to buy it*) is an enjoyable read. Written by the great Mark Lawrence known for his Broken Empire trilogy continues his exploration of the grim dark fantasy genre. And will be hard to beat for my book of the year. I’m going to try to keep spoilers to a minimum.
URL: https://thesciencefantasy.com/why-you-need-to-read-grey-sister-in-2022/
Author: Mark Lawrence
4
English