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Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Blog Tour- Dark Triumph by RL LaFevers and a Giveaway!



Hey y’all! Today is an awesome day!!!! I adored Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers and Dark Triumph was a highly anticipated sequel! If you want to read my review of Dark Triumph you can go HERE. But what’s so cool about today is Robin has sent me the coolest post about medieval assassins!!! I love the whole assassin aspect of this series so I couldn’t wait to share this post with you!

Oh and make sure you look below! I have TWO giveaways!!!!

Here’s some info about Dark Triumph!


Dark Triumph
Robin LaFevers
Release Date: April 2, 2013
Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for ChildrenGoodreads/Amazon/Barnes & Noble/The Book Depository

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.

Now on to the awesome guest post!
 Medieval Assassinations

The mythos of the assassin fascinates even as it horrifies. Fascinates because it allows for the actions of one to bring down a corrupt or tyrannical regime that has no avenue of redress for those not in power. It horrifies because the sudden actions of one can threaten an entire nation’s stability.
        
Something to keep in mind about assassination is that by their very definition they are political in nature. Assassination is murder specifically for political gain; it’s what sets those deaths aside from other deaths and it’s what separates assassins from serial killers, which is why the His Fair Assassin books are set against the backdrop of 15th century Brittany.

It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that our political discourse and disagreement has never been more bitter and divisive. And while it is bad, there have been many periods in history that were equally—if not more—vitriolic and downright nasty. The Middle Ages were not only a politically raw and power hungry time, but the average citizen had very little say in matters of government.

Many of the leaders of medieval kingdoms and dynasties were on the tail end of adolescence—or younger. William, Duke of Normandy, later known as William the Conqueror of England, was only seven years old when he became duke. Charles VII of France was nineteen when he was crowned king, and Louis I, became Duke of Orleans at the ripe old age of twenty. All that power un-tempered by age or wisdom was a heady thing and ripe for abuse. Assassination was an oft-used tool in their arsenal.

In fact, assassination was part of early Brittany’s history as it feuded with the neighboring duchy of Normandy. In the 11th century, there were a series of assassinations, mostly striking dukes of Brittany and most attributed to the political aspirations of William, Duke of Normandy, eventually known as William the Conqueror. Poisoned gloves, hunting horn, and a horse’s bridle were all said to have been ways poison was administered to his enemies.

Many years later when William the Conqueror thought to finally heal the feud between the two duchies, he gave his daughter Constance in marriage to Alain IV of Brittany.

It didn’t work. Four years later, she, too, died of poison.

To be effective, assassins must know things—different ways to kill, where to strike, how to blend in, how to pass unobserved. The assassin must not only know those things, but then have the skill to pull them off, because let’s face it, knowledge does not always equal skill. But possessing both the knowledge and the skill inferred some power, power over their own lives, their governance, their safety and the well being of their loved ones.

In the middle ages, almost all of the traditional avenues of power were closed to women. In a time when women were not allowed any say in their own lives, not who they married or what they did with their lives, the acquisition of this rare and arcane knowledge would be quite seductive. The art of assassination also mimicked the nature of death itself. Swift and silent, often striking without warning, and one of the few arenas where one’s wealth or status was no guarantee of safety.


Awesome and informative right?? Love this!!!!

About RL LaFevers:
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.

Where you can find Robin:

And the giveaway! We have a shared giveaway going on throughout the whole blog tour supplied by Robin US Only! It’s a bottle of Poison nail polish, a dagger necklace, and the necklace pictured below. And also HMH has given me a paperback of Grave Mercy and a hardcover of Dark Triumph to give away as well! US and Canada! So good luck!






a Rafflecopter giveaway




And my giveaway!
a Rafflecopter giveaway



I may be the final day on the tour but check out all of the previous dates for more awesome guest posts, excerpts, and reviews!!!!
 4/3/2013- Tales of a Ravenous Reader    Interview
4/4/2013- Books Over Boys Interview
4/5/2013- Fiktshun Guest Post- Bluebeard
4/6/2013- Rebecca's Book Blog Excerpt
4/7/2013- A Backwards Story        Excerpt
4/8/2013- Jenna Does Books Guest Post- The Charbonerie and the Dark Mother
4/9/2013- Burgandy Ice                          Interview
4/10/2013- Two Chicks on Books     Guest Post- Medieval Assassins

38 comments:

  1. I've heard many many great things about this book series, especially grave mercy, and it's been on my TBR shelf for a long time... I just never had the time to read it... Awesome guest post~

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  2. Grave Mercy was amazing and Dark Triumph was an equally fantastic follow-up. What beautiful additions these would be to my bookshelves. Lovely guest post!

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  3. I just discovered this series and am dying to read this book! Can't wait hope I win! Cheers!

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  4. I'm a huge fan!!! Cannot wait to get my hands on Dark Triumph :-)

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  5. I read the first book and can't wait to read this one!

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  6. This series is really awesome! I cannot wait to read the second book! Thank you so much for this amazing chance and good luck with all future endeavors!

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  7. I'm really looking forward to starting this series! :) thanks for the chance to get my hands on copies. Great post... and yes, very informative! :)

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  8. Thanks for the fun post! I'm dying to read this series! Thanks for sharing :)

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  9. I'm currently reading Dark Triumph and OHMYGOD!! I can't stop reading it! So incredibly good! Thanks for the giveaways!!

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  10. I cannot wait to read Dark Triumph! Grave Mercy was amazing and I've heard some amazing things about this one! Thanks for the giveaway <3

    Jasmine

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  11. I absolutely adored Grave Mercy and am really excited for Dark Triumph. There's just so much background knowledge to the series, and it really shows in the writing! You can definitely tell that a lot of research has been put into it, but it's also not overpowering. The atmosphere was one of my favorite points in Grave Mercy.

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  12. I loved Grave Mercy. I can't wait to Read Dark Triumph. The setting in this series is so much fun to be immersed in.

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  13. I adore this series and such rich and deep characters. I love that they are assassins.

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  14. I actually already read it. As soon as it came out. It was so good and now I'm dying to read the next one!!!!

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  15. Robin you are awesome!!!! I love everything you write and your crazy assassin's! Your one of my favorite authors.

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  16. I can't wait to read this especially since all the reviews are +s!!!

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  17. Loved Grave Mercy and can't wait to read Sybelle's story - she sounds like a complex character!

    Thanks,
    Leanne

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  18. I really enjoyed Grave Mercy and really want to read Dark Triumph. All the review's for this seem to be really awesome too. Love the guest post.

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  19. I loved Grave Mercy..one of the best books I've read. Can't wait to read Dark Triumph! Thanks for the giveaway!

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  20. I LOVE THAT NECKLACE! It's gorgeous. Thank you so much for all of the giveaways! This tour has been a joy to follow. I can't wait to read Dark Triumph! <3

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  21. Absolutely looking forward to more from this series. It's really refreshing so far.

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  22. I never got around to finishing GRAVE MERCY (was in a contemporary mood at the time), but I've been meaning to get back to it and read DARK TRIUMPH. It sounds so good! :D Thanks for the giveaway, HMH, Robin, and Jaime! :D

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  23. Thanks for the guest post and giveaway! Excited to read Dark Triumph. :)

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  24. Thanks for writing this awesome series!

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  25. Your books are so amazing!

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  26. As always, I love learning more about the historical facts that support Ismae and Sybella's world. Awesome post!

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  27. I have heard a lot of good things about this series so I can't wait to read it :)

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  28. I'm looking forward to Dark Triumph very much. Thanks for hosting this giveaway.

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  29. I NEED to get my hands on this book! So many raves, homg its too much!

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  30. i have read a lot about the serie ...... thanks for the giveaway .... almendra in the rafflecopter

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  31. I can't wait to get started on these books! I've heard such amazing things about Grave Mercy!! Thanks for the great giveaway and chance to win

    Jolene A

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  32. This is such a great giveaway!! I've been wanting to read Grave Mercy for over a year and really have NO excuse as to why I still haven't done it!! Especially since historical fiction has always been one of my top two favorite genres. Well, at least now I'll be able to read books 1 and 2 back-to-back, which is what I prefer to do anyway :) and I sure would live to own both of them!! This has been a great tour, I've visited every stop; thanks for being a part of it!

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  33. I can't wait! Sybella seems like she would be a kick-ass assassin to read about. Thanks for the guest post. This time period is so interesting.

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  34. This is such a cool idea for a story. I'd love to read about an assassin nun :D

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  35. I absolutely LOVED Grave Mercy and cannot wait for Dark Triumph! Thanks for the giveaway!

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  36. This one sounds interesting! Love the cover. May have to check it out! Thanks for sharing!Clipping Path service

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