Red Sister

Title: Red Sister

Author:  Mark Lawrence

Publisher: Harper Voyager

Pages: 499

Format Read: Paperback

This was a dark and engrossing read. Young Nona Grey lives in a harsh, unforgiving world, and at eight she is accused of murder. Children are not spared punishment and she finds herself condemned…until a strange abbess turns up and enrols her in the Convent of Sweet Mercy. There, Nona begins her training to become a nun – but not one dedicated to the scriptures. Red Sisters are trained to become exceptional assassins.

The story is unsettling and violent, and the children of the Convent of Sweet Mercy aren’t exactly allowed to be children. They are rigorously trained and they speak a lot like adults. A little immersion breaking, maybe, but not wholly unexpected given the environment they live in.

Nona Grey, the protagonist, manages to seem both childlike and precocious. She is also exceptionally skilled and an enigma to her peers. She is wildly unpredictable and holds friendship in high regard – but not all her friends are as she believes them to be. A strange character to be sure, and her emotions run raw and visceral as she discovers her abilities and navigates her new life in the Convent. This isn’t a life of luxury…learning alchemical poisons might just mean getting poisoned yourself. By the teacher.

And of course, she has been accused of murder. That is an event that follows her throughout the story, because she has made enemies at eight. They stalk her and try to seize her. Nona, child as she is, is not without her nightmares and moments of doubt. She does not run away from her inner conflicts and is forced to confront them. Also, strange things are happening around her and she finds herself drawn into conflict.

There is also some science fiction here that I enjoyed. The world of Abeth, for example, and its peculiar moon. Stories of how the current inhabitants arrived. I’m not going into spoilers, but these bits were fascinating to read about.

Red Sister is part of a series and you do get the feeling that there is a lot more to be said as the story continues in the next book. I’m looking forward to reading it.