This book was really good. It exceeded my expectations. I loved the character development we saw and definitely think it deserves more hype

This book starts directly after the ending in the first book in this series. In book one, we have met the main characters in this battle between Brittany and France and the fight that  the Duchess, now Queen, is undertaking against the AWFUL and evil Regent of France who is NOT going to give away her power if she can help it. 

What I enjoyed the most from this book was the way the "team" got together to work together - even though they were going against the King who was being stupidly obstinate - to save Brittany from the double cross attempt of Rohan along with the English.  I will say though, that it was also EXTREMELY frustrating to see the King being so blind to the manipulation going on from his supposed TRUSTED advisors of his Privy Council. Granted, he was  a young and inexperienced King but he had so much potential to be a good King, but had not yet made the step to embark on that journey. Our team had representatives of the many of the Nine, who each had awesome and different powers given to them by their gods to make a one of a kind team of fighters. 

This book also showcases the deep relationships that abounded between all of our heroes. We see Maraud thrilled to see Beast, Lazare willing to work with the archers, the archers willing to guard the sisters of Sybella,  Sybella and Gen developing a relationship as sisters,  and Gen realizing that her powers were so much more than she could have ever hoped for...all in all, what a wonderful team with wonderful skills.

Again, this book was a book in the Historical Fiction genre and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. My prior experience with a favorite book series  in this genre is the Outlander series and while this series does not overtake this as my favorite, it is still up there in terms of my enjoyment.

I was really excited to get approved for this boom even though I haven't read the other books in this series yet! The writing was magical and I was able to follow the different POV even though I hadn't had a chance to read the other books yet. This book pulled me in and I'm now in the process of reading the other books in this series.

I read just a little sneak peek and this out sounds great!

I can't wait to read the rest! And that cover is gorgeous

The first book in this series (which is actually a follow up to Grave Mercy series) was a fantastic, action-filled story filled with political intrigue, assassin nuns, and surprising curves (all the right kinds in all the right places!).  Igniting Darkness jumps directly back into the fray, which might be a little jogging for readers who have waited awhile between these two books. The netgally offering is only a sample, but shows that this second book is going to be just as intricate and well-played as the first.

Interesting premise. Likable/hated characters. Cool plot. I would recommend this story to others. Some spots I found that didn't hold my attention, but overall, I still liked it.

I wish I had been given a copy of the first book to have read beforehand as I think definitely reading that first would have helped a whole lot than going in blind to a world that is already set up.

From this book and what I could make up the world that has been created is extremely good and the characters are well crafted.

The pacing was good and the chapters didn’t drag on and on which when that happens it can be an absolute ball ache. I would be very intrigued in reading this like I said from the beginning but from what I got from this book I think it would have made an impressive duology.

I gave it a 3.5 star rating but had I have read the first book this could have been higher with a much lengthier insight in my review

The richness and depth of the world building from the very beginning, is so intense, intrigue just drips off the page. Already a fan of Robin LaFevers' work, yet again LaFevers provides excellent storytelling looking forward to reading the rest of this book. 

I will say its complex so diving in can be a bit hard but a well worth getting thru the first 10 pages, and  smart tough women navigating the intricacies of politics gender roles is so deftly handled. And a dash of mysticism and its an excellent read.

This series is my first experience reading something by Robin LaFevers, As it is a sampler, there's not too much I can go into. However, I really enjoyed this sampler! I think it continued smoothly from the last one, and I definitely wanted more after I finished. I can't wait to get the full book!

I was given an e-copy sample of this novel by NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased and honest opinion.

I have never read any books by Robin LaFevers. I also was not aware that this e-copy was only a sample of the book, instead of the book itself. With all of that in mind, I have to say that I enjoyed what I had. It is obvious, however, that the book picks up where the first left off. There are mentions of events in the previous novel, but without that knowledge, I admit to feeling lost and confused. 

In order to better understand what I have read, I would need to start at the beginning. So I must remove a star because the book was a sample, but will add this series to a long list of books waiting to be read.

Enjoyable sampler that sets the stage for what is coming. Though the sampler was short, it demonstrates that this book picks up right where the last left off with many twists and turns to come.

I had the opportunity to read an excerpt and what I read I liked so far.

It’s intriguing and leaves you wanting to read more.

Awesome definitely recommend this for your tbr pile

This sampler contains the first 11 chapters of the final installment of Courting Darkness/His Fair Assassin Series.  This picks up where Courting Darkness leaves off and continues to follow Genevieve and Sybella as they navigate the politics of the French court and the dangers within.  The both have to wrestle with their duties as novitiates of the convent of Saint Mortain, their loyalty to the Duchess of Brittany soon to be Queen of France, loyalty to the crown of France, and their own personal desires and conflicts.  The girls are caught up in what can only be described as a live match of chess and the loser will pay dearly.

I've since gone on to finish the entire book and I was not disappointed!  This sampler give you a small glimpse of what happens in this finale of the series.  This is jam packed with historical references, political intrigue, deception, friendship, and a bit of romance.  

I would not recommend starting with this book as it heavily relies on information from the previous book.  You could potentially begin with Courting Darkness, but I feel that beginning with Grave Mercy and reading the original trilogy would give the reader a much richer reading experience.  The author does a good job filling in gaps to make the duology stand on it's own, but the reader would gain a much greater understanding of the convent, the politics, and the events of the past by reading the original trilogy.

I got a copy of this book as an arc from NetGally. I read the first book in this series and couldnt wait to read this book. It was a great read and continues the story great. I can't wait to read the next book. I would recommend this book to everyone.

WOW, just WOW!!!!  This book, OMG this book & series are EVERYTHING!!!  What a superb ending to not only the duology, Courting Darkness, but the original trilogy series, His Fair Assassin.  There is action, love, as well as political intrigue and machinations, together with battles and, of course, assassinations.  All the story arcs are brilliant, but the women are what makes this book, and both series magnificent.  Together, Sybella, Genevieve and Queen Anne are a force to be reckoned with and I would not bet against them.  

Oh, Sybella is one badass botch!!!  What a great, fabulous and absolutely fantastic story arc.  She is everything you would ever want in a lead main character, smart, funny, strong, vulnerable, and a survivor.  Her relationship with Beast is just as endearing as it ever was.  He devotion, love and respect to Sybella is palpable.  They give you all the feels.  EEEEKKKK!!!! 

Genevieve, she too has a terrific story arc as she comes into herself more in this installment.  She owns her mistakes and learns from them.  Genevieve’s journey from feeling forgotten and lost to finally trusting Sybella and in her training showed her maturity and growth as a character.  Through that growth, she can trust her instincts when it matters.  Genevieve and Sybella make a fantastic team and you cannot help but to root for them.   

Queen Anne, former Duchess of Brittany, is cunning, strong, and loyal for a girl in her mid-teens.  She goes through hell because of the King and his sister, but through sheer determination and a wee bit of luck, she triumphs over her enemies with the assistance of Sybella and Genevieve.  

There are also several amazing minor characters that help move the story along, which by the end comes together flawlessly.  If you cannot tell, I loved this book as well as the four (4) previous book and was very sad to come to the end of my time in this world.  Do yourself a favor and read this series.  You will not be disappointed you did, you will only disappointed when you have read the last word of the last book in this story. 

One word of caution, this series contains violence, domestic abuse, and sexual assault.  Please be sure to read all the trigger warnings as the ones I have listed may not be all of them.  In my opinion, this book and the series is more new adult / adult dark fantasy historical romance than YA. 

Please note, I received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

I really, really, really enjoyed this book. I felt it was much more cohesive than the previous one and I love books much more where 'team Good' isn't separated. The power dynamic between Sybella and Gen was so fun to navigate and the story was so clearly FIGHT THE PATRIARCHY which I absolutely adored. One of the villains is noted as being the hero of her own story and suffering from being undermined her entire life. 

I've always felt really connected to Sybella and her story and I enjoyed watching it go deeper and to show that despite the happy ending of the trilogy, she still has a lot of trauma and responsibilities to deal with. 

This book also discussed how dangerous privilege can be and how important it is to confront and hold those in power accountable for their actions. Related to this, though, is the part of the book that made me feel wildly uncomfortable. Long story short, Gen, like the champ she is, makes the king realise his privilege and that he is an abusive asshole which is AMAZING!! However, it seems like his newfound awareness excuses his actions for the last couple books and that is just so not okay (especially since he almost r*ped Gen and abuses his wife terribly). I loved the king being confronted with his privilege but it sets a terrible example that abusive behaviour is forgiven and fine once someone stops being actively abusive. This really was a downside for me because the book was so strong and really showcased the damage that those in power can do-- and the message was sullied by the king not really suffering any consequences for all the lives he put in danger.

I received an excerpt of this one and can't wait to read the rest of the book. I have enjoyed this whole series immensely and can't wait to see how this Duology ends.

Mistakenly downloaded this to realizing it was a sample. Did not read, will wait for the final book to be out.

Igniting Darkness by Robin LaFevers is the conclusion to the Courting Darkness duology, set in the world of Robin’s beloved His Fair Assassin trilogy. I am sad that I only have a sampler here- but (fair warning) I have been following this series from the beginning and love it more than I can properly express. 

When you count Death as a friend, who can stand as your enemy? Sybella, novitiate of the convent of Saint Mortain and Death’s vengeance on earth, is still reeling from her God’s own passing, and along with him a guiding hand in her bloody work. But with her sisters on the run from their evil brother and under the watchful eye of her one true friend (and love) at court, the soldier known as Beast, Sybella stands alone as the Duchess of Brittany’s protector. After months of seeking her out, Sybella has finally made contact with a fellow novitiate of the convent, Genevieve, a mole in the French court. But Sybella, having already drawn the ire of the French regent, may not be able to depend on her sister and ally as much as she hoped. Still, Death always finds a way, even if it’s not what one expects. No one can be trusted and the wolves are always waiting.

The sample I read via Netgalley for Igniting Darkness confirmed my need to read this full book. I do not recommend newcomers to this world start here- as this is the fifth book set in this world and they do build on each other and set up connections and intrigue that newcomers would miss or be confused or bored by because of the missing context. I loved that we get the multiple points of very and a more in depth look at the machinations that keep these characters and this world moving. Anyone that has gotten this far in the series needs to read this book, including myself. I need to get my hands on the full book and I both look forward to and dread it at the same time, because I am not sure I am ready to see this story come to an end.

I enjoyed it and was super glad to have an ARC! The last few chapters were intense and I couldn't put it down.