His Fair Assassin
#3673.98 of 664 ranked universes · full ranking
Books 3 books Status Complete 2012–2014 Reading commitment Medium Robin LaFevers Last reviewed 2026-08-24
Overview
His Fair Assassin is a completed trilogy of young-adult historical fantasy novels set in an alternate-history version of late-15th-century Brittany, where the convent of Saint Mortain trains orphaned and unwanted girls as assassins in service to a death god. Each of the three novels follows a different “daughter of Mortain” (Ismae, Sybella, and Annith) as Brittany’s fight to stay independent from France becomes entangled with the convent's own political maneuvering and each young woman's uncertain faith in the god she serves.
Historical fantasy, Romantasy · For YA
Core Canon: Reading Order (3 works) counts toward ranking
His Fair Assassin Robin LaFevers
| Work | Year | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | Grave Mercy | 2012 | core | 3.89 (99,961 ratings) |
![]() | Dark Triumph | 2013 | core | 4.13 (40,310 ratings) |
![]() | Mortal Heart | 2014 | core | 4.09 (23,273 ratings) |
Each novel follows a different daughter of the convent of Saint Mortain in an alternate-history medieval Brittany; read as one continuous trilogy rather than three independent standalones.
Quick answers
- How many books are in His Fair Assassin? His Fair Assassin's Core Canon is 3 books.
- What is the reading order for His Fair Assassin? Publication order, starting with Grave Mercy. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is His Fair Assassin finished? Complete (2012–2014).
- How much reading does His Fair Assassin take? Medium reading commitment (estimated from 3 Core Canon books · ~1,380 pages).
- How is His Fair Assassin ranked? #367 of 664 ranked universes on this site, based on 163,544 reader ratings across 3 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #367?
Ranked #367 of 664 ranked universes.
- Average reader rating of 3.98 across 3 core books.
- Backed by 164k reader ratings.
- Less than 0.01 behind #366, Dark Swan (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.45.
Why explore this universe?
Well rated · 3 books · Complete · 164k ratings · Ranks #367 overall
Good choice if you want a moderate-length historical fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
Publication order (3 Core Canon books)
- Grave Mercy (2012)
- Dark Triumph (2013)
- Mortal Heart (2014)
Awards (verified)
- No major juried genre award independently confirmed for this trilogy.
You might also like
Suggestions computed from what His Fair Assassin and each of these worlds have in common on record (subgenre, audience, shape, reading commitment and score), not a documented narrative connection.
- The Powerless Trilogy Romantasy · Complete · Medium commitment · 4.09
- Tales of the Otori Historical fantasy · Complete · Medium commitment · 4.06
- Caraval Portal fantasy / Romantasy · Ongoing · Medium commitment · 4.04
- Ash Princess Epic fantasy / Romantasy · Complete · Medium commitment · 3.92
Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 3.98 across 163,544 ratings on 3 Core Canon books. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: His Fair Assassin admitted as a new universe accepted 2026-08-24
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
Last reviewed: 2026-08-24
Rule: Core Canon is the original trilogy: Grave Mercy (2012), Dark Triumph (2013), and Mortal Heart (2014), one continuous story told across three heroines. The later Courting Darkness duology (2019/2021), which continues a Grave Mercy character's story into France, is not yet researched or registered.


