Book Review: 'Book Of The Ancestor: Book 2 - Grey Sister' by Mark Lawrence

Cover art by Bastien Lecouffe Deharme

Book 2 of Mark Lawrence's excellent 'Book Of The Ancestor' series.

'Grey Sister' begins a couple of years after the first book, 'Red Sister', with Nona Grey now graduated to Mystic Class at the Convent of Sweet Mercy, learning to walk the Path and to manipulate the threads that make up reality. But immediately things don't start well for Nona. There's Joeli Namsis, the rich girl bully, who straight away takes a serious dislike to Nona, taunting, teasing and beating Nona. Well, trying to beat up Nona anyway! Joeli's family also happen to have close ties to Thuran Tacsis, whose son Nona killed and who sent out assassins known as the Noi-Guin after her in revenge, which doesn't exactly endear Nona to her either.

But her bitter rivalry with Joeli is just the start of Nona's problems. She now has a Demon sharing her skin and the Inquisition, with their questionable motives, have also turned up at the Convent. It all spells disaster for Nona.

Nona is once again surrounded by a great supporting cast of characters which add depth and perspective to the overall story, which is good as we spend a lot of time with Nona and her friends, feeling like we've gotten to know them a lot more over the course of the series. I also liked the change in point of view and pace during the story, following Abbess Glass, wondering what will happen to her at the hands of the Inquisition. It added more tension to the story, getting sucked into the narrative and making it really engrossing reading!

The first part of the book focuses on events at the Convent, but it's when the story shifts away from the Convent, and we learn more about the grab for power over Abeth that was hinted at in the first novel, do things get a whole lot more interesting and a whole lot bloodier.

It's another great read, building on the characters and world building of the first book and taking them to the next level! I can't wait to see how this trilogy is all wrapped up.

Available from Waterstones, Kobo ebooks (US) / (Canada), Audible Audiobooks and all good bookstores.