'I was born for killing - the gods made me to ruin'. At the Convent of Sweet Mercy girls are raised to be killers. Some have inherited old bloods, which bestow upon them special talents. Sweet Mercy hones it's novices' skills with care: it takes ten years to educate a Red Sister in the deadly arts of blade and fist. But even the mistresses of sword and shadow don't fully understand what they have purchased when Nona Grey is brought to their halls as a child of eight, accused of murder but guilty of worse. In her short life, Nona has made powerful enemies, and despite the security and isolation of the convent, her violent past will one day find her out. Nona must face her demons and become a deadly assassin if she is to survive... - Publishers description.
The Book of the Ancestor Series
This series plunges readers into a realm where young girls are forged into deadly warriors within the confines of a strict convent. Follow their arduous journey from novices to elite assassins, navigating treacherous political landscapes and confronting formidable mystical threats. It masterfully explores themes of sisterhood, loyalty, and the resilience of the human spirit against overwhelming odds. Prepare for visceral action sequences and profound emotional connections forged in the crucible of survival.



Recommended Reading Order
Grey Sister
- 416 pages
- 15 hours of reading
In Mystic Class Nona Grey begins to learn the secrets of the universe. But so often even the deepest truths just make our choices harder. Before she leaves the Convent of Sweet Mercy Nona must choose her path and take the red of a Martial Sister, the grey of a Sister of Discretion, the blue of a Mystic Sister or the simple black of a Bride of the Ancestor and a life of prayer and service. All that stands between her and these choices are the pride of a thwarted assassin, the ambition of a would-be empress wielding the Inquisition like a blade, and the vengeance of the empire's richest lord. As the world narrows around her, and her enemies attack her through the system she has sworn to, Nona must find her own path despite the competing pull of friendship, revenge, ambition, and loyalty. And in all this only one thing is certain. There will be blood.
Holy Sister
- 352 pages
- 13 hours of reading
Nona Grey's story reaches its shattering conclusion in the third instalment of Book of the Ancestor.