Blog Tour: Exclusive Deleted Scene from Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers + UK Giveaway

If you read my review of Robin LaFevers' debut YA novel Grave Mercy a few weeks ago (find it here if you missed it) you'll already know how much I loved the story. So when I was asked to take part in the UK blog tour I jumped at the chance and I'm very excited that I have an exclusive deleted scene from the story to share with you today. Thanks to Andersen Press I also have a UK giveaway for a copy of the book.

Before we get to the deleted scene and giveaway I want to give you a bit more information about the Grave Mercy:

Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?

Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.

Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?

His Fair Assassin Series:
Grave Mercy (UK Publication date = 7th June 2012)
Dark Triumph (2013)
Dark Hope (2013)

Visit Robin LaFevers' website for more information. You can find out more by visiting the Grave Mercy Facebook page or read an extract from the book here.

Now have a look at the book trailer:

Robin LaFevers

Poison Workshop

Deleted scene from Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

We are all in the poisons workshop. Sister Serafina sets the youngest girls to pluck the flowers, leaves, and berries from the nightshade I collected yesterday. She gives them careful instructions not to crush the stem, for it will fill the room with a foul odour. Margot and Mateline are outside collecting honey from bees fed on laurel and rhododendron, for even what we use to sweeten our potions is poisonous. Annith is sorting through a bag of rye, plucking the grains covered in black mold, for that highly prized black fungus is used in a poison called Martyr’s Embrace.

“Here,” Sister Serafina hands me a plate of goose livers and a mortar filled with grayish white powder. “Prepare this for the toads, then have Florette and Aveline feed them. After that, I’ll need your help with the mushrooms.”

I take the supplies from her and set them down on the table closest to the toad’s cage. They croak loudly and crowd close, eager for their meal. The two younger girls play with them while I quickly mash the arsenic into the goose liver, then form the mixture into small, pebble-sized balls. “Gloves,” I remind the girls, and they hurry over to the shelf. When they return, I set the platter of pellets on the floor and watch them feed the first few to the eager toads. Once I am certain they know what to do, I hurry over to assist Sister Serafina.

I have just begun to help her place the crop of wild mushrooms on a drying rack when Sister Thomine appears in the doorway. Sybella is with her.

“Our new novitiate is ready to join the others in their lessons,” Sister Thomine announces.

Sybella’s eyes seek mine out, and she gives the tiniest of nods. I smile back. “Sybella can work with me. I will begin showing her how to identify these mushrooms.”

“Very well.” Sister Serafina waves her over to my table.

When Sybella is close enough to see, I hold up a mushroom. “This is a fool’s webcap. See how it is purple, but these are redder?”

Sybella leans in close to study the mushroom. “Yes.”

“The redder they are, the more poisonous.”

She points to a brown one lying on the table. “And that one there?”

“That is the deadliest of them all.”

“And yet it looks the most harmless.”

I look up and meet her gaze. “Ingenious, no? A man would pick that one, thinking he was safe.”

Sister Serafina leans across the table. “Then the man would be a fool. Just like he will be a fool to look at either of you and think he was safe.”

Sybella and I exchange a glance and, for the first time since she’s arrived, she smiles.

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What do you think? Is Grave Mercy on your wish list? Now how would you like a chance to win a copy of the book? This is a UK only giveaway and the prize will be sent out directly by my contact at Andersen Press.

Giveaway Details:

• Courtesy of Andersen Press I have 1 paperback copy of Grave Mercy to giveaway to a lucky UK winner.
• The winner's prize will be sent out directly by my contact at Andersen Press so the winner must give me permission to pass their address on.
• The winner will be chosen at random from all entries received.
• To enter please use the rafflecopter below to confirm that you are a UK resident, there are optional extra entries for following or tweeting about the giveaway but these are not required to enter.
• The giveaway will close at 12:01am EST on the 17th of June 2012 and the winner will be contacted soon afterwards. You will have 48 hours to reply to me with your address or A new winner will be chosen.

a Rafflecopter giveaway