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Red Sister
Red Sister
Red Sister
Audiobook19 hours

Red Sister

Written by Mark Lawrence

Narrated by Heather O'Neill

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

()

About this audiobook

From the international bestselling author of the Broken Empire Trilogy comes the first in a brilliant, breakout new fantasy series. A searing novel set in a brand new world, this series follows a young girl who enters a convent where girls are selected to train in religion, combat, or magic. Nona is selected to learn combat, and finds herself at the center of a epic battle for empire on the outer reaches of a dying universe.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateApr 4, 2017
ISBN9781501946400
Red Sister
Author

Mark Lawrence

Mark Lawrence is married with four children, one of whom is severely disabled. His day job is as a research scientist focused on various rather intractable problems in the field of artificial intelligence. Between work and caring for his disabled child, Mark spends his time writing, playing computer games, tending an allotment, brewing beer, and avoiding DIY.

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Reviews for Red Sister

Rating: 4.125932819962686 out of 5 stars
4/5

536 ratings33 reviews

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This was a really good book. Fast paced, good storyline, & fun characters.

    2 people found this helpful

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Best opening hook. Beautiful character development. Surprisingly dark with all the feels.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A rich and interesting fantasy story, featuring assassin nuns! I do recommend.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I enjoyed the book but the narrator was distracting - wrong emphasis in sentences even for the most obvious cases. I’d still recommend listening to it.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Errors in first chapter. Missed key info. A bad stay
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    4,75 stars

    I'm usually not a big fan of high fantasy, but I heard such high praise for this that I just had to. Much as was the case with The Name of the Wind. Red Sister was much better suited for my tastes, though, even though THNOTW was also decent enough read. Where I enjoyed one, I absolutely loved the other.

    The main reason for not giving this full marks was that aside from excitement and anger, it didn't really make me feel anything, even though it had all the potential for it. I have high hopes for Grey Sister, though.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    An interesting but ultimately flawed start to a series of books that involve warrior nuns. Whilst the proviso was intriguing I felt that the clock development particularly in the middle of the book sadly lacked and to be honest with you I found my attention rapidly disappearing. I won’t be reading any more of the series. It’s recommended for those that have grown out of Harry Potter but not into full grim dark.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    3.75 stars, I guess???

    I'm having trouble with my rating on this one because I enjoyed myself a lot while I was listening for the audiobook for this one and I thought the world-building was amazing. However, even now right after I've finished there's not a ton that really stands out to me with the plot and I'm already forgetting details. I also didn't find the ending to be that satisfying and it didn't really make me want to pick up book 2.

    I enjoyed the characters in this book. They felt fully realized and the idea as nuns as the warriors in this world was pretty fun. I liked Nona as a main character but I didn't really understand why she was so young in this book. I believe that she was eight when it started and a couple years past over the course of the story so she never got that much older. I thought this was just an odd choice because she doesn't act how any eight year old would act. I know part of this story is about a school and I understand why you would want younger characters for that but that means the actions and attitudes of the characters are oddly discordant with their age. Please correct me if I'm wrong about the details here or if I missed an explanations. As I said, some details fell through the gaps for me.

    I think I will probably read the rest of the books in this series eventually. I liked the world a lot and I would be interested in following the characters more. I definitely think this can be a really good series and I am interested to see where we go from here and what more we learn about the world and the characters abilities.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I absolutely loved this book. Zero complaints. Grab a copy now and start reading.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I'm currently on a mission to read Mark Lawrence's books and I'm going to need a new rating system because they just keep getting better and better. I really like the way he writes and his pacing is magnificent, keeping me on the edge of my seat to keep reading.Nona Grey is not the Chosen One. I have to get that out of the way first because, while it's a common trope that I'm okay with, Mr. Lawrence turns the idea on its head here. She is, however, a little girl sold to a fight club, condemned to be hanged for attempted murder, and rescued by an Abbess to become a sister at the nearby convent. Oh, and they're on a planet where the polar ice caps are gradually taking over due to a dying sun. There's a lot more, but no spoilers. The book reminded me a lot of Robin Hobbs or Patrick Rothfuss, which is high praise. The ending is a bit of a cliffhanger which I plan to dive into right away.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Its really good, specifically the world-building, but it felt a bit Harry-Potterish at times.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    AudiobookNarrator 5 stars- excellentStory 3.5 stars good but I felt like I missed somethingA young girl is saved from hanging by a nun with some different beliefs than the nuns I'm used to. She is pursued by a nasty man with revenge in his black heart. The nuns take her in fight for her, while teaching her. Some are assassins, some have a wicked mean streak. BTW This is not a religious book. The bad is relentless, super nasty, and powerful. There are powers, touched on, whispered of almost. I really couldn't nail down what were the powers, she could they could but it was never really exposed ? I felt like I missed something somewhere, did I ? Maybe this is something explored in the next bookThis could have been a 5 star book except for the long length of details and lack of action. Even so, with all the info dumping it was a solid read, fun with great characters. I enjoyed reading every page but it seemed like it took forever to get someplace.I think I'll read the next book, we'll see.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I'm glad that I found this book through a book club challenge, even if it took me until after the challenge to get to it. I listened to the audio and really enjoyed it, though this is not a book for you if violence gets to you. There's quite a bit of conflict in the story, quite a bit of darkness to the world being explored. On that note, I wasn't sure if the story was a science fantasy set in the far future on a colonized world that had reverted to almost medieval society, or if it was a fantasy as it bills itself as. I like both, so it's no nevermind to me. Nona is strong and kind, but also knows her inner violence, so if you like characters who balance pragmatism with their emotions then you'll probably like her. The magic system is pretty usual for witchy magical systems, vaguely religious and very dependent on control and learning mixed in with natural talent. Overall the book is pretty good.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A great high-magic fantasy story (Orphan goes to Magic School) with really cool world building. I feel like I would have enjoyed it more with out the non-linear story telling at the beginning, but even so, it was great.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Edit:

    I've read this book twice and listened to the audio as well. I guess that shows how much I like this book and by extension, Mark Lawrence. My shame is that I have yet to read anything else by him. I am going to correct that by reading Grey Sister next. That's about as far out as I plan my TBR since I can't stick to one no matter how I try. That's on me, not Mr. Lawrence.

    Everyone who is here reading this review almost certainly knows at least the rough outline of this novel. But for those who don't, it's essentially a YA following the theme of Harry Potter and their ilk. The prose is strong if a tiny bit too deep on the metaphorical side. The story structure and plot are very well done. Characters are deep and interesting. Recommended.

    Title: Red Sister

    Author: Mark Lawrence

    Publication Date: Apr 2017

    Genre: Fantasy

    Score: 5/5

    This is a reread since I got the Audible version. It’s essentially a boarding school trope but done very well. The worldbuilding is expansive and rich. The characterizations are done well. The writing is solid with several minor climaxes that lead to a big climax. The pacing is just right.

    I’m mainly writing this review for the Audible version of this book. There are several places in the narration that are obviously rerecorded and added later and break your submersion. Also, in at least one place, ten seconds or so get repeated. It’s odd and the first time I’ve noticed this behavior from Audible. I hope this is an aberration.

    Recommended.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Brilliant! Interesting mix of older, more technically advanced civilisation mixed in with the present. The present being a semi feudal society where the knowledge and understanding of genetics, their environment and the tech they have or uncover is understood but not fully as scientific knowledge has long passed. It’s not quite seen as magic though there is ‘magic working’ like sigil. They sort of know what they’ve lost so solving their problems such as the encroaching ice takes some devious planning by the Abbess.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I have… A lot of mixed feelings after putting this book down for the last time. For example, I can’t decide whether this is a hard 3-star rating, or if it’s more of a 3.5-ish.Honestly, I do think reading this in Mass Market Paperback format might not have been the right move because I’m not sure whether my difficulties paying attention to the words on the page were because of the words themselves or because of the formatting of the text (All small and close together as MMPs are.) Truthfully I ordered the MMP on accident because I didn’t want the hardcover and didn’t realize there wasn’t a trade paperback from Ace for this book. (Which… questionable decision on their part, IMO, but I’m not a publisher nor do I work in the publishing industry, so I digress.) So I thought I would be receiving a trade paperback and what I got was a mass market which did disappoint me a little but that’s the fault of my own dumb bitch flaws.That said, the book itself didn’t make me feel…. anything?I liked the action, the gore, the magic system. I liked Nona, and I especially liked her friendships with Ara and Hessa. I didn’t like Clera, but not in the way that makes me think that was a fault of the writing or the book and I’m pretty sure it was a strength as some characters are meant to be unlikeable by design (as hard as that concept is for some readers to learn…)And I do want to continue the series. I’m excited to read Grey Sister, but I think I’ll be getting a copy of the hardback from the library to avoid this confusion about whether my apathy is a fault of the book itself or the format I read it in.However, even though there was a lot that I liked… there just wasn’t quite enough for me. I ended up skimming a lot of paragraphs, and I feel like I didn’t miss much in doing so, which means that a lot of the stuff I skimmed probably could have been cut. The writing style does get a little boring in certain parts. I mean how am I reading about a young girl murdering a man, and all these gory bloody descriptions, and yet my only thought is essentially a non-reaction and “Okay, then what?” I think it’s really just the voice that Mark Lawrence wrote this in that made it difficult for me to really feel connect.I’m excited to read the next book. Then again, I was also excited to read this one, so I’ll try not to get my hopes too high.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    3.00

    I really wanted to like this book. There was so much HYPE. Grim Dark? Yes please! Assasin nuns? Bring them! A headstrong pint sized heroin, growing into her powers? My favorite! Magic and fantasy mixed with a little sci-fi? As a fan of Jemison's Fifth Season I was excited for another helping.

    The problem was, Lawrence's dive into all of these elements was...well....meh. This wasn't the grimmest of the dark, as I expected The character of Nona I have read before. The world was only slightly developed (also...can I get a map?) The magic system was interesting, the characters were solid. The twists were pretty much revealed early on with fairly large hints. Also, the mixture of sci fi, fantasy and magic worked, but not on the same level in Jemison's, even only in light comparison. I just want wowed. I like the characters and storyline enough that I am going to continue on to Grey Sister, but if this doesn't pick up, I'm putting this series down for good.

    Review to come...
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I liked this, but parts of the structure didn't really make much sense, its very much written as a trilogy, and by the end of the book you're still left wondering a bit how it's all going to come together. It's a very unusual world setting for a fantasy novel - much of which is never explicitly clear. Gene-altered space-farers arrived a long time ago to Abbeth, and parked a rectangular solar mirror in orbit. This foccused enough light and heat onto the frozen world to create a habitable Corridor around the circumfernce of the world. It's only about 50miles wide with towering ice walls covering the rest. AN ingenious solution to one of fantasy's common problems, where does everyone else live? Here there is nowhere else. Farming and rich cities are at the centre of the track and the Grey subsistence villages are found closer to the ice at the edges of the Corridor. Oribatl mechanics unknown to the current populace slowly drift the Corridor across the face of the planet burying some civilisations under the Ice and revealing Missing artefacts occasionally.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book was full of unexpected surprises. Very engaging.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Really fun read with great characters. I highly recommend it.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    Just got this book and I’m starting to think I'm reading a different book than all the reviewers. Seems like Z writing at best to me. Nona is an interesting character at times and a terrible anime like character in others. There is a horrible amount of repetition in the book in terms of X shows up, X happens, few chapters later X shows up (different character) X happens (pretty much exact same outcome). There are large chunks of chapters that seem like wasted space where he describes a mundane task just for a girl to say "I don't like her" or something. It was a slog to get through, but because I just don't like leaving books half-finished... I didn’t even enjoyed the supposed worldbuilding and the lore was also somewhat lacklustre but the inconsistent main character and her lack of any growth of substance and a cadre of nameless side characters along with the other issues is made this quite hard to get through.Nona just being along for the ride and not really having a destination that she's seeking. Perhaps this is because of her circumstance of being a young orphan who doesn't have much control of her life. The only motivation I really noticed was her desire for revenge. I also wondered where all of these nuns go when their training is complete. The convent seemed fully staffed. And why are they all trained to kill? Maybe to protect the shiphearts? After Nona got rescued, her backstory with the flashbacks really dragged the story and even when she arrived at the convent, I wasn't sure if she was actually going to stay and what the end of the book could look like. If you don't notice this I think you can have a lot of fun with the book, but I had some questions that were just never answered and on top of that the role of nuns and their religion in the world is super unclear to me.There are probably simple reasons too why this kind of SF is being published in this day and age, but shrugging and saying 'the public like simple' rather weakens the case that there's much, much more to SF than that. I reserve the right not to only like what a lot of other people like, but more to the point, I think other people might like the less, um, generic work if it were more widely available. The process of 'othering' in this rather linear world of the tabloids is very weak at best. Many fantasy works examine this process either directly or as a side-effect of the way we read fantasy. "Simply 'Good vs Evil' stories" aren't as satisfying. I've read all that before and done infinitely better.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A little slow to start, but a fast finish. Can't wait to see what happens next. The interaction between the children feels real. The world setup is interesting. I like the conceit of a dying star and a people with no space flight. How do you live with less heat each yea? But if there is no spaceflight, who made the Focus? So many questions....
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    SO GOOD! Intense, sprawling, murderous. Young girls are admitted into the Abbey and trained as assassins. Normally, their families pay tuition, but Nona is rescued from the gallows by the Abbess and told she has hunska blood - a rarity that makes her faster and more deadly than others. As she grows and learns and makes friends (despite herself), she grows increasingly conscious of a threat to the Abbey from the world outside.So very, very good, with complex intrigues and violence. Recommended for fans of Six of Crows, Grave Mercy, and Queen of Blood.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This was SO GOOD. This was my first Mark Lawrence book, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The writing was so compelling and I was completely sucked in. This book tells the story of Nona, and boy does she have a story. I really enjoyed her character and the way that we followed her on her journey. We really got to see into her mind, and understand her thought processes. It was done really well. I also enjoyed the secondary characters, and her connection with Hessa. The plot was fast paced, involved nun assassin school (which was super cool), and had enough depth and mystery to keep you reading and wanting more. I enjoyed how the story was woven together and how all the connecting threads converged. I also was intrigued by the prologue and epilogue, they were really cool, and made the story so much more intriguing. The world building was also well done, but it was very closed. We definitely only got to see some of the world that this is set in, but it's Nona's immediate surroundings, which were described in great detail, and it felt very rich. I'm hoping that as the series progresses and Nona gets older, we'll get to explore more of the Corridor and the world. Overall, I highly enjoyed this and can't wait to get my hands on Grey Sister!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    4.5 Stars.I received a copy from NetGalley in return for an honest review but I will buy a copy as soon as I can, because I really loved this one. In fact it was one of the most enjoyable reads this year so far."It is important, when killing a nun, to ensure that you bring an army of sufficient size. For Sister Thorn of the Sweet Mercy Convent Lano Tacsis brought two hundred men."I fell in love with Red Sister just a few pages in. Mark Lawrence's writing is beautiful, almost poetic. You can tell he chose each word meticulously. If I was one to highlight, half this book would be highlighted by now.I enjoyed Lawrence's Broken Empire but Red Sister may as well have been written by an entirely different author.It's a dark story. It's right there in the premise, of course: a convent where young girls are raised to be killers. But it's oh so beautiful. At no point is the violent excessive and at no point do bad things happen just so the author can claim his work is grimdark or gritty.The protagonist is a young girl, Nona. She's a terrific character and not only feels real but is well developed and someone I could immediately connect with. She's damaged, but fiery and passionate and fights for what she believes in.The magic system and world building are both mesmerising and full of potential and possibilities. It's a captivating world. The main theme is friendship and a lot of what happens is heartbreaking.I'm not usually a fan of the school trope and I found some of the time we spend following Nona through her training dragged a bit, but that's the only criticism I've got. Other than that I loved it and can't wait for the next instalment.Highly recommended to any fantasy fans.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Want to hear an opening that will pique your curiosity and grab you by your giggly bits? "IT IS IMPORTANT, when killing a nun, to ensure that you bring an army of sufficient size."Want to hear more?"NO child truly believes they will be hanged. Even on the gallows platform with the rope scratching at their wrists and the shadow of the noose upon their face they know that someone will step forward, a mother, a father returned from some long absence, a king dispensing justice . . . someone..."In this third person narrative, we have a demonized outcast protagonist (called a few things but best known to all as Nona)is not only young (only 8 years old when she is rescued from the threat of swinging from the gallows for her "murderous" crimes)but is unnaturally agile and displays a very distinctive set of skills to boot. Nona is to be raised and educated as a nun in service to the Church of the Ancestor, a church of assasin nuns that take in and train special young girls. The beginning and ending of this book are high octane awesomeness!! I have read other reviews that say the middle feels like a boring snooze-fest. I, for one, really liked the super specialized break-neck training, catty classmates, coming of age and into one's powers, extreme loyalty and inevitable betrayl of (first) friendships and all the melodrama that accompanies. I found them all to be interesting vital-to-the-plot reading goodness. The writing is sublime. The World building, Magic System and Character Development are incredibly complex and perfectly executed (no pun intended). The plot twists were built to a steady creceiendo, crafted and brilliantly divulged. There were sad deaths, sweet deaths, physical/mental capability twists and maulings galore. Though at the core there is Hope, Friendship, Sisterhood and Belonging wrapped up with a gorey bow of violence. Among all of this there are jewels, nuggets of truth and wisdom and beauty:"be warned, young Nona: a book is as dangerous as any journey you might take. The person who closes the back cover may not be the same one that opened the front one. Treat books with respect.” I must I must reiterate, Red Sister is undeniably violent, extremely stabby with a touch of unapologetic comfort zone crushing. There is violence towards (and the killing of) young children as well as extreme brutality and murder of a helpless animal... BUT... if you can find a way to partition and store that in a portion of your brain labeled "Absolutely Unacceptable, Deplorable Actions that Are Only Tolerated in Fictional Settings", you'll LOVE the rest...I pinky promise. "Violence is the language of destruction, flesh so often the subject, fragile, easy to break beyond repair, precious; what else would we burn to make the world take note? Your death has not been waiting for your arrival at the appointed hour; it has, for all the years of your life, been racing towards you with the fierce velocity of time’s arrow. It cannot be evaded; it cannot be bargained with, deflected or placated. All that is given to you is the choice: Meet it with open eyes and peace in your heart, go gentle to your reward. Or burn bright, take up arms, and fight the bitch."There is much highlighting in my copy. The story is gripping and the writing, poignant. There are paragraphs of situations that are detestable. There are prose to ensnare and even words to live by:"The trip from could to should is short and allows little time for reflection."Reflect on that!!It also has an excellent quote to wrap up this rambling review:“Every star, turning in the black depth of heaven, burns for no better reason than that humanity raised its face to look. Every great deed needs to be witnessed. Go out there and do something great.”Go ahead, do something great! Be a force of Good in the world...that and come back and join me for book #2!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Our fantasy female super hero goes to school done pretty damn well, using and avoiding many tropes, in a dazzlingly fast story within a very thin frame.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    “They expect her to run. They know she will run. And she does. But at them.”Set in a dying cold world with a red sun and a moon to melt some of the frost, Abbeth is set in a different world from Mark Lawrence’s two previous series; The Broken Empire and The Red Queen’s War. The writing reminds me a bit of the Broken Empire, where it goes from one timeline to another (present to past) but not really as much. As the reader, we get to learn crucial info about our main character Nona, at around the same time as other characters in the story as well. Let me tell you now that I adore Nona! She’s a tough, little independent girl without being full of herself or any of those usual faults of a strong, independent female character where they get stuck in their own world or act like they’re the best and above everyone else? She values her friendship with others and understands that the world is cruel and people can be too but it doesn’t mean she has to be like that. But make no mistake she maybe soft-hearted when it comes to friendship but Nona’s one mean killing machine! Imagine Arya Stark + X23! Where innocence plus thirst for vengeance mix. She further develops the skills once she gets to Sweet Mercy a convent, a.k.a training ground for assassin nuns, where they have classes for religion, fighting, weaponry, poisons and shadowing!If you enjoy a good fantasy read with a strong lead female and set in an interesting world this one is for you!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    “It is important when killing a nun to ensure that you bring an army of sufficient size.”If an opening line like that doesn’t reel you in, then I don’t know what will. That is how Red Sister, book one of the Book of the Ancestor series by Mark Lawrence begins.From this stirring opening, we flash back to the main narrative which takes place at Sweet Mercy convent. Nona is saved from the end of a hangman’s noose by Abbess Glass. But Nona has made rich, powerful enemies and even if they dare not breach the walls of the convent, the danger they represent is always present. The Convent teaches girls to be deadly. Along with learning history and the religion of their world, the girls are taught hand-to-hand and weapon skills. They are taught how to make and hopefully how not to die from poisons. Some of the girls possess rare gifts, which also must be honed and trained.Nona fears that her secrets are too terrible and that their discovery will cost her her friends. Friends have been rare enough in her life that she puts great stock in them and holds them precious, even as trust is harder to find. As Nona’s training progresses, she begins to have a better understanding of the world and an idea of her place in it. With her innate skills and the training she has received, the world is about to become even deadlier.Mark Lawrence has written some of the best epic fantasy of the past decade. With Red Sister he embarks on a new series in a new world and he has topped himself once again. The characters are strong and vivid and his descriptions of scenes and events is both brutal and beautiful. The plot moves along briskly from beginning to end. Nona and the young novices of the convent are front and center, but the nuns who teach them are every bit as strongly written. I would read a whole book just about Abbess Glass. Lawrence brilliantly describes events, or portions of events, from Nona’s perspective. He returns to these events, viewing them from a different vantage point or offering more information that changes your interpretation of them until you are gasping with amazement.The audio version of Red Sister is narrated by Heather O’Neill who does an amazing job with it. Her accents, intonation and pace perfectly complement the story. When a great narrator is paired with outstanding material as it is here, the experience is transcendent. This is an outstanding story and I can’t think of a better way to encounter it than through this audio version. This book is going to wind up on a lot of “best of” lists at the end of this year. The next book can’t come fast enough. Highly recommended.I was fortunate to receive a copy of this audiobook from the publisher.