My only books were women's looks

I loved this book - I was hooked on Ismae's journey from the very start. It was dark, and atmospheric, that kind of dense world you can just get lost in, an assassin sired by Death himself, courtly political intrigue, and a sexy slow-burn romance. The author did a wonderful job of melding mythology - the nine gods/saints, including the god of Death, St. Mortain, with the history of Brittany, so that it felt as thought either the mythology was real, or Brittany itself a myth. I loved the various relations between the characters, especially Ismae and Duval.