Courting Darkness

Lots of fights and battles with swords, knives, crossbows. Blood is mentioned or described briefly as spurting, spattering, etc. Fights include punching, kicking, choking, snapping necks. A past suicide attempt is mentioned several times, and attempted kidnapping to return young girls to abusive brother is a plot point. A difficult childbirth mentions lots of blood, screams of pain; the mother dies. A drop of blood is used in a ritual.

Kissing and caressing. A couple of instances of sex: One briefly describes foreplay, taking off shirts, caressing breast and nipples, moving hips, wrapping legs around waist; the other describes kissing, caressing a breast, undressing, moving knees apart, thrusting, shouting, grimacing. Sounds of a "furtive coupling" heard. A couple of powerful men live with their mistresses in their homes. King's bride is inspected fully nude, though nothing's described; issues are raised about premarital virginity, consummating marriage, discomfort after first time having sex. Mention that two women learned about sex by practicing with each other, that some men like to have sex with heavily pregnant women.

Infrequent strong language includes "merde" (French for "s--t"), "damned," "dammit," "piss." "Whore" is used for prostitute but not in name-calling; lots of synonyms for prostitution listed.

Lots of mention of drinking wine, sometimes to excess with hangover or behavior consequences eventually described. Poisons and antidotes are used as part of the assassins' arsenal.

Parents need to know that Courting Darkness is the first in a planned two-volume historical novel with fantasy elements. It's set in the same medieval French world as author Robin LaFevers' popular His Fair Assassin trilogy and shares some characters with that series. The main characters are trained assassins, so violence from fights and battles use swords, knives, and crossbows. Hand-to-hand fighting includes punching, kicking, choking, and snapping necks. Blood is mentioned as spurting, splattered, etc., without much other detail. A couple of instances of having sex describe kissing and mention caressing breasts and nipples, thrusting, shouting, and grimacing. Other sexual content includes briefly described kisses, mention that in the past, two women practiced having sex with each other, men who have mistresses living in their houses with their wives, confirming virginity after consummating marriage, and sexuality as a tool for spying or trading with men for something you want. Drinking wine is mentioned pretty frequently, sometimes to excess and usually with consequences described. Strong language is rare and includes "merde" (French for "s--t") and "damned." Themes explored include how women were repressed, how pre-Christian religion was repressed and changed to Catholicism, and the power of love. The main characters are good role models for loyalty, bravery, and compassion.