Red Sister

Stolen from the gallows and bearing a past stained with blood and false accusations, nine-year-old Nona Grey finds an unlikely sanctuary within the formidable walls of the Convent of Sweet Mercy. This is no ordinary convent; it is a brutal training ground where young girls are forged into deadly holy warriors, honing rare, inherited talents – the 'old bloods' – into instruments of mystic power or lethal combat. While Nona's unique potential remains largely unforeseen even by her formidable mentors, she is set on a grueling ten-year path to become a Red Sister, learning the arts of blade, fist, and shadow under the discerning eye of Abbess Glass. Amidst the harsh discipline and burgeoning friendships, Nona grapples with her inner demons, her violent history refusing to remain buried. As her past catches up, it reignites ancient feuds, ensnaring the convent in the intricate, often deadly, politics of a decaying empire. With the emperor's gaze fixed upon her and the church itself fractured, Nona must not only master her formidable abilities but also confront the forces threatening her new family and the very world beneath a dying sun.