Holy Sister, Review

Holy Sister, Third Book of the Ancestor by Mark Lawrence

It says a lot when I actually finish something. I know you wouldn't guess it just by looking at me, but there are a few commitment issues under the surface. I'm pretty sure my wife would back me up on that. You can see it in the half-finished house projects, the long-delayed milestones, and yeah, it probably explains why I didn’t get married until my mid-thirties. But that’s therapy talk. What we’re here to discuss is the graveyard of book series I’ve started but never finished.

Because let’s be honest, as long as a series is unfinished, you still get to live in that world a little longer. Once it’s done, it’s done. Closed. Complete. I decided it was time to see this one through. As a reader, there’s nothing quite like the payoff of a trilogy sticking the landing, and Holy Sister does just that. It picks up with the momentum of Grey Sister and doesn’t let go. From the first chapter, the tone is urgent and relentless. Mark Lawrence doesn’t ease us in, he throws us straight into the storm and reminds us exactly why Nona Grey stands out as one of the most compelling protagonists in modern fantasy.

“When all is fire and blood and steel, the world becomes very simple.”

The story alternates between two timelines. From a lesser author, this kind of structure might feel like a gimmick, but Lawrence pulls it off. That said, after the straightforward flow of the first two books, it did take a few chapters to find the rhythm. Once it clicks, though, the dual structure keeps things fast and sharp. One timeline follows Nona’s continued training at the convent, while the other throws her straight into the chaos of war. The story bounces between growth and devastation, character beats and brutal action, all without losing momentum.

“It is not the place of the living to decide what the dead may hear.”

What Holy Sister does best is bring every arc to its conclusion without feeling forced. Nona is still grappling with loyalty, vengeance, faith, and power. But the book never forgets that she is, above all else, a girl shaped by trauma, love, and sacrifice. Her relationships with her fellow sisters remain central, and Lawrence doesn’t waste a word when it comes to closing emotional loops.

“No one escapes the ice, child. The trick is learning to walk on it without falling.”

We also get more of the broader world that we were missing from the other books. The dying sun, the creeping ice, and the full weight of prophecy pressing down. The series has always carried a spiritual thread, but Holy Sister leans into it with purpose. It is not preachy. It is about belief. Belief in yourself. Belief in others. Belief in the possibility of change, even when the world seems determined to freeze over.

“To sow knowing that you will not reap is an old kind of love, and love has always been the best key for unlocking the future.”

By the end, it is clear this was always Nona’s story, but it is also a story about legacy. About what we leave behind, and what we choose to carry forward. There is violence. There is heartache. But there is also grace.

“There might not be a meaning to the world, or in it, but that does not mean that what we do has no meaning.”

Holy Sister is a powerful, emotional conclusion to a trilogy that consistently punched above its weight. If you have made it this far, you will not be disappointed with the way it ends.