Grey Sister

Nona Grey is a novice at the Convent of Sweet Mercy, a school that has trained young girls in dangerous skills for centuries. She is now in Mystic Class, where she begins to learn the secrets of the universe, though deeper knowledge only makes her choices harder.

Before she leaves the convent, Nona must pick which order to join. One road leads to a life of prayer and service, the other to the blade and the fist.

Three enemies stand in the way. A thwarted assassin nurses his wounded pride. A would-be empress uses the Inquisition as a weapon. The richest lord in the empire wants vengeance. They attack Nona through the very system she has sworn herself to, and her room to move shrinks with every move they make.

This is epic fantasy and the second book of a trilogy. Nona has to find her own way while friendship, revenge, ambition and loyalty pull her in different directions. Expect a dark, violent tone, since bloodshed is the one certainty the story offers.