April Genevieve Tucholke

The Boneless Mercies

This book was very drawn-out and boring; and I felt that there was a lot of telling and not a lot of showing. We were supposed to believe in the main character, but I found her to be very self involved and unrealistic. The author skipped forward on a lot of key scenes and for some reason made other ones unnecessarily long. Also, I was excited to see a retelling of Beowulf from a feminist perspective, but I found it to be very forced. Overall, I couldn't connect with the characters or the story.

Paola Martínez

April Tucholke

They called us the Mercies, or sometimes the Boneless Mercies. They said we were shadows, ghosts, and if you touched our skin we dissolved into smoke ... Frey, Ovie, Juniper, and Runa are Boneless Mercies - death-traders, hired to kill quickly, quietly and mercifully. It is a job for women, and women only. Men will not do this sad, dark work. Frey has no family, no home, no fortune, and yet her blood sings a song of glory. So when she hears of a monster slaughtering men, women, and children in a northern jarldom, she decides this the Mercies' one chance to change their fate. But glory comes at a price ... An epic YA fantasy set in a breathtaking new world, this is perfect for fans of V.E.Schwab, Leigh Bardugo, Laini Taylor and Melinda Salisbury "Fierce and glorious, this story of outcast girls defying fate utterly bewitched me. Tucholke is a gorgeous writer." -- LAINI TAYLOR, New York Times-bestselling author of Strange the Dreamer "??Its every page hints at a deeper magic at work; it contains a whole world and all its myths and histories within its skin." -- MELISSA ALBERT, New York Times-bestselling author of The Hazel Wood "Ruthless and lyrical, heart-warming and blood-chilling, and beautifully redolent of ancient tales and history. It will sing to a new generation of heroes."-- SAMANTHA SHANNON, New York Times-bestselling author of The Bone Season "I fell in love with this stunning novel from the very first page. Fierce and unforgettable, with gorgeous prose and a fantastic premise that more than delivers. Easily one of my favorite YA novels of 2018." -- KATHERINE WEBBER, author of Wing Jones and Only Love Can Break Your Heart

Elisa Bieg

It makes me kind of sad that I didn’t love this book — it features strong, independent women, and the cover is gorgeous. (What. That’s important)

But despite how I may have liked the characters, the story is just... blah. The pacing is off, with scenes just blending into one another without any sort of definition; there is a fair amount of fast-forwarding in key scenes, and a little too much telling without showing. 

The world-building isn’t bad, but with the narration being so incredibly humdrum, it affects how much the scenes and the entire world actually come to life.

The characters are interesting, distinct, and fairly remarkable in their own way — but they have to carry the whole story, and even with all their strengths... it’s just not enough. 

I really, really wanted to like this book. I had a hard time deciding how to rate it and bounced back and forth; but ultimately I realized that I don’t want to keep it and I am fairly certain I won’t want to re-read it, so that brings it down below 3 stars. So it’s 2 1/2 STARS for me, and I’m afraid I am not really inclined to recommend it, sadly.

Courtney 

I listened to this one as an audiobook and followed along and I must say that had I not had the audiobook this one would have been difficult for me. I enjoy more fast-paced novel and this was more leisurely paced as it explores the characters and lore. I think some of the characters were strong ad enjoyable, others I wish I knew more about. I gave it three stars overall, but was still a decent read with the audiobook on hand for me.

Sheila

Moray Lyle McIntosh

There was so much to love. The Norse basis of the Mercies’ world, the strong female friendships, the concept of euthanasia as a trade, gender-bent Beowulf. And yet I didn’t love it.

Several things were done very well. It was hugely refreshing to see such an effortless presentation of close, affectionate platonic relationships, within and between the sexes (in fact I would have preferred it if the one romantic relationship had been absent, by the time it emerged it seemed to be more like a box-ticking exercise than a development necessary to the story). Beowulf, that ancient archetype of masculinity, is seamlessly populated with women and manages to tackle some of its more distasteful elements such as the glorification of violence, the connection between heroism and killing. The Mercies are as vulnerable to these vices as the men in the original but Tucholke interrogates them and (mostly) has her characters do the same as they consider the difference between mercy killing and glory-hunting. Her take on the Grendel/Grendel’s mother analogue (they appear to be assimilated here) is particularly interesting.

Unfortunately, the novel’s problems are closely related to its strengths. The relationships may be a breath of fresh air but while the characters work well as a group they just don’t stand up to individual scrutiny. It’s clear that they have been created in order to form an ensemble. They only come alive when interacting with one another, their differences deliberately chosen to contrast with one another rather than exist alone. As a consequence their interactions and personalities are limited to a few repeated patterns that reveals a frustrating lack of depth. This is true even for our first-person narrator, Frey, who role is primarily to tell us what the narrative fails to show.

I had a similar issue with the world-building which seemed oddly under-developed for having such a strong model in the Norse and Anglo-Saxon tales on which it is based. The Sea- and Marsh Witches in particular just didn’t fit comfortably because too much was left unexplained, particularly with the repeated references to the significant threat of a new Witch War. Perhaps a future book will delve into this but it wasn’t developed enough to justify its place in this one. In fact the relationship between the Witches was one of the most intriguing aspects and the Cut-Queen definitely the most interesting character but the exploration of these aspects was cut short for the sake of the action-adventure plotting that took over in the last third. It is unfortunate that while there is very little action in the rest of book it emerges just in time to derail some of the most interesting aspects of the story.

Cat H

2 stars. I listened to the audiobook and found myself drifting off in thought. The pacing was so slow and I feel like I got very little description for anything. Entire passages felt pointless and tedious, while all the important plot points seemed rushed or glazed over. Then I read some reviews and discovered this was supposed to be a female retelling of Beowulf…..? I totally get the reference material and even the monster they hunt is spot on for a retelling, but it lacks the poetic excitement, mystery, and lore. Not to mention the actual battle with the beast is barely described and happens at the very end of the book. For as fearsome and troublesome a beast it was, the Boneless Mercies were able to maim and kill it quite easily. Too easily to be satisfying or feel victorious. Honestly, this felt like a huge waste of time.

Things I liked:
1. the female friendship and loyalty
2. the premise (including their roles as boneless mercies)
3. the hero complex the main characters had 

TW: depictions of rape, mention of suicide, some gore

If you liked CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONE, you'll love THE BONELESS MERCIES They called us the Mercies, or sometimes the Boneless Mercies. They said we were shadows, ghosts, and if you touched our skin we dissolved into smoke ... Frey, Ovie, Juniper, and Runa are Boneless Mercies – death-traders, hired to kill quickly, quietly and mercifully. It is a job for women, and women only. Men will not do this sad, dark work. Frey has no family, no home, no fortune, and yet her blood sings a song of glory. So when she hears of a monster slaughtering men, women, and children in a northern jarldom, she decides this the Mercies’ one chance to change their fate. But glory comes at a price … An epic YA fantasy set in a breathtaking new world, this is perfect for fans of V.E.Schwab, Leigh Bardugo, Laini Taylor and Melinda Salisbury "Fierce and glorious, this story of outcast girls defying fate utterly bewitched me. Tucholke is a gorgeous writer." -- LAINI TAYLOR, New York Times-bestselling author of Strange the Dreamer "??Its every page hints at a deeper magic at work; it contains a whole world and all its myths and histories within its skin." -- MELISSA ALBERT, New York Times-bestselling author of The Hazel Wood "Ruthless and lyrical, heart-warming and blood-chilling, and beautifully redolent of ancient tales and history. It will sing to a new generation of heroes."-- SAMANTHA SHANNON, New York Times-bestselling author of The Bone Season "I fell in love with this stunning novel from the very first page. Fierce and unforgettable, with gorgeous prose and a fantastic premise that more than delivers. Easily one of my favorite YA novels of 2018." -- KATHERINE WEBBER, author of Wing Jones and Only Love Can Break Your Heart

Paige Green

Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher and netgalley. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: The Boneless Mercies

Author: April Genevieve Tuckolke

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 3/5

Publication Date: October 2, 2018

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Pages: 384

Recommended Age: 15+ (violence and gore)

Synopsis: A dark standalone YA fantasy about a band of mercenary girls in search of female glory.

Frey, Ovie, Juniper, and Runa are the Boneless Mercies—girls hired to kill quickly, quietly, and mercifully. But Frey is weary of the death trade and, having been raised on the heroic sagas of her people, dreams of a bigger life. 

When she hears of an unstoppable monster ravaging a nearby town, Frey decides this is the Mercies' one chance out. The fame and fortune of bringing down such a beast would ensure a new future for all the Mercies. In fact, her actions may change the story arc of women everywhere.

Review: For the most part this was a good book. The plot was interesting and the writing was amazing. It was a fairly good Beowulf retelling.

However, I did think that the characters weren't well developed in this book and the world building was lacking. The fighting was also really simplistic and I wish the book challenged it's characters.

Verdict: A decent retelling.

Anastaciya

2.5 ⭐
Not bad, but somewhat awkward 
I'd round up the rating, but honestly this book brings zero emotions. I felt no connection to the characters, and wouldn't want to spend more time getting to know them.
The world seems interesting, but again... just didn't impress me 🤷🏻‍♀️

Southern Today Gone Tomorrow

Before the summary: this book was amazing. It was also shelved in the wrong place in my local library, that place being the Young Adult section, which I will get into after the review and before the spoiler bits.

Written by April Genevieve Tucholke, this novel follows Frey and her fellow Boneless Mercies (women who wander town to town performing mercy killings in exchange for coin) Runa, Ovie, Juniper, and their male companion they picked up on the road, Trigve. These four ladies are tired of mercy killing. They are tired of killing the sick and the weak and just eking out a life. They are tired of everyone shunning them except when they need them. The want to live happy, heroic lives. And so they set out on a journey to kill a beast.

The writing style is very much high fantasy, with a good balance of descriptions, metaphors and the like. But beyond that, the writing is just superb. It flows with the characters, and this is a novel that indirectly (for the most part) lets the reader get to know the characters. Every character has their own personalities, and it is explained why some of them are so flat. These are characters that have gone through a lot and hide most of their past. They try to live in the moment and be stoic warriors as their culture encourages.

Now, for the culture. This is very much a world where its medieval times in Scandinavia with magic. Vorse, they are Vorse. They want to die with honor in battle and go to Holhalla. There are witches and seers. There are some monsters, that many think are nothing more than a myth. They burn their dead while others bury theirs. They have nuns who will go through rights for those who have no one to do it for them. This is such a rich world, and I didn’t have any issues following along. However, if you aren’t familiar with Norse mythology, this could get confusing for you. That is a warning.

This is a dark saga. These are girls who do mercy killing for a living. If you don’t know what that is, they have individuals approach them and ask to be killed, or if they will come kill a loved one who is in terrible pain. Rarely do they do suicide kills, but these are people who want to die. Who want to end their suffering. Who can’t take that anymore. And because of that, I would NOT put this into the young adult section (and my local librarian will be moving it to general fiction). Because that is a big thing to try and understand, and I think it is something that could be easily misunderstood if someone isn’t reading to read something about that. Because that is the heart of this book: they are tired of providing mercy kills. They are tired of killing people who want to be killed. It is one thing, for them, to kill someone in battle. To fight someone who wants to live. It is another to take the life of one who is ready for it and welcoming to it. And that all plays into the culture that Tucholke has built, and it plays a big role. Which is why you might want to have some familiarity with Norse mythology before reading this.

A thing that was odd that I enjoyed but not everyone would was the relationship between Frey, Trigve, and Roth whom you meet later on. Frey and Trigve are an item, but they aren’t… it’s interesting. And an interesting approach. I think that Frey is supposed to be looking at everything as an opportunity, and not really as shutting any one door yet. There is enough to hint at that, as she is only 17, that would be something that still has a lot of space to grow and change in her future. The ending of the book is a good ending, but leaves enough room open for more to happen that makes the book have more of a real feel. This could be what the real people behind the great sagas were actually like.

Overall, this is a fantastic book. This is a novel that can be really analyzed (and I will be doing a bit below under the spoiler warnings), and is a great topic of discussion. This is a saga told from the view point of those trying to do great things and go beyond their past. And I, for one, loved it.

Who would enjoy this book? High fantasy lovers, adventure lovers, anyone who enjoys a true saga. Anyone who likes a dark story. Honestly, anyone who can handle the topic would enjoy this book.

Who wouldn’t like this book? People who don’t like fantasy/historical books, those who just want to read a romance, or who are looking for a light read.

Also, I changed my mind. Look for a SECOND post filled with spoilers! Because this review is quite long.

Sally Salinas

Lauren James

Full review on my blog, Storied Adventures

I didn't love this book but I didn't hate it either. I liked it. It was alright. The fact that it's a Beowulf retelling really hooked me in (even though I HATED reading Beowulf in High School!). It fell a little flat. There were things that could have been expanded on, like the Sea Witches. That was my favorite part. 

I loved that there were solid friendships in here without it turning to romance. BUT it was kind of weird how much they all touched? Like, I definitely would never act that way as an adult in my 20s nor did I act that way as a teen. It was weird. 

I am still interested in reading more books, if this becomes a series!

The Boneless Mercies

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