The Boneless Mercies…

About the Book:

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 is 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.

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My Thoughts:

‘Whatever I did next, the Mercies had my back. To the end. Loyalty like this was a rare thing, beautiful and pure.’

It’s been a long time between YA fantasy treks for me but what a fabulous novel to return to this genre with. The Boneless Mercies reads like a quest, full of danger and adventure, as four young women set themselves on a new path to determine their fate. This is a novel that celebrates female empowerment with a high value placed on friendship and loyalty. To me, the fantasy world was Viking inspired yet entirely unique, the story punctuated with wonderfully original mythic legends that wove neatly into the narrative. The Boneless Mercies is a clever novel, refreshingly unconcerned with romance and teenage angst. These young women are warriors, loyal to each other, with a strong belief in the afterlife and the legends of their world. They lift each other up and work together and they don’t defer to men, nor do they rely on them. Celebrating the strength of female friendships and highlighting the importance of female independence, The Boneless Mercies ticks all the right boxes for me. Highly recommended.

‘Belonging. This Great Hall, for all its grand tree and soaring ceiling and intricately carved pillars…It was a home. A community. The burden of being lone Mercies, of being wanderers and outsiders…I hadn’t realised the toll it had taken, until now. We’d been greeted as warriors here, in the truest sense. Roth’s household had put its fear and sadness on hold for the night and stripped its cellars bare to welcome us with food and song in the way of the sagas. Despite the lean year, despite the sorrow. A bold, glorious welcome…Before we fought the beast and died like all the others. It was the least they could do. It was everything.’

🍵🍵🍵🍵

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Thanks is extended to Simon and Schuster Australia via NetGalley for providing me with a copy of The Boneless Mercies for review.

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About the Author:

April Genevieve Tucholke is the author of Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, Between the Spark and the Burn, and Wink Poppy Midnight. She also curated the horror anthology Slasher Girls & Monster Boys. She has received five starred reviews and her novels have been chosen for the Junior Library Guild, Kids’ Indie Next picks, and YALSA Teens Top Ten. When she’s not writing, April likes walking in the woods with her two cheerful dogs, exploring abandoned houses, and drinking expensive coffee. She has lived in many places around the world, and currently resides in Oregon with her husband.

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The Boneless Mercies
Published by Simon and Schuster Australia
Released 1st October 2018