The Boneless Mercies

by April Genevieve Tucholke

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.

• ISBN10: 0374307067
• ISBN13: 9780374307066
• Publish Date: 2 October 2018
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 23 January 2024
• Imprint: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (Byr)
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 352
• Language: English

Reviews

My expectations for this book were completely wrong. This is a book about friendship, not an action-packed adventure as I had expected. I would have enjoyed this book a lot more if I had realized this earlier and was not waiting for the adventure to really start off. Looking mainly at the adventure aspect, this book feels incomplete and could have done so much better. Looking at the friendship aspect, this is an amazing book, that does not focus on love, and is focussed on living and enjoying. That includes sex without any romantic feelings, which I feel like is often not portrayed in YA or criticized by other characters. Overall, this was a really fun read and I highly enjoyed it, but it was not the action-packed adventure that I was waiting for.

[shannonmiz]

You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
3.5*

I dare you to tell me that you don't need a book with female warriors who are also awesome friends and are planning to save the world. Especially in this hellscape we find ourselves in every day, this book's power cannot be understated. Before they plan to save everyone, the mercies spend their time mercy-killing people who ask for their help. It's dark to be sure, but it is also a power in itself. Allowing people the right to choose how they want to live and die is pretty compelling stuff. Plus, it gives each of the women her own place in the world, her own agency.

This is just a little synopsis of my thoughts, after all, so let me be super quick: The story starts out kind of slow- I won't lie that I was nervous. But it picks up a lot and explores a ton of relationship dynamics, so for me, it was absolutely worth it!  The world-building is quite interesting, and the female friendships (actually, the friendships in general) are fabulous. Plus let's be real: It's just plain badass.

[cornerfolds]

Read more of my reviews at Cornerfolds.com!

The Boneless Mercies caught my eye first with its gorgeous cover, then with its haunting synopsis. This book is unique in the way that I always expect anything by April Genevieve Tucholke to be. It's a bit slow and strange and dark, but always interesting. Although I didn't realize at first that this was a Beowulf retelling, I can confidently say it's an amazing genderbent reimagining!

Frey is the main character of this story, although it's really about all the Mercies. I was worried at first that I wouldn't be able to keep up with all the characters, since I tend to have a hard time remembering character names, but each one was unique enough to stand out. The girls have been living and roaming together, working as Boneless Mercies for years. It's their job to bring death to those who seek it. I loved each of them for different reasons, although my favorites were Frey and Juniper, a Sea Witch.

Speaking of Sea Witches, I loved all of the different elements of this world. It would have been simpler to create a Norse-inspired world that only touched on the expected, but the larger mythology Tucholke creates is amazing. I loved the different trials and stories woven in! The world building, while vast, is thankfully not infodumpy.

Most of this book is the lead up to the encounter with the Grendel creature and consists of the aforementioned trials. Once Frey and the Mercies decide to face the monster, they encounter a number of obstacles that they're forced to overcome, always bringing them back to death in some way. And while dealing in the death trade sounds like it might be a bit tough for a YA book, but the subject was handled in a way that never made it seem overly morbid. I really appreciated the way that death was dealt with as just another part of life. The build up did feel a little slow at times, but it paid off in the last third.

One of the things I really enjoyed about The Boneless Mercies was the way the relationships between all the characters were written. There was a boy in the midst from the beginning and another later on, but there was never really one "ship," nor was there a love triangle. All the characters just seemed to flow where they wanted to. There was no jealousy or possessiveness, which is something you don't see often in books. Like I said, everything about this book was unique.

I can definitely see why this book won't be for everyone. It's slow and meandering and the action really takes a bit to pick up, but I think it makes up for it in world building and character development. The Boneless Mercies has the feeling of a Norse poem and it's a bit magical. I definitely recommend it to fans of Beowulf or dark, creepy fairy tales.