The Boneless Mercies by April Genevieve Tucholke

The Boneless Mercies

by April Genevieve Tucholke

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
 

Reviewed by Renee on

3 of 5 stars

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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.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 18 February, 2019: Finished reading
  • 18 February, 2019: Reviewed