-
Your next favorite book
is waiting.
The Moon Heresies #1
by Tessa Gratton
A talented heretic must decide between the pursuit of forbidden magic, or the ecstasy of forbidden love, in the start of a sweeping, romantic epic fantasy trilogy by New York Times bestselling author Tessa Gratton.
Can an empire trip and fall on a mere strand of silk?
Iriset is a prodigy and an outlaw. The daughter of a powerful criminal, she dons her alter ego Silk to create magical disguises for those in her father's organization, but she longs to do more with her talent: to enhance what it means to be human by giving people wings, night-sight, and other abilities; to unlock the possibilities of gender and parenthood; to cure disease and even to end mortality itself.
Everything changes when her father is captured and sentenced to death. To save him, Iriset must infiltrate the palace and the empire's fanatical ruling family. There, she realizes she has a chance—and an obligation—to bring down the entire corrupt system. She'll have to entangle herself in the lives of the emperor and his sister, getting them to trust and even to love her. But love is a two-way street, and Iriset's own heart holds the most mysterious and impenetrable magic of all.
"With a beautifully constructed world and enthralling characters, this is sure to appeal to fans of Hannah Whitten's The Foxglove King." ―Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"The novel's intriguing plot twists will appeal to fans of Game of Thrones who crave that same epic, sprawling sense of story, betrayal, sex, and politics, but Gratton more closely examines the effects of imperialism." ―Library Journal
"Sinking into the pages of The Mercy Makers is like being immersed in a wondrous lucid dream. The atmosphere is a tantalizing blend of the familiar and the strange, laced with a vivid sensuality that invites the reader to forge new connections at every turn." ―Jacqueline Carey, New York Times bestselling author of Kushiel's Dart
"The Mercy Makers manages to be both lush and tight, with characters who are strange and original, sexy and intriguing, plus an amazingly detailed and precise world. Tessa Gratton can basically do anything!" ―Ellen Kushner, author of Swordspoint
This information about The Mercy Makers was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Tessa Gratton is the New York Times bestselling author of adult and YA SFF novels and short stories that have been translated into twenty-two languages, nominated twice for the Otherwise Award, and several have been Junior Library Guild Selections. Though she has lived all over the world, she currently resides at the edge of the Kansas prairie with her wife.
If you liked The Mercy Makers, try these:
by Natasha Siegel
Published 2025
For fans of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, an inventive and romantic speculative novel about two women—a witch and an immortal demon—who make a Faustian bargain and are drawn into a cat-and-mouse chase across multiple lifetimes.
by R O.. Kwon
Published 2025
From bestselling author R. O. Kwon, an exhilarating, blazing-hot novel about a woman caught between her desires and her life.
by Heather O'Neill
Published 2025
From the hugely acclaimed author beloved by literary lights, including Emily St. John Mandel, Kelly Link, and Mona Awad, a dark dystopian fairytale about an idyllic country ravaged by war—and a girl torn between safety and loyalty.
L.A. Women by Ella Berman
Two ambitious writers in 1960s LA face betrayal when one writes a novel based on the other's life.
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
