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Critics' Opinion:
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First Published:
Oct 2018, 352 pages
Paperback:
Apr 2020, 368 pages
Book Reviewed by:
Jordan Lynch
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Full of fierce girls, bloodlust, tenuous alliances, and unapologetic quests for glory, this elegantly spun tale challenges the power of storytelling - and who gets to be the storyteller.
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.
ONE
They say dying makes you thirsty, so we always gave our marks one last drink.
I reached for the flask of black currant Vite I carried in my pocket and put it to her mouth. "Here," I said. "Drink this, lamb."
She took a long sip. I pulled the flask away and wiped a drop from her lips. They felt plump and warm under my fingers, like a red plum in August just picked from the tree. I called all our marks lamb. Even the big ones with thick beards and hands the size of boulders. Even the mean ones with cold, shriveled hearts and dried blood under their fingernails. This lamb was neither.
She was covered in black silk, head to toe. The silk clung to her curves and moved lightly through the air as if woven from soft summer breezes. I wanted to touch it. I wanted to wear it. Our thick Vorse wool and furs and leather kept us warm, but they were utilitarian and plain next to her delicate dress.
"You're from Iber." Runa stared at the woman's clothing as well.
The woman nodded. "I grew ...
The Boneless Mercies is an epic fantasy filled with fierce heroines, strong friendships, and a quest for greatness. Their friendships are realistic and moving; there are moments of joy and laughter, as well as tension and anger, but there's a true sense of camaraderie underlying it all...continued
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(Reviewed by Jordan Lynch).
Laini Taylor, New York Times-bestselling author of Strange the Dreamer
Fierce and glorious, this story of outcast girls defying fate utterly bewitched me. Tucholke is a gorgeous writer. Melissa Albert, New York Times-bestselling author of The Hazel Wood
The Boneless Mercies maintains the mystical, haunting flavor of an ancient ballad across the length of a novel. Its every page hints at a deeper magic at work; it contains a whole world and all its myths and histories within its skin. Samantha Shannon, New York Times-bestselling author of The Bone Season
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.
The Boneless Mercies is based on the classic Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf, a sweeping tale of heroes, monsters and epic battles influenced by the culture and mythology of sixth-century Scandinavia. While there are no gods or goddesses in Beowulf, there are references to mythological heroes like Sigmund of the Völsunga saga (a Norse epic poem) and Weland, the legendary blacksmith. The Boneless Mercies is set in the Norse-inspired Vorseland, and its central protagonist, Frey, is Genevieve Tucholke's take on the Norse goddess Freya, evident in the character's dual roles as a warrior and a bringer of death.
Typically known and revered as the goddess of love and fertility, Freya was also a powerful sorceress and the ruler of Fólkvangr, ...
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