Although I enjoyed the concept, the concept was about the most engaging this about this one. Apart from the cover which is BEAUTIFUL!!! I just found it really hard to engage with this one. It felt like it stayed fairly superficial and I didn't get sucked in like I would have liked to! It was void of emotive experiences and I found it so slow that I couldn't even finish it.

Beautiful cover though! Probably the best cover of the year!

I would prefer not to post a negative review on my social media.

I've heard so many mixed reviews about this book but I have to say, I really liked it! The characters were complex and interesting and the overall idea was executed really well. I did find the pacing to be a little off towards the end of the book but apart from that, The Boneless Mercies is a really solid read. 4 stars.

Trigger Warnings: Violence, death
Representation: POC

These women are on the hunt for the beast of Blue Vee, blood and glory.

I liked this. I did like this. I have to keep reminding myself of that because whenever I think about it my mind goes blank.

And I did enjoy reading it for the most part it’s just that I rarely got really strong feelings and apparently my feelings have to reach certain level before my memory decides they’re worth holding onto.

The Boneless Mercies is a tale as old as time, of warriors seeking glory and honor, only something is a little different here. All the warriors are women. Oh and their healing buddy is a guy so lots of points for gender role dismantling!

Frey has spent most of her life mercy killing the sick but she hungers for something more. Her group of mercy killers are strong and fierce and it’s about time they did something more thrilling.

The Boneless Mercies travel to the magical Merrows with it’s witches and through the dangerous Red Willow Marsh with it’s cult all to arrive at Blue Vee, seeking adventure and battle, blood and glory.

I don’t do great with stories that have a lot of travelling going on. I get bored. I’m rarely engaged enough and I just struggle to give a shit about what is happening. So you’re probably wondering why on earth I requested this from Netgalley in the first place. My answer is this; I was promised bloodthirsty, glory-seeking women and this book did deliver...eventually.

This is not a bad book—it’s not amazing, it's not something I’d reach for again—but it was far from a bad book. I just wish I had enjoyed it a bit more. Maybe this is more a me problem than a this book’s problem.

If you want thrilling adventure with loads of action, The Boneless Mercies might not satisfy, but it will tire you over until you can get a heftier fix.
—
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Spoiler Free Section

I received this book from Netgalley in return for an honest review. I ended up giving this book 3.5 stars and did really enjoy it. I did end up actually listening to the audiobook for this one which I think really did help me get through the book a lot quicker than I would have otherwise. The writing style was really well done and fit the theme of an epic fantasy where we follow our brave characters on there quest, which really is what this book is about.

The pacing of this story was quite slow, and for about 60% of the time it feels as if we are just watching these girls walking from one location to another, which did lower my enjoyment of the book overall.

This book can be considered to be quite character driven as while there is the plot of them fulfilling their quest most of the time we are just hearing from our characters and seeing how they interact with particular situations. I really enjoyed getting to know all of our main characters, they all had really interesting and tragic backstories that lead them into the mercy killing line of work. I also really enjoyed getting to see their personalities and points-of-view when it came to their tasks. I also really enjoyed seeing all of their interactions, these were all girls brought together through terrible circumstances but they somehow became a family to one another and would do anything for each other, I loved seeing these beautiful platonic relationships and learning about how they were formed.

Overall I did enjoy this book, but I don't think that it was really a book for me. I don't often read epic fantasy or novels that involve these sort of epic quests for glory and they are maybe a little too dense for my tastes but I definitely think that people who enjoy those type of books will enjoy this one too.

Spoiler Section

There were definitely some sections of this book that I feel were unnecessary, all of the Mercies interactions with both Mother Hush and the Cut Queen seemed kind of pointless and didn't really add to the story in any way except that they get a clue about killing the Blue Vee beast. They were both pretty cool settings for our characters to go through on their journey but ultimately they felt pointless.

One of the things that I really don't like in standalone fantasy is when things are left unresolved. During their journey Frey is tasked with killing the Cut Queen by Mother Hush, and when that actually happens she basically allows herself to be killed because she will be reincarnated through her magic later on, while this happens she tells Frey that they will meet again and that there is a witch war that is coming but none of this happens in the book at all. I really feel like the aspect should have been removed because it really doesn't add to the story since we will never see any of it happen.

If we did only keep the aspects of this story that actually aided in the Mercies killing the Blue Vee beast then it would have been a very short book, I really just wish that their detours would have been to achieve something that was completely necessary to achieving their ultimate goal.

Aside from the main characters we do meet quite a few other people but they are all very unmemorable and also didn't really further the plot in any way, some gave information about where they were in this kingdom but other kind of just served to try and pull them from their ultimate goal. The romantic relationships were also quite understated as some of our characters seem to be together but don't show any kind of affection. Also a few of the potential relationships didn't seem to really matter and also could have been left out of the story.

The premise of this one really intrigued me but I'm not sure it really lived up to my expectations. I found a couple of the characters a little hard to believe and overall it just didn't really engage me. The writing style was pretty amazing but I wasn't invested enough in the characters to want to keep reading all the time so it took me a while to finish it. Overall I'd read books from this author again and I wouldn't like to suggest anything that might have been improved because I honestly think it was an "it's not you, it's me situation."

Thankyou to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster ( Australia ), and the author, April Tucholke, for the opportunity to read a digital copy of The Boneless Mercies in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion.
I was initially drawn to this book by the cover. I thought it was beautiful and mysterious. Once I read the premise, I was hooked. I am so glad I received a copy to review.
I found it an enjoyable read. I loved the central characters. I thought the storyline was well written and intriguing. Would definitely read more from this author. 3.5 stars
Worth a read for fans of the genre.

(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

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…

All the little things that frustrate me about YA fiction at the moment are all rolled up into one story here. And it started with the blurb - sounds brilliant, doesn't it? But it really doesn't tell you the whole story. What it should say is "Gender-swapping re-telling of Beowulf. Just badly." That would have been easier...

Where did it go wrong? Well, in numerous places...

We are promised four incredible female characters. What an opportunity to really tell a powerful story. Instead, we got 4 bland and colourless (of personality) characters that I had zero interest in by about page 50. They were just carbon-copies of each other.
Also, after an intriguing opening, this quickly became a struggle to stay connected. Page after page of characters telling us about nothing happening. But we never felt that anything was ever going to happen to the MCs - it was that dull and lifeless.

But, for the ultimate of insults, if you are going to re-tell a classic piece of literature, KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING! It was like :
Author: "I have this great idea about gender-swapping a famous fable...but that's about how far through I have thought..."
Publisher: "We love it. Get it done."
Author: "Ummmm, okaaaaaaaay…"

There were so many characters that had no influence on the story, so much mythology really early on to allow any real kind of world-building, and 4 main characters that I couldn't have cared if they lived or died (especially Frey - unbelievably dense).

So, no, I wouldn't recommend this to anyone.


Paul
ARH

Yesssss for a stunning cover! Yesssss for girl power! And, HELL YES for the writing. Great dialogue, description, and a plot! I am IN LOVE!

I was given an ARC by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

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.

This book was beautifully written, which meant that I couldn't put the book down. I enjoyed the world building and the characters. It is dark and beautiful and the elements of mythology within was perfect.

Recommend to all!

I WANTED SO BADLY TO FALL IN LOVE WITH THIS BOOK BUT IT JUST DIDN'T WORK FOR ME AND I'M SO DISAPPOINTED!!

BUT I did love the murder bandit girls, so here's my character thoughts:

FREY was the MC and she was okay... idk just had no strong feelings about her.
JUNIPER was my actual fave thooooooooo!!!!! She was such a softie™ and the cutest little sea witch on the face of the planet, my absolute FAVE thing in the whole book!
RUNA Was a lil bit feisty and vicious, but really liked her
OVIE I kinda forgot about her tbh... She was so quiet! And I do love me some quiet characters, but I just kind of forgot she existed and idk man... I just wanted to know her better!

The romance was so meh tho... Like, I can't even remember the love interests name!! (Jks, it's not that bad, but it's pretty meh.) Thankfully that was not the main focus of the story, or I would've been hecka disappointed...

But it wasn't bad. Even though I wasn't a fan of the world-building style and didn't get super into it, it was a good story and I would really like to try something else the author has written someday.

When I heard that there was going to be an all-female cast, gendered swapped Beauwolf I was excited! Boneless Mercies did not disappoint, it was highly entertaining and a great read.

I didn't love it but I liked it. A solid YA fantasy with good world building and an interesting story.

A fast-paced, unique & absorbing story with real depth. The cast of strong, independent female characters was fantastic to see in a YA novel and àlways felt genuine & believable. Would love to read more from this very capable author.

I've been reading much less YA over the last year than I used to. Thankfully though, there's some amazing YA novels coming out, and when I do read it I've been lucky enough to find absolute gems. That held true with The Boneless Mercies, a retelling of Beowulf set in a Vorse (Viking + Norse) setting of snow and blood and the absolute bond of those who had to find their family.

Frey and her band of Mercies are a travelling group, dispensing mercy killings to those able to pay for the release. It's a job only held by orphaned teenage girls in this world, and even as the novel started it was clearly weighing on the group. So when they hear of a chance for fame and glory if they can relieve a Northern jarldom of it's monster problem, they're all for it - and into adventure they hurl themselves, head first.

The setting itself is a mildly skewed version of our own history, with a touch of magic. Viking + Norse is a pretty good summary - we've got longboats, trolls, skinfights and seers. I actually felt like the book was at it's strongest when it wasn't trying to show just how Norse it was, but it's a first novel and sometimes you've just got to build a world. And as it let the dreaded infodump be avoided, I'll be forgiving.

The real strength of the book for me was in the characters - the bonds between them were so well portrayed. The differing friendships between each of them were so skillfully done, and it really meant that we learned so much from each character just by seeing what they were like with each different person. Obviously, female friendship taking such a centre stage is always a plus, but this was just brilliantly handled.

It's a very strong start to the series. And let me just emphasise - while it's the first in a series it is a stand alone story in it's own right, and <i>thank you</i> to the author because it's so important for other authors to see how to write a fantastic and complete story that still has the reader excited to go on to the next. I know I am.

ok so, I wanted to love this. I am a massive fan of the old tales, instilled in me from a very young age by a historically curious father. Contrary to popular opinion, I love Homer's Odyssey, Beowulf and the tale of Hades and Persephone (stop judging me!). The Boneless Mercies however failed to hit that ever important 'mark'.

The main characters while relatable some of the time caused a horrendous disconnect at others. While the majority had terrible backstories by which they ended up in the Mercies, this fact was mostly only conveyed when it came time for their history to be revealed before some tragic event occurs or major decision is required.

Secondary characters, while potentially well written had such lacklustre character arcs that i felt no need to emotionally invest, to me Hush and Cut Queen felt more like small squabbling children than Heads of their various followers (I am so sorry to anyone who loved them. I feel horrible).

World building is where Tucholke really excelled. It is quite evident that she put long hours into researching Norse mythology and its various sagas. The reader can almost feel the sea breeze, the cloying air of the swamps and the claustrophobia of the brambles, feeling relief at the protagonists escape from such a restrictive environment.

Overall I felt that what is essentially a gender bent retelling of Beowulf, it was lacklustre. It felt as though it was missing... Something. I cant quite put my finger on it. Perhaps its my early education into the classics, perhaps it was just not 'the right time' per se for me to be reading it.

I would however definitely recommend it to those who love retellings of mythological tales such as Circe and The Odyssey.

Oh my goodness. This book just held me enthralled. The amazing story that Tucholke has created here is just mystical, magical... Dark, and beautiful. Just wonderful. I may just be gushing now so I'll try to get down to some specifics.


The characters each have their own tale to tell, but you get precious little from them initially. Even Frey, the character we walk with, tells you little of her own story, and focuses more on the present - the next mark, the next meal, the next town. Each character is so wonderfully unique, but similar in being drawn together to do their dark work. Another character, Trigve, fascinated me as well, but honestly I was most fascinated with Juniper - her tale is just magical.


This is a retelling of sorts of Beowulf, and I could see the similarities throughout the story, but never really felt like I was reading a direct copy or anything like that. Tucholke has created her own magnificent world here, and her writing is just captivating and beautiful all at once. I often had to sit back after reading a particular sentence to just marvel and the mastery that she seems to have over the words - this is definitely a writer that I need to read more of.


Anyway, if I haven't gushed enough already, I think you ought to try this book out if you're fond of darker fantasies. Highly recommended.

‘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. I think this is a terrific novel for young women to read, in this age of isolation and connectivity via social media. 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.’

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

I really enjoyed this title. It was much stronger than 'Wink Poppy Midnight'—the characters felt real, the friendships were wonderfully written, and the world was compelling. I really liked the Norse influences, and the warriors

This will make it onto my staff picks at my shop, and I'll take the time to write a longer review once the book is out and I have a physical copy to steal quotes from and annotate.

A really very pleasant surprise. Beautiful in its simplicity, The Boneless Mercies reads like one of the sagas its characters are so fond of remembering and sharing. The environment is rich and wonderfully described, elements of the story feel almost fable-like, the characters are balanced and interesting - it's absolutely stunning.
I originally gave it four stars, but changed to five to write this review, as it's stuck with me for the last 24 hours. So much more than I was expecting and I'm excited to go back and read it again.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book!

OK, I have never read Beowulf, nor as far as I know, any retellings or anything, so this aspect had no bearing on whether I liked the book or had anything to compare it to. For me, it was just SO slow <spoiler> and I knew we were heading for a monster slaying at the end </spoiler> but the slowness just threatened to drag me down with it long before. I loved all the girl friendships, the strong women taking charge, the beautiful friendship of Frey and Trigve. I HATED the poetic writing, both the complete confusion when something wasn't explained and then weirdly the complete opposite, when something unnecessary was overly explained. Probably this is just a me thing (Probably more understanding if I had read Beowulf?...maybe) and this might not hit those who had. I'm here for the YA fantasy aspect, and well, I freely admit to being a cover snob and all editions of this are beautiful, so yeah.

Not my cup of tea, but I can see this has wide appeal and hope people read it anyway. I didn't hate it after all, it just won the middle ground for me. Three stars.