Title: Gravemaidens

Author: Kelly Coon
debut in a duology

Genre: YA Fantasy/High Fantasy
416 Pages
Publisher:Delacrote Press

Release Date: October 29th 2019

This book was received as an ARC from NetGalley ,in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own

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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The start of a fierce fantasy duology about three maidens who are chosen for their land’s greatest honor…and one girl determined to save her sister from the grave. 
In the walled city-state of Alu, Kammani wants nothing more than to become the accomplished healer her father used to be before her family was cast out of their privileged life in shame. 
When Alu’s ruler falls deathly ill, Kammani’s beautiful little sister, Nanaea, is chosen as one of three sacred maidens to join him in the afterlife. It’s an honor. A tradition. And Nanaea believes it is her chance to live an even grander life than the one that was stolen from her. 
But Kammani sees the selection for what it really is—a death sentence.
Desperate to save her sister, Kammani schemes her way into the palace to heal the ruler. There she discovers more danger lurking in the sand-stone corridors than she could have ever imagined and that her own life—and heart—are at stake. But Kammani will stop at nothing to dig up the palace’s buried secrets even if it means sacrificing everything…including herself.”


Historical fantasy about three maidens who are chosen for their land's greatest honor..


GRAVEMAIDENS,
This is Author Kelly Coon’s first novel in epic historical duology.



One girl determined to save her sister from the grave...


sumptuous prose and atmospheric world building of ancient Sumerian Ancient World.




strong well developed characters and butof the ancient world

filled with such sumptuous prose and atmospheric imaginative world-building

supporting characters are definitely worth noting with interesting.

story of strength, courage, and loyalty... Kammani



About the Author:
YA author Kelly Coon is an editor for Blue Ocean Brain, a member of the Washington Post Talent Network, a former high school English teacher, ACT test prep book author, and a wicked karaoke singer in training. She adores giving female characters the chance to flex their muscles and use their brains, and wishes every story got the happy ending she's living near Tampa with her three sons, dashingly handsome husband, and a rescue pup who will steal your sandwich. Gravemaidens is her debut novel.

This is a great read. In a society where leaders who die are entombed with three young women as sacrifices, a young healer is trying to hold her father together after the death of her mother in childbirth. When her sister is chose to accompany the dying leader to the grave, the healer knows she has to cure him to keep her sister from dying as well. But the palace is full of intrigue and plots, and it takes skill, cunning, and a group of excellent friends to put together a plan to save all of the women. The world-building is good, the characters are strong and real, and the novel is filled with glittering details and bits of lore I found fascinating.

The Boatmans' Refrain


The river is wide
The river is deep

I take their souls to earn my keep
The end of day
Is the start of night

I bathe in horror, bask in fright
Three queens of beauty
Maidens fair
I'll hide their souls within my lair

For the river is wide
The river is deep
I take their souls to earn my keep


This is a great debut novel by the author! And the C O V E R... It's so enticing, beautiful and an open invitation on my book shelf!

After reading the first Chapter, I know I am in good hands and I am instantly hooked!

The story is about the tradition of the court for having 3 Maidens or rather, Gravemaidens as they were chosen to accompany the Royal King when he dies. Y E S, in the T O M B.

Kammani is the MC and her sister was chosen as one of the 3 Gravemaidens and she beautifully accepts this as she thought that this is such a "great honor". BUT Kammani does not seems to think so as she thinks that "something wicked this way comes" and she's eager to find out what this is!

description

But honestly, I just love Iltani - Kammani's bestfriend - and she's my girl for life!

EARC kindly provided by Netgalley, Delacorte Press and the author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 amazing stars! I absolutely LOVED this book! It was written with so much depth and clarity! The storyline was riveting and unique. I can not wait to read more from this author! And the cover is beautiful!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

Sometimes when you're on NetGalley and desperate for something to read, you start requesting random titles that sound 'kinda good' and <i>Gravemaidens</i> was exactly that. I asked for it because the plot seemed promising and fun and boy was I in for a treat. I was immediately swept away by the world and our main girl, Kammani.

Gravemaidens is about the daughter of a failed healer named Kammani. Her mother died and her abum, a once well-known healer, who fell out of favor with the ruling class, has turned to drinking sikaru and neglecting his duties as the healer. Kammani has taken on his responsibilities and has proven herself to be very capable as a healer. However, life cannot stay hunky dory and Kammani's sister, Nanaea, is chosen as one of the three maidens to accompany Lugal Marcus, the ruler, into the afterlife.

Her sister is overjoyed with the prospect but Kammani sees through the supposed glory and perceives it as a death sentence. Already torn apart about her father's declining status, the fact that her brother was taken away to serve in the royal palace after her father failed to heal the lugal's son, and the promise she made to her mother on her deathbed, Kammani is determined to save her sister from this fate. This chance comes after her father is summoned to the palace to care for the lugal's failing health and guardsmen arrive at their hut to announce that Kammani's father has died and she has been summoned to take his place. Grief-stricken, Kammani travels to the palace and undertakes the care for the lugal but she has no idea what is wrong with him. Relentless in her mission, Kammani after exhausting all her resources finally discovers that the lugal is being poisoned and that her father was murdered to conceal the truth. At this point, it seems that the lugal's daughter, the Nin Arwia, is the one behind these treacherous acts, however, Kammani must find proof as the forces at the palace turn against her and try to silence her.

There is so much that I love about this story, including the world, which seems distantly Egyptian/Mediterranean/Middle Eastern but without resorting to redundant stereotypes. Coon is able to accomplish this through minute details, such as the descriptions of the food and clothes. However, Coon really delivers with the relationships, romantic and familial. The relationship between Kammani and Nanaea, who are often at odds, was fleshed out and contained the perfect amount of bickering and touching moments. I also loved Kammani's best friend, Iltani, who was funny and flirty without being the cliche more adventurous friend. Their conversations actually made me laugh out well and Iltani worked as the perfect foil to Kammani's more serious nature. Lastly, the romance was perfect and very realistic without resorting to typical YA cliches.

Thank you Delacorte Press and Netgalley for this E-ARC in exchange of an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I was really hyped up for this book, I loved the concept of it, and felt like it was something new and fresh. I adored the cover, and the Author, Kelly Coon is incredibly nice. So when I was approved on Netgalley, I was stoked.

Shortly into the book, there is this intense scene that includes a brick, and while it was pretty graphic, it also set an ominous tone to the book. I don’t want to get too detailed with my review, because I am afraid to spoil anything about this book. But, what I will say is this, this book is about way more than what the synopsis leads on to. It’s about love, family, friendship, and the distances we will go to protect the ones we love.

I loved that Coon wrote such a strong, fierce, female lead. She was a pillar of strength, and she knew she didn’t need anyone but herself to do what she needed to do. I was however a little thrown off at the end, kind of mad actually, and even more mad because I have so LONG to wait for book #2.

I really wanted to like this book. The premise was intriguing and the cover is beautiful. (I am a sucker for a great cover.) But I was sadly disappointed by the story.

As I have mentioned in my reviews a time or twelve, I am a hugely character driven reader and I just couldn't connect with any of the characters in this book. (Except for maybe Dagan who was nicer than anyone deserved.) All of the other characters were petty and immature and so prone to hyperbolic comments and actions that they sometimes seemed almost caricatures instead of actual people.

The world building showed promise and while I probably won't pick up the second one, I would cautiously recommend this for people who are interested in unique worlds.

So I fully started this expecting to DNF it. I woke up late on Monday because I could not put it down (and stayed up a bit too late). I finished it last night, and now want to read it again to see if I can see more clues to the ending. Great writing, enjoyed the voice of Kammani and the way each chapter starts where it almost seems like an out of body experience but then brings you back to the character. Loved this one!

A unique and darkly gripping tale of family, fantasy, and secrets. A debut author that has a great plot with lots of twists.

i loved this book. I loved the writing and the storyline. Both the plot and characters were interesting and entertaining. I can’t wait to read more from this author.

An intricately crafted world with several twists and fascinating characters!

What I loved 🖤🖤🖤:
1. Kammani is a fierce female protagonist who is a healer. She will do anything to save her sister, Nanaea from being sacrificed as a Gravenmaiden (three women killed to be queens of the underworld with a dead male leader).
2. Dagan is in love with Kammani and he is wonderful. Respectful, supportive, and understanding. I’m totally Team Dagan.
3. Kammani must save the Lugal’s life (male leader) to save her sister, but she doesn’t know why he is sick. And she doesn’t know who to trust. The mystery is very twisty.
4. Kammani’s best friend Iltani provides strong female friendship and comic relief.
5. Kelly Coon creates an unforgettable world that captures the reader and immerses them entirely.

Gravenmaidens is a must read! I can’t wait for the sequel.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for this eARC! I was first caught by this gorgeous cover, and then pushed over the edge by the premise. It was everything I wanted it to be and more. The world that Kelly created was so rich and intricate, and the power system that was used was so effective. Our protagonist is Kammani, a girl ahead of her time. Her father is a healer who, because of a failure to save the life of a prominent person, was cast out of the privileged life he and his family had led into the life of a pauper. In spite of this, he continued to use his gifts for the greater good until his wife was taken from him.

This one act set things into motion for many of these characters. Kammani's father fell into despair; soothing his grief with drink. Kammani, who had studied for years under her father, devoted her life to saving others. Kammani's sister, Nanaea, was the closest one to their mother, and as such began to harbor a secret wish to find her again. Their brother, Kasha, was taken from his mother's arms to replace the life that their father had failed to save, and so he was bound to be a servant in the palace for the rest of his days. Life went on, the way it inevitably will, until it was announced that the country's leader (called a Lugal) was dying.

The Lugal must have three Sacred Maidens to follow him into the afterlife, and being chosen is supposed to be the ultimate honor. When Nanaea is chosen, Kammani is horrified. She knows what this really means. Her sister's life will be ended far sooner than it should be, and she knows that she has to do something to stop it. What follows is an inspiring tale of the bonds of family and the absolute power of women. A mystery unfolds itself before Kammani, and even at the risk of a budding love with her childhood friend Dagan in addition to the threat that her sister might never forgive her, Kammani defies all the odds to get to the bottom of it.

Kammani is a character far beyond her time and her years. She is educated in a way that no other girl we meet in this world is; and even better than some of the men as well, as is demonstrated by a pair of the palace's guards. She has incredible inner strength. She stares death in the face and demands it to bend to her will. She is a hero with the most tortured soul, and it prevents her from seeing how amazing she truly is. I loved her, and I loved experiencing her tale. I am so excited that this is going to be a series, because I can't wait to see what she will do now that her potential has been realized.

All in all, this was a captivating novel that I could not put down. I'm head over heels for the lore; the Sacred Maidens, the Boatman, all of it. The cast of characters were so well rounded and fleshed out, and I fell in love with all of them, including the villains. I think Kelly Coon is going to do amazing things in the book community! She has made one hell of a debut!

• Title: Gravemaidens
• Author: Kelly Coon
• Series: Gravemaidens Book 1
• Pages: 416
• Genre: YA Fantasy
• Rating Out of 5 Stars: 4

My Thoughts:

Ever start reading a book and get so caught up in it that you’re turning the final page and can’t believe its over? That’s Gravemaidens in a nutshell. I read half in one sitting, half in another and was left wanting more.

Darkly engaging, fast paced, with brilliant writing and a well rounded cast of characters. I couldn’t stop myself from devouring this title!

Kammani is a healer in training under her father who hasn’t quite been himself since the family’s fall from society. All she wants is to be successful and restore the family name to the renown it once held. Oh, and if her friend Dagan would realize she’s really not marriage material, that would be great too.

However a wrench gets thrown into her plans when the city’s Ruler becomes gravely ill. With her father being murdered on the way to tend to his ailment it seems hope for a cure is lost. As it’s believed he will pass on soon, an ancient tradition has come into play: That three maiden’s will accompany him to the After-world, her sister being one of them.

With her only surviving family member heading for certain death, Kammani schemes her way into the palace in hopes of curing the Ruler.

Those gilded halls hold more for her than expected. Dark secrets, danger, a hunt for the truth may cost Kammani more then she expects. It could cost her her life as well. If only she could figure out who she can trust.

I do wish the world building was a little more in depth. Certain points in the story come across a little off kilter but doesn’t pull away enough from the story to really be a problem. The romance felt underwhelming with the constant “friend-zoning”. The scenes worked well within the story but it frustrated me as a reader. I felt so bad for Dagan through most of this. However, that is a me problem not a book problem. There were a few times that it seemed Kammani should have been a little less dense when it came to what was before her. On the flip side, the story kept me so engrossed that it wasn’t until I was reflecting on it that I really noticed it.

This book doesn’t really pull punches when it comes to the ugly. There’s a fair bit of violence and some sexual assault. Along with the general plot of the story, there are some downright nasty antagonists waltzing through this story. If any of these subjects bother you...keep that in mind.

This is supposed to be a duology with the prospect of more if the interest is there. Personally I would love to see this stay as a duology. I could see maybe a couple companion novels or better yet a novella bind up to help link together the couple story line gaps (if they aren’t fully resolved in the sequel.) I would hate to see this story fall flat by trying to stretch it out if it really isn’t needed.

EARC kindly provided by Netgalley, Delacorte Press and the author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Gravemaidens was a very unique book and for the most part I enjoyed it. Kammani (I love her name!) was a little bit dense in certain aspects, which I didn’t like. She seemed initially to trust people she shouldn’t and push away those she should. Kammani wasn’t the best at solving the book’s mystery either. Her primary suspect and the most obvious person to be committing the crime wasn’t even someone she thought of. The suspect was suggested to Kammani by her boyfriend. I figured out who the real villain was at about 60% of the book, and it was really hard for me to read about how she was going to convict a totally innocent person. Other than that, I highly enjoyed this book. It seemed to be based loosely in the Mesopotamia region, and it was fun to read about their customs and religion. Other than Kammani and her empty headed sister, the characters were great. Iltani and Dagan especially were well developed and likable. The plot moved quickly and was well thought out. If asked, I would recommend it.

Not knowing what exactly comes after you die, being prepared with wealth and companions surrounding you seems like a sound plan but the reality as it's enacted in Gravemaidens by Kelly Coon seems more of a dire consequence than a great honor. 

Kammani is a determined young woman and hard worker, trying to become as skilled a healer as her father. After being cast out of a life of privileged status within the palace for not being able to save gravely injured son of the lugal, Kammani's family has fallen on difficult times, compounded by her father's wallowing in grief and his cups. When the lugal becomes deathly ill, the three sacred maidens to accompany him to the Netherworld when he dies are selected, one of whom is Kammani's sister Nanaea. Driven by a desire to prevent her sister's death, Kammani schemes to get into the palace to try to heal the ailing lugal. In treating the lugal, Kammani uncovers some startling secrets of those close to him and the throne, placing herself in grave danger while she's prepared to sacrifice everything to reveal the truth. 

A dark story of human sacrifice cloaked in the guise of tradition and honor, the narrative was compelling, easy to read despite the violence, and well-written with distinct characters, making it an immersive experience. Kammani's character was quickly established, highlighting her determination to solve problems regardless of societal norms and she isn't without flaws, which makes her more realistic; however, her single-mindedness is an incredibly frustrating flaw when contrasted with her otherwise learned and logical behavior as her conviction leads her, and others, into greater danger (because the true villain was rather obvious). Though I'm generally wary of most romances with respect to their believability and development, the relationship between Kammani and Dagan worked well and showed their growth from a childhood friendship to a young adult romantic partnership without overshadowing the primary plot.

Overall, I'd give it a 4 out of 5 stars.

Thank you so much for an early review copy!
I enjoyed the beginning of this book a lot. The whole premise had me hooked. Unfortunately though towards the middle it just didn't stack up for me and the end just felt so muddled.
I found myself not connecting with any of the characters.

Gravemaidens is a wonderful, dark and incredibly rich dystopian/fantasy novel, so well built and fast paced that I wasn't able to put it down till I reached the end. I was absolutely captivated by the atmosphere, the characters and yes, even the slow-burn romance 🔥 ...

This novel submerges the reader in a landscape so imaginative and detailed that the information of the world building, as complex as it is, never feels forced, and is never difficult to understand or picture in one's mind. Fantastic book!

(4.5) A unique, hard hitting young adult fantasy, this book was dark and satisfying. Outside of some sprinkling of (cheesy) unbelievable dialogue, this knocked it out of the park.

*Spoiler free, 3.75 stars*

This book sounded haunting and brutal and maybe a little terrifying. It's about girls who given the "honor" of being buried alive with their ruler and a palace with secrets lurking around every corner. Kammani, the main character is a healer and wants to save her sister from a death sentence, while her sister wants the honor. I really enjoy sister stories and I was looking forward to seeing how this one would unfold! Trigger warnings: gore, violence, mention of rape, sexual assault (groping), grief

The writing was really spectacular. It feels sweet, easy to read, and flowy, but it was paired with a harsh world and violent scenes. I doesn't seem like they would work together, though I found the mix to something that really worked in favor of the book. There are also adorable nicknames and sweet scenes in between ones about sickness and violence and talking about dying. I don't how they went together so well!
I really liked Kammani. She's confused and struggling, but she is determined to get her job done and do what she feels she needs to do. I loved that she was so adept at being a healer. I thought it was really interesting to learn about the medical side of this world. Her emotions are muddled, and she's stubborn on a lot of things. I related a lot of something of the emotional turmoil she went through and how she thought she just didn't know and how she just couldn't explain sometimes. It can be frustrating from an outside perspective, since I saw things she didn't, but it was like she was trying to make sure her and the people she loves world's are still spinning.

Though the romantic pairing was more of a side plot, I thought it was adorable. It could have been developed more and I would have liked if Kammani looked at her feelings a bit more closely, so I could see how she really felt. Nevertheless, I'm looking forward to where this relationship could go.

Reading it, I really enjoyed the plot. I really enjoyed the mystery and everything that happened. It was full of fancy parties, healing, and sneaking around the palace. Though, once everything came to light, it felt kind of lackluster. I feel like there could have been more to it. It felt kind of easy and I honestly wasn't shocked by the reveal. Though, I think there could be more to it and more could be revealed in the second book!
I was expecting for more focus to be on the relationship between Kammani and Nanaea, but they don't interact too much. Though, I think it's cool that their so solid about where they stand with each other. They love each other no matter what. If they fight, they'll fight, but they'll work things out. They love each other.

There are also a few things that just didn't tie together for me. I couldn't get a solid grasp of the geography of the palace, how it connected with the city, and who was allowed where. Certain people showed up in places I didn't think would be possible. This could just be me missing small details that would tie things together though! There were also a few times I didn't feel as tense as I think the situation required. I thought some things would be more dramatic than they were, so I think that's why they fell flat for me.

I also thought some dialogue, some conversations, and how some scenes played out were kind of cheesy. I personally don't mind that at all, I think it just made the book sweeter. When people read this a see all the harsh scenes, they're going to think I'm nuts for calling this book sweet haha. The characters are adorable, that's why it's sweet!

Despite the few issues that I had, I really did love this book, this world, and the characters. I can't wait to see the story expanded upon in the second book and see where the plot heads!

I was so excited I got a ark of this because this is on everybody’s highly wanted book!
I really enjoyed this book it was really fun and has some parts of the hunger games in it