I had high hopes for The Mourners, but it didn't quite hit the mark for me.
The plot and world are an intriguing concept with so much potential. Truly an interesting dystopian twist with a unique magic system.
There are a lot of parallels to Divergent in the beginning (almost too much), but it does veer off into it's own direction. However, the writing and characters left me wanting.
I found the writing to be a bit simple for my taste. It read as though it was written for a middle-grade audience.
The characters are diverse and I did enjoy some of the side characters. I didn't connect very well to the FMC. She comes across as quite juvenile and naive for her age, her inner dialogue was very basic and simple.

I didn't hate the book, but I also didn't love it, and I definitely think it had a lot more potential.

I so desperately wanted to like this. I love alternate history novels, I think they're so cool and interesting and I usually like books with magic schools in them as well but this one I cannot lie the magic school killed it for me. I made it to around 40% and while I really like the main character, Elide is a very interesting character in my humble opinion and I appreciate that most of the other characters understand sign language! I just couldn't bring myself to actually care about the world she lives in. I also didn't really like the explanation for technological mismatching because why do we have horse drawn carriages to protect their faith but also have cell phones? I can't lie when I say that sending a girl to work in a brothel for "violating purity laws" is absolutely an insane choice either.

There's quite a few confusing narrative choices, including just tossing our mute MC into combat class with no preparation and almost immediately getting her everything rocked. This book even has a sorting ceremony because of course it does, how else are we going to be told that our MC who was basically kidnapped into joining this school is The Chosen One and Special.

The Mourners promised so much for me to be so disappointed. The South won the war… but it’s very confusing how the new country decided to build their laws and rules. It seems to be super religious, going as far as having Enochs, and severe crime for having relations outside of marriage, but then somehow has magic and is sorta okay with it but not at the same time. They also renamed Houston for some reason? I tried to get past this but couldn’t. I put it down at 45% I just found out that I didn’t actually care, nothing was really happening and everything the world didn’t mesh. I think if the author had not made this a “realistic” fantasy it would have been fine. They already changed some city names so I don’t think it would have been far off.

I haven't read much dystopia. but I definitely want to read more now. The world building is fantastic and the characters are brilliantly written. I haven't read anything where the MC is mute, so this was interesting; I work with several people who are deaf, so the sign language element was lovely to see.

I will be recommending this to people for sure.

I love a good dystopia and this one hit all of the right marks. The main character being mute was also a fun addition to the plot. I really enjoyed this.

Aminah Fox created such a fascinating world. Alternate timeline if the Civil War ended in a stalemate and the sides still fight every so often. The magic system is unique and interesting. Who can you trust in this world? Who is right and who is wrong? I'm looking forward to reading book 2.

I liked this book and lot more than I thought i would. I wasnt able to put it down! It gave off Divergent vibes and was the perfect followup book after reading the new hunger games book. I personally tend to stick to dark romance and venture out every now and then when something catches my interest. This book definitely caught my eye and im glad that I read it. I like how you get to see Elide be nieve and make mistakes, but that you also get to see her grow and learn from those mistakes and makes sure that she never er repeats those mistakes. I think this was an interesting read and I definitely think more people should be reading it.

(3.5*) The Mourners ti afferra per il colletto, ti lancia in un'America alternativa post-Guerra civile e ti lascia lì, sperando che tu capisca da solo dove ti trovi.
Benvenuti a Scopus (ex Texas), ora cuore pulsante di un regime fondamentalista che fa sembrare Il racconto dell'ancella una favola progressista. In questa distopia teocratica le donne sono incasellate in ruoli prestabiliti (Madri, mogli. Silenziose, preferibilmente mute). Elide Hester, muta per errore medico, nostra eroina per necessità, a 21 anni viene selezionata per diventare una Mourner - membro di un élite con poteri mentali e zero capacità. L'idea di fondo è interessante: poteri mentali, ordini segreti, accademie oscure e guerre fredde interne. Le vibes sono quelle giuste tra dark academia e thriller distopico, con sprazzi di femminismo sotto assedio. Il problema? Il worldbuilding sembra scritto con l'inchiostro simpatico. Sappiamo che c'è un'America alternativa (ottimo), che il Sud ha vinto la guerra (okay), che esiste questa città-stato inquietante chiamata Scopus (mh) ma il resto è avvolto da nebbia fitta e senza un Gps narrativo. il lettore si perde facilmente.
Il sistema magico promette poteri telepatici, visioni condivise, controllo mentale… e un sacco di paroloni non spiegati. La protagonista scopre i propri doni come una ragazzina che si sveglia con i superpoteri ma senza manuale d’istruzioni. E mentre tu cerchi di capire cosa faccia esattamente un “Apostate” o come funzioni la gerarchia dei Mourner, ti senti come uno studente capitato per sbaglio a lezione avanzata di fisica quantistica, senza aver seguito il corso introduttivo.
Elide è un personaggio interessante, va detto. Muta, ma non passiva. Prende botte emotive e fisiche, ma resta in piedi, incazzata quanto basta. La scelta di renderla non verbale è coraggiosa e ben gestita per la maggior parte del libro. Peccato che intorno a lei gravitino figure che sembrano uscire da un casting di serie YA: il ragazzo oscuro e tormentato, il superiore sadico, l’amica traditrice… Avanti il prossimo cliché.
Se ti piacciono i giochi di potere, i doppi (e tripli) giochi, i governi corrotti, le ribellioni segrete e le organizzazioni ombra, sei nel posto giusto. Ma non aspettarti una rivelazione brillante: alcune trame secondarie si aprono come un portone gotico… e si chiudono come una finestra sbattuta dal vento. Alcuni personaggi sembrano fondamentali e poi spariscono. Altri compaiono a sorpresa e pretendono che tu li conosca già. La sensazione generale è: ottima intenzione, esecuzione un po’ confusa.
The Mourners è un romanzo che batte coi tacchi sulla soglia del genere giusto: intrighi politici, dark academia, fantasie con poteri oscuri. Però a volte inciampa su sé stesso, con world‑building difficilmente penetrabile e magia troppo sfumata.
Se sei disposta ad accettare un po’ di caos narrativo e ti piacciono le storie che parlano di controllo, potere, identità e ribellione, questo romanzo può darti molto.

A neat take on the dystopian genre where the hunger games meets divergent with a little sprinkle of the handmaids tale mixed in. The southern states are a different nation following the civil war and we follow our fmc Elide navigating this world and coming into her powers.

Missed the mark on me. I felt confused about the setting, and the magic system was a bit hard for me to grasp. Although it makes sense as we are learning it right alongside our fmc Elide.

I thought this was well written and I loved the dark academia vibe and sign language representation. Anyone who liked Divergent would enjoy this, just felt like somethings were missing to have me truly hooked.

I received an ARC of The Mourners: The Deadly Elite by Aminah Fox through NetGalley, and I’m thrilled to share my thoughts on this dystopian fantasy debut. Set in an alternate timeline where the American Civil War ended in a stalemate, this book dives into a richly crafted world of intrigue, power, and hidden magic. Here’s my honest take with pros and cons for this gripping start to the Mourners series.

Pros:
Aminah Fox’s world-building is a standout. The fractured nation of Scopus, ruled by the enigmatic Apostate and his pseudo-religious Apolites, feels chillingly real, with vivid descriptions of its dark academia-esque training grounds and gritty cities. The story follows Elide Hester, a mute 21-year-old who’s spent her life preparing for an aptitude test to secure her place in society, only to be thrust into the ranks of the Mourners, an elite and deadly organization. Elide’s journey from naive scholar to empowered fighter is compelling, her telepathic abilities, revealed gradually, add a thrilling layer to her growth. The pacing is spot-on, with a slow build that erupts into action-packed twists, especially in the second half. Fox nails the dystopian vibe, subtly weaving in themes of classism and zealotry that creep up on you. The supporting cast, like the mysterious Calliope and Elide’s brother Hansel, adds depth, and the cliffhanger ending left me itching for the next book, The Harlots. The prose is atmospheric, pulling you into Elide’s headspace with vivid imagery that makes every scene pop.

Cons:
While I enjoyed the book, it’s not without flaws. The magic system, centered on Elide’s telepathy, is intriguing but could use more clarity, some details about its mechanics felt vague, which left me wanting more explanation. A few secondary characters, like some of the Mourners, didn’t get enough page time to feel fully fleshed out, making their motivations less impactful. The early chapters lean heavily on world-building, which might slow things down for readers craving instant action. Also, while the cliffhanger is effective, a couple of plot threads felt abruptly dropped, leaving me wishing for a touch more resolution to balance the setup for book two. Lastly, some dialogue occasionally felt stiff, pulling me out of the story’s flow.

Overall, The Mourners: The Deadly Elite is an electrifying debut that blends dark academia, dystopian stakes, and a fierce heroine into a world I’m eager to revisit. Aminah Fox shows serious promise, and I’m excited for what’s next in this series. I’d recommend this to fans of dystopian fantasy with a taste for complex characters and atmospheric settings.