The Boneless Mercies are girls that deal in the trade of death, girls that don’t fit in anywhere else. Frey, Ovie, Juniper, and Runa have lived this life in order to survive, but they are tired of all the death. Frey wants the glory of a warrior, not the silence of a Mercy. So, when she hears of a beast terrorizing a northern town, she decides that this is their way out of the death trade. But going after the beast might be a lot more than Frey bargained for.
First of all, can we admire how absolutely beautiful this cover is? I might buy a final edition of this when it comes out just because of how beautiful it is. Looks aside, this is definitely a book you’ll want to pick up when it comes out on October 2nd. A gender-bent retelling of Beowulf, this book is all about female empowerment.
The first thing that draws you into this story is Frey’s voice. She’s strong, compelling, and the steady leader the Boneless Mercies need. You can see how much she truly cares about her companions as she talks about them, worn down by the death trade; essentially, they give people merciful deaths in exchange for other goods. The whole concept is interesting, and Tucholke does fantastic job spinning her own mythology with nods toward the classic Beowulf.
My favorite thing about this book was the ending, honestly. Frey and her companions are determined to change the master narratives told from generation to generation; narratives that often leave out women and absolutely never mention Mercies. By the end, it’s a about women being able to make a name for themselves and being able to do anything men are able to do. There’s room to return to the world at the end, but the book also works wonderfully as a standalone.
All in all, if you love Norse mythology, badass female characters, and epic battles against monstrous creatures, you’ll definitely fall in love with The Boneless Mercies.
4.5/5 stars