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. My favorite thing about this book was the ending, honestly. The whole concept is interesting, and Tucholke does fantastic job spinning her own mythology with nods toward the classic Beowulf. 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. She’s strong, compelling, and the steady leader the Boneless Mercies need. The first thing that draws you into this story is Frey’s voice.

A gender-bent retelling of Beowulf, this book is all about female empowerment. Looks aside, this is definitely a book you’ll want to pick up when it comes out on October 2nd. But going after the beast might be a lot more than Frey bargained for.įirst 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. So, when she hears of a beast terrorizing a northern town, she decides that this is their way out of the death trade. Frey wants the glory of a warrior, not the silence of a Mercy. Frey, Ovie, Juniper, and Runa have lived this life in order to survive, but they are tired of all the death. The Boneless Mercies are girls that deal in the trade of death, girls that don’t fit in anywhere else.

The boneless mercies