Publishers Weekly
★ 09/10/2018
In this evocative fantasy loosely inspired by Beowulf, four young women who have devoted their lives to ritual mercy killing as “Mercies” or “Boneless Mercies” decide to give up that sad, dark work in favor of more satisfying pursuits: honor, glory, and a chance at appearing in legend. In order to earn enough money to do as they will, 17-year-old Frey and her companions swear a blood oath to slay the fabled Blue Vee Beast, which cyclically terrorizes a local jarldom. As the Mercies journey across Vorseland, threats and temptations test them repeatedly, and they must choose between quiet safety and death-defying heroism. Frey’s fittingly lyrical voice narrates her band’s exploits (“The marsh was death, and this was life. Apple liquor on the tongue, drying herbs scenting the air”). Tucholke (Wink Poppy Midnight) injects close intimacy into her lush saga, interweaving love and murder, mercy and glory into her portrayal of life and death. It is a beautiful, haunting modern-day epic that stars a bold and resourceful sisterhood of heroines unafraid to claim agency. Ages 12–up. Agent: Tracey Adams, Adams Literary. (Oct.)
From the Publisher
*A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year*
*A Barnes & Noble Best YA Book of the Year*
"The Boneless Mercies feels like a cathartic war cry advocating for the power of girls and women. [...] A dynamic critique of the hero's journey: Who is granted honor and glory, and at what cost does it come?" —The New York Times Book Review
"Tucholke injects close intimacy into her lush saga, interweaving love and murder, mercy and glory into her portrayal of life and death. It is a beautiful, haunting modern-day epic that stars a bold and resourceful sisterhood of heroines unafraid to claim agency." —Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Frey embodies the pursuit of glory through quest to become a hero remembered in story and myth. Fans of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings will find similar themes and elements. This is a must-have for avid fantasy readers who enjoy action-packed plots. VERDICT An excellent choice for any YA fantasy collections." —School Library Journal, starred review
"Narrator and protagonist Frey is quite unusual among female heroes: hungry for glory — bloodthirsty, even . . . These fierce, honorable adolescent female warriors hold their own and break all the rules. Marked by flawless worldbuilding. Wow." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"It's easy to call this a gender-swapped retelling of the epic Beowulf, but that fails to convey its true charm . . . There is room in this world for more than one epic, and we can hope that Tucholke will return to it to tell us more about this ongoing feud." —NPR.org
"[T]his story heroically contemplates female strength and agency, compassion versus vengeance, and the value of glory." —Booklist
"Frey’s earnest narrative voice creates a strong sense of the center of this fantasy: female solidarity. Bodily closeness, a shared quest for justice, and sheer joy in physical capacity are only part of it: collaboration and attentive respect are the true underpinning of Tucholke’s creation. This is the quiet force behind a plot of conquest and adventure, and of the diverse religions, cultures, terrains, and tales that make up Tucholke’s invented world. A dark and vivid story, with what-happens-next? momentum." —The Horn Book
"April Genevieve Tucholke's genderbent Beowulf is as dark and quietly mysterious as the fantastical winter in which it takes place. Her alternate Scandinavia is a land of powerful magics and eerie landscapes, bloodlust and genuine, deep friendships, that is full of foreboding, menace and eventual (though not unfettered) glory."
—Shelf Awareness
"Although the inspiration for her tale is ancient, Tucholke is interested in themes much more relevant to the #MeToo age. Teens will not realize how much they needed a gritty feminist reimagining of Beowulf until throats start getting slit and axes start swinging, but it is the bond between the Mercies helping them deal with the trauma they have survived that truly sets this tale apart from typical epics." —VOYA
"Fierce and glorious, this story of outcast girls defying fate utterly bewitched me. Tucholke is a gorgeous writer." —Laini Taylor, New York Times-bestselling author of Strange the Dreamer
"The Boneless Mercies maintains the mystical, haunting flavor of an ancient ballad across the length of a novel. Its every page hints at a deeper magic at work; it contains a whole world and all its myths and histories within its skin." —Melissa Albert, New York Times-bestselling author of The Hazel Wood
"Ruthless and lyrical, heart-warming and blood-chilling, and beautifully redolent of ancient tales and history. It will sing to a new generation of heroes." —Samantha Shannon, New York Times-bestselling author of The Bone Season
School Library Journal
★ 09/01/2018
Gr 8 Up—When 17-year-old Frey decides to seek glory and kill the Blue Vee beast, she embarks on a life-altering journey. Along with her companions, she leaves behind her work as a Boneless Mercy, giving reprieve to those in anguish using death. Frey travels through the lands of the Sea Witches and the Red Willow Marsh while navigating the complex political and sometimes dangerous world of the Vorse. Frey's quest is fraught with peril, but with her companions by her side and her thirst for glory, nothing will stop her from killing the Blue Vee Monster. This is a gender-flipped retelling of the epic poem Beowulf. Tucholke uses mythology and fantasy elements to create a rich and compelling tale based on the Old English poem. The hero's journey is a major theme throughout. Frey embodies the pursuit of glory through quest to become a hero remembered in story and myth. Fans of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings will find similar themes and elements. This is a must-have for avid fantasy readers who enjoy action-packed plots. VERDICT An excellent choice for any YA fantasy collections.—Meaghan Nichols, ASI Heritage, Ont.
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2018-07-30
In this saga inspired by the ancient tale of "Beowulf" our hero is a 17-year-old death-trader named Frey.
Silver-haired Frey is the leader of a band of Boneless Mercies, women who roam the land bringing relief to the sick and the old. Frey's sister Mercies are greenish-blond-haired Sea Witch Juniper, markswoman Runa, and reserved, stoic Ovie. The only male, Trigve, is a healer. The life of a Mercy is uneventful; she performs her death work, gets paid, and moves on. Once a deceased Mercy passes out of living memory, she disappears into obscurity. But Frey wants more than that. She wants bards to immortalize her in song. She wants glory, and if she dies seeking it, so be it. Her chance comes when she decides to pursue the legendary Blue Vee beast, a creature that decimates entire villages. Blue Vee's jarl (king) has lost half his warriors to the beast, but Frey is confident that she and the Mercies can bring the creature down. The monetary reward for doing so will allow them to leave Mercy-killing behind. Narrator and protagonist Frey is quite unusual among female heroes: hungry for glory—bloodthirsty, even—but still likable. These fierce, honorable adolescent female warriors hold their own and break all the rules. Marked by flawless worldbuilding—even though it's still a man's world—the book is set in an alternate Scandinavia and assumes a white default.
Wow. (Fantasy. 12-adult)
