This is a complete and total "It's not you, it's me" review. So you may ABSOLUTELY love this book! It just wasn't my cup of tea at this particular time.

This is a typical commercial fantasy that you read, enjoy and then promptly forget. I think this is my case anyways, and it definitely has more to do with me than the book. I have read SO many YA fantasies, and a lot of those claim that they have a unique premise or idea, or a different kind of hero or heroine. Unfortunately for me, this one seemed to fall into the traps of... "this sounds so familiar" and the "i have to put this down and read something else because I am bored".

And while I do say that, I was somewhat entertained, or I would have rated it much lower. This is a fast-paced fantasy that contains a mystery, a cute but very predictable romance and lots of tense family interactions. There were also a few darker and slightly disturbing scenes, but if you regularly consume dark fiction it most likely won't be a problem for you.

Overall, I think that it was definitely a well-written fantasy, and I think it will be an entertaining story for a lot of readers. I just thought it was full of predictable and boring tropes that i've read a thousand times before.

All my best to the author and her success.

**Special thanks to NetGalley, Kelly Coon, and Delacorte Press for the advanced eARC in exchange for my honest thoughts and review.**

Gravemaidens is the first book in a duology by Kelly Coon and when I read this summary I knew I needed to check it out.

Kammani is the main character and things haven't been easy for her and her family lately. When she is cast out of their privileged life with her father and sister, her only real desire is to become an accomplished healer. Unfortunately when Alu's ruler becomes deathly ill, Kammani's little sister is chosen as one of the three sacred maidens who will accompany him into the afterlife. While this is considered a great honor, Kammani doesn't see it that way. In an effort to save her sister, Kammani decides she will go heal the ruler herself and what she finds is something so much more than their dying ruler.

I enjoyed the story but didn't connect with all of the characters. I thought the relationship between Kammani and her sister, Nanaea was challenging. Nanaea came across as ungrateful and a bit spoiled and while the end revealed a bit more around her motivations, I think I would have liked her more had I known sooner.

I also wanted more Dagan. I really liked him but he didn't have a big role. I also wanted Kammani to be less wishy washy about him and her feelings for him. Also, Iltani was a fantastic BFF for Kammani and she challenged and pushed Kammani in so many different ways.

Overall, I enjoyed this story and thought Coon did a good job with the pacing and the character development. Add this one to your TBR list if you're looking for a fantasy story that has a different feel.

Gravemaidens by Kelly Coon was on my TBR (to be read) list as soon as I saw it, and I was so excited to get a copy just before it was released. I was definitely not disappointed! It’s going to be released on October 29, 2019, and it’s definitely a great read.

TRIGGER WARNING: This book includes substance use, violence, murder, unwanted sexual advances, and arranged teen marriages.


Kammani lives in the walled city-state of Alu, and strives to be the skillful healer that her father was, before her family was cast down from their respected position in society.

But when the ruler of Alu is so sick that his death is imminent, three sacred maidens are chosen for the honor of joining him in the afterlife. It is a tradition, and Kammani’s beautiful little sister, Nanaea, is chosen as one of the maidens. Nanaea sees this as a chance to live a better life than the one that she had before her family was cast down. Only Kammani sees this honor as a death sentence.

Kammani is frantic to save her sister, and hatches a plot to get into the palace so that she can heal the ruler. But once she is inside the palace, she finds even more danger than she had realized possible, dangers that threaten her life and her heart. Kammani is determined, and vows that nothing will stand in the way of finding out the truth, even if she has to make the ultimate sacrifice.


It’s a refreshing change to see a YA fantasy story that features non-traditional characters and settings. I recognized a Middle Eastern vibe pretty early on, but as the book went on, I realized that Kelly Coon had taken us further back in time to Mesopotamia. I loved the setting, and could easily picture it as I read. Her descriptions are beautiful and evocative, and I enjoyed that she went out of the ordinary fantasy setting.

Kammani is a likable character from the start. She’s young but smart and responsible. She has already taken on a parenting role for her sister, and experienced a lot of heartache, although she focuses on what she has to do. As expected, she isn’t great at expressing her feelings, but that is part of what I like so much about her – she isn’t a perfect character. Her flaws are what make her so relatable. I always identify more with a character who makes mistakes, but provides reasoning why. Kammani has a difficult relationship with Dagan, her sort-of love interest, but she struggles with the idea of wanting to be successful at healing and the idea of being tied to a man and playing the role of wife and mother. Even though this story takes place ages ago, I feel like this is still a struggle that women go through today. Granted, it isn’t something we tend to deal with at 16, but keep in mind, this isn’t modern day society. It’s ancient Mesopotamia, where women were married with kids at that age. I liked that Kammani shows growth through the book, and wonder where the next book takes her.

The fantasy world is well overdue for more diverse settings and characters, and this book nailed it. I loved the idea of a book with characters that non-Caucasian readers can identify with. I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect when I read this, since I went in with a completely clean slate. I had read the description, but no reviews, and I hadn’t seen any online chatter. I found the book to be suspenseful right from the start, and full of action. Kammani is a strong, independent woman, and based on the book, women at that time had some independence, but not to the level that we are accustomed to in modern society. I liked the characters (although there are some that you love to hate), and there were definite plot twists that were unexpected. I like a book that is unpredictable, and I’m already looking forward to the next book in this duology.

Gravenmaidens has a great premise that got off to a bit of a rocky start for me, but really won me over in the second half. The "girl trying to save sister from something bad" has been done a lot, and Kammani's sister comes across as very unlikable for most of the story but it worked for me. Sisters are rarely as sweet and lovely as Prim in The Hunger Games and this felt like a more realistic teenager sister dynamic.
The romance is pretty minimal in Gravemaidens, which is always a plus in my book. I had a few nit-picky problems with plot points, and Kammani's conclusions she draws during the story are questionable. Around the halfway mark the pace really picked up and I couldn't put it down. It does end without much resolution as it's the first installment of a duology, but I definitely enjoyed it well enough to endure the wait for the conclusion!

Gravemaidens was quite the dark, entertaining story! I kind of fell in love with it, honestly. Look, I am going to go ahead and get my one negative out of the way first so we can get to the good stuff: It's kind of predictable. I wasn't ever really shocked by what happened next, but the story and the characters and the world were so engrossing that it really didn't make it any less enjoyable.

The characters are certainly for me the best part of the story. We have strong-willed Kammani willing to do whatever it takes to not have her sister's fate become "corpse bride". Because who wants that?! Oh right, the aforementioned sister does! It's bananas, but it also perfectly represents so many things in our society; things we've become numb to because they are just the norm. She thinks it's an honor because for generations, it's been drilled into the heads of all the people.

Anyway, I loved that part, because it's a great metaphor but also because it's dark as hell. I mean can you even imagine not only having that happen to you, but being excited about it? Oh, and Kammani is also an incredible healer, and is there anything better than a strong STEM commoner-girl in a crappy classist patriarchy? Methinks not.

It's a quick moving book, one filled with high stakes and an incredible cast of characters. There's of course a strong family bond, which is apparent from the very start. But there are also a lot of people outside her family who care for Kammani as well! The whole gang works together, and I love it. You'll fall in love with them too, of that I'm sure. And even though I was sometimes pretty sure I knew what was coming next, I still didn't want to put the book down like, ever. And now, I really need the sequel immediately, if not sooner.

Bottom Line: Strong characters, an immersive world, and a fast-past story that will leave you excited for the next installment makes this a must-read!

Thank you Netgalley and Delacorte Press for a copy of Gravemaidens in exchange for an honest review.

Rants, Raves, and Reviews
Oh boy, okay. I know part of this is my fault: I was swayed by a gorgeous cover and the promise of a dark story. I already have a rough relationship with YA fantasy, and I am starting to realize that YA fantasy that promises to be dark and disturbing is even worse for me. Does this book promise that? I mean, it’s called Gravemaidens. There is discussion of danger lurking and the ferryman between the world and the afterlife. It just seems like it should be macabre.

Unfortunately, this book is just….kind of boring. I have trouble staying in a story when I don’t care for the main characters, and this book didn’t really have any characters I loved or that stood out. Kammani thinks and talks repeatedly about how she’s had to grow up too quickly and take care of the house after the death of her mother and the fall from grace, but it is so much telling and not a ton of showing. This causes her to come off as more whiny throughout the entire book, rather than more Katniss, I guess. I got strong Katniss-esque vibes, but without much of what I love about Katniss. Hunge Games has downtime to show the hardships of District Twelve, while Gravemaidens just keeps telling you they’re there.

While Kammani comes off as whiny, her sister comes off even worse. Every time Kammanmi and her sister are together, the fight and are awful to each other. I would have almost appreciated a story of Kammani reluctantly saving her sister because it was her mother’s dying wish or something, rather than this. We are told why she wants to save her, but really overall, it never makes sense below a surface level.

There are plenty of other throwaway characters to be sure: the one note best friend, the one note “boyfriend,” the questionable princess, and the questionable guard-friend. It unfortunately just doesn’t mesh ever. There isn’t a love triangle, but the love story doesn’t make sense. Kammani is annoyed every time her “betrothed” offers to help because she takes it as pity, but ….why? Oh, and two other Gravemaidens.

Final Thoughts
Overall, this book had unfortunately flat characters, an obvious twist, no real world building outside of made up words. It could be something more, but unfortunately it just isn’t.

*3.75 stars*
I've been on the street team for "Gravemaidens" this year and it's been a blast doing all the fun stuff to promote the book!
The highlight of this book to me was all the details of the world building! The world is more of an ancient time period and I loved all the details of the food, flowers, the buildings and all the other stuff about this world. I really felt transported to an ancient Sumer type fantasy world. Kelly has an amazing imagination! I also liked seeing how Kammani used her healing knowledge; it was cool to see what was for a remedy or what could cure what ailment. I liked the storyline of Kammani trying to heal the ruler so she could save her sister.
Another highlight was the last half of the book. Things went in a direction that I didn't expect so I kept scrolling through the story to know what happened. I hope to see more of the Boatman in the next book; he was another highlight. The whole concept of sending three maidens to escort the ruler into the Netherworld was really interesting.
While I do think the first half needed a little tightening and while I wonder what the sequel will do as far as the whole series, this was a fun book. I liked how this book was different to some other YA fantasies and I'm excited for the next one. This was a quick, easy and entertaining read.

I received this earc from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.


SPOILERS AHEAD

In her wonderful book Kelly Coon wrote the story of two sisters, Kammani and Nanae, daughter of Alu's healer, cast down from their status since their father failed to heal the lugan's son. Kammani is a young and brilliant woman, who studied with her father to become an healer and after their cast down situation, her mother's and little sister's death (during childbirth) she's forced to take care of her family, since her father couldn't, struck down by grief and alcool. Kammani's life is turn upside down again when her sister is chosen to be a Sacred Maiden. According to the city's tradition, when a lugan dies three women are chosen to accompany him to the Netherworld and everyone but Kammani see this as an honor. So she decides to push her father to try to heal the lugan and save her sister, but when her father dies in misterious circumstances she has to step forward and try everything to save a sister who doesn't want to be saved.
Gravemaidens is a beautifully constructed story, full of twists and discoveries and enticing characters. Kammani is a strong main character, forced and used to taking care of everything and everyone, refusing any help, even though she's full of loyal and amazing friends, like the wild and funny Ilthani and her future husband and old friend Dagan and they do everything they can to help her and be with her, ignoring her stubborn nature to think about the others first. Kammani's love for her family and friends is amazing and well written and she finds herself, during the celebrations for the Sacred Maidens, with bazaar and festivities, beautiful dresses and foods, battling against life attempts, misteries and poisons, fake and new friends. Even though I discovered the real culprit in the first half of the book, or at least I had strong feelings about it, I really enjoyed Kammani's investigation, helped by Nasu, the guard, Ilthani and Dagan. I enjoyed the setting of the book and reading the author's note about the human sacrifices was really interesting and I loved how Kelly Coon decided to write a story about such characters.
This is a book about love, about taking care of each other, accepting help, sharing burdens and learning by past mistakes. I liked the memories, helping the reader understand Kammani's story and life and I liked how the book ends, even though now I'm terribly curious about the other one!

Sacred Maidens or Gravemaidens, all depends on how you look at it. Very interesting story with an exotic Mediterranean or Hindi feel to it. A life for a life, a mysterious death, a murder, and a girl who desperately wants to save her sister from an early grave. Excellent plot and character development with a sliver of YA romance as Kammani desperate to save her sister from becoming one of the near dead ruler's handmaidens in his tomb to see to his needs in the after life, finagles her way into the castle as a skilled healer bent on saving the ruler as well as her sister. Kammani holds the weight of the world on her shoulder when all she should really have to worry about it a marriage proposal. She puts her life on hold to take care of her heart- broken father, attend to the sick in her town, look after her younger sister who has her sights on a more golden lifestyle, and mourns the loss of her mother and brother.

10.24.2019
DNF at 10%

I wish I had known more about this book going in as I would have never requested it. For me, this is a cheap ripoff of The Hunger Games [though admittedly, the premise is different, but people still needlessly die] with the yucky [for me] writing of Ember in the Ashes [that book for me was horrific, graphic and totally gratuitous and really unnecessary in my life. I still think about the horrors I read there] and I just cannot read this. Meh. There is no substance to the writing - it is all based on shock value and horror and unfortunately, that makes is a book NOT for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's/Delacourte Press for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I finished my buddy read way quicker than I expected, I blame the author Kelly Coon for this. I was able to read the first eight chapters and have some semblance of self-control but after that, it was like I was gorging myself on cakes from the faerie realm, I could not put the book down.

Kammani was a really endearing protagonist, she had her faults, her passions, and the love for her family with her love of healing. And like any good big sister, she can be somewhat annoying and overbearing on her younger sister and brother.

Kammani wants to follow in the footsteps of her father, but the problem with that is that her Father has been just as tragically affected as the rest of the family and it has changed him.

I love that the characters were so real and flawed, no one was above making mistakes. There were so many moments where I was just holding my breath though because this is not only a great work of YA fantasy, it’s also got a murder mystery,

When I first picked up Gravemaidens, I was beyond excited to start a book with a fierce main character and an intricate plot. Unfortunately, this book didn’t live up to my expectations; the book offered enthralling world building and a complex and distinctive plot, but unmemorable characters.

Kammani knows being a Sacred Maiden is a curse and a death wish. She knows it means dying in this world to become a queen in the next, and to her that’s terrifying. She doesn’t see it as an honor like everyone else. And when Nanaea, her sister, is picked as one of the three Sacred Maidens, Kammani can feel her entire world crashing around her. Her sister, who is beyond overjoyed, doesn’t quite understand why Kammani sees it as just death. And Kammani doesn’t understand why Nanaea would want to die. So Kammani does everything she possibly can to save the Alu’s ruler from dying and save her sister from the Boatman.

I really did like Kammani as the main character; she’s easy to understand and easy to relate to; no one wants to see a family member die, especially their younger sister. Kammani was a strong and brave character who knew she was getting herself into trouble but did it anyway, in hopes of saving her sister. She didn’t have much time to be a child, so her childhood was spent with her growing up and making sure her family survived. And even with saying all that, I didn’t find much character growth with Kammani, which is why her story line isn’t so memorable to me. Don’t get me wrong, she’s an interesting character, I just didn’t feel that connection I look for with the main character.

I would have liked to see more characterization of Dagan, the main love interest. He’s already madly in love with Kammani and basically throughout the first half of the book, he spends his time trying to win her over. Not that it’s necessarily a bad thing, considering he wants to marry her. But Kammani isn’t ready to get married (which is completely fine), but she doesn’t seem to fully tell Dagan her reasonings, at least not yet. I did think, however, that Dagan improved as a character about half-way through the book. I liked his relationship with Kammani and I thought there was definitely something there, I just wish there was more development with their relationship and maybe there will be in the sequel.

In all honesty, what really put this book on my radar was the story line of the Sacred Maidens and the Boatman. It’s unique and intriguing. I was a little disappointed that there was not much on the Boatman in the book, but I understand why, since he comes to collect the souls of those that are dead. Either way, I thought it was a great idea. As Nanaea is a Sacred Maiden, the reader gets to see what really goes on behind the scenes with being a Sacred Maiden and why it is so important to their kingdom and their tradition to have these girls join the ruler in the afterlife. It’s an interesting concept, one that I enjoyed reading about.

Even though I was not loving all the characters, I was obsessed with the world building and the writing. Coon describes a harsh world but in beautiful and rich prose, and it’s downright captivating. The descriptions captured my attention and created an intricate picture of each scene in my head. Coon did an amazing job describing the hardships, the violence, and the good and bad within this world. The world itself is just as enchanting as the cover of this book (which is gorgeous!). If anything, the world was by far my favorite part of this book, and also the Sacred Maidens concept.

But overall, Gravemaidens is a beautiful tale, with a unique plot and harsh yet captivating world. Even thought I was not a big fan of this book, I do still plan to read the sequel, as I liked the ending and I’m curious as to how everything is going to wrap up.

3,5 stars

I was so excited for Gravemaidens, and don’t get me wrong, it is still a very solid book, but it is just not memorable enough.

Gravemaidens focuses on Kammani who is training under her father to become a healer. Who is trying to keep her family’s head above water after their father’s disgrace and death of their mother. When her younger sister gets chosen as a gravemaiden her world collapses. While everyone thinks it is a great honor Kammani knows it is just a death sentence. She will do anything to protect her sister.

The whole idea of the gravemaidens (maidens that were chosen to accompany dying rulers to the Netherworld) is an interesting one and what drew me to this book right away. The idea of it still stands but I do wonder how many people truly believe that being a gravemaiden is a great honor. The idea that only Kammani realizes the truth of it just seems like a different way to make her stand out from the other girls. Regardless of that the plot stands quite well.

If one looks closely at the events not that much happens but it still feels like I was able to race through the book. It is easy to follow. The book itself is also under 300 pages (or my ebook was in any case) and that makes it a great bite sized book to pick up.

My biggest critique with this story is all the missed opportunities. There is such a missed opportunity in the relationship with the sisters. While there is some development there, there was much more room for the two to get into their conflicts. Instead they bicker meaninglessly and the younger sister is put down as ungrateful. The ending of the story doesn’t change that feeling. It was unnecessary to go into that stereotype if you don’t delve into it further.

Another missed opportunity I found was the relationship that Kammani was developing with Nin, the daughter to the ruler. There was a nice foundation there and then bam, it all just came to a screeching halt. The way the story went around those two felt incredibly wrong. The villains also were tragically underdeveloped.

However some of the other side characters were a delight. Her friends, her brother. Her love interest. Do I dare say that I enjoyed their romance. The love interest was incredibly respectful and unlike their family, did not try to hound her into anything. I found that so important to see.

So I did not quite love this but despite my critiques I did quite enjoy reading it which is why I did end up settling on a 3,5 stars.

Having these books fall into my hands was a godsend given that we are looking to add more female leads to our library—tough ones at that and in a different type of world we are used to today. It is so hard to find books that are written well in character development, plot, and female situations that make you happy and sad, but I think we’ve found a great one. The character design in this book is and was exquisite. I enjoyed reading all the descriptions, development, and love put into the characters from the very beginning. Many of the characters have found their way in the world that is so important to that character that I can’t help but love them. Kammani is a healer who has lost her family along the way but she continues to push on as she begins to lose her sister Nanaea to the afterlife in which she will become a ruler—WOW!

There are many themes and ideas that come into this novel such as determination, joy, fear, and much more. I really loved delving into the world that the author created as it is such a magnificent creature in and of itself. The many traditions and customs that she created was great and I really enjoyed seeing that in a book—we don’t see that written so great often. The characters in this book caught my attention so much and I believe that students would be able to connect to the different characters as well (there is someone for everyone). This can be utilized for many grades and many different groups of people—it would be a great book club book.

I enjoyed the setting which was extremely fun and imaginative. There is a lot of backstory that can help you understand what is happening cover to cover. I would suggest this book for a book club or even independent reading as it is not a difficult read and definitely has the high interest aspect to it that all students can get with. The characters that rush into danger is immediately something that my students would gravitate to and love to read—because who doesn’t love action in every form? Especially with a determined female at its helm.

Gravemaidens is my most anticipated read this year, so I couldn't hit the request button fast enough when I saw it pop on NetGalley. I devoured this deliciously dark fantasy in less than 24 hours. The world building that Kelly Coon sets up is incredible. She doesn't shy away from the incredibly dark and insidious nature of human sacrifice, and ensures that your eyes are wide open for the entirety of this book.

I loved the constant theme of sisterhood in this book. Kammani will do anything, including risking her own life, to ensure that Nanaea will not meet an untimely death (even if it's against Nanaea's wishes). There's so much betrayal and sacrifice in this book. You literally don't know who to trust.

Gravemaidens is a fantastic start to this duology, and I need book two immediately!

this book was just kinda frustrating for me. i believe this book falls under lower to mid YA age range and i’m finding that i just can’t read those anymore. they aren’t for me and i can’t get into them.

this book revolves around a relationship between two sisters and i'm questioning where that relationship really was. one sister cares about the other and the second sister could not care less about the other. i would have felt more of a payoff if both sisters deeply cared about each other but that’s not the case here. constantly the main character was bending over backwards for her sis while the sis is like i can do whatever i want and was super selfish. i’m real real tired of the frivolous “selfish” young teenage girl who doesn’t care about her family/friends trope. it just gives me a lot of frustration because teenage girls are having to overcome this stereotype ALL THE TIME and this book feeds into that. it also feeds into the "you have to always love and treat your family well" trope despite the fact that her sister is horrible to her. sorry, but if someone is constantly horrible to you with no end in sight, it is OKAY to stop being nice to them. teenage girls need to know this too and i feel like it would have been entirely ok to see that represented in this book as well.

i do think this book also had a lot of pacing issues that could possibly be corrected in the finished copy but i was really bothered by it.

3/5 Stars

Author: Kelly Coon

Publisher/Imprint: Delacorte Press

Edition: e-ARC, 275 Pages

Hardcover Publication Date: October 29, 2019

A Spine that Shines? Partially

*This review is based on the e-ARC edition provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All quotes used in this review come from the uncorrected proof. These are my honest opinions. Thank you.*

‘I bathe in horror, bask in fright / Three queens of beauty / Maidens fair / I’ll hide their souls within my lair.’
The Boatman’s Refrain, Gravemaidens

Initial Thoughts:

Let’s start with the more positive aspects of this review. The premise of Gravemaidens is certainly a fascinating – and horrific – one. Three young women are chosen to become “Sacred Maidens” to die with their ruler, Lugal Marus. Kammani, the older sister of one of the Maidens, hatches a plan to heal the ruler so that her sister’s life may be spared.

I also enjoyed reading the descriptions of the food and setting, which is reminiscent of a city-state in the Fertile Crescent. I really wanted to love this book. I usually enjoy reading about various mythologies and the folklore of different cultures. I’m sure the author put a lot of time and effort into this debut, and I appreciate the author’s intentions stated in the note at the end of the book. She, as a sister herself, wanted to portray a protective sister relationship. She also wanted to share her interest in the culture and history of the Fertile Crescent.

Unfortunately, the execution of the story disappointed me. I dislike giving a book a low rating, but sometimes it must be done in order to provide my honest opinions. So, here it goes.

What Didn’t Work So Well?

Title vs. Content:

This novel is titled Gravemaidens. However, the story is less about the Maidens themselves and more about Kammani, the older sister of one of the Maidens. The three Maidens feel more like background characters. Since the novel is titled after them, I was kind of expecting them to play more prominent roles in the story. Perhaps it would have been interesting to have them alternate POVs. But that is not quite what we get in the book. They do play a role in some scenes, but most of the focus is on Kammani, as the book is told only from Kammani’s POV.

The title also implies that there would be a good dose of mythology, including the Boatman and the Netherworld. I loved the “Boatman’s Refrain” poem placed in the front of the novel, and I had thought that would be a good representation of what was to come. Unfortunately, the Boatman and the Netherworld hardly ever make appearances in the novel. There is one scene in which one of the characters dreams of being in the Netherworld, and I did enjoy that scene. However, I had hoped for many more scenes of that nature. I feel that Gravemaidens had so much potential to dive deep into the Netherworld, with the Boatman as a creepy character. Alas, it was not to be.

Furthermore, Gravemaidens is marketed as YA fantasy. However, the story feels more akin to historical fiction. I suppose this could depend on your definition of “fantasy.” In my opinion, there are only about 2-3 pages of actual “fantasy” in the entire novel. Because those elements only appear in one short scene, they feel a little out of place in comparison to the rest of the novel. And then the characters later brush that scene off as if it were nothing significant.

The Characters & Romance:

I didn’t truly connect with the characters. Kammani treats Dagan, the main love-interest, terribly. I didn’t understand why he still seeks her affections after the way she treats him. She’s not sure whether she wants to marry him, but she also doesn’t want any other girl to marry him! Dagan is a very sweet guy, and I did like that about him. However, he is your typical village hottie character who adores the main female character. I wasn’t feeling any real chemistry between them and therefore, wasn’t super invested in the romance.

Kammani also thinks she knows everything and can conquer all problems by herself. She is not actually as smart as she believes, but she usually isn’t willing to admit when she’s wrong. She misses an obvious clue that is right in front of her. When she later realizes what it means, it results in some eye-rolling moments.

Another aspect is the sister relationship between Kammani and Nanaea, the sister she is trying to save from being sacrificed. Everyone else seems to think that being a “Sacred Maiden” is an “honor.” Kammani and Nanaea have repetitive arguments regarding the sacrifice; Kammani wants to save her sister, but Nanaea wants to be sacrificed and is determined to thwart Kammani’s efforts to save her. During those moments, I wished I could knock some sense into both of them.

The Pacing, Believability of the Plot, and the Writing (Possible Minor Spoilers):

Regarding the pacing, the first half of the novel seemed to drag for me. I wasn’t invested in the story. Thankfully, the second half of the novel becomes more exciting and fast-paced. However, the manner in which the second part of the story unfolds becomes more unrealistic. I just wasn’t buying it. Here are some things I had difficulty accepting:

How could common people get into and out of the palace so easily? There seem to be doors everywhere that lead outside. But shouldn’t there be guards guarding those doors?
How could the Nin (daughter of the dying ruler) make the decision she makes near the end of the novel, shirking her duty like that? It does not seem like something her character would do.
Why are the Nin’s private chambers left unguarded? It is quite easy for other people to sneak in.
Kammani speaks rather boldly to people in the upper social classes, without regarding what the consequences could be. And despite this society that punishes women for speaking out, Kammani doesn’t really seem to get in trouble for the things she says. She just tells a palace guard her suspicions regarding the person who is attempting to murder the ruler.
Kammani’s plan for taking the place of one of the Maidens in a ceremony to accuse the murderer doesn’t make sense, because she is walking up to the platform using crutches. Wouldn’t people notice her crutches? The Maiden whose place she takes is scheduled to dance, something one cannot do using crutches. So wouldn’t the people in the crowd know Kammani is not truly the Maiden?
When a friend tries to help Kammani, she repays him by causing harm to his farm!

The writing itself is not bad. But it often describes things either in a cliche or an overly dramatic fashion, which does lead to some cringing. Here is one example: “I raged and I cried and I wailed.” Are all three words necessary when they essentially mean the same thing? An example of something slightly cliche would be: “He winked at me, and my throat tightened at the impossibility of his good looks.” Okay. He’s hot. We get it. Also, the dialogue is awkward and stilted in some places: “Yes, er – of course. Ummm. Yeah. Let me go and get her right now.” In my opinion, this snippet of dialogue does not pair well with the ancient Fertile Crescent setting and time period.

Unnecessary Violence That Could Be Triggering:

In one scene, a female prisoner is brutally beaten and sexually assaulted. I do not think this scene is necessary, especially for a YA novel. I don’t think it helped the story in any way. The story could have proceeded just fine without it. It bugs me when an act like that is included for the sake of adding an element of brutality or “maturity.” It is uncomfortable to read about, and it could be triggering to sensitive readers.

Final Thoughts:

I understand that book reviews are subjective. Every novel is the result of an author’s hard work and effort. Please remember that these are only my honest opinions. I’m not sure whether anything has been revised in the final published edition, but these are my opinions regarding the ARC. If you’re still interested in reading Gravemaidens, please don’t let my review stop you from giving it a try. Perhaps you’d enjoy the novel more than I did.

*Content Warnings: A woman’s teeth are bashed out with a brick; a female prisoner is beaten and sexually assaulted; bloody birthing scene*

I was promised a tale about two sisters and a dark tradition and what I got was a ya fantasy novel full of tropes I don’t love and two sisters who don’t get along and are not the brightest crayons in the box. I was very disappointed in this book. I initially loved the Egyptian vibes but it never got beyond a surface feeling. The world building was seriously lacking, leaving me with little sense of the setting beyond a palace. The love interest in the story was fine, but the main characters was so wishy washy about it that I got annoyed. I did love the best friend though, and honestly her sass and tenacity would have probably made her a better main character. The mystery could have been a great one but its obvious really early what’s going on and whose behind it.
*Spoilers Ahead*

I am usually fairly vague in my reviews because I don’t want to spoil books for anyone but there are a few specific things in this book that bothered me. The Lugal’s daughter doesn’t seem to be very distraught throughout most of the story. I mean, her dad is dying a horrible death and although she helps out once, for the most part she’s busy attending celebrations for the Sacred Maidens and dragging the healer along with her. Speaking of this great healer, I found it very odd that she didn’t recognize the poisoning after finding a flower that made her fingers tingle. COME ON, even a non-healer would think twice about that. I felt like the author made her conveniently idiotic when it would move the plot along.
Overall, I didn’t like this book and was annoyed half the time. The writing wasn’t bad and the author has potential but it isn’t found in this book.

I got sucked into the story of Gravemaidens pretty fast. We’re thrown into the world of Alu, based on ancient Sumer, and into Kammani’s struggles to support her family with the arts of healing she learned from her esteemed father. I have never read anything that takes place in a setting like this, and I really loved it. At first, I was a little confused with some of the vernacular used in the world-building aspects, but once I figured out what the words correlated to I was able to get fully absorbed into the world and its culture. The idea of the three “gravemaidens”, the three girls sacrificed to go into the afterlife with the dying king, or “lugal”, was fascinating. I loved that Kammani fought against the beliefs of her society because of her knowledge of the human body and healing. I felt infuriated along with her whenever people were blind to reality, especially her sister, Nanaea, who is happily chosen to be one of the gravemaidens. I wish there would have been more background development into the sisters’ relationship because we never get to see the closeness and love between them, just the deteriorated relationship they now have. Nanaea was pretty unlikable throughout the story, which sometimes made it hard to care about saving her with Kammani. However; there were points when I could not put this book down. The plot was engrossing even if it was a little predictable at times, and I loved the journey. The other supporting characters are great, and the romance is sweet and real. This book is marketed as a fantasy, but despite one moment towards the end and being set in a fictional world, it reads more like a historical fiction novel. The ending was pretty satisfying, so I am intrigued to see what the second book in this duology will bring! I’ll definitely be reading the next one.

A rich and immersive world with a compelling protagonist and multiple layers of life-or-death stakes!! I knew from the first chapter that this was a YA debut I had to preorder!!