I feel so incredibly fortunate for the random little “gifts” I’ve been surprised with lately.
Little things popping up out of the blue to remind me that there is always happiness to be found, even when life feel like it’s THE WORST.

One of those gifts came last weekend while I was away on a getaway (another gift), and I was shocked to find that it was this: an approval to review Gravemaidens.
I was certain my PTSD downfall had ruined all chances of ever getting publishers to look twice at me again; so first of all: BIG thanks to Random House. Whoever decided to hit that yes button, you have no idea how uplifting it was!

Okay, moving on.

Gravemaidens features a fiercely independent, headstrong young woman named Kammani. She’d rather not conform to tradition, she’d much rather follow her dream of becoming a great A-zu (healer) just like her abum (father).
She’s been his apprentice basically since she was a child. Only now, she’s finding herself with the burden of not only having to take his place as a healer, but in ALL the responsibilities.

Her abum is but a shell of a man after a series of unfortunate circumstances befell the family. They have lost everything.
Their father was once respected, they lived well.
Now, he’s a joke, and they’ve lost their status and been forced to live in the poorest part of town.

Status is one of the most important things in Alu.
But tradition comes first.
And one of the most highly celebrated and most important traditions is about to take place: the ruler of the kingdom, Lugal Marus is near death. This means he will choose 3 young maidens to journey with him when the Boatman comes to carry him to the Netherworld.

It’s considered to be of the highest honor to be chosen. You’re taken to live in the kingdom, showered with anything you desire, people celebrate and worship you. Until it’s time for you to join the Lugal and you’re sealed in the tomb to await the Boatman. But it’s okay, because he is taking you to an even BETTER life on the other side. People beg and pray to be chosen.

But not Kammani. She knows better. She knows that all it is is a death sentence for those poor young girls. Thankfully, the poor girls never get chosen.

Until they do.

Kammani’s world comes crashing down when they announce her little sister has been chosen as a maiden.
Now, Kammani has one choice: find a way to heal the Lugal so he doesn’t die. If he doesn’t die, her sister can live.

I read this to my husband during our long road trip, and I have to say we both loved it.

First of all, the book is SO atmospheric.
I’ve been very lucky lately in that I’ve reviewed a few books that are so descriptive it’s as if you feel like you can picture yourself right there. This is one of the better ones.
In this book, I loved traveling through the marketplace with the spices and smells of sizzling meats wafting through the air. I loved imagining the lushness and vibrancy of the fabrics. The sounds. The colors of the sky every day. I’m always amazed when an author can actually conjure those images out of me because my brain is very stubborn with that.

What really carried this story was the relationships between the characters and how well developed and individualistic they all were.
They all were full of personality, but their OWN very distinct personality, whether that be stubborn, funny or frustrating. Each one was FULL. And it worked, very well.

I WILL admit that an integral part of the ending was fairly easy to figure out pretty early in the book, but I’m not even mad about it.
This story had a lot of adventure, and a TON of heart.

DEFINITELY recommend this one! 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
* I received a copy of this from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

Review will be distributed among my other platforms by tomorrow.

Kammani has always put her family first. Ever since her father was shamed, her family cast out, since her mother died, she’s had to care for her drunken father and her sister, Nanaea. But when the city’s leader, the lugal, is dying, and Nanaea is chosen as one of the girls who will accompany him to the next world, Kammani can’t let her go. She needs to find a way to heal the lugal, to change her family’s fate, and to save her sister.

I got an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Gravemaidens is a YA fantasy novel by Kelly Coon. If I’m not mistaken, it might actually be her debut novel, and she did a good job with it! I was really pleased when I saw I’d been approved for an ARC, since the novel not only featured a female main character who was a healer, but it also seemed to promise a lot of sister-hood in the narrative, and if you know anything about me, it’s that I love reading narratives about siblings.

Since I’ve already started talking about siblings, I might as well continue, right? In the novel, Kammani is shown to have two siblings: Nanaea, a sister only a few years younger than she is, and Kasha, a much younger little brother who was stolen away by the city’s nobility. As you might imagine, Kammani interacts very differently with both of her siblings, but they were all realistic. The teasing, the nagging, and even the arguments ― they all seemed like a true depiction of siblinghood. As an older sister myself, I sort of understood what Kammani was going through, although I was grateful that my own sister is much more mature than Nanaea. Nanaea annoyed me throughout much of the novel, only to surprise me by the end. But everything about her spoke true: from the way she and Kammani were at each other’s throats one minute, to the way they held hands, ready to stand together through it all.

Siblinghood was a big part of this novel, and there was more of it than I expected, but I kept hoping for more! I’m not exactly sure where Coon could have put it, but I was thrilled to find a character whose main motivation was keeping her siblings safe and I wanted to see more of it.

Shall I talk about Kammani a bit now? Oh Kammani. From the very beginning, almost the first page, in fact, she’s portrayed as “not like the other girls,” a fairly common trope for YA novels. She understands, unlike everyone else, that being one of the chosen maidens isn’t in fact an honor, but a death sentence. Of course the reader immediately understands her, as she seems to be the only logical one in the novel. I was a bit annoyed by how she’s the only one who seems to see reason, pushing the trope pretty far, but I did like how hard she worked for her family and how much it meant to her. She had to grow up very quickly, and Coon did a good job representing the strain it took on her, even if it was sometimes exaggerated. I could have done without the extreme contrasts between her and Nanaea, for example. But everything about Kammani speaks to her history, from her outlook on life to what she thinks of love. You’d think I’d be annoyed by the push-pull thing she has going on with Dagan (not a spoiler, since he shows up in the first chapter already declared as a love interest), but I wasn’t. It made sense to me. It made sense that she’d be reluctant to settle down when she’s used to being the provider for her siblings. It made sense that she wouldn’t necessarily want to be a wife and have children, and instead further her career. Again, this was a “not like the other girls” aspect of her, but one I identified with much more.

Other favorite characters were Nasu, the guard (although I thought his introduction could have been better handled), and Iltani (she was certainly feisty and funny and kind of crazy sometimes). I wish we could have spent more time with them, but Kammani is one of those characters who spends a large part of the novel alone, mulling over her thoughts, and especially the health of the lugal.

Speaking of the health of the lugal, let’s talk about the plot, since it’s tied to that. The plot seemed to be fairly straightforward, but then frequently surprised me with sudden turns. Sometimes the turns were too sudden, and yet there were other moments when I was quick to figure out the mystery. There was one I figured out from the very beginning, actually. Coon drops many hints to her mystery, leaving the reader to make up their own conclusions as they read through the pages, and I was honestly sometimes annoyed by how long it took Kammani to keep up. I honestly thought she would have realized it sooner, since were were often told she was quite smart.

But she so often makes bad decisions! I can’t go into them now, for fear of spoilers, but they had me actually shaking my head at the book, mentally begging her not to make them, knowing that they would end poorly. Ah, the curse of the reader! Unable to actually stop characters from making poor choices! I will say that each of her decisions made the hole she was standing in even deeper, leaving me wondering just how Kammani was going to dig herself out. But that was one of the things I liked about the novel, since it definitely put its characters at risk.

Oh wait, since I’m talking about how deeply Kammani dug herself into a hole here, I need to also mention that the novel does include sexual harassment and some abuse, as well as discussion of intent of suicide, so please be aware of that before you pick up the book.

And I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to get to this aspect of the book, but while it’s classified as fantasy, there are very few magical/supernatural elements in the book. I actually only counted one, and it’s super brief, so don’t expect a ton of magic or powers or anything. This is about a young woman who gets by with her intelligence, her stubbornness, and the love of her family.

This was a great novel to read. I had a really great time with it, although it did take me a while to get through it because of pretty intense family-time of my own. Who better to read this book with than with your family, though?

I had a ton of fun with Gravemaidens, and if you like ancient-like settings with a lot of sibling-themes, you will probably like it too!

Gravemaidens will be published October 29. You can preorder it from Delacorte Press at this link.

I love reading about ancient practices and the logic of such traditions. If they involve doctors and medicine, you wouldn’t be able to pull me away. Gravemaidens promised to have all of this along with family drama and sisterly love and I was not disappointed.
The book is set in an ancient fictional city which seemed to me to be somewhere near Egypt because of the use of Olives and the way the people dressed and the descriptions of the Royal family and the traditions associated with them. The concept of having 3 beautiful young girls in the grave with the old King was morbid but the enthusiasm that the people showed and the desperation of the girls to get picked as the Maidens was just plain scary. It goes to show how easily people can be brainwashed with the promise of money and position.
I loved how resourceful Kammani was. She never gives up. But the book contained one of my biggest pet peeves. I hate it when characters don’t communicate and cause complications that could have been easily resolved if only they spoke what was in their hearts. I am a big believer in saying what I’m thinking and there were times where I wanted to jump into the book and shake Kammani hard and make her say the things that needed to be said!
I could not help but get annoyed at how Nanaea and their father let her Kammani do everything for the family after their mother’s death. It should not have been the responsibility of a 17-year-old who had dreams of her own. The talented young adult being thrust into the adult world and having to struggle to realise her dreams, the anguish at not being able to let her romance prosper, the inadequacy of everyone around her were all reminiscent of other Young Adult books that are popular now. But the descriptions of the palace and the traditions, as well as the attention to detail in getting all the old remedies and medical practices right are commendable!

Gravemaidens by Kelly Coon is the first book in a new dark YA fantasy duology. The premise is quite intriguing and it made me want to meet the characters and the world. Unfortunately it never quite managed to reel me in in the way I was hoping for. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it felt a little too familiar to other books in the genre. It was decent at the time, but it doesn't want to stick with me even now as I'm working on this review. This may be a case of it being me. Either way, I still think the story has a lot of potential and I fully expect that it will find an audience to love it a little more than in did.

There is a certain amount of pressure when you are waiting for a book before, well it is in the infancy stages because, well you just have an instinct about it. And then the pressure doubles down because you commit to supporting it before you even get to read the ARC because, well, now you’ve gotten to interact with the author and she’s just sunshine and light and kindness. And well, speaking for myself There just isn’t much of that going on in the world lately. Plus, you still have this instinct about the book.

And so, I had all this pressure and all these expectations, plus my ethics, which are trumped by nothing, walking into my reading of Kelly Coon’s debut, Gravemaidens, last month. Yes, it was on my WWW last week, but that was because my Goodreads game SUCKS (as everyone knows) and because I wanted to pump up my review that was coming today.

By the time I finished reading Gravemaidens, well, my instincts were on point. What I didn’t expect and what completely overwhelmed me was that, from in my view, Gravemaidens refused to be pigeonholed as either a plot-driven or character-driven book. Instead, Coon provides equal weight between the plot and the characters without sacrificing the development of either.

In doing so, Gravemaidens is able to lay the foundations of the first book in a series, without ever feeling like it. Having the character and plot evenly push and pull each other evenly along leaves space for each to breathe and grow without ever dragging.

Instead two complicated and very different sisters (Nanaea and Kammani) are forced by choice and circumstance to find themselves and their bond as sisters. It isn’t insta-heroism but a series of growth spurs that anyone their age would undertake on their way to finding their truths around higher emotional understandings.

My mantra as an educator was, I’m not a parent because I’m not and I never wanted any parent to feel like I was trying to say otherwise. I have spent enough time around adolescents to understand the 0-kaboom factor that hides in all of them. And it is the edge that both girls live on at the beginning of Gravemaidens, but for very different reasons.
Kammani had to grow up too soon, after the death of their mother, and the exile of their family from royalty. Without protection or a chance to have a real childhood, it made her strong, tough, fearless and relentless. But it also led to a very mistrusting type of – keep your friends close and your enemies closer – maybe even your friends are your enemies- but go ahead and let them think they are your friends, kind of life. Because it is self-preservation.

However, Kammani has a plan. She will be come the greatest healer in Alu, as her father once was. And she will restore her family’s status among royalty, ending their banishment. And then, Alu’s ruler becomes terminally ill.

Tradition dictates that three Gravemaidens, the most beautiful girls in Alu, must be chosen to live in the castle with him. During this time the Gravemaidens are doted on, every whim appeased, feasts prepared and parties aplenty. Seems like heaven, yes? Well, yes. Literally. Because when he dies. They pass on with him. Literally. No more parties. They don’t inherit his throne. Nope. They die, too.

So, while everyone sees this as a cherished calling, a bestowed honor and a chance for revelry, one sees right through it all. Kammani. She knows it is too good to be true. This isn’t a fairytale. And when Nanaea is one of the three chosen? Kammani knows- she isn’t Cinderella. In fact, she’s just been sentenced to death.
And Kammani will vows to be the hell and the high water to stay Nanaea’s execution.

I won’t say that at the end of Gravemaidens Kammani and Nanaea become the same person because that would be ridiculous and unrealistic. It wouldn’t make for good writing. But their growth and character arcs match that of any adolescents fighting in today’s world and the challenges they face. With fortitude they find bravery and each other. They grow and mature, not with a snap of the fingers but with fits and starts. As we all do, really.

Neither the characters nor plot are used as devices to just move the other along. They work together as one and that is rare, indeed. And at the end, it leaves you wanting a lot more for the second installment.

Gravemaidens is a unique for its structure, character development and intricate plot. A plot that dives into classism, social constructs around beauty and sexism. However, it is the fact that this is a debut novel that makes it more unique than any other point I’ve made.

"There was no remedy for this kind of pain. No tincture that would dull it, no herbs to reduce its severity"

*ARC provided on Netgalley*

A beautiful yet harrowing story about life, death, and what it means to be family.

SUMMARY
When the King of Alu falls deathly ill, three women are chosen to be his Gravemaidens - women who accompany the King into the afterlife. Kammani has spent her life following in her father's footsteps, working to become the best healer of their city. When Kammani's younger sister, Nanaea, is chosen as a Gravemaiden, she will do anything to prevent her premature death - even trying to heal the King himself. But when Kammani enters the palace, she discovers dark secrets and finds herself in the line of fire. How can Kammani heal the King and save her sister, when someone else is willing to do whatever it takes to stop her?

REVIEW
This story started off amazing and had so much potential to be a stellar 4-star read. However, the sisterly-fighting and character mentalities really hindered my enjoyment.

Allow me to start by saying that Coon creates a vivid city in Alu, and the culture is delicately woven into the story-line to create a rich experience. While these characters have important relationships and vital backstories formed prior to the novels start, I think that Coon managed to explain in it a way that allowed understanding without distracting from the plot. Coon had her pacing on point throughout the novel, so I was constantly wanting to turn the page to see what happened next. It is not uncommon to read a debut where the plot lags, luckily that was not that case here.

While I started out enjoying these characters, I quickly became annoyed. Kammani and Nanaea have a sister-bond that is very broken and riffed with miscommunication. While you eventually understand why Nanaea seems so blind in following the King to his death, it does not excuse the childish behaviour she had throughout the novel. She was constantly lashing out at her older sister, and acted like a spoiled child. She also blatantly flirted with the guy that her sister was interested in ... which is not cool. However, once you find out and understand Nanaea motives, you cannot help but pity her.

Kammani, on the other hand, is ridiculously stubborn and cannot seem to get off her high horse for even a split second. Kammani's family is poor and she struggles to get food on the table. But when the (richer) boy she is betrothed to offers to buy her dinner or give her free grain, she is beyond rude to him and acts offended. She is so determined to do everything on her own that it just becomes increasingly frustrating. I felt so bad for Dagan (her betrothed). Not to mention that when the death of the King becomes suspicious, she begins to make assumptions that I wanted to yell at her for. I do understand that Kammani is a girl who had to grow up very quickly. She was forced to take on responsibilities that a girl her age shouldn't have to, and it broke her. Her personality is a mirror of that, so whilst it was very frustrating to read her story, I want to see her arc in the sequel.

Kammani's best friend, Iltani, is a welcome sight throughout the novel. She breaks all the tension and tries to dispel Kammani's stubborn nature. I will admit that Iltani is a little off the rails, but that is what was needed to counter the other characters.

While my favourite part of this novel was the mystery behind the King's illness and why he was so sick, it was part of the downfall. Initially, I had fun trying to decipher what was truly going on. However, I very quickly uncovered the truth and who was behind it. I was also very annoyed at how Kammani went about it. I wanted to yell at her for the plan she came up with at the end of the novel. I feel as though we could have gone into much more depth surrounding the King's illness, and while I think we will begin to understand the motives further in the sequel... it just isn't enough for me.

I really appreciate the story Coon is trying to tell. I also think that I will be a bigger fan of the sequel than the debut, simply because the sister relationship as greatly improved by the end of this book. Overall, I think this a pretty run-of-the-mill debut and that Kelly Coon has a lot of potential. I am intrigued to see what our crew of characters will do next

I was given this ARC for review from Netgalley and Random House Children's (thank you so much).


Gravemaidens is a story about sibling bonds, survival, and death. Kammani and her family have been through a lot. They have lost their mother, brother, and because of his drinking, they are losing their father too.
Kammani is forced to take on her father's duties to make sure her and her sister have food on the table. Everything changes for Kammani when her little sister is chosen to be a Sacred Maiden. This means certain death for her sister and Kammani will go through any length to save her.

I loved the twists and turns that happened in this book. I would think one thing was happening and I would be wrong. Their is a lot of loss in this book and you get to see how different people are when they express it.
I also liked how flawed Kammani was in her thinking. She was so focused on this one thing that she missed all of the clues that could have made everything easier. I know that might sound annoying to some readers, but she's teenager. One who hasn't had time to fully grieve her multiple losses and just keeps getting burdens thrown upon her.
All in all, I defintely recommend this book. It was a journey.

Thank you the #NetGalley and Delacorte Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Kelly Coon's debut novel Gravemaidens was a brilliant page turning read. The reader is immersed into a palatable setting filled with unique characters that are well developed. Each dealing with loss, love, and their place in this world. Mystery and intrigue are abound in this story as the character attempt to navigate through a variety of situations. Please be aware that this novel has some real topics such as sexual assault, human sacrifice, death, alcoholism, and graphic violence. With that being said this novel kept me on my toes as it was filled with quite a few twist, turns, and surprises. I highly recommend this novel .

I think that my biggest issue with Gravemaidens was that, unfortunately, it ended up being a little triggering for me and there were some scenes I had to pass because I just couldn’t handle it. Please take care and read trigger warnings before heading into this book.

Gravemaidens was such a promising debut overall, with an original premise I loved. The world and its mythology, based on young girls being selected to join their ruler in the afterlife, was really unique and interesting to read about. The story was carried by Kammani, the main character, determined to save her sister from this death sentence. I really liked her, her determination, her fierceness, her drive for love and for her family and friends, made me care for her and root for her right from the start, too.

One thing I felt like was missing in Gravemaidens, was depth. In the relationships, in the world. I understood Kammani’s need to protect her sister, her conflicting romantic feelings as well, but I felt like they were lacking some depth, some strength for me to really fall for these relationships. The same goes for the world building: I loved its roots and its idea, I wish somehow that it had been explained and explored a little more for me to fall in love with it. Then again, it’s a duology so I guess we can, hopefully, expect more from its sequel.

Overall, Gravemaidens was still a very unique, entertaining read I’d recommend for fans of dark fantasy reads. I felt like it was missing a little something for me to really fall in love with it, but who knows, you just might.

Gravemaidens was perhaps a total cover read, except that I thought the plot sounded intriguing. And while I wasn’t totally wrong, the book left me extremely unsatisfied. Warning: most of my dissatisfaction of the book comes from the end. There is a spoiler section at the bottom.
Its set in a world that is reminiscent of old South America cultures, Mayans and Aztecs. Brutal punishments for the barest of offences and ritual human sacrifice (okay, that part is somewhat Egyptian too). The main character, Kammani, is a healer’s apprentice. And the king/lord of that land is about to die. When he dies, three beautiful women are chosen to accompany him to the underworld (i.e., die with him) so that he can have a harem/servants there. While everyone else in the land thinks this is an honor, Kammani, has dealt with death (the mysterious Boatman) and knows this is just a pointless death. And then her sister gets chosen to be one of these ‘Sacred Maidens.’ So, Kammani goes to the palace to try to heal the king/lord and prevent her sister’s death. And while things happen, there is just an overwhelming sense of helplessness that the main character should not have, but ultimately gives in to.
Kammani was in love with her boy from the beginning of the book and is in love with him at the end. Zero movement there, and it’s very boring.
The plot was the bare minimum. After all, it ends up being a whole mystery/conspiracy about who did this thing, and yet Kammani just worries about marriage (she doesn’t want to get married, but she’s in love) and worries about her sister, despite the fact that she is barely doing anything (which is built into the plot, but doesn’t read well). The whole book builds up the mysterious figure of the Boatman (think the Greek god Charon), who is supposed to be dreadful, but we only get a glimpse of him, at the very end of the book, and he does absolutely nothing. Maybe Kammani is the crazy one?!
The characters really are so flat. Almost no development, and zero resistance to the movement of the world.
SPOILERS: So the book ends with them escaping alive, with the princess who decided to kill herself, and figuring out the identity of the man who tried to kill Kammani and who did kill the king, Kammani’s dad, and other people. And what did they do? They just left the city. Despite the fact that the princess could go back and bring the evil man to justice. Despite the fact that the evil man gets to become the ruler of the city. They just leave. And that is the main reason I dislike this book. There is no fight, there is no point.

I. Loved. This. Book! It was so dark and had my heart absolutely racing from start to finish. Main character Kammani's fifteen-year-old sister Nanaea is one of three beautiful girls chosen to accompany Lugal Marus, the leader of their city-state, into the Netherworld (aka afterlife) to be his Queen and serve him for eternity. This means when the ailing Lugal dies, so does wonderful, bursting-with-life Nanaea. Let me tell you, Kammani is NOT HAVING THAT. An apprentice healer under the tutelage of her father, Kammani is determined to save the Lugal's life so her sister will stay alive.

One of the main obstacles in the book is the religious zeal surrounding the Sacred Maidens. It's seen as such a high honor for the girls chosen and they are showered with jewels and festivals to celebrate them. Don't get me wrong, people don't want the Lugal to die....well most people don't anyway. And the people that DO, well, let's just say they will do anything in their power to stop Kammani from saving him. My heart was POUNDING as she tried to stay not only one step ahead but alive! And that final climax? I was literally sweating.

I loved Kammani and Nanaea, even during the times I wanted to shake them for being so oblivious to each other's feelings. The sibling relationships in this book are so natural and well-written. They snipe at each other one minute and then cry and hug the next as any sister would.

I really only have two things about the novel that made this a 4.5 star read instead of 5:

1. The worldbuilding needed a little more. We know they live in a city-state and there are multiple gods they believe in but there's not enough information to give a concrete idea of either the political or religious system. Is it just the two gods? How many city-states are there? Feel like this will be more fleshed out in book 2 though so I'm happy to wait and see.
2. I felt like it could have been standalone and I would have been satisfied. I would have stuck around for 100 or so more pages for a final conclusion with the villains.

I want the second book right now so I can dive right in, and I know it's gonna be a long year where I think about this book and reread it a million times! 100% recommend this book and this author and will read anything else she publishes in the future. Did I mention I loved this book??

This is an in between novel for me that could easily become a favorite with some editing. I really wanted to like this story more, but kept getting subjected to eye rolling due to the simplicity of the plot and characters.
The initial plot is I good one. It has a good dose of originality that flows together well with the world building around it. This was a simple world without fantastical elements, which was easy to delve into. The problem with the plot line was that it was too predictable. Most readers will know the true villain upon first meeting, making the twist ending more of an “about time you figured that out” moment. Everything seemed to follow a generic story arc with a few unique moments to keep seasoned readers interested.
The characters were also pretty stock. Boundaries weren’t broken through these character’s emotions or actions. But that’s not to say that they weren’t good. Most of the characters were quite relatable and I did want to know exactly how their story would end. The relationship triangle was quite forced and a little cringe worthy, yet still played out well.
Kammani’s biggest character flaw was that she does absolutely nothing. As a healer’s daughter and apprentice, it is unbelievable that she does not know what is wrong with the king immediately. Worse yet, she has to find out from another healer (supposedly less apt) who diagnoses the illness from a few symptoms. She is firm on her accusations of wrongdoer until the end even though the evidence can easily point another way. And then she doesn’t know her own potions? I really felt that Coon should have given her a little more confidence and competence to make her a more lasting character.
In the end, I did enjoy this story even though it was highly predictable. It was a lot of little things, rather than a few large issues that got in the way of this story. I saw that this is the author’s first novel and feel that it makes me want to give her a little leeway with this one. I hope to read more from her in the future and see a more refined story.

This was really not what I had been expecting. It was necessarily bad, it just didn’t impress me all to much, especially since I think I had really high expectations going into this from all the praise I had seen/heard over it. I tried really hard to like the protagonist, but she treated some of the other characters in the book really poorly and it made it hard to enjoy reading things from her perspective. However, other than that, I thought the plot was well executed and unpredictable which was a total positive, and I'm interested to see what will happen in the next book.

"No matter what, you take care of what's yours."

4 STARS

CW: loss of a loved one, child death, alcoholism, graphic injury, violence, medical neglect, sexual harassment and assault, pedophilia, graphic childbirth

I've been waiting SO LONG to share this review (since I got onto Kelly's Skeleton Crew, tbh), and it's finally time! We're just a hair over three weeks from pub day, and Gravemaidens is COMING. I've been trying to hype this book about sisters and dying royalty and soft LIs, but now I get to be completely up front about it, and it's A DELIGHT.

I will start, though, by saying it's not a full five stars because I was granted an eARC back in July, and some of the pacing and plot elements can be a little unbalanced and predictable. That said, there's been time since then for even more updated ARCs to get out, not to mention the FINAL COPY, so I'm not terribly worried about the things I felt needed some adjustment. Chances are they've been fiddled with, and it's a good book all the same even if they haven't!

The main draw of Gravemaidens for me, though, is that this is the story of an eldest sister embroiled in a high stakes murder mystery set in a fantasy city. We all know I'm a huge fan of puzzling out murder mysteries before the main character gets there, but to have the main character be the oldest sister doing her all to protect her younger siblings while also chasing a career despite all the odds stacking up against her. And love and marriage and kids? No time for that, Kammani's got a career as Alu's best healer to chase!

Essentially, I see so much of myself in Kammani, and being able to relate on that level had me incredibly attached. It also had me wishing she was aro-spec, given her conflict about her relationship with Dagan, but even though that ship has sailed, at least Dagan is a good egg. A little oblivious and makes some mistakes, but ultimately a good egg, and far better than the broody bad boy LIs I've had to suffer through in the past.

Anyways, circling back to Kammani, she's incredible. The best healer in Alu besides her incredibly talented father, she loves the work she does, and she wants more than anything to pursue that career. It's not an easy path, but it obviously brings her so much pride. Which perhaps she has too much of, given that she clearly HATES asking for help, but I understand that completely. 

I can also just see the reviews coming in that Kammani is "unlikable" and "a bitch" and what have you, and that she's a horrible MC for not asking for help, and let me tell you: I will gladly square up with anyone who's got that opinion. Kammani is only SIXTEEN, and is essentially the head of her family after losing her mother, her brother, and her father in various ways. She has so much to shoulder, and when Nanaea is slated for death so long as the lugal also dies, Kammani becomes responsible for saving the life of the man who rules her city, the same man who cast her family into shame. I don't think there's a human being alive well adjusted enough to handle all of that in stride, let alone a sixteen year old girl. Hell, all that she does accomplish is INCREDIBLE given how much is stacked on her plate and all the forces against her.

Of course, it helps that she has friends like Dagan and Iltani in her corner. While Dagan doesn't quite always grasp exactly what's most helpful, he sure as hell tries, especially after a mistake, and I can appreciate him. Meanwhile, Iltani is the troublemaker to Kammani's responsible daughter/sister deal, and I love her sly matchmaking (even when it's not so sly) and her commitment to doing right by her friend, whatever the dangers. Hell, I'd read a whole book with Iltani as the MC, but that's because I always end up fond of the snarky, resourceful ones. 

Really, there's so much to love about Gravemaidens. There's great characters, political powers, murder and more murder, and an ending that promises the sequel is going to swing even harder. Better yet, it suggests that the gross old men in the court lusting after the teenage Sacred Maidens and engineering the city-state of Alu to leave women in no position to stand up for themselves are going to get hell rained down on them, and GOD, do I hope they get what's coming for them (preferably a stack of bricks dropped on them, crushing them to itty bitty bloody pieces, thanks).

If you're looking for a political murder mystery with all kinds of sibling emotions and the looming threat of death, be sure to preorder Gravemaidens by October 29th, or request it through your local library! It's a fantastic book, and as a local member of Kelly's Skeleton Crew, I have to encourage you to give it a shot. Plus, we're cruising headlong into spooky season! What's a better time for a murder mystery, huh?
[This review will go live on The Words Gremlin at approximately 10 am EST 10/7/19.]

I'm really glad I was able to get an e-ARC of this book!

It was a fun, interesting read that often took me by surprise. I really liked the world the author created and the characters we follow along throughout the book. I thought I had the mystery solved early on, but by the end I was proved wrong!

I liked the sister story, and I think it's a good depiction of sisterhood and how much it means. This went hand in hand with the friendships in the book, and I really liked how Kammani relied on her friends and the importance of them.

I wanted to like the sort-of-love-story, but Kammani focused too much on Dagan's hotness and not wanting herself to want him to really make me go for it.

Of course, there are some things that I thing were too convenient or needed flushed out more, but overall I enjoyed this book so much and hope there's a next installment!

This is a YA fantasy romance read with a bit of a suspense factor thrown in. The essence of the story is to have Kammani save her sister from a fate worse than death: death via poison to fulfill a sacrifice so the old ruler can go to his grave with a fair maiden. Seen as an honor, Kammani's sister does not appreciate all the work Kammani is trying to do to save her sister from this fate. Kammani is a great character to root for, where I was ready to have her sister sacrificed and be done with it. Instead, we follow Kammani's tireless journey to the palace to save the ailing ruler and her own family at the same time. There are several characters to help build the story with plenty of no-gooders to throw a wrench in the best laid plans. There is a small romance plot that takes a sad back burner to the problem on hand.



Not my typical read but I am enjoying the recent YA fantasy style reads that I have been choosing lately. I am glad to have read this one as it is an authentically told story that held my attention throughout. But seeing as this is a duology I am not sure that is really necessary, though I will find out when that one comes out.

review link to post Oct 6 2019

Gravemaidens was such a pleasant surprise for me.  I loved the cover and knew it sounded good, but I still worried a bit.  



I think what thrilled me the most about this book is that there was a big mystery.  The world building was easy to follow and I had no problems remembering the characters.  



I'm going to start with the warnings because there are some heavy topics in this book.  I'm sorry if I miss any.  Death, murder, torture/abuse/beatings/whippings, mention of suicide, young girls being sacrificed to go with a much older man to the afterlife, stillbirth, verbal sexual assault, stripping of clothes and groping, child/baby death, taking of a child, alcoholism, poverty and horrible treatment by status, mention of mental illness, girls expected to marry (16-17 years old) and just have children.



Kammani wants nothing more than to be the healer her father is (was).  She started following and helping him at a young age and she's good.  But he's the best.  Unfortunately, he couldn't save the ruler's son.  In return, they were stripped of their status and the ruler took him son, Kasha, to live and serve at his palace.   Kammani's father tried to heal when he could to keep food on their table.  He was gone one night when her mother went into labor for the fourth time.  Kammani was young and did everything she could.  Her mother and child passed.  Kammani's father had so much grief that he started drowning his sorrows in alcohol.



Kammani became the mother, healer when he couldn't go it, and the money maker.  They were still hungry and barely getting by.  Her best male friend wants to marry her and he is above them in status.  Kammani has feelings for him, but she wants to be a healer, not a stay at home mother.  



Whenever the Lugal is ill, three maidens were chosen to live in the palace.  They have festivals and spoil them.  But if the Lugal dies, then all three girls are sacrificed to go with him to the afterlife where they will basically be his wives.  These girls are 15-16.  Most chosen are high status and beautiful.  Kammani is one of the few who think this is not something to celebrate.  It's death, not an honor as it's portrayed.  She's never really worried about her sister, Nanea.  Even though she's gorgeous, their family was shamed.  



Three young women were going to die.  They'd step onto the Boatman's skiff and shove off toward the Netherworld.



When the new girls were chosen, things seem different.  Simti was chosen first and she was poor.  The second was Huna, a wealthy girl.  And the third was Nanea.  While Nanea was thrilled, Kammani decided she must do anything she could to save her sister.  Using Kasha and Dagan, the healer was to be sent to the palace to try to save the Lugal.  Shortly after, they summoned Kammani.  When she gets there, she finds out that her father never made it.  She was told he died and assumed he was killed for not healing the Lugal. While trying to figure out what was wrong with the Lugal, Kammani finds out secrets about her father and the Lugal's family.  The Lugal's daughter, Nin Arwia, is the last heir.  She wants to be friends with Kammani, but she has the most to gain if her father dies.



Because I can't talk about the plot much without spoilers, I want to mention a couple other characters that I ended up loving.  There is one palace guard, Nasu, that was honorable.  He was healed by Kammani's father years before and felt he owed a debt.  The other is Iltani.  She is Kammani's best friend and she might be my favorite character in the book.  She is so snarky and funny.  The kind of person who will do anything for the people she loves and isn't worried if it's dangerous.



She smiled devilishly.  "I was hoping I'd have something illegal to do."  I snickered.  Of course she did. 



The ending was interesting and I'm very curious to see where the story goes in book two.  I stayed up to read the last three hours of the book last night because I had to know what would happen.



I gave this book 4  1/2 stars, rounded up to 5 stars.  All quotes taken from arc and may change with the finished copy.  Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for my review copy.

This made me angry, happy, upset and basically made me feel. It was an interesting concept and well executed.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First and foremost, I'd like to thank NetGalley and Random House Children’s for allowing me access to an advanced reader copy of Gravemaidens by Kelly Coon.

This book tells the story of a family cast out from wealth, working to redeem their place in society. We are presented with Kammani, the older sister and main character who is studying alongside her abum, the best healer in the city. Since her abum has been lost to the bottle since her mother’s death, Kammani has shouldered much of the family’s responsibilities which not only include financial obligations but her two younger siblings, brother Kasha and sister Nanaea. She spends a better part of the beginning feeling both saddened by the King’s taking of her brother but also the safety and well-being of her sister. Nanaea is merely a year younger but acts significantly more so and now she has been publically chosen as one of three gravemaidens with the honor of accompanying the dying king into the netherworld. An honor in everyone’s eyes, including Nanaeas’s, but Kammani sees it for what it is. Death in the most difficult way, poisoning of a healthy, happy girl with her life ahead of her just for the sake of a King who is afraid to descend into death alone.

Kammani is desperate to reverse the sentence given to her sister but she is completely alone in the matter. With abum in the bottle, ummum already lain to rest, and Nanaea who cannot see beyond the wealth and status becoming a gravemaiden brings; She embarks on a desperate journey to heal a dying king and save her family in one fell swoop.

Things I loved about this book:

Dagan, Kammani’s soon to be fiancé, or at least that’s what the whole city says. Dagan was such a gentleman. He politely pursued her throughout the entire book without once making it feel as if he were pressuring her. He stayed by her side and loyal even when he thought she may not choose a life with him. He cared for her unconditionally and it was beautiful and exactly what love should be.

The honesty of Kammani and Nanaea’s relationship. Sometimes Nanaea was intolerable. Sometimes Kammani was rash. Often, they fought and did not see eye-to-eye but still, their love for one another forwent those squabbles. Like in real life, many of their fights did not end in apology or long talks, sometimes they were repaired with a smile or a loving sentiment. I really enjoyed how real it felt. Sometimes we don’t like our siblings, but their ours and we can’t help but love them despite it.

Kammani did not need to fall into the arms of a lover after a long day (even though I really did want to read more Dagan) nor require a deep-rooted romance to further her story. She did what had to be done for her family, no matter how tired, angry, scared, or overwhelmed she became.

I really truly didn’t know whodunnit till the last fourth of the book which was awesome. Isn’t it the worst when a book becomes too obvious too quick?

Things that I didn’t:

Though I enjoyed the second half of the book, the first half moved slowly for me.

Some of Kammani’s decisions were a bit too rash for someone who’s sister and King are about to die. It was so frustrating to read at time because I just wanted to yell, “Get it together woman!’.

I really did want more Dagan. Have I mentioned that enough?



Gravemaidens was a solid 3.5 for me and I await the second novel which I do intend on picking up. Gravemaidens is Kelly Coon’s debut Young Adult novel hitting shelves currently on October 29th of the year. Book two is already in the making and I believe is coming next year. Coon has a lot under her belt. She is a former high school English teacher, an ACT test prep book author, as well as part of the Washington Post Talent Network AND editor for Blue Ocean Brain. If that's not enough, she is also a mom. I can't wait to see what else she has in store for the YA world.

Though a bit predictable at times, Gravemaidens proved to be a fun, easy read. Coon created a wonderful fantasy world with some historical aspects.