I love a good sapphic subplot along with a generous helping of feminine rage. The politics! The character development! This was really good, especially for a debut novel. I had a blast reading this and I am excited to see what the author puts out next!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Who are you, Maren Chase, and how is your debut novel the best political fantasy book I’ve ever read???

Crueler Mercies was a masterclass in the genre from start to finish. It has impeccable build-up of tension, incredible payoffs, and amazing characters. I’m usually a big yapper in reviews, but I don’t even know what to say about this book other than, “Wow.”

I initially had reservations since the book starts with Vita as a nine-year-old—I was worried it would turn out to be YA. But no! Vita spends over a decade in captivity and is a full-fledged adult by the time the book kicks off. And it shows—Vita’s has a sharp mind and a gift for strategy, even if she’s understandably awkward after so many years in isolation. I loved her as a protagonist, and found her characterization incredibly astute.

Rapid-fire things I loved about the book:
- The book includes a map that’s ANNOTATED—like a character took notes on it—and it’s spoiler-free!
- The character growth! And how realistic their portrayal is.
- The political intrigue is lifelike and utterly fascinating.
- The feminist themes are thoughtful and nuanced—nothing is dumbed down for readers.
- The magical elements are so understated they’re barely there (yes, this is a pro. Trust me!).
- The romance is a true slow burn, with the love interest showing up much later in the story, after the scene has been thoroughly set.
- The "villains" aren’t Disney caricatures—they have clear motivations and believable goals.
- The narration doesn’t shy away from cruelty, ugliness or gore, but it presents it plainly and never glamorizes it.
- I was gutted by some of the events in the book. I actually whisper-screamed "NO!" out loud at one point. This book had me in a chokehold the whole time!


Things I didn’t like about the book:
- crickets.

I’m now on my knees begging for more from this author. I will consider selling everything I own for their next book. Please feed me mother.

As soon as I read the synopsis of this book, I knew I would love it. I have been struggling with a short reading attention span lately but as soon as I started this book I truly could not put it down; I finished it within two days!

Vita was such a gripping main character and I enjoyed seeing her grow throughout the book as she comes to realize what she is capable of. Maren Chase has such a way with words that had me constantly highlighting sentences which moved me. The writing style had me feeling Vita’s anger, sadness, and hope alongside her. The way Vita’s father and Ardaric were depicted made me truly hate them and root for Vita to be their downfall. On a different note, the romance between Vita and Soline was lovely and heartfelt, and I wished for nothing more than for them to get their revenge and be happy. Vita’s friendship with the crows was also so endearing. There was a dark tone present throughout the book, but the sweet moments really shone through.

My only minor gripe is that I wish there was more alchemy within the story. Ultimately, I think it was used in a satisfactory way, but it would have been nice to uncover more about its mysteries and the different ways it could be used.

Overall, I think this is a satisfying revenge story with a sprinkle of magic. I am eager to see what Maren Chase writes in the future.

I didn't really have much expectations going into this, which worked out in my favor because this was really good.

The story was much more gruesome than I anticipated, with the sheer amount of brutal descriptions and cruel acts committed by Ardaric, the enemy general who sieged the fortress Vita was imprisoned in. This, and the fact Vita is said to be about twenty or so, clued me in I was reading something closer than new adult rather than YA, but it was a welcome surprise. If anything, the mature tone, the heavy political discussions, and gentle yet melancholic prose were a much needed change of pace from what I've been reading late.

Additionally, Vita is such an amazing protagonist. She spends over a decade of her life isolated, neglected, and traumatized from witnessing her mom's execution, so she's rightfully afraid and ignorant of the state of her world when the plot kicks in. But her intelligence and desire for revenge drive her to become a cunning strategist that leads to such a satisfying conclusion; her arc was written so masterfully. Plus, her romance with Soline is so damn sweet. Just two girls who wanna murder the same guy and fall in love while doing so. Good for them.

The only thing I found lacking was the alchemy/magic. There are explanations given to why it isn't as accessible and easy for the girls to do, but I do wish Chase gave a little more leeway from them to explore it more because it's utilized so loosely throughout the story. I find it weird to criticize a fantasy for not using enough magic, when it's far too common to see it used too much, but I really think this story would have benefitted more if it was more present.

All in all, this was still a great book. Although the story ending on what could be a satisfying conclusion, I am curious to see if Chase would take this further in a sequel, to possible expand upon the worldbuilding and magic. If so, I definitely will be waiting for it eagerly.

I didn’t know this book would be exactly what I needed until I started reading it and was immediately HOOKED. An equally heartbreaking and beautiful story about feminine rage, being taken from your birth right and the struggle to stand up for yourself when the world constantly knocks you down, and a fantastic lesbian romance to tie it all together!

Watching our main character, Vita, realise she cannot sit idly by after being locked away for so many years, watching her evolve into a strong, independent woman who refuses to let anyone —especially her future groom — dominate her is truly empowering.

Vita no longer wishes to be a pawn in their war, she will stop at nothing to reclaim her rightful place within the world with the person she loves beside her.

I truly recommend this book to anyone who, like me, longs for more beautifully written lesbian fantasy stories that will leave you wanting more of their story when the book is over.

5/5⭐️

This was incredible! I heard this was for fans of Samatha Shannon and Ava Reid, and that is 1000% correct! I can’t wait to read more from Ms. Chase!! I am a SUCKER for books with sapphic love and feminine rage. Even more so for a good revenge story. I’ve read all but one of the inaugural Bindery publications, and this is so far (in my opinion) the STRONGEST addition to their repertoire.

I haven’t read something that captured my attention fully like this in a long time: the feminine rage, the revenge, the magic, the characters and their arcs. I almost read this in one sitting and the fact that I didn’t is nothing to do with the book and everything to do with my other responsibilities (ew).

Vita is a princess who was forced to watch her mother beheaded by command of her father, the king. He then exiles her keeping her in solitude for 11 years before she is liberated by a man who gives her the choice between death or to become his bride in hopes of conquering her father’s land and becoming the new king. Out of survival, she chooses the latter. Thus begins a high paced plot of war, bloody and gruesome fights, dirty politics, forbidden love, feminine rage, and birds.

I LOVED Vita. A lot of the characters you fall easily in love with, but Vita’s character arc throughout the book was done with such care and ended up being phenomenal. You end up rooting so hard for her.

The antagonists were easily hateable. The writing style was so immersible. I forgot I was reading the whole time as I was easily sucked into the world and story. The world building was incredible! And at no point did the story lull or did I find myself bored.

This was incredible in every sense of the word and my first 5 star read of the year! I need everyone to preorder this NOW!!

Thank you NetGalley, Bindery, and Fantasy & Frens for this ARC!!

DNF at 56%

I enjoyed the writing style, the slow burn romance between Vita and Soline, as well as the found family aspect which was so sweet. I ended up dnfing the book due to the animal death which could be difficult for some people to read.

Thank you to Netgalley for the arc

Thank you to NetGalley and Bindery books for the arc! Nope! I treated this book like a hot potato. I didn’t get far in, only a couple chapters, but I put this book down so easily for one reason: the prose. It’s a giant nothing burger. It’s vague, sparse, and juvenile. As such, I don’t care, and I don’t want to be here. That’s about it!

This book is exactly what I needed to start the year 2025. The main character, Vita, is a princess happily living in her kingdom until she has to witness her mother's execution. Exiled and isolated by the father she always thought loved her, Vita finds herself alone and has questioning her sanity for eleven years. One day her world is again turned upside down when she has the opportunity to marry a general or swiftly be executed. Feeling like she has no other options Vita accepts the proposal and meets her lady-in-waiting Soline. The two women slowly grow closer and begin to execute a plan to get revenge for all that was taken from them. If they can succeed then both women will finally have a chance at happiness.

The story is a beautiful rendition of feminine rage and the consequence of underestimating someone by labeling them a silly, helpless girl. Perhaps more important is the inclusion of female strength and love, both sapphic and platonic.

Firstly thank you NetGalley and Bindery Books for this arc copy in exchange for an honest review.

What a way to kick off the new year with this book. It’s been quite some time since a story gripped me enough to read it within 24hrs but I quite literally didn’t want to stop this one. I love fantasy sapphic fantasy novels and this one hit on all the things I look for which is great stories that just happen to be sapphic. I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a strong female cast of characters and characters you can just genuinely enjoy. I think the characters in the story were actually my favorite part, Maren has perfectly curated her characters in a way that when they are sad, you’re sad and when they are angry you are fuming.

My only con which is minuscule in comparison to how much I enjoyed this read is that like any fantasy book you get kind of hit with world building elements and it can be disorienting. There were just a lot of village names and such all thrown together that made it a little jarring but not enough to be off putting.

I will absolutely be keeping an eye out for future releases from this author.

Rapunzel gets herself a girlfriend, vengeance!!!, and a happily ever after. I need to start a list of "Good for her" books because THIS is apparently my favorite genre.

Crueler Mercies starts off like a dark fairytale. I just adored the prose. That might be a strange thing to bring up first, but the language was so lush and well-written, particularly coming off of my recent YA and romantasy reads in which the prose is often very basic. Some of the later conversations between our MC Vita and her love Soline were so romantic that they brought a tear to my eye. I love women and I love these two in particular.

Vita was a great character. Her growth (from finding comfort in imprisonment and lack of agency to stabbing paternalism in the gut/throat and becoming king) was delicious. I just loved how she pretended to be ditzy and most of the men ate that up. How could a woman possibly outsmart a man, right? The pace slowed down a bit for me during castle machinations, prior to the war march, and a little during the siege itself, but hoo boy that ending! Villains die! Love wins! BIRDS ARE AWESOME

And that final scene with Vita as a badass Miss Havisham will live rent free in my head!

This was such a really well done novel, I was invested in what was happening with the characters and their world. I was hooked from the first page and enjoyed the way the story was written. It had that elmeent that was promised and enjoyed the overall feel of this. Maren Chase has a strong writing style and can't wait to read more.

For starters, I want to say that the writing is honestly some of the strongest I've read from Bindery authors thus far. The author does a truly excellent job building up Vita's isolation from the on-set. I do think, though, there was a bit of an issue in the latter half of the book in building Vita's character up towards the change she makes at the end, but I was definitely very immersed while I was reading.

The inclusion of the alchemy felt very underdeveloped and underutilized for how important a role it plays in the story. I'm still not entirely sure: 1. how exactly it works (and, I guess, to be far, neither do the characters--which is definitely a choice I wasn't fond of), 2. what the point of adding it to the story was. It's a mild pet peeve of mine when authors introduce a system of magic and then don't bother to flesh it out. It sort of makes sense in the context of the world (Vita learns about alchemy from Soline, who's operating on tales told by her grandfather(?) and no written instructions), but when it comes to the plot, it all felt very convenient in a way that wasn't really satisfying.

As for the relationship between Soline and Vita, I think of the three Bindery books I've read this year, it was the most developed by far, but it still wasn't quite developed enough. Like, I could see why Vita liked Soline, but I couldn't quite see why Soline would want to stick around Vita beyond her own machinations.

Lastly, I think the pacing really kind of both ramped up and fizzled out by the end. The ending seemed like it was supposed to be a big, triumphant moment, but it rang a little hollow. Especially because the author seemed to hand-wave some important moments that would have added more character development to Vita.

Overall, I think this is decently strong, but it definitely needed some tighter editing and pacing to truly be a stand-out. The author shows a lot of promise, though, and I hope they get a chance to write more.

Reading this was one of those experiences where everything just clicks for you. I resonated with the writing, the characters, the plot. I especially appreciated the characterization of the main character Vita, and the use suspense--what the reader needs to know when. One of my favorite fantasies in a while.

Wow. What an amazing way to end my 2024 reading year!
Crueler Mercies by Maren Chase follows Vita, a princess of the Kingdom of Carca, who is continuously subjected to the selfishness and greed of powerful men in her life. One of whom is her father who exiles her at a very young age after the execution of her mother. Over a decade passes and she is then presented with the opportunity of marrying a general with promises of vengeance for her father’s wrongdoings. Soon after Vita meets Soline who also presents Vita with an opportunity and a deal as long as she assists Soline’s own agenda involving the magic of alchemy. How will Vita and Soline navigate this unstable magic in order to assist them in their plans of revenge against the men who have wronged them and many others? Furthermore, how will Vita and Soline navigate their own relationship as they are brought closer through their cooperation with one another?
As someone who does not typically gravitate toward fantasy, I am so happy that I enjoyed this read as much as I did. The writing is gorgeous, and I found myself highlighting so many lines as I was reading because of how genuinely impressive they were! Additionally, it felt so fast paced and easy to read but it is still obvious that so much care and effort went into the writing. I am also pleasantly surprised by just how much I adored the characters, especially Vita. She was so fascinating from a psychological perspective, but I also loved how unique her character felt. I was fully immersed in the world while reading which made the experience that much more enjoyable. I found myself thinking about the book when I was not reading and very excited to pick it up every time which is such an amazing feeling. This was a fantastic final read for 2024, and I definitely recommend it for everyone’s 2025 tbrs!

If you're a fan of Barbie's Rapunzel and you're looking for something to convey those vibes, only with darker twists and sapphic female rage to sate your thirst for revenge, search no more because Crueler Mercies will not be merciful with those who don't deserve it. With the evil witch reincarnated into a brutal warrior in search for a kingdom to rule over and a fierce lady-in-waiting playing the role of the charming prince, our Vita must come to realise she is not a damsel in distress, but a queen in her own right. I promise you, this book delivers what it says and more. You won't want to put it down and soon, when the last page will be upon you, you will hunger for more.

This book is not a pretty fairytale in which the princess sits idly while others fight in her name. No, far from it. Our Vita, locked away for days on end, takes matters into her own hands and does not shy away from getting dirty. She transforms from a fearful girl, content with a soothing touch from a pitying maid every fortnight to a queen willing to do anything for her people and her own happiness. And she just won't have it any other way. We start humble and the progress of our heroine feels so real, tangible all the way through. You cannot help wondering whether she is out there, in our own history books. The Merciless Queen. I could talk about Vita my whole life. She is every bit the human we all are and more. Pages flew by and my love for her kept growing.

As for the action, any reader into political intrigue, wars, strategies, schemes, and most importantly, evolution, will eat this up. It might seem as predictable, but if you look at the fine layers keeping everything together, you will figure out that seldom things are what they seem to be. From cannibalism to the intricacies of a proper siege, there is not chance of getting bored. I absolutely loved how the author handled all the waiting and preparations for the major plot twists, focusing on building characters growth and strengthening the ties already formed. The execution was, I must say flawless in this regard. And don't even get me started on the brutality of it all! The dark side of humanity brought to the surface în the best bone chilling way. The villains crafted by this author were utterly despicable and by that alone you can tell how well this story was written. They make you hate them ardently, make you feel disgust and hate and all the right things when they are close to defeat.

However, the jewel of this book was the romance. Less than a subplot, it managed to find its way inside my battered heart and never leave it. You must understand: the love in this book is a quiet thing. A love spent in dark corners, in hushed whispers, and careful touches. But it is such a precious love, dear reader. It melts your heart, moulding it according to the song of two young women finding happiness in a world trying to keep them in the unyielding dark. Two young women harbouring such rage for the cage they've been locked into.

All in all. I would die for this book. It was a journey of self-discovery, an empowering tale of a princess unwilling to be forgotten, a lady in waiting ready to love her, a maid who's won her freedom and a warrior most kind and honourable. You must know not one character was overlooked and that made everything even more special.

Initial thoughts: This is the best book I've ever read. I will die for my girls. I will die for feral lesbians. Give me more. This is female rage. This is it. Fuck me. FUCK MY FACE. I LOVE MY ENRAGED LESBIANS. GIVE ME MORE. MORE. I AM BROKEN. SO BROKEN. BUT SO SO HAPPY. I HAD A FEELING when I requested this book. I knew something about it would be fire. This is the genuine portrayal of rage, of fear, of FUCKING love. Kill me now, and I will be in peace. Give me a love like theirs and I will never ask for anything else. Please. Ugh. I am not well. But they. They are my life. And I need so much more. For a debut author, Maren Chase has killed me. And if an author managed that, then they can do anything. I'm brambling, but fuck. I'm crying. 🫠 So many HAPPY AND SAD TEARS. I will be back with coherent thoughts. If by chance the author sees this, know that I thank you so much for this book. It was a journey I will always treasure. A journey I will never forget. I'll repeat my loves' names until I'm nothing but dust. Thank you once again. You have my infinite gratitude and congratulations. ❤️

I was super excited for this: female rage? sapphic subplot? alchemy? sign me the frick up. trust me no one's more disappointed than me that it did not deliver. The main thing is that Crueler Mercies is undoubtedly YA. Between the beautiful dark cover, ravings of female rage, and adult characters, I really was just not prepared for that. The juvenile style of writing and bald descriptions put me off. It wasn't unreadable though!

Princess Vita has been imprisoned in a tower since she was 9 after watching her mother be beheaded by her father the King so that he could marry his mistress and make his male son the heir. Then a neighboring kingdom's war general Adaric (main antagonist) kidnaps now 19 year old her to marry her and thus become King. She gets a Lady-in-Waiting, Soline the love interest, a single young guard Marius, and a handmaiden Isotta. They become Vita's retinue and basically the only side characters we see. Soline has her own reasons to want to kill Adaric and Vita and her connect over that. Soline introduces alchemy to her. 2nd phase of Adaric's plan comes to head where he and his army take over Vita's father's kingdom but then stuff happens and it's Vita's time to shine. HEA.

I think if I went into this book knowing it was YA and not that in-depth I'd have enjoyed it a lot more but sadly it did not work out that way. Soline had a lot of potential but halfway through the book she's reduced to Vita's handler always comforting her and not wanting any action to be taken. And what even was the alchemy??? They put coins into a bowl with herbs and started chanting things and then they had fire. I just did not understand the magic system. Characters were cookie cut outs, had inconsistencies in their roles and behavior, and has Adaric and his entire war group never opened a history book in their life?

HOWEVER! It wasn't all bad. It definitely wasn't a battle to finish it and I really did like Marius. There's some political stuff going on I couldn't really get into but it was there. I loved seeing Vita getting her time to shine and bond with the army. And that last page made everything WORTH IT I was literally giggling and kicking my feet I just love public proclamations of attraction. For a debut, this was impressive.

3.5/5 and probably best for YA/borderline children I know I would have DEVOURED this if I was 8-14. Thank you NetGalley and Bindery Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Tw: animal death
Well, this book certainly lived up to its title, it felt like every chapter we were introduced to a new cruelty being committed by various characters.

At the very start of this book, it felt like reading a Disney princess story, only like it was a part of the wicked truth about Snow White or Rapunzel (i.e., its a much darker story than it initially appears). And it drags on at the start, you are reading about Vita who has been utterly alone for over a decade, absolutely helpless (for now), and has no one she can rely on as everyone wants to use her to help themselves in some way or another. On my Kindle, I noted that it was around 46% that I really started getting into it (so an investment of reading I guess) and the story began to develop and Vita became a character you could root for and watch her find her own footing.

The cruel acts only continue throughout the novel though, there were some moments that I felt were too gruesome (witnessing animal deaths, the aftermath, and brutal murders) to read about that I had to pause, but still I continued on.

Maren Chase certainly knows how to deliver a character arc and witnessing Vita and Soline develop into stronger and smarter women was enjoyable. I knew the ending (as would any by half way through) but I didn’t know how, and I was pleasantly surprised by the twists and turns of the last half of the book and the result those led to.

My main gripe with this book (besides the trigger warning being slightly buried between the cover and copyright) would be that Vita, throughout the entire book, experienced what I would call memory struggles and vivid dreams/nightmares that aren’t ever really explained. Some can be explained by an illness mentioned later on, but that doesn’t explain the occurrences from the beginning. I think if the author has a second book planned (which I do think would be a good idea) that this topic should be further explored and explained.

I have to admit, I didn't expect that much politic and plotting (to overthrow a kingdom) in this book but I enjoyed every twists and turns. It was delicious and nicely written. Vita is a believable lead as she slowly come to her power and seized it. I also love her little found family and how they navigated things and plotting around!

Crueler Mercies didn’t hold back any punches. This book was full of feminine rage and vengeance and I ate it up. The tension was palpable and I had to put my book down a few times because just when I thought it couldn’t get worse for Vita….it got WORSE. Her character development throughout the story was so incredible to witness. She went from being a princess locked in a tower to being so much more than that. I can’t really elaborate because I don’t want to spoil anything. I thought the world building was well fleshed out and the side characters were very well developed. There was a lot of political intrigue and scheming. I also have never cried over a crow before, but here we are!!!! The last half hour of reading this had me UNWELL. I truly loved this book so much.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Bindery for the ARC in exchange of an honest review!!