""Vita's rage overflowed until she was prepared to drown in it, and she knew that she would never again dam this anger to please another."

After nine years as the people's beloved princess in the sun-soaked Kingdom of Carca, Vita witnesses the execution of her mother by her father's hand. Forced into exile, Vita fades into obscurity with her only friends - the crows that visit her window.

Eleven years later, Vita is given a choice: marry an enemy general, granting him legitimacy to take the throne, or die as the forgotten princess. With time running out, Vita meets Soline, an intriguing lady-in-waiting who introduces her to the powerful-but-unstable magic of alchemy.

If Vita and Soline can learn to control it - and the undeniable spark between them - they could burn the world of men to the ground."

Do it! Burn the world of men to the ground!

Vita, a long hidden away princess of her nation is dragged out of hiding to help dethrone her father. Vita is forced into an alliance with the invading general Ardaric, as he threatens her life in order to use her connection to the throne to take the crown. Vita is given a guard and two servants to help her adjust from being locked in an attack to being a proper princess. One servant, Soline, is set on making Ardaric pay for the death of one of her brothers and bring Vita in on her plans to hopefully make success easier.

As they all march on e the capital of Messilio, Vita is taught many lessons on political maneuvering and turning the loyalty of those around her to her side. All of this allows her to take her revenge on those who killed those most precious to her. Long live the king.

This story is a political fantasy where a princess isolated from her kingdom and people must learn to quickly reenter society and find a way to survive. Soline helps in teaching her the basics of alchemy to help Vita succeed in regaining her throne. I enjoyed this story and was rooting for Vita, even when she was losing hope in herself and others.

I really enjoy sapphic fantasy book every now and then and this definitely delivered on that part. I did feel like this wasn't really that eventful and there was a constant feeling of building up to something grand and epic. The ending partly delivered that, but felt little too easy and simple for my taste.

I also expected the alchemy to be explored more but it also felt very simplistic and not that big of a part of the story.

Overall a story I enjoyed reading but probably won't think about again.

Lovely stuff but this leaned too YA for my tastes - I didn’t realize that when I picked it out. Is it marketed as general/adult, or YA? Maybe I missed a tag.

thank you author Maren Chase for allowing me to read and review your book.

I really liked the beginning of this book and the interest of it all slowly lost me in the middle. the middle was muddled together and told more but showed less, and the end was a predictable ending but still didn't give the rage that vita deserved.

This was a bit of a slow read for me but around the mid-point I was captivated. I noticed bits that seemed to be inspired from Rapunzel, Game of Thrones, Henry the VII(History) and Olga of Kieve (History) - and I love a story with a slow-burn sapphic romance, feminist themes and feminine rage too. This did feel light on the world building (especially the magic system) and the characters felt more new adult than adult, however, Vita's character development felt realistic and I enjoyed it.
I feel like if this story had been developed a bit further it would have been an easy 5-star from me.

Thank you NetGalley and Bindery (Fantasy & Frens) for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

After being forced to witness her mother's execution, Vittoria "Vita" Marsisco is imprisoned by her father, the King of Messilio, for ten years. Vita spends her days reading, weaving, and clinging to her remaining sanity by interacting with the wild crows that visit her.

When her city of exile is invaded, the general in charge tells Vita he can help her get revenge in exchange for marrying him. Vita agrees, given that her only alternative is death.

All of the subsequent events Vita faces are full of harsh realities: horrific violence, oppressive power dynamics, and choices that rarely seem like choices at all. Vita manages to forge relationships that buoy her spirit, but also become weapons to be used against her should she overstep her extremely rigid boundaries.

"There can be no hope."
If you couldn't already tell by the synopsis, this book is depressing as hell. It's well-written, and the plot is one that I wouldn't typically seek out on my own, so it was a refreshing change of pace. But...depressing. as. hell.

Witnessing the abuse Vita endures as well as her defeats, one after another is difficult to endure. General Ardaric is without a doubt a loathsome villain, largely because his aggressive, unchecked self-assurance seems so child-like yet his impact upon those he deems a threat to his ambitions is anything but.

For most of the story I was on pins and needles, but around the 60-70% mark I just wanted things to wrap up. I'd had my fill of dashed hopes and senseless male violence. It all served a purpose, but I felt like the barrage could have been tapered down somewhat.

Readers looking for a melancholy atmospheric story and slow-burn, Sapphic female rage revenge elements will likely enjoy what is to be found in Chase's Crueler Mercies. A huge thank you to Maren Chase, Bindery Books (Fantasy & Frens), and NetGalley for providing me with this eARC in exchange for an honest review. Crueler Mercies will be published and available on June 3rd.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy

Crueler Mercies by Maren Chase is a third person-POV fantasy. As a child, Princess Vittoria’s mother is accused of having an affair and Vita is sentenced to spend the rest of her life in the attic of a noble family after her mother is executed. For years, Vita essentially lives in isolation with little contact with the outside world. When a relative of her mother comes to overthrow Vita’s father, he desires to marry Vita to have a claim to the throne, but Vita is done being controlled.

A decent portion of the book is Vita reacting and never completely realizing that she has any agency at all. While this can be frustrating in a lot of narratives, I did understand why that was Vita’s journey as she was, for all intents and purposes, locked away in a tower with no way out. She even curses herself for not being braver as a child because maybe, just maybe, she could have escaped. But, I also think that when someone is in a situation like that, it is a bit unfair to ask why they didn’t fight back harder and push back more and more when they finally get some freedom. Living in isolation is a form of torture and for it to happen to her as a child is even more horrific as it is the kind of tortured designed to break someone.

No one here is a truly good person with many characters being self-centered and disdainful, to put it mildly, towards Vita. Ardaric, her fiance, views her as a means to an end and makes absolutely no secret that he has no desire to be loyal to her. I don’t find that aspect so detestable because if both parties agree to a political union where they can define the boundaries of it, that’s fine. Vita even seems fine with the arrangement. My issue with Ardaric was more that he never truly sees Vita as her own person and that he never reprimands his lover, the wife of one of his most trusted men, for the way she mistreats Vita. I kind of cheered when Vita was done with his behavior.

Soline and Vita’s romance is a slowburn that is rooted in Soline respecting Vita’s autonomy, one of the first to ever do so. Soline is made a handmaiden of Vita’s, but she steals multiple pieces of jewelry from Vita to perform alchemy. Instead of letting Ardaric execute Soline, Vita claims she gave Soline the necklaces as a form of appreciation, which starts their friendship that evolves into a sweeter romance.

Content warning for depictions of sexual assault, abuse, animal death, and cannibalism

I would recommend this to fans of Sapphic fantasy with less fantastical elements and readers of fantasy centered on women who survive abusive situations

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25/5

Crueler Mercies is a dark, powerful debut fantasy with a lovely sapphic romance and captivating character development.

I had a lot of fun with this one. Vita was a spectacular main character; her personality and development hooked me from the start. I loved her romance with Soline, who was an intriguing and well-developed character. All of the characters were vivid and engaging, and I enjoyed the variety of relationship dynamics. The pacing fit the story nicely, and I adored the powerful and satisfying ending. The alchemy magic was intriguing, and Vita’s connection to birds was fun and interesting. Maren’s prose was beautiful and enrapturing. I had hoped for more world-building, but overall, this was an entertaining fantasy read that I would recommend to fans of sapphic fantasy with Rapunzel vibes!

Thank you to the publisher for the free ARC!

I really liked the main character. The way that she is written is very believable and her inner monologue is interesting to hear.

Bindery is absolutely killing it with all their books and this is no exception! I love the premise of the story and the execution didn't fail. I was so invested right from the start and it kept my interest, making it hard to put the book down.

Wow. That was quite a wild read. For a standalone fantasy, I did not expect that Crueler Mercies would really live up to its title, Crueler Mercies. Get it? After finishing it, I was reeling about the different kind of emotions it provoked. On one hand, I enjoyed it a lot since there was a lot of gore involved, no mercy from our characters, it’s a standalone, and of course, the plight of our heroine, Princess Vittoria. On the downside, however, there were a lot of glaring flaws that hindered me from thoroughly savoring the whole book with gusto.

Before we proceed with our review, let’s have a brief background about what Crueler Mercies is all about. So in this book, we are thrown into the Kingdom of Carca wherein our heroine, Princess Vittoria a.k.a Vita, was born. Starting off as a beloved child of the Kingdom, Vittoria’s privileged and sheltered life was suddenly tossed upside down when her King Father publicly executed her mother and sent the poor child to a neighboring city as an exile. Without understanding what’s really happening, Vittoria grew up in a tower with no education, and no friends except for the family of crow birds who visit her from time to time. Although she still had it better compared to the others, Vita’s life was miserable and lonely. She neither knew why her father executed her mother nor why she was sent to an exile, never to be seen again by her people. And then, just when she was resigned to her miserable fate, a horrendous opportunity came knocking at her door. A warrior general saved her from her tower of grief in exchange for her hand. Bonus points that he also promised her revenge for what has been to her and her mother. And so, the adventure of our Princess began.

As I’ve said earlier, I was kind of floored with Vittoria’s story because there’s just a lot of pain there. And it’s so understandable as to why Vittoria behaves like a teenager even when she’s already a New Adult. It’s obvious that she has a lot of growing up to do given that she grew up alone in a tower with only the crows as company. Nobody had taught her how to do things anymore. It’s like she’s a pet dog whose cuteness has finally faded, and the owners are just forced to feed it when they remember that the pet still exists. While Vita can be relatable and her troubles can wrench open your hearts, you will find later in the book that she’s going to irk you more and more. Sure, I can understand her immaturity, making poor decisions leading to brutal consequences, but what I cannot understand is her sudden brilliance for military strategy. She neither has the experience nor a structured theoretical knowledge to overthrow a seasoned general. It just frustrated me.

There’s also the plot. Sure, it entertained me because it was about war narrated from the perspective of an exiled and innocent princess. And yes, there was a lot of gore which was entertaining. I’m glad that Maren Chase did not hesitate in killing beloved characters as long as it drives the plot forward. Despite its predictability, I did not get bored following the story and I was pretty much excited about who’s going to die next. I was only stymied that the Alchemy thing in this focus got sidetracked when the premise of the book promised that it’s going to be the focal point of the story. It was swept aside to the side…? Look, one of the main reasons I picked up this book because the word Alchemy was mentioned in the story’s summary. Who am I to resist that? What I got in this book was a half baked Alchemy system that could have been totally deleted from the whole story and it certainly won’t affect the main plot. We have two girls playing rocks, paper, and scissors over the kind of herbs and other stuff they are throwing into the fire, pray to the gods that it would yield something useful, and voila, you’ll get an unknown alchemical substance that still needs to be tested whether it will work or not. It just felt so weird reading about the whole alchemy thing in the book. There was just no sufficient explanation about it. It just doesn’t jive with the whole story.

The world building was quite lackluster. I would have enjoyed Vita’s journey as the general’s fiancé if the world was thoroughly developed like at least, tell us why is Carca worth fighting for. Aside from that, I was also not convinced about Soline and Vita’s relationship. The foundation is not just strong enough. There was not enough kindling to the first I must say. If it were me, I could do away with the whole romance thing because it did not help the plot at all. It just made me roll my eyes for the most part.

Overall, this book is enjoyable if you’re looking for a short read that’s unhesitatingly brutal. Go and pick this up because despite of its glaring flaws, I still found myself grinning from all the gory deaths that I have witnessed.

Firstly- CONGRATULATIONS SO MUCH TO ZORANNE AND MAREN!!!


This book is so good! I feel awful for Vita and I was so angry for her!

When we first meet Vita she is young, selfish, and a little shit. Then her life is completely turned upside down when he father has her mother executed and she is locked away in exile in a tower. She is then forced into a marriage with a powerful General Dickhead-sorry I mean Ardaric. At least her lady in waiting isn’t so bad 😏.

Vita is later on put into a position where she must choose between Soline and protecting everything that matters to her.

I really loved the alchemy in this!

A gorgeously-written and blood-spattered semi-retelling of Rapunzel (I think). Love and hatred, betrayal and deception, thrilling battle and secret Sapphic devotion. And so...many...sweet...BIRBS.

Firstly, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this eARC in return for an honest review.

Oh, Crueler Mercies, what praise could I bestow that might possibly come close to what you deserve?

This was an exceptional tale of empowerment and femininity, and not a single moment left me weary. Vita's story is shocking, dangerous and cathartic in a way far beyond words- and yet words are exactly the medium they've been expressed with, masterfully at that. Chase has notable skill in portraying not only a beautiful tender sapphic romance, but deep and meaningful platonic bonds as well. Even the smallest of interactions, between characters we only see once or twice, feel believable.

I would reread this in a heartbeat. And I will reread it again another heartbeat later.

If you enjoy a slower plot, don’t mind lighter world-building and love the idea of a Rapunzel inspired sapphic romance this could be a good choice for you.

I really wanted to love this one but sadly it didn’t really work for me. I do think if you go into with tempered expectations you may enjoy this one.

Overall it felt a bit YA for a book marketed as adult and that was the biggest let down for me. Perhaps it is my fault for not drawing the conclusion that 9 years as a princess and 11 years locked away means our main character is only 19. She makes choices that are age appropriate but feel somewhat immature for an adult book.

Additionally, the world building is light and there are a number of things that do not feel fully fleshed out. I also would have enjoyed a deeper connection and greater focus on the romance.

Thank you NetGalley and Bindery (Fantasy & Frens) for sending this book (eARC) for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to Bindery Books and Maren Chase for this ARC.

Crueler Enemies is a slow-burn sapphic political fantasy focusing on intriguing female characters wanting revenge and the cruelties of men in power. I enjoyed the characterisation of Vita and her lady-in-waiting Soline, their dynamic was the strongest element of the novel and what really drove the story forward. I also liked the political background of the novel, the conflict between Vita and the enemy general and her own father portrayed the horrors of conquest and power in a way that felt very realistic.

I liked a lot of the side characters in the novel as well. I felt that they were all integral to the plot and were well developed, and really portrayed the tragedy caused by the enemy general and Vita's father, with the way they developed and their motivations influenced by either of these characters.

I didn't like how the pacing in the last part of the novel slowed down a lot and how the magical elements like alchemy barely had any relevance to the plot. But the feminist elements of the novel were done very well, along with the brutal violence portrayed throughout the book, showing the full picture of the nation of Carca presented.

Though I had issues with pacing and the lack of fantasy elements, this novel is an in-depth political battle with nuanced feminist ideals throughout, along with great characterisation of both the protagonists and the antagonists.

I have to be honest: at about a quarter of the way through Crueler Mercies, I was a little bored. Vittoria (Vita) is a sympathetic character, if a bit shallow - which is honestly to be expected given her age and upbringing - and you can’t help but pity her for the circumstances she finds herself in, but the book is quite slow to pick up momentum. Author Maren Chase spends a lot of time in Vita’s head, and while some of it is not only appropriate given her environment (I’m not trying to be cryptic, but I don’t want to drop spoilers here), but welcome, it does drag on. To Chase’s credit, some of those details that seem inconsequential do pop up later in the book and prove to be very important indeed.

The world building isn’t incredibly detailed. There is a well drawn map to accompany the book, and one could probably follow it along pretty easily if they chose. I should add here that as a fantasy reader I have always paid far less attention to the topography of a fantasy world and more to the social and cultural aspects. The world in Crueler Mercies seems to have much in common with medieval Europe, with all of the misogyny and brutality that entails. The reader is given only snippets of politics and history, and on the one hand this does make some of the whys and wherefores a bit murky. But to be frank this is a bit of a tightrope at the best of times; too much of it and a reader has a desperate desire to nod off.

The “magical” system of Crueler Mercies is fitting for the setting, but as one could reasonably ascertain from my use of quotation marks, it’s not strictly magic. I was very much of mixed minds about this aspect of the story. On the one hand it’s a unique direction. On the other it felt very mundane. It has to be said, however, that as with so many other fantasy novels, our heroine miraculously masters this magic with little effort and, seemingly, largely by having some innate latent talent that is never explained.

Having said all of that, I will also say that my formative years were spent with the likes of Eddings, Lackey, and McAffrey, and that sets a high bar. I will also add that while I made note of these things, largely for the purpose of writing a thoughtful review, they didn’t detract overly much from my enjoyment of the book. It’s worth pushing through that slow start.

Watching Vittoria come into her own is pure joy, and by the end the reader feels a profound sense of justice. Or at least this reader did. The relationship arc between Vita and Solene is sweet and fierce, but the love scenes are closed door, so if spicy scenes are a prerequisite for you, this book isn’t. Personally, I enjoy a good lovemaking scene, but I appreciate even more writing that evokes emotion, and Crueler Mercies does that. The reader has a front row seat while Vita manages to create for herself the family she was deprived of and learns what it is to lead even while terrified and doubt ridden in the depths of your own mind.

As a side note, the war scenes in the book are not sugarcoated. There are some graphic moments here (though no gratuitous scenes depicting violence against women, for which I personally was grateful. We all know this happens, but some of us prefer not to read about it in our fiction) and some readers may find it disturbing. Personally, I felt that Chase struck a reasonable balance between portraying the brutality of war with accuracy and glossing it over as some glorifying adventure.

The ending is not one everyone will love. It’s not a fairytale. But (stop now if you don’t want to read a tiny bit of a spoiler) the heroine gets the girl, and the bad guy gets his due. And sometimes that’s enough.

4.5⭐️

Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and am leaving a voluntary review.

This book is the heartfelt story of Vitta, how she was abandoned, forgotten, used. But also how she finds friends in her birds and eventually in other people, finds family after hers left her.
Its not particularly dark I would say but not particularly happy either. Its an emotional ride, we experience all of Vittas pain but also her happy moments.

I really liked the villain, I felt like even though he is cruel and power hungry his actions make sense, his actions are calculated, strategic. We see what power does to someone and how it degrades them.

The romance takes up very little screen time but plays a major role in Vittas motivation.

The magic was a bit of a mystery to me and I would have liked more depth there. Some "spells" did not make sense.
I would have also liked an epilogue to get a glimpse of the future, maybe we get a sequel? Some side characters I wish had gotten more space.

Thank you to netgalley and Bindery Books for providing me with an ARC

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book.
Overall it was a very pleasant read, very quick, not too complicated.
However I felt like the book lacked a bit of details, some relationships felt weak, others strangely done, I was confused by some characters deaths etc.
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The book tries to do a female rage / empowerment part, it didn’t really stand out to me.
I was expecting most of the plot twists, just not the wedding diner food tbh.
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A good 3/5 star