Nothing would have stopped me from reading this when the inspiration for it was said to be female rage, revenge, Judith Slaying Holofernes. It did deliver on the rage and revenge. It delivered on a very touching, realistic sapphic bond that felt sincere, natural, and soft. This is a strong point in the writing for sure.

The book is technically fantasy, but it is very very light. It doesn’t really make a big appearance in general, and really not even until the end. The build of this book is fast then slow then fast. The first 50 pages and the last 50 pages were the best. I loved the closure of the book and I wish we’d been able to see more of what Vita is capable of throughout the whole book.

A splendid little story I had an amazing time reading. The characters were fleshed out and had a tenderness to them, the writing had a sort of melancholia, and the pace was just right. 4 stars.

Crueler Mercies by Maren Chase is such a good story. I loved the book and it's characters. I totally recommend everyone to read this book as fast as they can because it's really good and the characters are fantastic and the story is immaculate.

3.5 stars

This was super fun and I loooove how (rightfully) vengeful Vita was, she was a fantastic protagonist. The politics in this was fascinating and I enjoyed seeing the different dynamics play out. However, I think the pacing in the last quarter was off; it felt like all the build up let to a climax that didn't quite deliver. But overall, this was a good story that I would recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and Bindery Books for the ARC.