The Boneless Mercies

Actual rating of 4.5.

Wow, what a story. I was intrigued by the cover and the title when I first came across this book. The idea intrigued me, a story about a group of 4 women, who are known as the Boneless Mercies. They deal in death, trading the peace of dying for coin along their way, but they are not all content with their life. Juniper, the young, kind, and innocent Sea Witch with the pearl green hair. Runa, the strong girl with a penchant for starting fights. Ovie, the stoic and mostly silent ghost. And Frey, the girl who wants more. Along with them travels Trigve, a man they came across on their travels who had nothing left and decided to join them, not as a mercie because men can't be boneless mercies, but as a companion and storyteller who dreams of being a healer.

The story starts with the mercies granting the wish of a lone woman in black silk who wishes to die and follows them as they travel. Runa is tired of the death trade, they all are, but no one will take in former boneless mercies, people turn away from them, their life full of death. They hear of a jarl who is calling for aid, his lands are ravaged and destroyed, along with his people, but a being called The Blue Vee beast. So many warriors have gone to his aid, only to end up dying. Do they continue their death trade? Or do they take the chance of something greater? We follow them as the travel to the sea witches in the merrows, to the red willow marsh which is ruled by the cut-queen, and onward. I can't say more, or I risk spoiling the adventure.

I found the characters interesting, and I want to know more about them, I'm hoping that the story continues as a series so that we're given the chance for the characters to develop more and become deeper. The world was well fleshed out and touches into, what I believe to be an alternate Norse reality, known as Vorse. I have read that a few people have likened this to a retelling of Beowulf, I haven't read it so I can't talk about it as being a retelling or any of the similarities that might be there. I found the opening of the story interesting, I've never read a book about someone who deals in the trade of death, the story lagged a little bit up until the mercies make their decision of whether they will travel to battle with the Blue Vee Beast or not. Once the story started to move, it moved fast, and kept me interested and needing to know what happened next. I definitely hope that this will be continued, I'm interested to see what happens to our Mercies, and where their journeys have taken them.

There is a lot to like about this book for a mythology geek like myself. While it’s a little slow to start, the world the Mercies live in is well painted and the characters have both good and bad traits. Their actions as Mercies hit quite close to euthanasia, which made me uncomfortable; but that gave me a glimpse into why Frey was so weary inside and out of her role in society.

The book relies on retelling of (mostly) Norse mythology (thank you Mr Gaiman for your excellent work), with Celtic, Roman and even a bit of Judaism thrown in. Interactions between the characters are thoughtful and in line with YA age group, and what I did like is that sex isn’t a driver for the story.

In summary – it’s clever, descriptive, action-filled, thoughtful and I’ll definitely read again.

I received an ARC from Simon & Schuster (Australia) in return for an honest review.

“They called us Mercies, or sometimes the Boneless Mercies. They said we were shadows, ghost, and if you touched our skin, we dissolved into smoke. We made people uneasy, for we were women with weapons. And yet the Mercies were needed. Men would not do our sad, dark work.”

Hallelujah, an awesome young adult fantasy standalone. Interesting history, great world, awesome magic, characters that had you cheering for them. The villains aren’t just villains, they are complex with compelling backstories.

Frey and her team are mercy killers, they bring death when illness and age are taking to long. It’s a thankless job, they aren’t heroes, they won’t be remembered and it takes a toll. The girls are worn down, and when they have to kill a young boy, it’s just one sliced throat to far, even for the hardest of the girls. Choosing a different life path isn’t an easy option, but its necessary.

The four Mercy girls are very different. Their personalities, their backgrounds and even their hopes for the future. Each is her own distinct person and they don’t blend into each other at all. Written from Frey’s perspective, we always know who is being thought about. Runa was strong, brave and haunted. She just wanted to run and hunt and be free. Ovie was the oldest of the girls, the quietest. She was wise, loyal and brave. Juniper, the youngest of the quartet, a sea witch; she had awesome magic, bravery and nimble thieving fingers. These girls were so full of passion, it practically poured off the pages
Frey wanted glory, she wanted battles and blood, she wanted to be remembered. Why did the men get the songs sung about them?

“I wanted to be known. To be sung about. I wanted men and women to hoist me onto their shoulders, to shout my name into the rafters.
I was a Mercy-girl with no family, no home, no fortune, and yet my blood sang a song of glory.”

Frey and the girls set out on their quest, I did have a couple of issues with the pacing and the fact it felt like they were given a list and were just crossing them off but the relationships and people they met distracted me from this. The Sea Witches, fellow Mercies, the Quicks and the Pig People. Each of these peoples were so interesting, the author could write a series about all of them. The constant in all of their adventures is their friendship. I liked the way they were accepting of each other, loyal and had faith in each other. There was so much growth for each girl, not just Frey.

For me the best part were the villain/villain’s. There is no black and white, cookie cutter bad guy in this book. As with life, nothing is ever what it seems. I cried with the villains and I cried for them.

The writing was phenomenal, it flowed, the tension rose and fell perfectly. I enjoyed the highs of the story and the slow bits in between, there seemed a purpose to the quiet slow times. It wasn’t an accidental lull. I can’t articulate my thought well enough to do the structure of the book justice. Throughout the story we are given glimpses of the worlds history, reminded of the way history has a habit of repeating itself.

With a heavy Norse influence, the women have had the spotlight shone on them here. In Boneless Mercies we look at women’s strengths, we see them stand up when others run, we see them support each other. There is no petty bullshit, because this author knows that women are strongest together, they are the masters of their destiny, they aren’t jealous and catty. They don’t need someone to tie them down. They can love, they can have their own dreams, they can follow their calling. They don’t have to conform to another’s expectations. She knows, that those who love them, will want to see them flourish, they will be proud. She knows that women have the right to choose.

I received an ARC of The Bondeless Mercies. I was intrigued by the cover first off, the blue and feathers looked really appealing and then learning that it was in my favourite genre- Ya Fantasy I had to have a read myself.

I really enjoyed this book. I read it almost non-stop and couldn’t put it down. It was easy and quick to read and the flow of action meant that the story was always progressing at a good pace. I really enjoyed the world building and the information that was revealed as the story moved forward. The characters were quickly likeable and I wanted to know more from the very start.

Saying that - It is a traditional Fantasy “Quest” story. Which I love - but can become predictable if you are used to the genre. (I only found out after reading it that it was based on Beowulf, so this makes sense) I loved the idea of a female group charging into battle and changing the paths life had set them on. I liked how the story addressed that all the girls - from different circumstances and walks of life had all come to the same path and could be friends. That society is unfair but we can do our best to be our best. I also liked that the relationships between characters were true friendships, and that the romantic themes were subtle and it really let the friendships shine through. Yes the story contains some gruesome parts - the cut-queen scene could be viewed as a little disturbing - but it was not out of the ordinary for this genre.

I really liked that the story was complete. I get so dis-heartened when stories are a part of a series and you don’t realise until 70% through or up until it’s finished and there is more story to come. Don’t get me wrong - this story could easily be turned into more books. The world building and the main characters scream for more of their story to be told, but I was also satisfied with how it ended.

A beautiful read, I would definitely recommend for people starting out in the Fantasy genre, and young readers.


(Also posted to Goodreads)

This was an interesting book. I loved the premise of it, four young girls, warriors really, making their way in the world.
This book is rich in characters, from the four girls, to Trigve, to Sasha and Roth.
But I felt it was lacking something, a bit of punch, something to spice it up.
For me, I would've liked a bit more romance, just to give the book a bit of depth. I also felt the battle scenes were over too quickly and a little bit anti climatic.
Still, the cast of characters is great and the book is enjoyable for this reason alone. Give this book a try, I think it's worth your time.

This book just wasn’t for me. I read 25% but at this point I found that I wasn’t that interested in the story
, where it was going or what would happen to the characters. I can’t quite work out why though. I liked the characters but am feeling there wasn’t enough dialogue or maybe the story was just skimming the surface as I didn’t really feel like I knew the characters. I am definitely a character driven reader and generally need to read about strong well defined characters who have interesting and engaging dialogue.
As I said, can’t quit put my finger on why I didn’t get into this story so let’s just put it down to ‘it just isn’t for me at this time’.

Huge thank you to Simon & Schuster (Australia) and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to review this book!

I’ve never read any of Tucholke’s previous works but after reading The Boneless Mercies, I now want to go back and read them all! The level of detail, the flawless world-building, the careful unfolding of each characters backstory, the slow-building intensity leading up to the ending; almost every detail of this story was executed perfectly.

Full (spoiler-y) review here: http://wmsreads.tumblr.com/post/177957497877/

There are so many women in this book. There are very few men in this book at all. It’s glorious. It’s been a week since I read it and I recall two. Two men whose importance to the story is almost entirely tied to their emotional significance to the protagonist. Is this what being a man feels like?

The Boneless Mercies is a heroic saga focusing on a band of young women who travel a vaguely medieval eastern european continent as mercy-killers for hire. On the off chance you aren’t already leaving to go pick up a copy, I will do my best to explain why you should.

First - this is not a kissing book. This is not a book ‘about women’ where there is as much or more time devoted to how she feels about some guy as there is to the actual plot. In fact, while Frey does eventually do some kissing, the book is more than half over by the time she even thinks about it. Instead, she thinks about her quest, and her companions, and how her quest might be affecting her companions. There is a lot of entirely platonic compassion and love and I dig it.

Second, the tone of this book is GLORIOUS. Reading it felt like floating, if that makes any sense. Picking up this book is like walking into an old growth forest, hearing the complete lack of machinery, knowing you are the only person for miles. It truly captures the poetry of traditional fairytales and epics. Like breathing night air. I loved it.

Third, and this is a little big repeating, but the women in this book! They are all different, they are all complex, they all have different stories and motivations and they’re all fleshed out and deep and have skills and flaws and gosh I just love them all so much. Juniper, in particular, is my favourite.

The Boneless Mercies is a standalone novel, and it suits it, it is one heroic tale from beginning to end, but it is the kind of standalone where I wish I had another twenty chapters to tell me about how they lived the rest of their lives in comfort and safety, so that I could know for sure that my girls were okay.

[Review to be posted on October 4th]

"I am a woman, wanderer, warrior. This is not the end of my story."

The Boneless Mercies trade in the art of death. Killing the old, sick, and wounded, their mercy kills are hired from all over Vorseland. Frey, Ovie, Juniper, and Runa are the Mercy Killers. They each have their own troublesome tale of how they joined a trade that included killing the innocent and suffering. However, our protagonist Frey wishes for more, a bigger, more heroic life.

When the Mercies hear of an unstoppable beast terrorising local villages, they decide this is their opportunity to defeat the beast and escape the death trade once and for all. The reward associated with the defeat of the beast will be enough gold to allow them to depart on their separate journeys, to find heroism in other lands. However, this beast is immortal, gigantic, and out for blood. So what makes the band of four female Mercies think that they can be the ones to destroy it and save the village? Hope. Hope is all they have.

April Genevieve Tucholke writes an exhilarating story of female companionship, compassion, and strength as the Mercies, who are raised to expect the bare minimum, thinking that a warm bath is too much of a luxury, finds the true meaning of heroism and the destiny of their broken lives.

Frey is a resilient young girl who hopes for a world with no more death and destruction, only compassion and bravery. Coming from a bloody childhood that left her family dead and her destiny to be a pleasurer in a Bliss House, Frey escapes to join the Boneless Mercies. However, she is always hoping for a better life, one with warrior deaths and freedom.



Each and every character in this story gave the reader hope and love for their story. Tucholke wrote the cast in such a way that has the reader completely attached to their storyline and rooting for them from their reading nooks. Not one of the characters was unlikable, even the villains. You know you have found a good author when they make the reader feel sympathy for the villains!

The world was well thought out and very picturesque, making the whole theme and tone of the novel very grim but whimsical with each village the Mercies stopped at on the way. I genuinely enjoyed every second of this book and devoured it in one sitting.

However, I am curious about the future of this storyline. Originally it was branded as a standalone and says so in the blurb on Goodreads, however, the end of the novel tells a different tale. The ending wraps up nicely, but there are still questions left unanswered, perfect for a sequel, or maybe two. Another instalment in this series would be vital because without it the ending would be leaving the readers wanting more, and not in a good “I don’t want this to end way” but a “well, isn’t there supposed to be another book, where is it?” way. Sure hope the publisher and the author will figure this out soon because I am already anticipating more!!!

A really very pleasant surprise. Beautiful in its simplicity, The Boneless Mercies reads like one of the sagas its characters are so fond of remembering and sharing. The environment is rich and wonderfully described, elements of the story feel almost fable-like, the characters are balanced and interesting - it's absolutely stunning.
I originally gave it four stars, but changed to five to write this review, as it's stuck with me for the last 24 hours. So much more than I was expecting and I'm excited to go back and read it again.

‘Whatever I did next, the Mercies had my back. To the end. Loyalty like this was a rare thing, beautiful and pure.’

It’s been a long time between YA fantasy treks for me but what a fabulous novel to return to this genre with. The Boneless Mercies reads like a quest, full of danger and adventure, as four young women set themselves on a new path to determine their fate. This is a novel that celebrates female empowerment with a high value placed on friendship and loyalty. To me, the fantasy world was Viking inspired yet entirely unique, the story punctuated with wonderfully original mythic legends that wove neatly into the narrative. The Boneless Mercies is a clever novel, refreshingly unconcerned with romance and teenage angst. These young women are warriors, loyal to each other, with a strong belief in the afterlife and the legends of their world. They lift each other up and work together and they don’t defer to men, nor do they rely on them. I think this is a terrific novel for young women to read, in this age of isolation and connectivity via social media. Celebrating the strength of female friendships and highlighting the importance of female independence, The Boneless Mercies ticks all the right boxes for me. Highly recommended.

‘Belonging. This Great Hall, for all its grand tree and soaring ceiling and intricately carved pillars…It was a home. A community. The burden of being lone Mercies, of being wanderers and outsiders…I hadn’t realised the toll it had taken, until now. We’d been greeted as warriors here, in the truest sense. Roth’s household had put its fear and sadness on hold for the night and stripped its cellars bare to welcome us with food and song in the way of the sagas. Despite the lean year, despite the sorrow. A bold, glorious welcome…Before we fought the beast and died like all the others. It was the least they could do. It was everything.’

Thanks is extended to Simon and Schuster Australia via NetGalley for providing me with a copy of The Boneless Mercies for review.

Oh my goodness. This book just held me enthralled. The amazing story that Tucholke has created here is just mystical, magical... Dark, and beautiful. Just wonderful. I may just be gushing now so I'll try to get down to some specifics.


The characters each have their own tale to tell, but you get precious little from them initially. Even Frey, the character we walk with, tells you little of her own story, and focuses more on the present - the next mark, the next meal, the next town. Each character is so wonderfully unique, but similar in being drawn together to do their dark work. Another character, Trigve, fascinated me as well, but honestly I was most fascinated with Juniper - her tale is just magical.


This is a retelling of sorts of Beowulf, and I could see the similarities throughout the story, but never really felt like I was reading a direct copy or anything like that. Tucholke has created her own magnificent world here, and her writing is just captivating and beautiful all at once. I often had to sit back after reading a particular sentence to just marvel and the mastery that she seems to have over the words - this is definitely a writer that I need to read more of.


Anyway, if I haven't gushed enough already, I think you ought to try this book out if you're fond of darker fantasies. Highly recommended.

I've been reading much less YA over the last year than I used to. Thankfully though, there's some amazing YA novels coming out, and when I do read it I've been lucky enough to find absolute gems. That held true with The Boneless Mercies, a retelling of Beowulf set in a Vorse (Viking + Norse) setting of snow and blood and the absolute bond of those who had to find their family.

Frey and her band of Mercies are a travelling group, dispensing mercy killings to those able to pay for the release. It's a job only held by orphaned teenage girls in this world, and even as the novel started it was clearly weighing on the group. So when they hear of a chance for fame and glory if they can relieve a Northern jarldom of it's monster problem, they're all for it - and into adventure they hurl themselves, head first.

The setting itself is a mildly skewed version of our own history, with a touch of magic. Viking + Norse is a pretty good summary - we've got longboats, trolls, skinfights and seers. I actually felt like the book was at it's strongest when it wasn't trying to show just how Norse it was, but it's a first novel and sometimes you've just got to build a world. And as it let the dreaded infodump be avoided, I'll be forgiving.

The real strength of the book for me was in the characters - the bonds between them were so well portrayed. The differing friendships between each of them were so skillfully done, and it really meant that we learned so much from each character just by seeing what they were like with each different person. Obviously, female friendship taking such a centre stage is always a plus, but this was just brilliantly handled.

It's a very strong start to the series. And let me just emphasise - while it's the first in a series it is a stand alone story in it's own right, and <i>thank you</i> to the author because it's so important for other authors to see how to write a fantastic and complete story that still has the reader excited to go on to the next. I know I am.

A fast-paced, unique & absorbing story with real depth. The cast of strong, independent female characters was fantastic to see in a YA novel and àlways felt genuine & believable. Would love to read more from this very capable author.

When I heard that there was going to be an all-female cast, gendered swapped Beauwolf I was excited! Boneless Mercies did not disappoint, it was highly entertaining and a great read.

Yesssss for a stunning cover! Yesssss for girl power! And, HELL YES for the writing. Great dialogue, description, and a plot! I am IN LOVE!

I was given an ARC by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

Frey, Ovie, Juniper, and Runa are Boneless Mercies – death-traders, hired to kill quickly, quietly and mercifully. It is a job for women, and women only. Men will not do this sad, dark work.

This book was beautifully written, which meant that I couldn't put the book down. I enjoyed the world building and the characters. It is dark and beautiful and the elements of mythology within was perfect.

Recommend to all!

Thankyou to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster ( Australia ), and the author, April Tucholke, for the opportunity to read a digital copy of The Boneless Mercies in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion.
I was initially drawn to this book by the cover. I thought it was beautiful and mysterious. Once I read the premise, I was hooked. I am so glad I received a copy to review.
I found it an enjoyable read. I loved the central characters. I thought the storyline was well written and intriguing. Would definitely read more from this author. 3.5 stars
Worth a read for fans of the genre.