April Genevieve Tucholke’s high fantasy novel, The Boneless Mercies, sweeps the reader into a deeply evocative world that grants a feminist take on classic tales inspired by Norse mythology. A retelling of Beowulf, the story follows a band of young women called the Boneless Mercies as they abandon the life they knew and travel the land in search of heroism.
Tucholke’s writing is poetic and haunting, a callback to the epic poems of old. The setting is an echo of Scandinavia, but with enough subtle differences to make it a world of its own. The geography and politics in the world are solidly established, with distinct factions and cultures that breath life into the setting. Witches live secluded by the sea, archers run wild in the woods, and Mercies kill quickly and painlessly to end suffering.
Tucholke explores the role of women in the fantasy genre, acknowledging the passive roles female characters have historically played while not getting caught up in the sexism of the world, making the novel a tale of victory and rising above expectations. The Mercies use the skills they learn in their typically female-dominated work to help them defeat their challenges in a way only they could. Tucholke gives us protagonists to cheer for, characters who have to work for their goals not only physically, but by putting aside the perceptions others have of them. Reversing the gender roles present in Beowulf adds a layer of complexity to the age-old story that gives the protagonists someone else to fight for.
The Boneless Mercies is rich with tantalizing description and poetic prose, but what really breathes life into it is the characters. Each has a different place in the world, from a homesick sea witch to an aspiring archer, and their own long-term goals. The Mercies are all distinct from one another, yet they work well as an ensemble cast. The bonds between them are the heart of the novel, their relationships and conflicts the force that pushes the story along. The Boneless Mercies is a wonderful homage to the fantasy genre that gives everything that classic epic tales have to offer, along with a much-needed new perspective and a compassionate core.
The Conference of the Birds offers readers with a fifth dive into Ransom Rigg’s world of the much-adored literary peculiars. In this novel, which carries on directly from ‘A Map of Days’–released as the fourth book in 2019–Jacob and his peculiar friends return to uncover the mystery surrounding their newest companion Noor, most namely piecing …
Meet Me at the Intersection is a rich short story anthology written by a diverse range of Australian authors and lovingly edited by Rebecca Lim and Ambelin Kwaymullina. The anthology aims to showcase the experiences of marginalised groups through “own voice” stories, whose authors fit into those groups. The first thing about the anthology that …
Melina Marchetta’s coming-of-age novel is a refreshingly mature young adult adventure that captures the feeling on the crux of growing up and watching all that was familiar with the world shift into something new. On the Jellicoe Road transports the reader to a world caught between the dreams of childhood and the horrors of reality, …
In the final novel from the Magisterium series by Cassandra Clare and Holly Black, Callum Hunt is faced with the task of destroying Alex Strike and the chaos that followed in the wake of the events of the penultimate novel The Silver Mask. Callum Hunt is now entering his Gold Year, the final year of …
‘The Gilded Ones’, an action-packed new fantasy series from début author Namina Forna, follows the story of a young female named Deka, who lives in the West-African-inspired society of Otera, in which women live to be of service to men, and their roles in everyday life are grounded in misogyny. For Deka, reaching a certain …
Melissa Keil’s The Secret Science of Magic is a unique and compelling twist on the typical romance novel. Shift away from the typical “quirky” star-crossed lover archetypes, Keil has created the kind of relatable and complex character that exist in real life, but rarely ever play a starring role in the media. Sophia is so …
Book Review – The Boneless Mercies by April Genevieve Tucholke
Tucholke’s writing is poetic and haunting, a callback to the epic poems of old. The setting is an echo of Scandinavia, but with enough subtle differences to make it a world of its own. The geography and politics in the world are solidly established, with distinct factions and cultures that breath life into the setting. Witches live secluded by the sea, archers run wild in the woods, and Mercies kill quickly and painlessly to end suffering.
Tucholke explores the role of women in the fantasy genre, acknowledging the passive roles female characters have historically played while not getting caught up in the sexism of the world, making the novel a tale of victory and rising above expectations. The Mercies use the skills they learn in their typically female-dominated work to help them defeat their challenges in a way only they could. Tucholke gives us protagonists to cheer for, characters who have to work for their goals not only physically, but by putting aside the perceptions others have of them. Reversing the gender roles present in Beowulf adds a layer of complexity to the age-old story that gives the protagonists someone else to fight for.
The Boneless Mercies is rich with tantalizing description and poetic prose, but what really breathes life into it is the characters. Each has a different place in the world, from a homesick sea witch to an aspiring archer, and their own long-term goals. The Mercies are all distinct from one another, yet they work well as an ensemble cast. The bonds between them are the heart of the novel, their relationships and conflicts the force that pushes the story along. The Boneless Mercies is a wonderful homage to the fantasy genre that gives everything that classic epic tales have to offer, along with a much-needed new perspective and a compassionate core.
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