The Boneless Mercies

August 15, 2018
In this saga inspired by the ancient tale of "Beowulf" our hero is a 17-year-old death-trader named Frey.Silver-haired Frey is the leader of a band of Boneless Mercies, women who roam the land bringing relief to the sick and the old. Frey's sister Mercies are greenish-blond-haired Sea Witch Juniper, markswoman Runa, and reserved, stoic Ovie. The only male, Trigve, is a healer. The life of a Mercy is uneventful; she performs her death work, gets paid, and moves on. Once a deceased Mercy passes out of living memory, she disappears into obscurity. But Frey wants more than that. She wants bards to immortalize her in song. She wants glory, and if she dies seeking it, so be it. Her chance comes when she decides to pursue the legendary Blue Vee beast, a creature that decimates entire villages. Blue Vee's jarl (king) has lost half his warriors to the beast, but Frey is confident that she and the Mercies can bring the creature down. The monetary reward for doing so will allow them to leave Mercy-killing behind. Narrator and protagonist Frey is quite unusual among female heroes: hungry for glory--bloodthirsty, even--but still likable. These fierce, honorable adolescent female warriors hold their own and break all the rules. Marked by flawless worldbuilding--even though it's still a man's world--the book is set in an alternate Scandinavia and assumes a white default.Wow. (Fantasy. 12-adult)

COPYRIGHT(2018) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

September 1, 2018

Gr 8 Up-When 17-year-old Frey decides to seek glory and kill the Blue Vee beast, she embarks on a life-altering journey. Along with her companions, she leaves behind her work as a Boneless Mercy, giving reprieve to those in anguish using death. Frey travels through the lands of the Sea Witches and the Red Willow Marsh while navigating the complex political and sometimes dangerous world of the Vorse. Frey's quest is fraught with peril, but with her companions by her side and her thirst for glory, nothing will stop her from killing the Blue Vee Monster. This is a gender-flipped retelling of the epic poem Beowulf. Tucholke uses mythology and fantasy elements to create a rich and compelling tale based on the Old English poem. The hero's journey is a major theme throughout. Frey embodies the pursuit of glory through quest to become a hero remembered in story and myth. Fans of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings will find similar themes and elements. This is a must-have for avid fantasy readers who enjoy action-packed plots. VERDICT An excellent choice for any YA fantasy collections.-Meaghan Nichols, ASI Heritage, Ont.

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from September 10, 2018
In this evocative fantasy loosely inspired by Beowulf, four young women who have devoted their lives to ritual mercy killing as “Mercies” or “Boneless Mercies” decide to give up that sad, dark work in favor of more satisfying pursuits: honor, glory, and a chance at appearing in legend. In order to earn enough money to do as they will, 17-year-old Frey and her companions swear a blood oath to slay the fabled Blue Vee Beast, which cyclically terrorizes a local jarldom. As the Mercies journey across Vorseland, threats and temptations test them repeatedly, and they must choose between quiet safety and death-defying heroism. Frey’s fittingly lyrical voice narrates her band’s exploits (“The marsh was death, and this was life. Apple liquor on the tongue, drying herbs scenting the air”). Tucholke (Wink Poppy Midnight) injects close intimacy into her lush saga, interweaving love and murder, mercy and glory into her portrayal of life and death. It is a beautiful, haunting modern-day epic that stars a bold and resourceful sisterhood of heroines unafraid to claim agency. Ages 12–up. Agent: Tracey Adams, Adams Literary.

October 15, 2018
Grades 8-12 In a world where ballads are sung and ancient sagas told at the hearth, five young women earn their place in Vorse history by seeking glory where men have failed: fighting the Blue Vee Beast. If Vorse sounds familiar, then Finmark, Holhalla, and Valkree should confirm that Tucholke is deliberately evoking Norse culture in her feminist retelling of Beowulf. Seventeen-year-old Frey and her companions are Boneless Mercies, itinerant women hired to kill those who suffer. It is depressing work, and when they hear a plea to save a kingdom from a murderous beast, they quit the death trade to undertake the challenge. Most of the narrative unfolds as the five Mercies journey to Blue Vee, encountering danger, magic, and tests to their bond of sisterhood. Tucholke creates a strong sense of the young women both as individuals and a caring, democratic unit, and the varied world they travel is thoughtfully unfurled. Knowledge of Beowulf isn't necessary to appreciate this story, which heroically contemplates female strength and agency, compassion versus vengeance, and the value of glory.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)