Book Review: THE BONELESS MERCIES by April Genevieve Tucholke

The Boneless Mercies by April Genevieve Tucholke

Blurb:

A dark and gorgeously drawn standalone YA fantasy about a band of mercenary girls in search of female glory. Won in a major six-house auction!

Frey, Ovie, Juniper, and Runa are the Boneless Mercies—girls hired to kill quickly, quietly, and mercifully. But Frey is weary of the death trade and, having been raised on the heroic sagas of her people, dreams of a bigger life. 

When she hears of an unstoppable monster ravaging a nearby town, Frey decides this is the Mercies' one chance out. The fame and fortune of bringing down such a beast would ensure a new future for all the Mercies. In fact, her actions may change the story arc of women everywhere.

Full of fierce girls, bloodlust, tenuous alliances, and unapologetic quests for glory, this elegantly spun tale challenges the power of storytelling—and who gets to be the storyteller. Perfect for fans of Maggie Stiefvater, V.E. Schwab, and Heidi Heilig.

My Review:

What can I say about this book really? It was unbelievably fantastic! The storytelling is beautiful and lush, the world-building is clear, and the characters are well-rounded. The Boneless Mercies is definitely a stand-out among the books I've read this year, possibly my FAVORITE of the year. 

Frey is strong yet imaginative, Runa is moody yet fearless, Ovie is silent and wise, Juniper is bright and hopeful, and Trigve is their support system, their ally, their friend. They will face the world together, leave the path of Boneless Mercies forever in search of the Blue Vee Beast, and fight side by side the dangers they encounter along the way. 

This book keeps you reading, like listening to a story of old around the fire. The author splendidly weaves the tale, keeping you enchanted, and longing for the close bonds of friendship etched into the Mercies. There's mythology and courageous heroines and I loved every single page!

Do you like Norse-inspired stories? Strong female characters? Fierce friendships? The Boneless Mercies is the book for you! 

My Rating:

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

6 of 5 Stars!

Book Review: Heart of Thorns by Bree Barton

Heart of Thorns (Heart of Thorns, #1) by Bree Barton

Blurb:

In the ancient river kingdom, touch is a battlefield, bodies the instruments of war. Seventeen-year-old Mia Rose has pledged her life to hunting Gwyrach: women who can manipulate flesh, bones, breath, and blood.

Not women. Demons. The same demons who killed her mother without a single scratch.

But when Mia's father suddenly announces her marriage to the prince, she is forced to trade in her knives and trousers for a sumptuous silk gown. Only after the wedding goes disastrously wrong does she discover she has dark, forbidden magic—the very magic she has sworn to destroy.

My Review:

I'm going to be embarrassingly honest for a minute. I received this book in the July Fairyloot box but I wasn't really looking forward to reading it. I put it on my September TBR because I'm trying to get through some of my owned-but-unread books.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. The story grabbed me right away and kept me riveted until the last page. While I think the magic system was a little underdeveloped I really loved the plot, the characters, and the setting. 

I finished this book instantly wishing I could read the second book right away and the wait is probably going to kill me. The betrayal toward the end of this book was a shock I didn't see coming followed by the bomb-drop realization that follows. 

This book also has a really strong feminist message to it that I absolutely loved. 

Overall, if you're looking for a book with a lot of girl power where the main character must learn how to utilize the one thing she's most afraid of to survive, a hint of romance, and a great adventure that will leave you breathless you will love Heart of Thorns!

My Rating:

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

5 of 5 Stars!

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Natural Born Leaders

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. 

Top Ten Tuesday - Characters That Were Born To Lead

This week's TTT is all about characters that were made to lead. Lead what you ask? Rebellions? Committees? Book Clubs? You decide. I chose rebellions - and this week they're all kick-ass females!

Feyre

Aelin Galathynius

Elena Michaels

Britta Flannery

Anna Arden

Amber Tate

Anna Whitt

America Singer

Aurora Pavan

Alina Starkov

These are just a few of my favorite female rebels that changed their worlds. There are plenty of male characters that cause change too. What are some of your favorite natural born leader characters?

Drop me a link to yours!

As always, happy reading bookdragons!

-💀Taylor

Book Review: Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco

Hunting Prince Dracula (Stalking Jack the Ripper #2) by Kerri Maniscalco

Blurb:

In this hotly anticipated sequel to the haunting #1 bestseller Stalking Jack the Ripper, bizarre murders are discovered in the castle of Prince Vlad the Impaler, otherwise known as Dracula. Could it be a copycat killer...or has the depraved prince been brought back to life?

Following the grief and horror of her discovery of Jack the Ripper's true identity, Audrey Rose Wadsworth has no choice but to flee London and its memories. Together with the arrogant yet charming Thomas Cresswell, she journeys to the dark heart of Romania, home to one of Europe's best schools of forensic medicine...and to another notorious killer, Vlad the Impaler, whose thirst for blood became legend.

But her life's dream is soon tainted by blood-soaked discoveries in the halls of the school's forbidding castle, and Audrey Rose is compelled to investigate the strangely familiar murders. What she finds brings all her terrifying fears to life once again.

My Review

I dove into this book blind after seeing the cover and having instant cover love and reading an excerpt from the first chapter on Entertainment Weekly. I hadn't read the first book, although I have since rectified that, but I found this book easy to get into. 

The world-building in Hunting Prince Dracula is fantastic and the story-telling was enchanting. I felt as if I stepped right into the pages and was living the story. Audrey Rose is the definition of a strong female lead, a term I find to be overused lately but the term definitely describes Audrey. She's brave, fearless, unafraid to get her hands dirty, and easily proves that girls can do all of the things that guys can do. I find sometimes that some characters take some time to like, but I liked Audrey instantly. 

Audrey and Thomas reminded me of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. Their investigative skills blew me away and I loved all of the details of late-nineteenth-century autopsies and forensic studies, the author definitely did her research. 

I loved both the setting (having read other books set roughly in the same region and time period and loving those it felt like I was returning to something familiar) and the secondary characters that brought the story together perfectly. I never saw the ending coming! 

Overall, I was hooked on Hunting Prince Dracula from the first page. I didn't want to put it down and I'm already eager to read the next book! 

My Rating:

5 of 5 Stars!