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A review by karis321
Crueler Mercies by Maren Chase
4.0
~~Thank you to NetGalley and Bindery Books for the ARC!~~
4.5/5 stars rounded down!
I didn't really have much expectations going into this, which worked out in my favor because this was really good.
The story was much more gruesome than I anticipated, with the sheer amount of brutal descriptions and cruel acts committed by Ardaric, the enemy general who sieged the fortress Vita was imprisoned in. This, and the fact Vita is said to be about twenty or so, clued me in I was reading something closer than new adult rather than YA, but it was a welcome surprise. If anything, the mature tone, the heavy political discussions, and gentle yet melancholic prose were a much needed change of pace from what I've been reading late.
Additionally, Vita is such an amazing protagonist. She spends over a decade of her life isolated, neglected, and traumatized from witnessing her mom's execution, so she's rightfully afraid and ignorant of the state of her world when the plot kicks in. But her intelligence and desire for revenge drive her to become a cunning strategist that leads to such a satisfying conclusion; her arc was written so masterfully. Plus, her romance with Soline is so damn sweet. Just two girls who wanna murder the same guy and fall in love while doing so. Good for them.
The only thing I found lacking was the alchemy/magic. There are explanations given to why it isn't as accessible and easy for the girls to do, but I do wish Chase gave a little more leeway from them to explore it more because it's utilized so loosely throughout the story. I find it weird to criticize a fantasy for not using enough magic, when it's far too common to see it used too much, but I really think this story would have benefitted more if it was more present.
All in all, this was still a great book. Although the story ending on what could be a satisfying conclusion, I am curious to see if Chase would take this further in a sequel, to possible expand upon the worldbuilding and magic. If so, I definitely will be waiting for it eagerly.
4.5/5 stars rounded down!
I didn't really have much expectations going into this, which worked out in my favor because this was really good.
The story was much more gruesome than I anticipated, with the sheer amount of brutal descriptions and cruel acts committed by Ardaric, the enemy general who sieged the fortress Vita was imprisoned in. This, and the fact Vita is said to be about twenty or so, clued me in I was reading something closer than new adult rather than YA, but it was a welcome surprise. If anything, the mature tone, the heavy political discussions, and gentle yet melancholic prose were a much needed change of pace from what I've been reading late.
Additionally, Vita is such an amazing protagonist. She spends over a decade of her life isolated, neglected, and traumatized from witnessing her mom's execution, so she's rightfully afraid and ignorant of the state of her world when the plot kicks in. But her intelligence and desire for revenge drive her to become a cunning strategist that leads to such a satisfying conclusion; her arc was written so masterfully. Plus, her romance with Soline is so damn sweet. Just two girls who wanna murder the same guy and fall in love while doing so. Good for them.
The only thing I found lacking was the alchemy/magic. There are explanations given to why it isn't as accessible and easy for the girls to do, but I do wish Chase gave a little more leeway from them to explore it more because it's utilized so loosely throughout the story. I find it weird to criticize a fantasy for not using enough magic, when it's far too common to see it used too much, but I really think this story would have benefitted more if it was more present.
All in all, this was still a great book. Although the story ending on what could be a satisfying conclusion, I am curious to see if Chase would take this further in a sequel, to possible expand upon the worldbuilding and magic. If so, I definitely will be waiting for it eagerly.