Scan barcode
A review by visceralreads
Merciless Waters by Rae Knowles
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.5
TW: gore, animal sacrifices, violence against women, homophobia, sexual content
Thank you, Rae Knowles and BookSirens for the ARC! My opinions are my own.
Feminine rage!! I love the feminine rage in this book, especially in Jaq's narrative. There's just something so unearthly about her voice that makes it so compelling to read. While Jaq and the other women on board the Scylla live in an endless present, the narrative is set in a very Victorian tone and it suits the atmosphere really well. I'm so in love with the writing and how everything flows so seamlessly into the next chapter, and I also love the water imagery!!
Since this is a horror novella, there are many scenes and descriptions of eating people and literal decay. I think these parts were really well done as they made me sick to my stomach, but still want to turn the pages to see what happens. Merciless Waters is a retelling of the Rusalki, which in Slavic folklore are feminine entities, often malicious toward mankind and frequently associated with water, who have died by accidentally or purposely drowning. I didn't know that this book was about rusalki until it's said in the book, but now it makes perfect sense for the existence of Jaq and the rest of the crew. Some of the scenes I found hauntingly beautiful were when Jaq and her lover Lily were consuming Reginald (the man rescued by the crew) and Lily was literally rotting underwater; Jaq and Lily making love underwater while Lily's skin on her shoulder was torn to shreds by Jaq's teeth, and the bonfire dance near the end of the book.
However, I thought that while the flow of the story was technically good, there were some problems with the pacing towards the middle and end of the book. The middle dragged for too long, and the ending was just abrupt. I also didn't like Lily that much and felt a little sorry for Jaq. The crew of Scylla could be fleshed out a bit more as I couldn't tell who's who, other than Yinka and Lucinda, the ones who had the most 'screen time' among the other women.
All in all, Merciless Waters is an otherworldly and sapphic tale of a rusalka's revenge, driven by feminine rage. It's an eerily beautiful book that could've been paced better, but great nonetheless :)
Thank you, Rae Knowles and BookSirens for the ARC! My opinions are my own.
Feminine rage!! I love the feminine rage in this book, especially in Jaq's narrative. There's just something so unearthly about her voice that makes it so compelling to read. While Jaq and the other women on board the Scylla live in an endless present, the narrative is set in a very Victorian tone and it suits the atmosphere really well. I'm so in love with the writing and how everything flows so seamlessly into the next chapter, and I also love the water imagery!!
Since this is a horror novella, there are many scenes and descriptions of eating people and literal decay. I think these parts were really well done as they made me sick to my stomach, but still want to turn the pages to see what happens. Merciless Waters is a retelling of the Rusalki, which in Slavic folklore are feminine entities, often malicious toward mankind and frequently associated with water, who have died by accidentally or purposely drowning. I didn't know that this book was about rusalki until it's said in the book, but now it makes perfect sense for the existence of Jaq and the rest of the crew. Some of the scenes I found hauntingly beautiful were when Jaq and her lover Lily were consuming Reginald (the man rescued by the crew) and Lily was literally rotting underwater; Jaq and Lily making love underwater while Lily's skin on her shoulder was torn to shreds by Jaq's teeth, and the bonfire dance near the end of the book.
However, I thought that while the flow of the story was technically good, there were some problems with the pacing towards the middle and end of the book. The middle dragged for too long, and the ending was just abrupt. I also didn't like Lily that much and felt a little sorry for Jaq. The crew of Scylla could be fleshed out a bit more as I couldn't tell who's who, other than Yinka and Lucinda, the ones who had the most 'screen time' among the other women.
All in all, Merciless Waters is an otherworldly and sapphic tale of a rusalka's revenge, driven by feminine rage. It's an eerily beautiful book that could've been paced better, but great nonetheless :)