Welcome to Swoony Boys Podcast! This is our stop on the The Boneless Mercies Tour! When our friends over at Macmillan asked if we wanted to be a part of this tour, our answer was the biggest YES!
We have a really fun character interview to share with you today and we can’t wait for you to get to know more about this book, its characters and author, April Genevieve Tucholke! Before we get to that, let’s learn a little more about the book first…
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The Boneless Mercies by April Genevieve TucholkeAlso by this author: Slasher Girls and Monster Boys
Published by Farrar Straus Giroux, Macmillan on October 2nd, 2018
Genres: Fantasy, Retellings
Pages: 384
Goodreads Buy the Book
A dark standalone YA fantasy about a band of mercenary girls in search of female glory.
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.
***Character Interview***
Today we’re sitting down with Frey from The Boneless Mercies. Hi! Welcome to Swoony Boys Podcast! We are so ridiculously excited to have you here and we can’t wait for our readers to get to know you a little better. Ready to get started? Here we go…
I decided to hunt the Blue Vee beast because I wanted to be remembered. I wanted to be sung about. I wanted my name shouted into the rafters of all the mead halls across Vorseland.
And I wanted to kill the beast because it was the right thing to do . . . the heroic thing to do.
They would describe me as a risk-taker, a dreamer, and above all, a glory-seeker.
I would describe Ovie as stoic, reticent, and steadfast.
Juniper is gentle, earnest, and devout.
Runa is determined, loyal, and a (true Vorse) warrior.
My favorite recent adventure was visiting Juniper’s home by the Quell Sea—I’ve always longed to visit the Merrow witches and see their conical huts high in the Black Scorch Trees. Me and my Mercies ate well there—we slept warm, and deep.
Juniper the Sea Witch brings a sweet, loving temperament, her gift of thievery, and her magic witch-prayers.
Ovie brings wisdom and self-reliance.
Runa brings strength, a healthy dose of skepticism, and her skill at archery.
I wish you’d asked how I got my axe . . . it’s a good story.
And yes, I’m glad we crossed paths and had a chance to sit and talk around the fire this cold winter’s night. Here, have a sip from my flask—it will keep you warm the long dark hours.
***Meet April Genevieve Tucholke***
April Genevieve Tucholke is the author of Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, Between the Spark and the Burn, and Wink Poppy Midnight. She also curated the horror anthology Slasher Girls & Monster Boys. She has received five starred reviews and her novels have been chosen for the Junior Library Guild, Kids’ Indie Next picks, and YALSA Teens Top Ten. When she’s not writing, April likes walking in the woods with her two cheerful dogs, exploring abandoned houses, and drinking expensive coffee. She has lived in many places around the world, and currently resides in Oregon with her husband.
Thanks for stopping by! Happy swooning!