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A review by moth_dance
The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
5.0
Mesmerizing. Melancholic. Moving. Magic/Real.
It's not quite magical realism, but it forms subtle waves that could fit to that genre. Actually, I think this is the first magical realism adjacent novel with a lesbian character that I've read. If it was solely a dry historical romance, I wouldn't have connected with it as purely as I did from those first pages to the last.
It did start to feel like two different stories in the last section, but what saved it for me was the ending that left me both frustrated and elated.
Reading this during dark, stormy winter nights pairs nicely with some red wine and Chelsea Wolfe's acoustic album "Birth of Violence" (2019) and the calm, ambient songs from the Skyrim OST on repeat.
I also can imagine this story adapted into a beautiful arthouse movie one day, similar to the breathtaking Norwegian film "Thelma" (2017).
It's not quite magical realism, but it forms subtle waves that could fit to that genre. Actually, I think this is the first magical realism adjacent novel with a lesbian character that I've read. If it was solely a dry historical romance, I wouldn't have connected with it as purely as I did from those first pages to the last.
It did start to feel like two different stories in the last section, but what saved it for me was the ending that left me both frustrated and elated.
Reading this during dark, stormy winter nights pairs nicely with some red wine and Chelsea Wolfe's acoustic album "Birth of Violence" (2019) and the calm, ambient songs from the Skyrim OST on repeat.
I also can imagine this story adapted into a beautiful arthouse movie one day, similar to the breathtaking Norwegian film "Thelma" (2017).