By Misty Provencher
Self-Published
Publication Date: December 8, 2012
Genre: New Adult Dark Fantasy
Source: PurchasedMy will to survive is the first thing to drown.
I know, because I hold it under myself.After facing severe tragedy in life, Madeline assumes her death will be easy.
But the angels do not come to take her to Heaven.
Instead, what retrieves her is something she never expected: a gargoyle.Delivered to Truce, the King of the Gargoyles, Madeline now has choices she never wanted. She has the ability to take over the entire Gargoyle Kingdom, if she is willing to kill the king. However, looking to prevent takeover, Truce transforms Madeline, thereby granting her the ability to achieve the thing she wants most—death—if she can just find the human recipient for the Gargoyle Gift that she now has to give. It should be easy.
But lives, whether they are lived or not, are seldom simple, and Madeline’s past still stands in her way. Now, only a voyeur in the life of The Boy with the Golden Rod Voice, Madeline’s must reconcile her own life and death, if she ever hopes to have free reign of her soul.
Goodreads Summary
Opening and closing my mouth like a dying fish is pretty much the look I’m pulling off as I’m thinking about what to say about Mercy right now. It was really good – good enough that I’m not above begging Provencher for a sequel or a second book in the same world – but I don’t exactly know what this was. Parts of it were seriously gruesome and dark but it was introspective and had an uplifting moment or two as well. It was just…wow.
This is a pretty easy story to spoil, so I’m going to annoy myself and keep things pretty vague (my OCD writer is wailing, trust me). It took me an embarrassingly long time to figure out that Madeline began the book by drowning herself. After her death, a gargoyle took her body to The Gargoyle King who explained why she’d been picked up and what her future could be. Yeah, that pesky bit about how she knew the gargoyle had come and gotten her body and how she could hear Truce, The Gargoyle King, talking to her is all part of what you’ll know too, but it’s just freaky and one of those things you’ll have to read to find out. As Truce is telling Madeline these things and all she’s feeling is anger and frustration that her choice was taken away, I was thinking how unutterably sad it was that this poor girl hadn’t seen the injustices she’d suffered in life or death. She wasn’t even allowed much of a choice in what she ends up becoming.
Stuck in a form she loathes, Madeline is dropped on the roof of a building with the order to learn to fly. While she’s up there with her useless wings, she sees that the boy who broke her heart living in the apartment across the street. Aaaaand – yeah, that’s where I have to leave you. Madeline has to make a lot of discoveries and decisions about who she was and what she wants for herself and to do that, she has to observe and learn. It’s painful stuff sometimes and not always only for Madeline.
There are places this story goes, especially in the beginning, that “dark” isn’t a strong enough word for. My heart was in my throat, my skin felt like it was too small and I wasn’t sure which way I wanted Madeline to go. Without two full chapters going by, this wounded girl was mine. Provencher confused the hell out of me with this gargoyle business – I had no idea what I was looking at, hearing, sorting out in my head – but it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. I felt a bit like I was in Madeline’s shoes, listening to this all and wondering what weird world had I just been thrust into. The larger-than-life Truce and his personal gargoyle took up so much airspace, it wasn’t until they left that I started to think about things.
Madeline was just a beautiful character. She was so broken at the beginning and so different at the ending, it obviously made all of the soggy, painful and I-want-to-kill-him moments in between worth it.
Mercy is going on my list along with Splintered by A.G. Howard as one of my favorite reads so far of 2013. It’s unusual and it might not appeal to everyone – there isn’t any traditional romance, there are a couple of heavy social issues and it’s a little macabre sometimes – but it was gorgeously written and so boldly defied description that I couldn’t put it down for a minute.
My Rating: A
I have this on my pile! Great review, hun. Gargoyles, are a pnr. subject I have rarely read about.
Lisa, I can’t WAIT until you read it! I think I’ve read three books about gargoyles, none of them were the female MC – “different” doesn’t even begin to describe it. lol
I am so glad to see that you loved this. I was supposed to read it for the tour and then the tour got cancelled. So now I think I am going to save it for the Return of Something Wicked. I love Misty she is so awesome!
That’s really a bummer about the tour – it would be great for the Return of Something Wicked! Eeep, I better start thinking of something?! O.O I have my catching up to do with Misty’s books, I’ve read Hale Maree but I have Cornerstone and now Keystone waiting for me.
This sounds seriously weird but enticing all at the same time. Haven’t heard of this one before now, think I will head over to amazon.
Weird and enticing are two perfect words for it.
I’m not sure I can come up with enough other ones. Every page, I was pretty much, “uuuuuhh..”
Wow! I have only heard good things about this author so far! Will get my hands on a copy of this I’m thinking!
I agree, it does sound weird and enticing. Gargoyles haven’t been done to bits yet either so that adds to the intrigue. Hmmm, I just might have to try it.
Oh my gosh. I mean, oh my gosh, Barbara. I am so excited that this review came to my attention and even more excited that you enjoyed it. This was a tricky book to write, a tough book to release and, just as you said, it’s not a book for everyone. But it is a book for more people than know it, so I am eternally grateful to you for helping to get the word out with such a beautiful review. Thank you so much for reading and letting others know what you thought. <333
Permit me a fangirly squee! I’m so glad you saw this! I can’t even imagine how you pulled this one off – the first several chapters, I kept thinking..oh no she didn’t! lol There were a couple of scenes that were so gruesomely gorgeous – creepy, awful and mesmerizing. I’m going to need a moment. haha
Thank YOU.
I
ADORE
YOU.
TRUTH.
Nuh uhhhh. <3
Yay! Love the review. I can’t wait to FINALLY read this. Soon… very, VERY soon.
I think you’re going to flip – it was just..holy crap. I know it’s a standalone but damn, I want more (you’ll know of what at the end, even though it ends on the right note). I’m so greedy.
How have I not seen this before. I love the sounds of it, and after your review, I am going to have to find it. Amazing review.
Jenea @ Books Live Forever
Holy cupcakes this sounds really good, and the plot has me on edge just from your review. I want to read it now..especially those first few chapters that had you all worked up. Ya know I think this is the first time I have even heard about this book *steps out from under rock* Adding to my list for sure!
Wow, alongside Splintered?? I’m in!! This sounds wonderful, intriguing, scary and heart wrenching all at the same time.
Definitely going on my TBR pile, thankyou for sharing your fab review
Have just started my second reading. This is one of those books that you r,irst, read ravenously to the end, anxious to know how it could possibly resolve, then spend some time letting it marinate in your mind before returning for a slower read so you can relish the process.