Special thanks to NetGalley and Brigids Gate Press for the ARC copy they provided.
This is the first book review I’ve started in awhile where I’ve sat down with nothing to say off the top of my head. No lines to quote, no scenes that intensely stand out in my mind that I need to shriek about.
And yet, all of that is a supreme compliment because generally when I’m reading an ARC, and I know I will be writing a review, I go in looking for those things I mentioned above. I go slow, picking out the pieces that deserve a call out in my review. Reading Merciless Waters made me forget to do any of that.
I started reading, and immediately fell in and didn’t come out again until the book was done. It was a slow day on the job, and I literally read this book all in one sitting, without a thought. It consumed me, heart, soul, and body, and, really, what more could you ask of a book? That is WHY we go to books, to be consumed.
And Merciless Waters delivers.
In spades.
Merciless Waters begins at exactly the right place, the middle of a long history, and effortlessly takes you back to the beginning, while still propelling you toward the unexpected, but completely logical ending. Every piece of the book is built to deliver you to that inevitable end, and yet, do you expect it? No. Not in the least.
And for me, a person who prides himself on his love for, and dedication to, story development, that is the highest praise.
This book was satisfying in all the right ways. Dark, unexpected, and delightfully sexy, with deep mythology strewn so subtly throughout that you won’t even notice it until near the penultimate moment.
Beautiful.
If you’re looking for a read that will pick you up like water, and carry you through to the satisfying shore of compilation, this book is for you. Highly looking forward to whatever Rae Knowles writes next.
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