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For readers of The Night Circus and Station Eleven, a lyrical and absorbing debut set in a world covered by water
As a Gracekeeper, Callanish administers shoreside burials, laying the dead to their final resting place deep in the depths of the ocean. Alone on her island, she has exiled herself to a life of tending watery graves as penance for a long-ago mistake that still haunts her. Meanwhile, North works as a circus performer with the Excalibur, a floating troupe of acrobats, clowns, dancers, and trainers who sail from one archipelago to the next, entertaining in exchange for sustenance.
In a world divided between those inhabiting the mainland ("landlockers") and those who float on the sea ("damplings"), loneliness has become a way of life for North and Callanish, until a sudden storm offshore brings change to both their lives--offering them a new understanding of the world they live in and the consequences of the past, while restoring hope in an unexpected future.
Inspired in part by Scottish myths and fairytales, The Gracekeepers tells a modern story of an irreparably changed world: one that harbors the same isolation and sadness, but also joys and marvels of our own age.
— Finalist, Lambda Literary Award
As a Gracekeeper, Callanish administers shoreside burials, laying the dead to their final resting place deep in the depths of the ocean. Alone on her island, she has exiled herself to a life of tending watery graves as penance for a long-ago mistake that still haunts her. Meanwhile, North works as a circus performer with the Excalibur, a floating troupe of acrobats, clowns, dancers, and trainers who sail from one archipelago to the next, entertaining in exchange for sustenance.
In a world divided between those inhabiting the mainland ("landlockers") and those who float on the sea ("damplings"), loneliness has become a way of life for North and Callanish, until a sudden storm offshore brings change to both their lives--offering them a new understanding of the world they live in and the consequences of the past, while restoring hope in an unexpected future.
Inspired in part by Scottish myths and fairytales, The Gracekeepers tells a modern story of an irreparably changed world: one that harbors the same isolation and sadness, but also joys and marvels of our own age.
— Finalist, Lambda Literary Award
402 Reviews
3.5
JT 💌
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“this was definitely a slowww burn it was hard to get into at first bc i was tandem reading it with ACOMAF but then when reading solely i found myself thinking about the characters and the world. it really piqued my interest when the drama started and we got ainsel’s pov and how he’s in love with avalon and got his father’s wife pregnant?! that was wild. the part when callanish’s mother cut gills into her neck was so gruesome and made me physically squeamish. i wish we got an ending where north and callanish live in that underwater ruin but overall satisfied with the ending. rip the bear :(”Kilpers
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bookishlyemma
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Pam 🌚🌝
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“I have mixed reviews about this book. It was magical, yet boring, but also interesting??
I did like how it provided a sense of mysticism or what have you with the Irish or Scottish myths (or whatever this is based off of); that sense of magic to it. The water and circus world was a really nice touch to the story, which is where I add in with the whole “magical, yet interesting” aspects.
Now, the whole shit about r@pe was…something. Definitely “The Shape of Water” movie vibes but…more elusive. I felt like there was a lot unsaid about the merfolk? Selkies? that just randomly go about and r@pe sleeping humans on the shoreline. Also, what was up with Callanish’s magnetism to North? Do these merfolk or selkies just go about and impregnate whoever, regardless of their gender? Was Callanish the one that magically did that to her (and that’s why she couldn’t stop thinking about North)? Or does she have some feelings or something for North?
ON THE WHOLE….Avalon’s a bitch and I wish there was some afterword on either Jarrow or Ainsel’s POV at the very end. What happens to the crew? Did they actually move to land and the circus all live under one roof, albeit squished? Did Avalon become miserable with that reality or was she happy with the end result (which I highly doubt since North has stated that she hates the damn circus crew).
I really liked how the clowns were portrayed in Jarrow and North’s eyes as these sensitive creatures even though they’re very forthcoming, aggressive, sexually-hungry individuals that just do whatever they want to do. Cash, Dosh, and Dough care for North and Jarrow, which I liked that touch to assuade their aggressive nature.
Overall, I’d give the book a solid 3.5 stars. It was nice but it wasn’t enough to rock me off my feet. I felt like there were a couple things left unsaid or just not touched upon by the author, which, I GUESS provides that air of mystery and wonder.”Start a Book Club
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