The book that I’m getting ready to talk about explores the bond of sisterhood, and how one young woman will do everything in her power to save her beloved sister from a tradition that is drenched in beauty and death. Readers will also be treated to the power struggle between genders, and the strength that women have to overcome their struggles in a heavily misogynistic society. There’s so much to love about this story, the ferocity of family struggles, the pain of loss, and the gentle hand of romance to temper all of these fierce emotions. It’s part of a duology, and I can’t wait until I can get my hands on the next book!
In Gravemaidens, Kammani is the daughter of the former greatest healer in the city-state of Alu. She’s working hard to be the healer her father used to be, after their family was cast out of their privileged life in shame. When Alu’s ruler falls deathly ill, three Gravemaidens are chosen: beautiful maidens that will accompany him in the afterlife…and Kammani’s sister, Nanaea, is one of the maidens chosen to receive the honour. Kammani is the only one to see past the honour and cherished tradition for what it is: a death sentence. In her desperation she schemes her way into the castle to heal the ruler. However, she soon realises that there’s more danger in the palace in those corridors than she could have ever imagined, and her life and heart are at stake. Her only hope is to work quickly, otherwise, she might also become a sacrifice.
From the moment you start this story, Kammani’s desperate conditions are palpable. You can tell she’s a young woman who’s had to grow up very quickly because of her circumstances, and this makes her very strong-willed and stubborn. She’s a fascinating character because I’ll admit, I didn’t really like her or Nanaea at the beginning. However, Kammani is very multifaceted, and with each passing chapter, you get to see more of her: anguish, pain, regret, anger, and love. While those are a lot of negative emotions, they bring out a tenderness and fearlessness within her that you didn’t see at the beginning. She’s a woman of very few friends, but an increasing number of enemies.
Nanaea on the other hand, embodies a young woman resentful of her situation and just doing her best to survive rather than make a good life for herself. She’s definitely a little spoiled, and when she’s selected as a Gravemaiden, that personality trait seems to grow ten-fold. Although, if you read really closely, you’ll see a sprinkling of things throughout the book that hint that Nanaea’s personality is much deeper than you might think. She reminded me of a glacier, a seemingly shallow chunk of ice that’s hiding quite a few layers underneath. I think readers will love seeing that aspect of her personality when they get there. Dagan and Iltani were also treasures, they made perfect contrasts to Kammani and Nanaea’s personalities very well. The dialogue between Iltani and Kammani is hilarious, and Dagan is such a sweet man.
There is a love story in this book, but it doesn’t take the center stage here. I could highlight quite a few themes that are touched on in this book, but the relationship between sisters is definitely number one. The discussion of beauty and death are also heavily discussed, as well as misogyny and cultural “traditions”. One of my favourite themes was the idea that beauty is transcendent, which is why the maidens are chosen as “tradition”. The women in this story are the key players, attempting to break down the walls that the men have built up.
Gravemaidens moves at a faster pace than I would have liked, but only because I wanted a little more background on some of the things that are happening in the story. I would say it leans more toward a character-driven story, as it is told in the first person point of view (Kammani). The first person perspective does make it harder to world-build, so there were moments where it felt a little disjointed because we were getting backstory. I’m also hoping that readers might get to revisit Alu, because I felt like there were some loose ends that weren’t addressed in this book.
Overall, I would rate this book an 8/10. It’s a great read with great discussions on some heavier but important themes. If you’re easily triggered, there is death and assault in this book, so if these things bother you, please read with caution.
Gravemaidens is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers as of October 29th 2019.
Will you be picking up Gravemaidens? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
The start of a fierce fantasy duology about three maidens who are chosen for their land’s greatest honor…and one girl determined to save her sister from the grave.
In the walled city-state of Alu, Kammani wants nothing more than to become the accomplished healer her father used to be before her family was cast out of their privileged life in shame.
When Alu’s ruler falls deathly ill, Kammani’s beautiful little sister, Nanaea, is chosen as one of three sacred maidens to join him in the afterlife. It’s an honor. A tradition. And Nanaea believes it is her chance to live an even grander life than the one that was stolen from her.
But Kammani sees the selection for what it really is—a death sentence.
Desperate to save her sister, Kammani schemes her way into the palace to heal the ruler. There she discovers more danger lurking in the sand-stone corridors than she could have ever imagined and that her own life—and heart—are at stake. But Kammani will stop at nothing to dig up the palace’s buried secrets even if it means sacrificing everything…including herself.
