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    The Gracekeepers: A Novel
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    The Gracekeepers: A Novel
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    The Gracekeepers: A Novel
    Audiobook11 hours

    The Gracekeepers: A Novel

    Written by Kirsty Logan

    Narrated by Katy Townsend

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    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
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateMay 19, 2015
    ISBN9781101890585
    Unavailable
    The Gracekeepers: A Novel
    Author

    Kirsty Logan

    KIRSTY LOGAN is an award-winning writer based in Scotland. Her fiction has been published in literary magazines and anthologies all over the world, broadcast on BBC Radio 4, displayed in galleries, and translated into French, Japanese and Spanish. She has received fellowships from Hawthornden Castle and Brownsbank Cottage, and was the first writer-in-residence at West Dean College. Logan lives in Glasgow, where she is active in feminist and LGBT culture. She has previously worked as a bookseller, and is now a freelance writer and literary editor. Her debut story collection, The Rental Heart and Other Fairytales, won the Scott Prize. In 2013, she was named one of the 40 Scottish Storytellers of the Future.

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    Reviews for The Gracekeepers

    3.5/5

    172 ratings57 reviews

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    • 4/5
      This novel took me a long time to read ... but that was because I was savoring every detail. The story is lyrical in its measured way of unraveling the intricacies of each character. The lovely thing about this novel is that you have no idea which character's viewpoint you will get until you reach the next chapter. And you have no idea what that character will say. This novel is heart-breaking on so many levels, as each character grapples with their desire for love, happiness, and security of the self. There was not a single passage that I skimmed; every detail was so mesmerizing, and so completely brought about the illusion of this alternate world. I can honestly go on and on gushing about this novel... but I'd rather you experience it for yourself. And when you pick up this novel, which I truly hope you will, make sure you savor and enjoy the journey it takes you on!
    • 4/5
      Review first published on my blog. Review copy provided for review by NetGalley.

      I fell into The Gracekeepers almost immediately with the beautiful writing, the fairytale quality of the story, and the interesting characters. I was fascinated by the mythical world Kirsty Logan created: a world in which land is scarce and the divide between those who live on land and on the sea is very strict. The novel has a distinct dystopian feel to it. The landlockers are at the top of the hierarchy, with the damplings being more like second class citizens. Neither group trusts the other, and yet it is clear they both need each other to survive. There is an obvious tension in the air, especially as the story unfolds, about the discord between the two sides.

      Callanish leads a lonely life, living on an island as a Gracekeeper, laying people to rest in the waters around that island. She often dreams of slipping into the water, feelings of guilt and shame run deep within her. She goes through the motions of her life, performing her duties with little emotion. It isn't until much later in the novel that the reader learns why exactly she left home for such a faraway and isolated place. The author takes her time in revealing that truth. Although, early on we know part of her secret, and that she isn't quite like other landlockers. I felt for Callanish, knowing how difficult it must have been for her keeping such a secret.

      As much as I came to care for Callanish and her situation, I favored North, the bear girl, who lived on the sea traveling with the Excalibur Circus. Orphaned as a child, the circus became her family--but even more so her bear whom she performed and lived in close quarters with. Like Callanish, North has a secret of her own she is hiding, unsure of how it will be received. The ringmaster of her circus, Jarrow "Red Gold", has his own plans for her: wanting her to marry his son and live on land. She is torn between her loyalty to him and following her own heart--and yet she knows right from the start what she will choose. North, like Callanish, feels alone and lost. I admire North's strength and the bond she has with her bear.

      The story of The Gracekeepers is told through alternating perspectives, not only from North's and Callanish's, the two main characters, but also some of the other circus performers. The reader gets a good feel of each of their motives. Especially in regards to Avalon, Jarrow's pregnant wife, who despises North and everyone else in the circus, and that of Jarrow himself, who I came to feel sorry for as the story unfolded. He wants what is best for his son, knowing circus life isn't for him. Avalon, on the other hand, would rather it be her living on land and will do whatever it takes to make that happen.

      Callinish and North meet somewhat by chance, and their initial meeting, brief as it is, sparks something in both of them. It is the catalyst for what is to come and a huge turning point in the story. Their meeting is what finally sets Callanish on her own path for redemption.

      This novel held a sort of dream-like quality throughout. The clowns and glamours of the circus certainly gave off that vibe. They were not so much fully fleshed out characters, but rather were more caricature-like--much like you would find in an actual fairytale. I thought the juxtaposition between the military and the revivalists was interesting. Both very similar and yet different just the same. And what I could say about the revivalists! I will spare you.

      I liked this book on many levels, and yet a part of me, upon finishing the last page, wished there had been just a little more in terms of world building--although I am not sure that really matters within the scope of the story. I can't help but feel the story would have been richer if certain details about the world the characters lived in was more filled out just the same. But then, perhaps some of that dream-like quality would have been lost.

      I have said so little about what this book actually is about, I know.The writing is beautiful. It is a book that is best experienced. Kirsty Logan really has created an intriguing world with even more intriguing characters. I was swept up into their world and their lives, and it stayed with me a long while after I finished reading. There is a distinct feeling of sadness that runs throughout the book, however, there is also a definite thread of hope, friendship--and redemption. You can bet I cried at the end of this one.
    • 4/5
      The seas have risen, and what were once large continents of many countries are now small, crowded archipelagos. Society is divided between the "landlockers", who cling to small bits of land, and "damplings", forced to live on boats and fend for themselves on the open ocean. North is a young dampling woman, one of a traveling band of performers, who dances with a trained bear. Callanish, a landlocker, is one of the titular gracekeepers; she has exiled herself to a small island in the equatorial doldrums where she performs burials for the dead. When a tragedy befalls North's troupe, the two woman meet and form an instant connection.There are hints of a larger world here, with both magical and post-apocalyptic elements. However, the story remains mostly intimate, dealing with North's prospect of an arranged marriage, and Callanish's desire for redemption. It's a shame, because the hints of military governments and mermaids are never really explored; North's story especially tends to drag at times.There is some beautiful writing here, and some well-developed characters. However, The Gracekeepers never really seems to reach its full potential; when the climax does come it feels rather rushed and incomplete.A copy was provided by the publisher through the Blogging for Books program.
    • 4/5
      Kirsty Logan has created is a sad and divided and eerie world in this lambent and magical tale. The waters have risen, and humanity is divided between 'landlockers' who jealously cling to the dwindling land, and the 'damplings', who perforce must make eke out their lives on the waves.

      The circus troupe 'Excalibur' sails between islands, performing for the landlockers and earning the troupe, a meagre living, never quite enough to fill their bellies. Ringmaster Jarrow, once a landlocker, dreams that his family 'Stirling' will return to the land. He has saved to buy a house, and plans to marry his son Ainsel to North, a young woman who performs in the circus with her somewhat tame bear. North, who has an ambivalent love for her unnamed bear, is less than enamoured with this plan.

      Callanish, is a gracekeeper, self-exiled to an artificial island where she conducts dampling funerals. These 'Restings' consign the departed to the deeps, the length of mourning defined by the time taken for a small bird, a 'grace', to starve. Callanish has chosen exile from her home because of a 'mistake' in her past which has estranged her from her mother. Once, as a child, Callanish has seen the circus, and witnessed a tragic event which has shaped North's life.

      A storm at sea brings tragedy to the 'Excalibur', and draws North and Callanish together once more as the Resting is conducted, and the Excalibur repaired. After these visitors leave, Callanish is drawn to abandon her post, seek reconciliation with her past and her secrets and seek out her bear girl across the treacherous seas.
    • 4/5
      Another hypnotically strange fairy-tale-at-sea (that weird sub-sub-genre that I love so much).

      I hope there will be a follow-up, or several, set in the same world. Basically, this is a much better version of Waterworld. Land is scarce and food is stretched thin and social classes are tied to whether you live on an island or on a ship. It reads more like a fairy tale than a dystopian novel though, and thank God for that.

      Also, a floating circus. Yes.

      (Probably a longer review later, and thanks to PRH for the advance copy!)
    • 4/5
      Lovely, beautiful, lyrical, gorgeous writing. That is the one thing you should take from this review. That even though I personally did not just love the story, it is so beautifully written that I will recommend it to everyone. I can't blame the author too much for the rest of my feelings. There are abounding comparisons made between this and The Night Circus. And The Night Circus is my story. It is one of my loves. I don't feel quite the same about this story, even though there is a circus involved. But, even though I may love that other circus book more, this one feels meatier somehow. It explores heavier topics like class structure and prejudice.
    • 3/5
      I can't say I loved this book but it did have an interesting premise - it just wasn't fulfilled. The world is just about covered with water leaving two classes of people - those that live on the land and those that live on the sea. The landlockers (land) are superior to the damplings (sea). The Gracekeepers are charged with caring for the dead and the Graces are birds that are starved to death to mark the period of mourning.I think my problem with the book is that too much of it occurred over my head and I just didn't understand what was going on. The writing did evoke a strange new world but the characters just didn't resonate with me.
    • 3/5
      So sad to say I found this book truly disappointing.
    • 5/5
      This was an ARC that I have attempted to read on several occasions ... and it just never clicked. Because I wasn't traveling with a lot of books, I decided to give it another shot, and it really clicked this time. I loved it for its originality and style.
    • 2/5
      This book is set on a future Earth that is almost completely covered in water save for a few islands. There is a great divide between the landlockers (who live on land) and swamplings (who live on boats). North travels with a circus from island to island. She loves the sea but may soon have to give it all up. Callanish is a gracekeeper; she lives on isolation and performs water burial rituals over the dead. Both women are keeping big secrets.

      I didn't mind the slow pace at first. I thought the story would slowly build into something wholly compelling. Over time it remains s-l-o-w and I could not stay interested. It doesn't help that the POV jumps around so much; you have the main characters, but also the secondary and even tertiary. I didn't see the point. In fact, I didn't care about any of the characters. Not even Callanish and her mysterious, murky past could string me along any farther.

      As for the setting, there are several bits of information about past Earth and yet I was left wanting more insight into this new world. Potentially getting more answers wasn't worth forcing myself to finish it.

      In the end I found myself skimming the pages to get through it. At 67% I couldn't take it anymore. It may be great for others, but it put me to sleep.
    • 3/5
      This was an early reviewer book. I have to say I didn't fancy this book. I found it dragged on and I just wanted to be done with it - and to top it off I found the ending anticlimactic - like a big dud.I wish I didn't feel this way because I think the author writes ok and the story line is nice since its unusual but it just wasn't for me.I am sure there are some who will love this story.
    • 5/5
      And in the center of it all she saw two figures: one draped in white, one furred black; both with eyes open moon-round and empty. A small girl and a small bear, hands and paws still linked.This was such a beautifully written book. Kirsty Logan manages to create such an interesting and beautiful world in this book. I just loved the world building and character growth throughout the book. I was originally fascinated by the concepts of landlockers and damplings before I read this and was constantly intrigued by them while reading this. While this book tends to concentrate on Callanish and North it alternates point-of-view between quite a few characters. Normally I don't like when a book alternates between too many points of view but I really feel like this book benefited from this. The story was richer from getting to see things from the point of view of the secondary characters. There were characters that I really didn't like in this book but even the chapters from their points of view were fascinating. Callanish and North were both really interesting characters to follow but I have to say that I liked North's story a bit more than Callanish. There was something about North and the circus that she performed with that just transported me to this strange world and wouldn't let me go. I was interested in why Callanish became a gracekeeper and what she had run from but at times she just couldn't compete with the circus. I enjoyed this book immensely and would recommend it to someone looking for some strong world building and captivating characters.(I received this book from a Librarything Early Reviewers giveaway. The content of my review is in no way affected by that.)
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed the story line in the Gracekeepers, which was based on some retellng of some Scottish myths and fairy tales. I was not familiar with these tales, so I cannot comment much on that front.The writing was beautiful and in many ways reminded me of the book the Night Circus, which I loved. The story has two main characters, Callanish and North. Both were very different, but both were strong characters.I liked the way that the story explored lonelieness, in all of it's forms. The story was slow to unfold, which can be a good or bad thing, depending on your mood and reading preferences. I enjoyed the slow exploration of the characters and the world the author created so for me this was good.For those into fantasy and fairy tales, this is a very good read. Reader received a complimentary copy from the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program.
    • 2/5
      I won an early release copy of The Gracekeepers. Although I really wanted to love this book (having heard it compared the The Night Circus). I just could not stay interested in the story. Although descriptive and a genre I usually love it was too slow to keep my attention. I will shelve it and try reading it again down the road.
    • 5/5
      a quirky , unusual story that would be enjoyable to people who liked books like "the Night Circus". It is an odd world slightly similar to the movie "Waterworld". The characters are on a group of boats that comprise a floating circus. They float from island to island and perform their acts for the people who live on the land. When tragedy strikes one of their acrobats they take his body to the Gracekeeper. She performs a burial ceremony by laying the deceased in the water and putting a bird, a Grace, in a cage above the burial site. The bird is not fed and when the bird dies you are allowed to stop mourning the dead person. The book is full of interesting characters. The plot is like nothing I have ever read -truly original.
    • 4/5
      The book follows two protagonists, one that is interesting throughout the book, the other that gets more interesting towards the end. The idea of Gracekeepers putting the dead to rest and a floating circus plays very little part in the overall theme. They get mentioned, bur really don't matter in the great scheme of things. The book is more about the land vs the sea. The hardships, the culture, the desires created by both. At times it seems like an analogy for racism, at other times it seems like an analogy for "the grass is always greener on the other side". The book is largely depressing, made even more so by the narrator who reads with a melancholic voice. Each character's struggle is easily felt. The writing is really well done, with interesting characters and vivid descriptions.
    • 4/5
      The sea has flooded the earth. The people have split themselves up into damplings, the lower class who live on boats and go from place to place, and landlockers, the upper class who have permanent housing on land. Callanish Sand is a landlocker and a Gracekeeper, one who dedicates their solitary and simple life to laying the dead to rest by the seashore. There's something special about her that she hides from the world and her past weighs heavily on her. North is a dampling who works in a floating, traveling circus doing different acts with her bear. She and her troupe travel from archipelago to archipelago, entertaining to survive. The ringmaster of the circus has plans for North that she simply doesn't want for herself and she sees no way out of it. Callanish's and North's worlds collide and both of their lives will never be the same.The Gracekeepers is a beautiful book that mixes fairy tale imagery and whimsy with soft science fiction. In the far future, the sea has encroached upon the land and only a privileged few called landlockers are allowed to reside on its remaining spaces. The rest of the population called damplings simply lives on boats in a more nomadic life that is looked down upon. Landlockers hate and fear damplings. Damplings are stereotyped to be morally degenerate thieves according to landlockers, but this doesn't stop the landlockers from using them to their own ends for work or entertainment. Resources are scarce for all and it leads to very strained times. The floating circus Excaliber has to gauge the attitudes of the archipelagos they go to or suffer not being paid and possibly be attacked or thrown in jail. These gritty realities gave the novel a sense of realism and contrasted well with the whimsy and fairy tale elements. Kirsty Logan creates memorable, nuanced characters to populate this futuristic world. Each chapter is from a different character's point of view. North is a desperate girl trapped in her circus with no way to escape her impending nuptials to a self absorbed idiot named Ainsel. She loves performing, the bear she trains, and the other performers, but the ringmaster Red Gold has made it clear she is no longer welcome there if she refuses to marry his son. Her pregnancy that isn't from Ainsel also complicates things. I like that North is realistic about her situation, but does what she can to try to change it. Her circus is wonderful and my favorite part of the novel, but isn't without sadness and hardship. Callanish's world couldn't be more different. She lives by herself with the barest of supplies and lays the dead to rest. The graces she keeps are birds meant to commemorate each dead person. They aren't fed and the ceremony is over when the bird dies. Callanish was exiled there as punishment and she feels guilt every day for what she did. She decides to leave her home and try to atone for her mistakes. Both characters experience their own belonging, loneliness, guilt, fear, and finally joy. I loved how their worlds collided and how they influenced each other. Even the smaller characters are well fleshed out. Avalon, the jealous and horrible wife of Red Gold, simply wants a house and a family. Her route to get them is morally questionable and pretty awful, but many can relate. Even Flitch, the man who escapes with Callanish, truly cares about her underneath his condescension and annoying behavior. It's easy to relate to each character and understand their motivations. The Gracekeepers moves pretty slowly, but I enjoyed it. It was like descending slowly into and savoring the world. The fairy tale elements seem to be drawn from kelpies, which are Scottish water spirits, that do appear in the story. Parallels can also be drawn to other types of sea dwelling fairy tale creatures. The novel was wonderful to read and I look forward to what Kirsty Logan writes next. I would definitely recommend to people who enjoyed Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus.
    • 3/5
      I can't say I loved this book but it did have an interesting premise - it just wasn't fulfilled. The world is just about covered with water leaving two classes of people - those that live on the land and those that live on the sea. The landlockers (land) are superior to the damplings (sea). The Gracekeepers are charged with caring for the dead and the Graces are birds that are starved to death to mark the period of mourning.I think my problem with the book is that too much of it occurred over my head and I just didn't understand what was going on. The writing did evoke a strange new world but the characters just didn't resonate with me.
    • 4/5
      There is much left unsaid in this story, but still it is a compelling read - no action/adventure here, but plenty of layers and a lovely unraveling of a story. I would have liked a bit more meat to the ending, but it was in keeping with the rest of the tale. This dystopian world has land losing out to water, making what land there is very precious and setting up a conflict between those who live on the land (landlockers) and those who live on the sea (damplings). This story is told from differing points of view, with each chapter being narrated by a single character - some characters get many chapters dedicated to showing their POV, and others get only one. It works. We get mostly the middle of the stories here - only glimpses of the beginnings and the endings. While I would have liked more, it is successful the way it is, and I am left wondering if the author will revisit this world filling in more of the blanks.
    • 4/5
      This is the story of two lonely women with secrets they are hiding. Callanish is a gracekeeper, the tender of a shallow water grave yard. She lives alone and away from the world as penance for a mistake she made long ago. The other woman is North, a circus performer who is being forced into a loveless marriage. We follow the two women as they meet and part and meet again. They live in a world where the Earth is covered mostly by water. People have become divided into "landlockers" and "damplings" each group hating the other. It is a harsh world where food is scarce.I enjoyed this fairytale like novel with the glamor of the circus, the desolation of the wide open ocean, and the nod to Scottish folklore. The circus troupe and the soap opera like drama going on backstage was enchanting. The author does a good job of world creating with this watery dystopian world. The idea that the "landlockers" practiced an earth based religion not unlike the Druids made sense. If land is scarce then it would be sacred. The author also weaves in the Scottish Selkie myth of seal like water creatures. A lovely little story that fantasy readers should enjoy.
    • 5/5
      I really enjoyed this book, the world was interesting and constructed beautifully. The characters were well developed and intriguing. Although, the story didn't get really exciting until about halfway through the book. I attribute that to thorough character and story development. Each chapter is written from the perspective of different characters, with the title of the chapter being the character who's point of view we are reading. This was intriguing to me - I was excited to find out what each character had to say at the different points of the story.That being said, I didn't necessarily like the ending. Parts of it. Do not want to spoil the story, so I will just say that I was upset that I lost a certain character. But, the fact that I was upset tells me how well the author enveloped me in the story and characters. I guess I just want everyone to live happily ever after!Definitely loved this novel and hope Kirsty Logan continues to bring us equally as beautiful stories.
    • 5/5
      I was hooked on the story, read it every chance I had. I'm tagging it post-apocalyptic, but really it is long after the world is flooded and cultures have had a chance to adapt to the change. The world is divided between 2 groups which mistrust each other: landlockers "clams" (who own a small plot of the available land and produce all plant food/wood/fiber except for seaweed) and damplings (living on boats, primarily scavenging/fishing/entertainers). Gracekeepers are landlockers who provide ceremonial burials of damplings. Chapters are told from the point of view of different characters (and luckily their names are the chapter headings), primarily the tale of North, who has a bear act in a circus, and Callanish, a gracekeeper who is hiding some physical mutation. Their lives are separate but we see how the trajectory of events brings them to meet. I was caught up in the lives of these 2 young women, curious about what brought them to their present difficulties and how they resolve. Avalon is portrayed as such a bitch it was difficult to accept any other view of her even after reading the chapter told from her point of view.There is a corrupt military but we aren't told who controls them, what kind of a government there might be. The workings of the economy are not quite clear--barter is mentioned, but the circus seems to earn more from "donations". As I write this review, I can think of more inconsistencies which never bothered me while I was reading (e.g. how can the dampling circus afford to feed horses?) so they didn't detract from my enjoyment. The last chapter was a dissatisfactory wrap-up (trying to write this without giving away surprises): after Callanish's experience in the sea, how could she be portrayed as so fearful of it after they'd obviously been living together for quite a while? Review based on an Early Reviewers copy.
    • 3/5
      The book is based on the premise that the world has been divided into two groups: land dwellers and sea dwellers, and the groups are not considered equals. Aside from the class struggle, there are a number of other tension points and sub plots: such as the beautiful but wicked ringmaster's wife who wants the social status of living on land, and the gracekeeper who is part selke and attempting to keep that hidden as she lives alone and deals with a broken relationship with her mother. There's a lot going on in this well-constructed book.I would classify this book as fantasy, although some have called it science fiction and likened the author to Margaret Atwood. I don't think this is a helpful comparison, so if you're looking for traditional science fiction or the "next Margaret Atwood" you may be disappointed. The book reminded me more of an intricate Moliere play with all the interpersonal tension and conflicting motives. I think the book will appeal more to readers who like to analyze plot construction than those who enjoy the feeling of magical excitement that comes from some fantasy stories.
    • 4/5
      I received this book as part of the LT early reviewer program. The Gracekeepers is a magical glimpse into a fantasy world where the population of a water logged world is divided between those who live on land and those who travel the world oceans on boats. Callanish is a gracekeeper, charged with laying the dead to rest at sea, while North is circus performer with a small traveling troupe. Life take unexpected twists for the both after they have a meeting at a fallen performers funeral. While this started out as a wonderfully magical tale, I felt it stalled out about half way through. The characters were well written and the mythical elements were intriguing, but the pace needed a little pick me up. A fair summer read, especially for those who love stories with some base in old myth. Of note, I was excited when I found it was compared to The Night Circus, as I loved that book. I don't personally find the two to be comparable, but I believe The Gracekeepers has it's own merits.
    • 3/5
      I will admit I'm somewhat torn whether to give this book three or four stars. It's certainly original (although I was reminded of Station Eleven a few times), well-written, and well-developed. I guess I wish I had felt more for the characters - I never really could relate to them fully - but I liked their story and The Gracekeepers was certainly a refreshing read and very different from anything else I've read recently.
    • 4/5
      A fantasy that centers around a seafaring circus that moves from location to location entertaining for their suppers (so to speak). One of the acrobats drowns and they must take him to shore to see a gracekeeper - a woman who properly prepares and handles the body.. Callanish, the gracekeeper, they use springs up a relationship with North, the circus's bear trainer. Most of the book revolves around the ring master, his wife and son and their checkered relationships with each other and the other members of the circus. I loved the creativity of this fantasy world but felt it kind of trickled to an ending.
    • 5/5
      I wanted to go to this world. I loved the idea that the world as we know it becomes covered almost entirely in water and society becomes divided between those who are lucky enough to retain a place on the small pieces of land that remain, and those who take to the sea, sailing from island to island. This book takes one character from each and throws them together for one moment. But that one moment sparks a fire in both of them, because they both feel that they don't belong in their world. Everything about this book is perfect. The dialogue, the characters, the plot, the themes of land vs water, belonging vs longing for everything you don't have. If I could give this book 6 stars, I would.
    • 5/5
      Absolutely loved it! I had never read anything quite like it, and was intrigued from the start! The graces are birds, whose only purpose, it seems, is to die. The people that are grace keepers, use the birds to put the dead to rest. The world they live in has either islands or water, and the people that live on either, rarely interact. I don't want to give away too much about the book, suffice it to say that the characters are wonderfully drawn, and while it was sad in places, the ending was not, and was superb!
    • 3/5
      This story takes place in a world filled mostly with water and where people either live on boats or on clusters of islands. The main characters are North, a performer in a circus and Callanish, a woman with webbed fingers and toes who presides over burials at sea (known as a Gracekeeper). I like that the author alternates points of view and it is interesting that you occasionally get a glimpse into the mind of a minor character as well. The story is filled with conflict between "landlockers" (people living on land) and "damplings" (those living at sea). I think the author does a great job painting a vivid picture of a completely different, eerie world with a lot of intriguing elements. However, the individual character's stories fell a little flat for me. The story's backdrop is a strong bond between Callanish and North and their first meeting is interesting, but when they are reunited in the end it feels a little rushed and the ending leaves something to be desired. Despite that, there are enough interesting moments and characters (especially on the circus boat) to make this a book worth picking up. If nothing else, it will be unlike anything else you have read.
    • 3/5
      The Gracekeepers is set in a post-apocalyptic world, where many people now exist afloat the ocean in sea-going vessels. As such, society itself is profoundly altered. There is animosity between the seafaring people, the Damplings, and the Landlockers who still remain on what little land remains on earth. As such the story examines prejudice and cultural conflicts. The Gracekeepers is told from the alternating perspectives of Callanish and North, who live very different lives in this watery world. Callanish is a Gracekeeper, someone who lives alone in the ocean and maintains an underwater graveyard. North, a circus performer, travels afloat with her bear and the rest of the performers. The author's imagined world is sufficiently developed and it is a troubling kind of world. Everything feels tenuous and most of the characters, even those with relational ties, seem isolated. It's a haunting vision of what binds and also separates people. While I largely enjoyed the story, it unsettled me. There is atmosphere here that will stay with the reader a long time.