Tessa Gratton

BOOK ONE: The Mercy Makers

"A wondrous lucid dream...laced with a vivid sensuality." —Jacqueline Carey, New York Times bestselling author of Kushiel's Dart 

A talented heretic must decide between the pursuit of forbidden magic, or the ecstasy of forbidden love, in the start of a sweeping, romantic epic fantasy trilogy by New York Times bestselling author Tessa Gratton.

Can an empire trip and fall on a mere strand of silk? 

Iriset is a prodigy and an outlaw. The daughter of a powerful criminal, she dons her alter ego Silk to create magical disguises for those in her father’s organization, but she longs to do more with her talent: to enhance what it means to be human by giving people wings, night-sight, and other abilities; to unlock the possibilities of gender and parenthood; to cure disease and even to end mortality itself.
 
Everything changes when her father is captured and sentenced to death. To save him, Iriset must infiltrate the palace and the empire’s fanatical ruling family. There, she realizes she has a chance—and an obligation—to bring down the entire corrupt system. She'll have to entangle herself in the lives of the emperor and his sister, getting them to trust and even to love her. But love is a two-way street, and Iriset’s own heart holds the most mysterious and impenetrable magic of all.

“Sinking into the pages of The Mercy Makers is like being immersed in a wondrous lucid dream. The atmosphere is a tantalizing blend of the familiar and the strange, laced with a vivid sensuality that invites the reader to forge new connections at every turn.” ―Jacqueline Carey, New York Times bestselling author of Kushiel's Dart

“With deftness, nuance, and sensuality, The Mercy Makers unfolds the vast intricate structures that uphold religion and empire—expertly balancing one of the coolest magic systems of the decade, twists that had me gasping out loud, gloriously messy relationships, and the soaring ambition of the architectural genius at its heart. Immersive, riveting, and sexy as hell.” ―P. H. Low, Locus- and Rhysling-nominated author of These Deathless Shores

"The Mercy Makers is a beautiful, elegant, passionate novel—as intricate and beguiling as a spider’s web. And just like a spider’s web, I was trapped in its immaculate design—happily so. Tessa Gratton kept me guessing, kept me hooked… and kept me wanting more. I can’t wait for book two! A triumph and a delight from start to finish." ―Antonia Hodgson, author of The Raven Scholar

"Simultaneously intricate and emotional, The Mercy Makers is a deeply intriguing story that highlights Gratton's exceptional talent for world building. I fell in love with Iriset and her complexities, and I can't wait for the next installment in this epic romantasy trilogy!" —Rebecca Robinson, author of The Serpent and The Wolf

"Luminous, sexy, and delicately imagined." - Jared Pechaček, author of The West Passage

"Sexy and tense, Tessa Gratton’s The Mercy Makers is the modern heir to sweeping, intricate fantasy classics like Kushiel’s Dart." - BookPage starred review

“In this sensual and suspenseful fantasy, Gratton spins a web of intrigue, mistaken identity, and simmering sexual tension from which the reader will not want to escape. With a beautifully constructed world and enthralling characters.” — Publishers Weekly starred review

“A lush story of dangerous intrigue in an intricate and utterly unique world.” - C.S. Pacat, New York Times bestselling author of DARK RISE

“Gratton’s novels have both style and substance, pure delight and profound depths. This new work is no exception. Taut with barely-balanced tensions, and alight with glorious epiphanies, every part of The Mercy Makers shows that God is in the detail.” – Karen Lord, author of The Blue Beautiful World

“THE MERCY MAKERS is a glorious web of political intrigue, stunning world building, and sharp plotting that combines a merciless empire built upon the pain of the prisoned, love, ambition, sacrifice, truth, and magic—the start of a series truly intricate in its design and meticulously woven.” –Ai Jiang, author of A Palace Near the Wind

"Tessa Gratton has crafted a most elegant design in THE MERCY MAKERS. The intricate world, the uniquely original magic system, a turbulent history, and a flawed but deeply sympathetic protagonist--Gratton weaves them all together, and you can't help but watch in awe as all the threads all unravel." – C. L. Clark, author of The Unbroken

“Gratton always writes with such marvelous intention. The Mercy Makers is a must read for fantasy fans who love expansive worlds crafted with care and precision.” – Megan Bannen, author of The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy