The Kingdom of Little Wounds

by Susann Cokal

On the eve of Princess Sophia’s wedding, the Scandinavian city of Skyggehavn prepares to fete the occasion with a sumptuous display of riches. Yet beneath the veneer of celebration, a shiver of darkness creeps through the palace halls. A mysterious illness plagues the royal family, threatening the lives of the throne’s heirs, and a courtier’s wolfish hunger for the king’s favors sets a devious plot in motion.

Here in the palace at Skyggehavn, things are seldom as they seem—and when a single errant prick of a needle sets off a series of events that will alter the course of history, the fates of seamstress Ava Bingen and mute nursemaid Midi Sorte become irrevocably intertwined. As they navigate a tangled web of palace intrigue, power-lust, and deception, Ava and Midi must carve out their own survival any way they can.

Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Historical, Fiction, Fairy Tales, Banned Books

554 pages, Paperback

First published October 8, 2013

About the author

Susann Cokal is the author of two books for young adults and two for regular adults. Mermaid Moon just came out and is recommended for ages 14 and up. Her previous novel, The Kingdom of Little Wounds, won several national awards, including a Michael L. Printz Honor from the American Library Association.

Reviews

[Emma · Rating 1 out of 5]

if I have to read the word jellied one more time

[Tatiana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how totally bananas this book is. You don't often see a YA novel where a penis is one of the main characters, and with precious stones sewn into it, no less! (Damsel has a similarly prominent "yard," and is exceptionally awesome too.) But beside that, The Kingdom of Little Wounds is a deeply immersive, very well researched story of sickness and political infighting, set in 16th century Scandinavia. Kind of like Wolf Hall in tone, but with more rapes and viscera.

I recommend it only to the most adventurous readers.
_______________
I am glad Printz committee brought attention to this book and this author, but I pity the school librarian who would buy this novel for their collection. Oh, the complaints that are sure to come! This novel is super gory, super explicit, in a super violent way. I am still not sure if some of it wasn't purely gratuitous.

But it was nice to read something totally different. (And often unpleasant, irksome and eye brow-raising.)

[Gabi]

Don't tell me this novel is not for young YA readers.

Sure, there are things a young reader might not find appealing. It's a thick book. The language is beautiful and very much like something from a British Literature class, and the plot moves at a different pace then maybe some young readers are used to. Because of these things, a reader might put this novel back on the shelf of their library or bookstore, maybe with one final glance at the lovely cover. Maybe they wouldn't look back at all.

But maybe a reader might discover that they like these things. Maybe they would bring this book home and begin reading, and maybe they would love the writing, and the main characters, and the world. Maybe something about this book would just fit.

And then maybe they would get to certain parts, not too far from the first page. Certain parts where characters - women - are not treated fairly, where they are abused and used and manipulated and forced into situations they want no part in. Maybe they would get to these parts, and maybe they wouldn't want to go farther.

And if they don't go farther, that's okay, because it's their choice. These readers, they are in that strange place between being a child and being something more. And if they chose to stay unaware just a while longer, it's their choice.

But I think we need to give these YA readers more credit. We should not try to shelter them from something as potentially important and empowering as this. Don't we know the power of fairy tales? Don't we know that sometimes a book, any book, can have an affect far beyond the last page?

Because these readers? They can handle this. And some of them will need it, or something like it.

[Heidi Wiechert · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Kingdom of Little Wounds is about a seamstress, a nursemaid and a royal family haunted by illness. It is a, sometimes very, adult tale about secrets, sex and power.

Confession: I picked this one out at the library for the cover.

I saw it and thought, "This must be a young adult fantasy of some kind about a princess who works magic with needles." Sometimes it's nice to indulge in a pleasant escape from the world.

So, this book is nothing like that.

In the afterword, Susann Cokal describes her work as "a syphilitic fairy tale." There's nothing wrong with that. It just really wasn't what I expected and wanted it to be.

This tale has rape and madness to it. There's also some torture, severing of body parts and other pretty gross stuff that goes on.

It is definitely geared towards an adult audience. Librarians, please put it in the proper collection. It is not young adult.

The main characters, Ava and Midi, are likeable but powerless. "I truly would like to think I'm in the middle of a fairy tale, facing the period of hardship that precedes a triumph. But I am not a likely heroine." pg 9, ebook.

The king, Christian, is ridiculous and controlled by his courtiers. "Have you found any... any culprits?" Sir Georg hesitates, and the favorites tense. Who will be blamed? A Lutheran? ... Or perhaps some cousin with a tenuous but plausible claim to succession - someone who should be removed for the health of the court anyway?" pg 77, ebook. Notice how they are unconcerned with justice.

Alliances and power shift quickly in this story like the tide. The characters never know who they can trust. "We are all, of course, in service of the Crown and King. Who is known for being liberal with his gratitude, no matter what the rank of the creditor." I recall something my mother used to say: Be wary of a promise without a clear price." pg 131, ebook.

Also, in the afterword, Cokal shared that a piece of this story, the appearance of a star, actually happened in Europe in the late 1500's, early 1600's. "The new star has put all of us off balance. We've always expected things to change down below, in the canals, the streets, and so on, but the heavens have been constant in our memory. This star shines even in the daylight, as if to drive away the sun. It is so bright that it seems heavier than the rest; we have the impression that if we were to stand on tiptoes, we might touch it." pg 192, ebook.

Recommended for readers who aren't bothered by dark themes and are in the mood for a "syphilitic fairy tale."

[Karissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got a copy of this book to review through Netgalley(dot)com. I loved the beautiful cover and found the synopsis to be intriguing. I really disliked the first half of the book, but the second half was much more interesting and engaging.

The author self-describes this book as a fairy tale about syphilis (which I wish I would have known before I decided to read it) and that is pretty much what it is. The story is set in the 1500’s and mainly follows two girls in their late teens, both are servants in the castle. Ava Bingen is a seamstress who accidentally pokes the queen with a needle during a gown repair and as such finds herself in the role of either facing death or agreeing to spy for the King’s Secretary. The mute Midi Sorte is a nursemaid for the ailing children of the Queen and King. Both women struggle to survive in a dark atmosphere and find themselves closer to goings on of royalty than they ever wanted to be.

I think this is dubbed as YA but it should definitely be adult. There is a ton of deviant/violent sexual behavior including rape and self-mutilation. The two main young girls are repeatedly raped and abused. Although they are in their late teens, all the surrounding characters in the book are adults...so this is a very adult read. For example in the first 10% of the book we meet a man who has sewn jewels into his penis so he can keep his wealth with him and he enjoys the side effect of how much pain this gives the women he rapes.

The descriptions of things are gross and disturbing. I am talking about descriptions of the king’ bowel movements, details about the queens gynecological exams, and wonderfully (I am being sarcastic here) detailed descriptions about lesions, boils, and general disease.

This is one of those books where reading it makes me feel tired and generally grossed out. It seems to revel in the dirtiness and depravity of humanity. I know that a lot of descriptions may have been accurate for the “dark ages” but I don’t feel a need to relive that.

I might be able to put up with all of the above if the characters were interesting or likable. However, the two female leads are spiteful and strangely complacent in the sexual acts they are forced to perform. This makes them seem weak and unlikable. In the first 50% of the novel, they don’t band together but constantly betray one another in hopes of getting the upper hand.

The second half of the book is better than the first. The violence isn’t as present and the women actually start to work together. In the end I enjoyed the irony of the fact that all of these women who suffer so greatly end up being the ones who drive many of the final decisions that rule this kingdom. The second half of the book does justify many of the awful things that happen in the first half and it was very cleverly done. I almost stopped reading this book 50% of the way through, but am glad that I finished it up.

This book might be a treatise on the horribleness of being a powerless woman in a male corrupt society. Which is not something I really enjoy reading about. There is also a heavy theme about how awful syphilis was and how it can destroy a whole kingdom. The writing style is very lyrical and beautiful, it’s just too bad that the subject matter is do dark.

I actually enjoyed Cokal’s afterward about the history and research that went into writing this book much more than the actual book itself. The title is obviously a reference to the numerous wounds/boils on the royal family as well as to the small hurts everyone visits on each other as they struggle to survive.

Overall this was an interesting read, but too dark and violent for me. I think a lot of people are going to have some trouble stomaching the violence and deviancy of the first half of the book, which is a pity because the second half is rather clever. I absolutely cannot believe this is a young adult book, I think many adults will be uncomfortable with the sexual violence in this book and cannot imagine having anyone younger reading this. Not recommended, there are much better and easily stomached historical fantasies out there.

[Gregory Weatherford · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel set in Renaissance Scandinavia is about many things -- friendship; guilt and absolution; the ways stories and their tellers influence lives for better and for worse; daily life in a royal city; disease and medicine and magic.
But most of all it's about power. Who has it, who doesn't, and how it is used and, mostly, how it's abused.
Susann Cokal's tale is the story of how three women, two of them young, find their paths out of powerlessness and helplessness. With so much recent debate and discussion about who has the right to control women's bodies, it is fascinating to read a book that explores that theme through the lens of the past, as well as through fairy tale and political intrigue. It is beautifully written, profoundly thoughtful, and for many young women and teens will be an important and perhaps life-changing story.
Will it upset some readers? Undoubtedly. Some of the events in the story are unpleasant--at times profoundly so. But to pretend such things don't belong in stories for young adults would be to pretend that they don't happen to teens in real life -- which they most certainly do.
Anyone paying attention knows the uncomfortable truth that far too often young women are abused and manipulated by powerful men, usually with no consequences for the men. In the novel this is presented frankly, and as unpleasant and upsetting to the protagonists as it is in real life. What the characters do next drives the plot of this deeply involving and carefully researched book.
Cokal gives a voice to her characters who, though born or made powerless, find strength and unlikely salvation in each other. It is in the end a positive story about love's triumph over evil, about hope's triumph over despair, and about courage and perseverance triumphing over cruelty. It takes readers through some dark places on its way to that glint of hope. But the journey there is engrossing, gorgeously written, occasionally horrifying, and most definitely worth it.

[Nemo ☠️ (pagesandprozac) · Rating 5 out of 5]

i nearly rated this book 4 stars but then the end happened and i really couldn't rate it anything less than 5. and by 'the end' i mean the gruesome death of nicolas. YOU GO MIDI, KILL THAT MOTHERFUCKER!! also i liked the fact that despite the majority of the book being miserable, the ending was happy. fuck yea. just a perfect ending all round really.

i think the reason why this is rated so low is because everyone it's young adult and people decided it was Too Much for YA. but there's YA and there's YA. the demographic is commonly said to be 12-18, which is quite frankly a damn ridiculous scale. there's a world of difference in maturity between a 12 yr old and a 15 yr old, let alone an 18 yr old. YA is a sliding scale.

so yes, it is definitely young adult, but it is 16+.

this along with Love in the Time of Global Warming both have unfairly (imho) low ratings on this site and they've made me not dismiss books all because of their low ratings.

[Charlotte Kersten]

“I have been absolved.”

CW: Slavery, racism, sexual assault including rape and attempted of minor characters, miscarriage

So What’s It About?

A young seamstress and a royal nursemaid find themselves at the center of an epic power struggle in this stunning young-adult debut.

On the eve of Princess Sophia’s wedding, the Scandinavian city of Skyggehavn prepares to fete the occasion with a sumptuous display of riches: brocade and satin and jewels, feasts of sugar fruit and sweet spiced wine. Yet beneath the veneer of celebration, a shiver of darkness creeps through the palace halls. A mysterious illness plagues the royal family, threatening the lives of the throne’s heirs, and a courtier’s wolfish hunger for the king’s favors sets a devious plot in motion. Here in the palace at Skyggehavn, things are seldom as they seem — and when a single errant prick of a needle sets off a series of events that will alter the course of history, the fates of seamstress Ava Bingen and mute nursemaid Midi Sorte become irrevocably intertwined with that of mad Queen Isabel. As they navigate a tangled web of palace intrigue, power-lust, and deception, Ava and Midi must carve out their own survival any way they can.

What I Thought

Along with Cereus Blooms at Night , this joins the ranks of Books I Read For My Trauma in SFF Reading Project That Weren’t Actually Fantasy. In this case, the author describes the book as a “fairy tale about syphilis,” and that led me astray. There is no real magic here, but there are many references to fairy tales, especially when Ava compares her life to a fairy tale, and there are little original fairy tales interspersed throughout.

In short, this is NOT a read for the faint-hearted, but it is so fascinatingly unique. It is extremely, extremely gross in its unflinching depiction of medieval Scandinavian life - we see graphic depictions of syphilis and mercury poisoning, miscarriage, a king with extremely disordered bowels, torture, decomposition and medical treatments that are about as horrifying as the diseases they’re supposed to treat. I would also vehemently argue that there is an element of body horror with Nicolas’s penis with jewels sewn into it and…well…what ultimately happens to it. *shudder*

One of the things I really loved about this book was how it also focused on the beliefs that were prevalent in the time period. So many of them seem ludicrous to us now - poisonous vapors coming from the moon, witches and demons, the womb having multiple segments, the “witch’s hollow” that opens up in the castle, and (again) the inventive medical treatments - but the way it is written makes it perfectly clear that these are simply the ways that people tried to make sense of the unexplainable things in their world. Between these beliefs and the nasty details, this is not an easy read but it does an amazing job of evoking a very different time period while still remaining a sense of common humanity.

Another reason that this is not an easy read is its depiction of subjugated women’s lives and sexual violence. In my case, though, I loved that the three main women, Ava, Midi and Isabel, are all incredibly complex women who have suffered so much and gone through horrible things - and yet they find comradeship and strength in one another and end the story in much happier conditions than the ones they started in. Isabel’s story, in particular, struck me intensely with how many children she saw die, the way she was reduced down to a body to bear babies, how isolated and manipulated she was and how she responded with “madness.” Midi has a remarkably distinctive voice and her story reflects on early racism at the same time that it shows her resilience, toughness and the diverse ways that she has learned to take care of herself and survive slavery. And I love how Ava finds “absolution” for herself after everything that she has done and suffered. In the end, these very different women who would normally be forgotten by history - a slave, a servant and a mad queen - are given agency and interiority. They come together and pool their resources to create the best possible outcomes they can given the limits of their circumstances. It’s an incredibly satisfying thing to see.

In sum: not an easy read by any means, but so very interesting and powerful. If more YA was like this, I would read much more YA.

[Tyra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actual rating: 4.5. Wow. I could not put this book down. It was like watching a train wreck in slow motion. Horrible, gruesome, utterly awful. But riveting. The writing and story were superb and original and realistic and informative. This was historical fiction at its best: real, smelly, greasy, dirty, bloody, painful, violent. Unromantic in every way, shape and form. It did not sugar coat or pretty up the awfulness of life (whether rich or poor) in the 15th and 16th centuries. I do not know if I can honestly say that I loved this book, because it is not a particularly lovable story, but I appreciated it immensely and I enjoyed reading it.

Some people dispute its classification as a YA book, and I understand their qualms. Maybe it would have been better as an adult book. The subject matter is harsh: venereal disease, rape, manipulation, abuse, slavery, serfdom, graphic descriptions of illness and bodily functions. These are difficult subjects. But I think many older teens could handle reading this, not all, but some. After all, my 17 year old niece recently read George RR Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series and the things she encountered there are not any worse than what is in this book. Older teens regularly read books marketed for adults; they are able to process and absorb the horribleness of life. Other teens, and many adults for that matter, will never want to to read historically accurate descriptions of what life was like before enlightenment and modern medicine and vaccines and good hygiene and the labor movement and and and. They prefer to view history through rose colored glasses. But for teens who seek an accurate representation of Renaissance-era European social and cultural history this book is an amazing choice.

[Francesca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I usually don't write comments, but I need to add an important caveat here - although I found this book fascinating, compelling, carefully researched, and very well written, IT IS NOT A YA BOOK. This novel is set in a Scandinavian kingdom in the 16th century, and the narrative alternates between the first person narrative of two young women who are roughly 16-17 years old, interspersed with third person narration. Most of the other principal characters in this novel are adults. I thought of the two young female characters as adults as well, and there was very little in the narrative to remind one that they were "teens". Their experiences within the narrative are those of adult women - in fact, experiences that would be horrific and traumatizing for a woman of any age to face. The narrative focuses upon court intrigue, and the way in which a man at court rises to power, going from commoner to becoming the Royal Regent, through deceit and ruthless manipulation. By the way, he molests and rapes both of the young female protagonists I mentioned above. This novel contains graphic depictions of sexual abuse/molestation, rape, torture, sadism, poisoning and murder, and, let's not forget, the early history and manifestations of syphilis. I would not give or recommend this book to a teen under the age of 16. I would not attempt to stop them from reading it, but I wouldn't promote it either. Trust me - I am not a prude, but this book is HARDCORE. The whole time I was reading this book, I was shaking my head and thinking, "WHY was this published as a Young Adult book?!"

This is the author's "first book for Young Adults". As far as I'm concerned, Susann Cokal wrote another book for adults. Personally, I think a Young Adult book should focus on the perspective and concerns of teens, or if it is a historical novel, what those concerns would have been for someone in that age group during the time period depicted. For historical novels, this is particularly challenging, since there was no concept of adolescence during that time. Both of the young female protagonists in this narrative would have been considered women during the 16th century.

We need to ask ourselves: What distinguishes a book for Young Adults from a book for Adults?

I wonder how this book is going to do, in terms of reaching potential readers. I think this book would have sold and circulated in libraries much more if it was marketed as an Adult title rather than a Young Adult title. Unless it's cross-marketed to adults, or takes off due to buzz/word of mouth, many adult readers will assume it's a teen or kid's book, and not pick it up. I have doubts whether this book will appeal to many teens either. It's very literary and has a very mature, adult sensibility. If it had been published as Adult, it would have been eligible for consideration for the Alex Award, but since it is being published as Young Adult, by a house that specializes in Children's and Young Adult literature, it's not eligible.

[Nicholas Perez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book....was A LOT! 3.5/5 stars

A fairy-tale about syphilis.

In 1572, in the fictional Scandinavian Kingdom of Skyggehavn, a mysterious sickness has come over the royal children. Ava Bingen, a seamstress, accidentally harms Queen Isabel why fixing her dress on the night of the eldest princess' (who's 12) wedding. As a result, she is briefly imprisoned, but is freed by Count Nicolas Bullin after the dies suddenly on her marriage bed. Count Nicolas gives Ana a lower servant's position to spy among the queen's ladies to see who the poisoner of the princess is--but not before he rapes her with his penis that has jewels sewn into it. At the same time, the nursemaid Midi Sorte, a dark-skinned young woman whose tongue was been split down the middle but can write to communicate, is pulled into the court drama and Nicolas' own plans. As the sickness intensifies among the royal children and the queen, Ana and Mid are pulled in a maelstrom of sexual violence, secrets, power-hungry men, and maddening sickness.

Upon its release, The Kingdom of Little Wounds generated a lot of controversy for its graphic sexual content. The rape scenes, and even the few consenting sex scenes, are explicitly described even for a YA novel. There is also a lot of descriptions of different body parts oozing certain things and having certain things in them. One of the skin bumps with a jewel in it from the aforementioned penis gets flicks and jiggles a little bit, blood pouring out of vaginas from either miscarriage or monthlies, as the book calls them, crevices of vagina filled with afterbirth fluids, castration and a castrated penis being carved up. Susann Cokal got and has still gotten grief for the content of this book. For the record, I don't think having dark content in YA books makes a book less YA; that depends on the themes of the stories and characters. Having dark content doesn't mean the book should be written off as edgy of shock value.

BUT

A YA book having dark and edgy content does not necessarily mean that it's groundbreaking. What matters is how it is used in the story and the specific contexts of its usage. While I was sickened by some of the stuff in the book, I do still think this should be considered a YA book because of the ages and mentalities of Ava and Midi. They are the book's primary narrators, though there is the occasional omniscient third-person sections that details the actions of the other characters and some twisted fairy-tales Cokal interjected between sections to highlight the situations and themes the characters were undergoing. I don't think the darker content hurt this book but, I do feel as if other more technical issues weakened it.

For one, this book was far better than Mermaid Moon, Cokal's other YA book. Here, the main protagonists do not fall into the usual YA tropes and are more developed than Sana was. However, I think Midi was the stronger of the two perspectives, but it felt like we got less of her perspective than Ava's. Ava is not underdeveloped nor is she uninteresting, but for much of her arc it felt like she was being repetitive. She would go do work in a certain part of the palace, speak fruitlessly with Arthur Grammaticus (the palace historian) or Nicolas (thankfully not all of their meetings end in sexual assault), try and fail to befriend Midi, and worry about her lost lover Jacob. In the later half of the book, her arc picks up a bit more.

As I said, Midi is the one I liked the most. To repeat, Midi's tongue is split down the middle so she can't talk, but she can write--making her an strange opposite to Ava who can speak but can't write. Midi is dark-skinned and from a foreign country and often called Negresse by those around her; though at one point is she called The Greek, making her origins a bit confusing. I assumed Midi was from Morocco because she mentioned turquoise buildings from where she was from, which made me think of the blue buildings in the city of Chefchaouen, and that when her slavers took her they stuff the veil on her head in her mouth, which made me think of Muslim garments. But I could be wrong. Anyway, Midi was often standoffish and mean to Ava. She kept her distance from people, except for Arthur her lover, and mentioned both her disdain and occasional helplessness at her position. She eventually comes out of her shell and reveals a slight vulnerable side that she doesn't to reveal. Midi was a bit more complex than Ava to me, and I enjoyed reading a YA protagonist who was a bit more justifiably angrier than the rest. I just wished her sections were a bit a longer.

Pacing in the book is a bit slow. There is some meandering when we see courtiers and the doctors doing their typical thing and not revealing much else except for another moment of body horror. The ending was also a bit drawn out, especially after over 500 pages of stuff already happening. The ending is a well-deserved happy ending Ava and Midi escape together and Midi has a daughter. The two live together raising her as wise women and then Ava's lover Jacob returns to Ava., but I just wish we got to it quicker.

The prose is very fairy-tale-like which obviously fits the tone and themes of the story. There are constant references to witches and mermaids, which deals with the kingdom's history, and the metaphors Cokal occasionally employs evoke this fairy-tale quality and create beautiful syntax. Cokal has done her research on the culture, science, and religion of the era and I absolutely love that! Shout-out to the difference womb cell theories of Galen and Paracelsus!

One of the other bigger issues I saw with the book was the main villain himself, Nicolas. Now, my problem with him is that his motivations behind some of his actions are not explained. Why was he trying to seduce the king so much? Why was he initially spying on the royal court even before the princess' death became a catalyst? Was trying to get the throne for himself? I assumed that last point toward the end of the story when he became engaged to one of the other princesses but I don't remember him expressing that ideal earlier in the book. He's a cruel and manipulative bastard, but he really isn't much of a character beyond being a basic representation of evil, controlling men. There's not much to him other than that. He's in no way cartoonish, but he was less a person and more a cipher.

All in all, I think this is a good book, but i could've been stronger. This is my third book from Cokal; I've read her adult debut Mirabilis and loved it and I found Mermaid Moon to be okay. Guess, I should read her other adult novel Breath and Bones at some point.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fair warning: Do not read this book while eating. Before praising the story, I feel obligated to warn readers of two things. One, this is absolutely not a young adult book and would be vastly inappropriate for a child or teen. I'm generally pretty liberal about what kids can handle, but this one crosses a line. And two, this book is, quite simply, gross, gratuitously and at times unnecessarily so. Read it and you will be an expert, whether you like it or not, on exactly (and in gruesome detail) what syphillis does to a person. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. All that said, this is a fantastic story with complex characters, strong world building, and an intricately woven plot. Dark fairy tale enthusiasts, rejoice.

[Steph | bookedinsaigon · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is not a bad book. It really isn't. It IS odd, however, that this book should be marketed as YA when its themes and motifs of body modification, political and sexual manipulation, and ownership of the body are so, so mature. The casualness with which this book throws about scenes of rape and sexual fantasies and objectification baffles even me.

[Stuti Rai · Rating 4 out of 5]

rewind a few hours back. i'm sleeping inside my school bag, the buzz of teachers and students like an insistent and deplorable bee, i'm cocooned wearing a hat so cozy from my own heat like hot chocolate for freezing feet like song heard and learnt and again.

fast forward a few seconds. someone pulls off my hat, bag is torn away. it is entirely unbearable...

that is a situation akin mine when i started the first part after the itty-bitty fairy tale. that is a situation akin to ava's, given hers is far more severe. the title, the kingdom of little wounds was abstract and poetic before; now it is sad and apposite enough that none should ever suit it.

ms cokal doesn't tell here a tale of how son after father after daughter, bit by another, a family a family is broken, as some die and others are sent away. there's that but it's not this tale. on the night of her greatest sorrow, of the advent of disgrace in her life, the mad queen cries and shudders and tears her gown as her twelve-year, ailing daughter is married to a duke crazier than herself who's in love with mermaids, and they're set to consummate their new nuptials to settle peace. on this woe-begotten night, her eldest, her beloved, Sophia, is poisoned. on this night, the life of a seamstress, already who's suffered her fair share, is irrevocably tied into that of the royals for she begets one to bleed.

this is how it starts, on this night, but by no means, is this the most important night in the book. this is simply how it begins, the tale told to four truthful, naive princesses to help the eldest rule her kingdom.

like bass music in the background, there is magic; however, the presence of magical elements is ambiguous. it could be, or it couldn't. the events and continuation don't rely on magic or chance or serendipity to move along the story. it's medieval European history when God and miracles are worshiped, yet not questionable. the talk, the walk has a flair of magic about it but it's in the historical aspect, it's in the belief and perspective of theirs.

the writing is harder to get into than i anticipated, especially the first person view which alternates with third person present and, surprisingly, the latter is far easier to swallow. the first person narration is by two persons: ava bingen, young seamstress who bled the queen and midi sorte, a slave used by all, loved by one. as a result, there narrations bring us nearer to the character with their disclosure, but separate us from the story far too often in the first half. on the other hand, the third person narration is by people involved directly in the court intrigue, or its sufferer, the main players, whether they know it or not. midi and ava, contrarily, are simply the pawns being moved about until a time when they, too, enter the stage. even so, i myself was surprised at how easily i got into it, how fast it was to flutter through the pages once past the initial barrier. and sometimes, it got so prosaic and exquisite...

despite the great number of perspectives, they are easy to discern and perceive. the story is never muddles for each of them has quite a distinct voice and personality: the sad queen, the hateful slave, the tired seamstress, the lovestruck king et cetra... the basic elements of traditional fairy tale. ava and midi were never particularly likable characters; in fact, one could find a motley list of quirks to hate in them. in spite of that, or maybe it contributed towards a little, they were admirable in their conduct.

another thing to comment on is the lack of tension regards war with the swedes considering how important it was for the scandinavians(this is scandinavian historical fiction(!) that i know fuck-all about) to kiss and make up be done with the threat of war.

to the story itself, it is riddled with deaths and poison; there be a vile countess and viler still duke, a throne with a trembling crest of royalty astride. midi sorte and ava bingen are on the sidelines, observing and playing out their parts in poisoning and stymieing assassinations. there's a penis with riches of a segment of lifetime underneath. which begs, why did i get this book from the children's fiction shelf of netgalley? this is wrong! this could be considered an extremely dark, mature YA novel if you wanna stretch it, and uncompromisingly adult if you don't wanna be difficult. i mean, there are forced handjobs and anal sex involved.

anyhoo, it's a very grim story, which i don't say to turn you away. i don't believe all this would suit everyone; in fact one comparison i can draw is jenni fagan's the panopticon- whilst it's a completely different novel, the series of grim realities and the unflinching honesty they're narrated with is similar. if you found that ghastly, so would this. and vice versa.

anywhoo i did very much love it, although i've never been one for this sort of historical fiction, because of the sequence of the story and the writing and best of all, short fairy tales like tiny silver fish darting in and out and around when you're not looking, only in the periphery.

they are the most appealing aspect of the book, for me. they follow the same vein as the entire book of being dark and gloomy, but they augur the tone of what is to come further on in the story. besides, of themselves, they are very interesting and beautifully written, in words entirely different from the main story, whose words are affected by being scandinavian and old and following regulations of history, while these are free of these constraints and lovely.

Thenceforth she was the queen of a wild, speechless monkey-land. Her children had long hairy fingers and curling tails, with
slobbering lips that the king insisted must suckle on no breasts but her own.

In time, the queen began to pray that she, too, would turn into a monkey, if only to make these circumstances easier to bear.
But the angels of the monkey-land did not heed her prayers, for in all the years she lived among them, she never managed once
to give her husband a loving kiss.

...granted, i live in tropical area and i molded to it, leaning against the air around leaf-like.

thank you so much, candlewick press!

____________________________________________

For me, it was seven years of reading books and taking trips to Scandinavia and
writing at least nine separate drafts.
When people asked what I was working on, I would answer, “A fairy tale about syphilis.”

Says the author. I personally opine that the book follows the story of one bejeweled prick. Literally.

[Ionia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am divided on this book. It is very well written, and it is an interesting story. The problem I have, is that I'm not sure I would classify this as a young adult story.

There are definitely some factors in this book relatively early on that don't exactly match what I expect to find in literature intended for a younger audience.

This being said, the writing in this book is incredible. The story unfolds nicely and is written using beautiful, eloquent language. The story is unique and multidimensional with characters that you find it easy to care about in a relatively short period.

The author is very descriptive and that makes reading this book an easy task. It was easy to see the places in your mind that Susann Cokal described and really get a good sense of what the characters were experiencing.

Overall this is a book that I think would be appropriate for an audience of over 15. I'm not sure anyone younger than that would be able to understand the subject matter unless they are mature for their age.

I will be looking forward to seeing what else this author comes up with in the future.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

TheKingdomofLittleWounds is not for the faint of heart. The subject matter is beautifully, albeit grotesquely, told and contains many scenes I was shocked to read, including but not limited to anal rape. But this book is more than a sum of explicit scenes. It is a wonderful character study that sheds light on what life might have been like for those individuals who lived in the mid to late 1500s.

If you a fan of history, enjoy reading historical fiction, and are not repulsed by dark content, you may enjoy reading TheKingdomofLittleWounds as I did.

[Jenni Frencham · Rating 1 out of 5]

Cokal, Susann. The Kingdom of Little Wounds.

This book received a place on Publisher's Weekly's 2013 top ten list for books for young adults. I can't imagine what the editors at PW were thinking when they rated this book on that list.

The Kingdom of Little Wounds is a story that follows two servants in a royal household in northern Europe. Touted by the author as a "fairy tale about syphilis," the story details the lives of the royal family as they struggle to survive in spite of having an STD, all seen through the eyes of a couple of servants.

What I liked: The cover is beautiful. The writing is excellent. I enjoyed the fairy tale qualities of this book, and I can imagine my middle school or high school self picking up this book based simply on the synopsis and the cover art.

What I didn't like: Pretty much everything else. This book is VERY graphic, to the point that I do not think it is appropriate for tweens or teens at all. I would not ever recommend this book to a teen or a child. I would barely recommend this to an adult. This is a very long book, and it's filled with graphic death scenes, sex scenes, rape, etc. In the first sixty pages alone there are three sex scenes, one of which ends in a death and one of which is forced. The first rapist we meet has jewels sewn into his penis so he can keep them on himself in case of emergency, with the added bonus that he gets to enjoy hurting those women he rapes. One of the protagonists believes that she was impregnated when her fiance ejaculated onto her stomach: she says that his "seed" must have found its way inside her to make her pregnant.

I spent most of the time while reading this book either shuddering in disgust or shaking my head in disbelief. People who enjoy well-written books and are not bothered by graphic violence and sex might really enjoy this book, but it's not one I would ever put in my library, nor would I consider recommending it to my patrons. I'm not sure why Publisher's Weekly passed up so many good books to put this one on their top-ten list for this year.

Recommended for: no one. Adults, maybe. Fans of Fifty Shades, probably.
Red Flags: the entire book! Graphic sex, rape scenes, violent, explicit deaths, lots of alcohol use (some probably by the readers so they can stomach this book)
Overall Rating: I'd give this zero stars, but that's not an option on GR.

[Siobhan · Rating 3 out of 5]

They say you should never judge a book by the cover, and yet the cover is often what pulls my attention towards new authors. Such is the case with The Kingdom of Little Wounds. I saw it sitting on the bookshelf, and thought it looked like a wonderful read. The cover instantly filled my mind with notions of what kind of book it could be, without giving me anything specific. Thus, I flipped it over. The information on the back, however, didn’t fill in all that many blanks. It gave me something, but mostly I was left with little knowledge. There were many possibilities and I was interested to see how it would play out.

I’ll be completely honest and say it took me a while to get into this book. In fact, it was very slow going for the first half of the book. It is a heavy read – both the topic and the storytelling. Although it was the latter I had issues with. I’m no stranger to books dealing with heavy topics, and in many ways this one felt rather light when compared to some books I have read. The storytelling, however, took a while for me to connect with.

We’re given multiple perspectives throughout this book. Two different characters provide us with a first-person perspective, allowing us insight into the minds of two of the characters. Events that occur with other important characters are told through third-person, snippets appearing throughout to give us a bigger picture of what is happening. In addition, there are breaks in the main story where other tales are told. Due to there being so much going on, I found myself unable to connect with any one character for quite some time. I would be enjoying one of the first-person perspectives, and then we would skip somewhere else, and I would be left feeling adrift. Once my mind was accustomed to this, and the story started to come together, I found myself working through the book rather quickly.

Getting to the point in the story where things start to come together will be hard for many people. I went into this story with no prior knowledge, meaning I went in without the knowledge of what kind of fairy-tale this is. You see, this book is a fairy tale about syphilis. That alone should tell you what kind of story you will be dealing with. It is set against a dark historical backdrop, taking us into the gritty world that existed in a time gone by. There are fairy tale creatures thrown in for good measure, but the actions reflect the history of the world – the dark history. This means there is murder, there is rape, there is disease, and many other things people may not wish to read about. I know it took me a while to wrap my head around how dark this story was, especially with how I thought I was going to enter a fairy tale with only a few dark moments.

Those who are able to deal with such topics, however, will be given an intricate story. There was so much more to this one than I expected there to be. There were so many layers throughout, so many different stories going on within this one story. Things are linked together so well, creating a web of the finest silk. Honestly, I was so amazed at the end when I realised how well everything went together. I may not have been engaged throughout the entire story, but I can appreciate how complex the story was and how well put together it was.

I also wish to briefly touch upon a debate I’ve found surrounding this book – the issue of whether or not it should be considered a young adult novel. I find the label of young adult is a rather complex one nowadays. Whether people agree or not, the genre does seem to be split into upper and lower young adult. Those in the upper young adult category have been appearing more and more often, dipping ever closer to the adult genre yet keeping the young adult moniker due to the age of the lead character. In all honesty, whilst dark, I do not think The Kingdom of Little Wounds was as graphic as some of the young adult books out there. I’ve read comments where people are arguing against the sexual content of the novel – and yet it was nowhere near as graphic as some of the most popular young adult fantasy at the moment. In my mind, if Sarah J. Maas is considered young adult with all the sexual content, I have no issue labelling this a young adult book. It is dark, it deals with heavy topics, but I like to think teenagers can read such books. Not all will want to, but books like this should be made available to teens should they wish to read them, rather than them searching through the adult genre where things will be even more graphic. Of course, opinions differ and I know the debate will not end simply because I throw my opinion out there.

Overall, my experience with this one was rather mixed, made up of complex highs and lows. Did I love it? No. Did I hate it? No. Do I regret reading it? No. In time I may look back at this and have a clearer opinion, but for now my feelings as unsettled.

[Emily Rozmus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay - what to say about this book. I'll make a list.
1. This is NOT YA.
2. The premise is strange, but fresh.
3. I never thought I would enjoy a book about syphilis
4. I really want to read the other reviews of this book. I made myself wait until I was done so my thoughts would not be influenced.
5. This is not YA.
6. I loved to hate Count Bullen.
7. I loved Queen Isabel for her craziness.
8. I loved the happy ending.

Yes, a fairy tale about syphilis, with a lot of facts thrown in. By the way, did I mention that it is not a YA book?

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kingdom of Little Wounds is a lush, dense novel of historical fiction. I was sucked in by the author’s writing – in a word, beautiful (yet not overwrought). The time period (1500s) and the setting (Scandinavia) added to my interest. Normally, I don’t get too excited by “palace intrigue” novels, but this one had me, hook, line, and sinker. There was never a point where the action lagged. And I found the ending (it’s a long book) to be most satisfying. A wonderful novel about the powerful (men and the rich) versus the powerless (women and the poor).

(What follows is my own personal emotional reaction to this read and NOT a review. My review is above. Below are my musings on fiction, PTSD, sex, and teens.)

I’ve noticed that there is a great deal of conversation about whether or not Kingdom of Little Wounds is a YA novel, or if it should have been categorized as “adult fiction”.

I used to be a children’s bookseller, and I never, ever felt the need to “censor” what kids and teens read. Kids and teens are smarter than we think. Don’t get me wrong – I had lots of parents coming in and try to buy books for their grade-schoolers (ages 8-10) that were waaaaay inappropriate. For example, buying Smack by Melvin Burgess for a nine-year-old because it was a thick award winner. Parents always want to buy their kids thick award winners. In these cases, I would point out topic and intended audience. Otherwise, I am a firm believer in letting kids and teens read what they WANT.

So I was trying to figure out why I, of all people, was having such a strong reaction to this book being categorized as YA fiction as opposed to adult fiction. As a bookseller, I was always bemoaning publishers for marketing books that, in my opinion, SHOULD be YA instead of “adult”. My definition of YA: Main character(s) are teens. That’s about it. The only time I don’t use this rule is when the book is written like a memoir. For example, “I am an adult now, but let me tell you – through my ADULT eyes – about my childhood.”

This novel DOES follow my standard rule. The two main characters were teenagers – teenage girls. (And these two young women were nuanced and quite believable.) A somewhat secondary character was the queen – an adult. That is fine by me.

But it still bothered me that this was a YA novel. Why? It wasn’t the bleakness of the book that made me concerned. I have heard parents and adults say that YA books are “too depressing”. That judgment makes me roll my eyes. This book was indeed very, VERY bleak. So many awful things happen, with no sign of hope for the future. Each of the three main characters is quite alone – they don’t have a loyal friend (or even a stray dog!) to turn to for comfort. There is no comfort to be found in this book, until the very end.

Yes, it was a dismal, depressing read – and I ate it up. Just because something is depressing doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it. (In fact, many of my favorite novels could be described as “depressing” or “dark”.)

So WHY did I have such mixed feelings about this book being categorized as YA????

(Minor spoilers ahead)

In the opening chapters, a character is forced to perform oral sex on a (powerful) man. Later, another character is violently raped. Because the author writes so well, these scenes are quite intense. This, I believe, is where my angst began.

I am NOT against sex scenes in YA fiction. (In fact, truth be told, I kind of wish there were more of them in YA literature.) Sex and sexual longing are part of young adulthood. When done well, such scenes can truly resonate with readers. (A couple of my favorite examples: Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist by Cohn and Levithan, Invincible Summer by Jean Ferris, and Long May She Reign by Ellen Emerson White.)

But when the ONLY scenes of sex are of violence, I am given pause.

As a child and teen, I lived (in some ways) a sheltered life. My friends didn’t live nearby, I lived in a bad neighborhood, and my family only had one car. When I wasn’t in school, I wasn’t playing with my friends – I was reading. And in high school, I had a strict curfew, and I did not own a car. I never had the “typical” teen experience. Much of my “learning” about life came from fiction.

My first “experiences” with love and sex were thus through fiction. And I know how I would have reacted (as a 12-year-old, or a 14-year-old) to this book: I would have been somewhat traumatized.

This probably seems melodramatic. But I, like over 25% of the female population, was sexually abused and raped as a child. This wasn’t something that was discussed – it was something to hide and be ashamed of. I had a LOT of inner angst about sex that I really didn’t fully understand until my twenties.

This book would have caused flashbacks for me. I would have had panic attacks while I read it (which happened when I was a teen and reading books about abuse and other painful topics).

Of course, many of you are thinking, “A teen can just put down a book if it is disturbing to him or her.” And … you are exactly right! This book isn’t one that a majority of teens are going to instantly flock to. It’s big, it’s historical fiction, it jumps around a lot, etc., etc.

HOWEVER …

Kingdom of Little Wounds was awarded a Printz Honor just a few weeks ago. As I loved this book, I do not begrudge it ANY awards or acclaim it receives. But I know there are many teachers (middle school and high school) and parents who require students and kids to read some, if not all, of the year’s award winners. As a bookseller, I saw this time and again. As a child and teen, I experienced it. In most cases, the adult or teacher has not read these books themselves – they are satisfied that it is a “quality YA book” because of the award emblazoned on the cover. And that’s that.

I hate to think about a 12-year-old girl who was sexually abused being REQUIRED to read this book. And even if the girl was NOT abused – what if this is her first “exposure” to sex, whether in fiction or real life?

And I finally realized … this is MY problem. Not the book’s problem, or the author’s problem, but MY OWN problem.

I sometimes wish that there was a rating code, similar to movie ratings (PG, PG13, etc.), for YA lit. I don’t want to dissuade kids and teens from reading. I don’t want to give anything away. But sometimes, a heads up would be nice …

On the internet, there are two women’s magazines (BUST and MS) that will preface certain articles with the simple phrase, “Trigger warning.” You may be unfamiliar with this, so I will explain. “Trigger warning” means that the content of the article may be extremely upsetting to those who have been abused. “Trigger warning” means that reading the article COULD trigger flashbacks and panic attacks, which are part of PTSD. PTSD is usually only thought of in terms of soldier returning from war. But people who have undergone extreme abuse may also suffer from PTSD. One in 3-4 women are sexually abused by the age of 18. 25-33% of girls in high school have been sexually molested or raped. That is a HUGE number. A huge number that no one likes to think about.

It’s not like we can stamp “trigger warning” on all the books out there that just MIGHT be emotionally upsetting to certain kids or teens (or adults!). What upsets one person may not upset anyone else.

Reading is a personal experience.

Kingdom of Little Wounds IS a YA novel. I just wish that adults and teachers wouldn’t “force” any (non-“classic”) book, including award-winners, on teens.

[Nat · Rating 1 out of 5]

i think i got pretty far to understand that i don’t want to continue reading this DNF at pg. 360

NOTES WHILE READING:
• why are Countess Elinor’s breasts described in such a manner ...?
• so she pretty much committed bestiality 🤮
• i actually did not expect that!
• i didn’t think this book would be that
graphic.
• this chapter was weird.
• there are ear metaphors??
• apparently queen isabel is into BDSM
• and the king is thinking about nicolas while doing the deed ha!
• how can entrails feels surprised?
• the relationship between ava and grammaticus came out of fucking nowhere
• the last time these two interacted, they had barely met... ?
• and now there’s plan of marriage????
• this girl is moving from one man to another because ...
• 1. she wants one badly and 2. is using him to forget another.
• Gorma is such a terrible name for a child!
• the manipulation on these women my god 🙄
• this book giving me a headache. i hate everything.
• especially midi sorte’s chapter’s ugh!
• it’s confusing as hell
• you know nothing about these characters.
• most of them seem to be having their own agendas but you don’t know to what purpose.
• the only thing they seem to be doing is trying to convince queen isabel that she’s crazy!
• and the only person she trusts suddenly turns on her like wtf.
• when? why? HOW?!
• oh and nicolas has some kind of precious stones in his dick
• like they’re literally sewn in there
• why tho?!
• and this is where i quit. don’t have time for this nonsense.

[Review Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hands down the best book I have read this year. I loved it. This is the perfect combination of dark and fairy tale. Not in the way of the redundant efforts of others to rewrite classic stories, but a perfect melding of beautiful written fairy tales as a plot device to further the story; to unwind the mystery of the characters and their deep, dark motivations. The small tales add to the story, which is wonderful itself. Frankly, I am jealous the author has managed to not only master the art of the story, but also the art of crafting a fairy tale. I didn't want this book to end. I know I will be reading it again. Is it sometimes unhappy, cruel, and disgusting? Absolutely, but so is life. The story was so creative I couldn't put it down. Plus, interspersed randomly in the tale are poetic, truthful lines of writing that are so insightful I found myself underlining. My only complaint would be that the end felt a little rushed, and I would have liked to stay observing The Kingdom even longer.

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I am part of history, whether anyone knows it or not," proclaims Ava, one of the two teenaged female protagonists of this tale set in medieval Scandinavia. The Kingdom of Little Wounds is not for the faint of heart. It's disturbing, but gorgeously written, honest, and completely captivating. For older teens and adults.

[Michele · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author describes this as "a fairy tale about syphilis," which is true as far as it goes, but it's also a story about three women and how/where they each eventually come into their strength and power.

The author has clearly done a lot of research into 16rh century Scandinavia, particularly disease and medicine (if graphic descriptions of oozing sores or medieval gynecology bother you, you'll probably want to skip certain scenes) and it shows in the occasionally stomach-turning vividness of her descriptions. I'm not quite sure why she felt it necessary to be so explicit; I think the story would have been equally compelling with about 15% less of a yuk factor. And although it's being billed and reviewed everywhere as YA, I am not at all convinced. Or maybe YAs these days are just a lot less Y than they were when I was YA.

That said, the writing itself is lovely, the story original and compelling, and the characters intriguing, from the doomed King Christian and the nearly-mad Queen Isabel to the darkly seductive Nicolas and the fey princess Beatte. The seamstress Ava and the black servant Midi, who together with Isabel are the three main characters, are as different as one could imagine and yet they have in common that they are all in some sense slaves: Midi literally, Ava in the form of class barriers that she cannot surmount, and Isabel in the form of royal obligations (at which she has largely failed, since all her children are sick or dying).

How these three women survive and how their stories connect and reconnect make for a remarkable, if more than a little disturbing, tale.

As a bonus, it's one of the most physically beautiful books I've seen in a long time, with lush, jewel-tone colors on the cover and intricate black-and-white designs reminiscent of illuminated manuscripts on the dividing pages between each chapter.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has it all: plague ridden princesses, embroidery, random sludge filled holes in the ground, roast dolphin, strange stars/comets in the sky.

Overall, one of my favorite reads for fall, The Kingdom of Little Wounds is a beautiful dark fairy tale. Comprised of little vignette style chapters focusing on various characters (the aging queen, the wronged seamstress, the devious count), that are almost stand alone little short stories in their own right. Cokal's prose weaves an amazing tableau for the reader; I found it easy to envision this kingdom on the verge of downfall as I devoured the pages.

Definitely not a fairy tale for children (some violence and disturbing scenes)-- think along the lines of Gregory Maguire's Wicked trilogy, I appreciated Cokal writing something that straddled the line between outright fantasy/sci-fi and historical fiction. As I want to avoid giving away too much of the plot, but needless to say this one was difficult to put down. Don't expect heroines who need saving, or any other predictable scenarios!

Make sure to check out my other reviews at www.bookbirdblog.com!

[charlotte, · Rating 1 out of 5]

dnf @ 22%

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's kind of a disgusting book. Sickening. And off-putting. On the slower paced side as well. But I was hooked. Intrigued and immersed!
I really liked it.

But I never want to hear about syphilis again. Let's eradicate that shit. It is nasty.

[Angela C · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was in college, one of the exercises in my Children’s Lit class was to write a story that incorporated two completely unrelated subjects: T-rexes and ballet, bodybuilders and allergies, etc. I have a hunch that The Kingdom of Little Wounds must have originated from a similar exercise, as Cokal’s book combines two subjects that are totally at odds: fairy tales and syphilis.

Yes, you read that correctly. This is a fairy tale about syphilis.

I checked out a lot of other reviewers’ opinions prior to starting The Kingdom of Little Wounds. Many of those reviews were negative and dwelled on how gross and horrifying and screwed up the book is. As a result, I went into this novel fully expecting to hate it. Even while reading I kept telling myself, “This is it. Enough. I’m going to stop reading and take The Kingdom of Little Wounds back to the library.”

And yet I didn’t – couldn’t – actually put it down. In fact, I read the whole thing in a single sitting. When I reached the last page I realized, to my astonishment, that I had not only finished the novel, but enjoyed it as well.

That’s not to say those other reviewers were wrong. This book IS gross and horrifying and screwed up, but in a really bizarre way that’s part of its…dare I say appeal? The whole point of the aforementioned exercise in my Children’s Lit class was to help us recognize that the most unlikely pairings can also be the most evocative; the contrast is what draws and holds a reader’s attention. By imposing disease, sex, violence, and other nastiness over the elements of a fairy tale, Cokal has made her book striking and unforgettable.

The Kingdom of Little Wounds is set in Skyggehavn, a kingdom maintaining a façade of wealth and grandeur while sinking slowly into a figurative pit of illness and rot. In this land where magic, superstition, science, and horror blur together, there are gaping holes that open in the earth; a raving queen; a royal nursery full of oozing, mewling children too weak to leave their beds; and a court in perpetual mourning. Behind closed doors, power-hungry players deal in blackmail, violence, and lust while the kingdom languishes under a shroud of lunacy and disease.

In the midst of this corruption are the three women around whom the story centers: Ava Bingen, a lovelorn yet hopeful seamstress; Midi Sorte, a mutilated servant; and Isabel, Skyggehavn’s unhinged queen. Each of these women is in a perilous position in the court, caught up in the plotting and treachery of their male peers. The machinations of the men gradually drive the women into one another's paths, and they must decide whether they will be rivals or allies in the fight to escape the whirlpool of the cesspit that is Skyggehavn.

The story of these women is captivating but admittedly hard to stomach at times. This book is brimming with gross and disturbing content. There’s degradation, sickness, stench, bodily functions and secretions, sliced tongues, horrific deaths characterized by seizures and bursts of blood, rape…the list goes on and on. Even the relatively happy moments, few as they are, are tempered by dirt and lowness. First love is heralded with bugs and spiders in the bed. Grand feasts with sugared delicacies and dancing are only a prelude to the horrific death of a young girl on her wedding night.

I’m not harping on these details to discourage you from reading The Kingdom of Little Wounds – on the contrary, I highly recommend this book. I’m just trying to prepare you in case you’re squeamish or bothered by very mature content. I don’t want anyone to go into this book thinking it’s a happy little fairy tale, only to be blindsided when all the craziness starts.

You’re probably asking, “Angela, WHY would I want to read this book after you’ve gone to such lengths to explain how messed up it is?” Because as dark and gruesome as this book can be, it is undeniably transfixing. When I reached the last page and closed the book for the final time it was like I was waking up from a trance.

Moreover, Cokal is a fantastic storyteller. The intelligent twists and turns will amaze you and leave you marveling at her cleverness. Towards the ending, when I began to suspect how everything would play out, I actually laughed out loud in appreciation. Everything came together ingeniously.

The Kingdom of Little Wounds is not for the faint of heart, but if you’re a brave – and again, not squeamish – reader, I highly suggest this book.

This review can also be found on my blog, Angela's Library.

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars--I really liked it. Not for the faint of heart; the author describes this as a fairy tale about syphilis, and that's pretty accurate.

Fairy-tale elements and structure run through this dark tale about a corrupted Scandinavian royal court. The focus is on three women--a queen, a former slave, and a servant--and the horrible trials they endure. It's a nightmarish and surreal exploration of sexuality, motherhood, and freedom.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book deserves much better than the ratings it's received so far. As a historical novel about corruption and disease in Renaissance Scandinavia, it's compelling, full of plot twists and complex female characters who struggle with adversity and reveal just how strong they truly are. The relationships between the female protagonists turn out to be the most significant aspects of the story, which is fantastic to see, and the second half of the novel is worth waiting for just to experience how well Cokal brings together women of all ranks and backgrounds to save the kingdom.

The first half of the novel is disturbing in many instances in the scenes that graphically depict sexual abuse and coercion. The worst parts of these scenes can be skipped over fairly easily, though the knowledge that these events occurred is necessary for understanding the two protagonists' motivations later on. I do think that details go too far in places, but I do get that the abuse adds to the realism as many servant girls would have been treated like this and continue to be so today - it can't simply be set aside as "offensive" or "inappropriate for YA lit". Readers should be angry about it, not because it's in a book, but because of the way that the serving girls almost expect it, having no protection outside of themselves, their wits and their ability to survive. The society in which they live is filled with double standards, and the female characters are always the ones left short-changed. But in the end, it's the female characters who prevail, and that's what readers should take from it - the most terrible things happen to these characters, but they find it within themselves to not only survive, but succeed.

The fairy tale aspects of the story are very interesting, too. It's not based on any particular fairy tale, but does incorporate many conventions of the gritty, dark tales of Grimm and Perrault as well as of the courtly tales of Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and Marie Catherine d'Aulnoy. This combination results in a novel that deals with intricate court politics, but also contains very strange supernatural elements, painful suffering, and a lot of bodily fluids. It helps to come to this novel with some knowledge of the history of fairy tales and of the Renaissance in Europe so that you can see where the author is coming from and the kind of context she's working from when constructing the plot, setting, and characters.

There are many teenagers who could handle this book without a problem, and just as many adults incapable of doing so - don't let the label of "young adult" fool you because this is a book that will take plenty of effort to read, leaving you with much to think about.