Range of Mercy
By C.C. Marks
Goodreads Summary:
Thomas's side of the story.
Saving the world on a daily basis didn’t make you a hero. Thomas Morgan knew that much from experience. The hard decisions he was forced to make weren’t pretty and not all that heroic. He was the one who did whatever it took to maintain security. Each day he climbed into the guard tower and kept the microcosm that was the community safe from Draghoul, the once-human monsters that attacked every night. More importantly, he watched out for the vulnerable, especially Charlie and her sister Star.
Charlie disguised herself as a boy, but Thomas knew the truth, and though she wasn’t aware and though it put them all in danger, he kept her secret from the others. Reality was harsh in this unmerciful world, and if Jonas Bannon ever figured out the truth, Charlie didn’t stand a chance against the schemes of the self-appointed leader. Doing the right thing didn't make Thomas a hero. But it did keep him human, and it did put him in range of mercy.
Excerpt:
It didn’t take long though for the truth to sink in. The look on her face said everything. She understood how they would use her, and it obviously turned her stomach as much as mine.
The sound of my boots echoed on the wooden platform as I crossed back to her. Everything deep inside me said this was the moment to tell her. No more hesitation. I set the weapon against the wall, gripped her arms in my hands, and whispered, "No one will find out, Charlie. That won't happen to Star...or to you."
Our gazes locked, and I pulled a hand free to wipe away a tear sliding down her cheek. A place in my chest squeezed sympathetically, knowing how scared she clearly was. But now she understood I knew the truth and that I meant her no harm. Time seemed to slow and the air felt heavy as I waited for her to acknowledge my confession. But she didn’t.
At first I stood in silent confusion. I’d expected immediate denials or questions, but she gave neither. Instead, she looked…well, she looked relieved. Maybe, like me, she’d felt the awkwardness and danger in constantly holding onto a secret only you knew, and she was thankful not to have to pretend any longer. I had to admit, I felt like we’d crossed a wide chasm and met somewhere in the middle. I no longer felt so alone.
My Review:
Thomas always tried to do what was right and follow all the rules. But sometimes times you had to break some rules and do bad things or things that others may have thought was wrong in order to keep people safe and alive. Thomas didn't like doing the things that he had to do or hurting anyone but he did the best that he could or the best he knew how. He was always looking out for the less fortunate and taking up for the ones that could take care of themselves or needed a little help along the way.
Charlie was a girl pretending to be a boy. She had to pretend to be a boy or she would get sent back outside the walls of the community with the monsters and be eaten alive. Charlie kept her identity a secret in order to survive. She thought no one knew her secret but Thomas knew her secret and had known since the day Zeke brought her inside the walls of the community along with her baby sister Star. Thomas cared for Charlie as a man cared for a woman and was determined to do whatever was necessary to keep her safe and alive.
Charlie tried so hard to keep her emotions in check and not let anyone see or know that she was afraid. She had to always stay on guard with her feelings and the way she acted to keep anyone especially Jonas Bannon their leader from finding out that she was a female. Things could turn out very bad for Charlie if anyone but especially him ever found out the truth about who Charlie really was.
I have really loved reading all of the Mercy books. But I am not real fund of the world that Charlie lives in. It is a male's world and the women have no place in it. The males give up all of their women so that they can stay alive. Although they are trying to find a cure for the virus the world cannot go on without both male and female. It takes both to keep the world going. Life will not continue without both a man and a woman. What are these men all thinking and where is their hearts at to send all the women away so they can live. Why would they not protect them? What gives them the right to think they can play god?
About The Author:
It all started with an old fashioned typewriter. When my family brought it home, I knew what I wanted to do. All those stories rolling around in my head could finally get out. The press and click of the keys were satisfying in their own right, but when I pulled out a finished page, I knew this was for me. Since then, I 've graduated to a laptop, but the stories still find a way out.
I’m a breast cancer survivor, a teacher, a wife, a mother, and from the very beginning—a storyteller. Always a hint humorous and honest to a fault, I love to make people laugh, smile, and have “a-ha” moments. My goal in life is to achieve tact and stop procrastinating. The battle wages on.
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