This book,Of Mercy and Death by David Dupus is a historical fiction story about predicting the end of time to two small children in 1917,a nun has a vision in 1167. In 1936 a man dies and his child disappears ,why?? You have two different stories going on but they are not confusing to follow. You have the Catholic Church involved along with the Vatican,the Pope what do they know and hiding? All of the prophecies ,are they true will they come to light? Follow this wonderful and exciting story of what happened a long time ago. It's a very much of a fantastic read that will stay with you long after you read and you will ask yourself questions of what may happen to us. Received this exciting book from Net Gallery in 2020, I'm a little behind my reading and reviews , but this is so worth the read!! I have heard of these things taking place but never knew the whole story in this book you have it!!

As a Theology student who studied Hildegard during their undergrad, this is a book that I was quick to request on NetGalley as I was interested to see what Dupuis did with the character.

I really enjoyed this book and the mystery that was woven throughout the story. After seeing other comments, I can see that there are more books in the series so I will be looking into those soon!

Of Mercy & Of Death tries to do too much instead of focusing on the simple details that could build a stronger story and better characters. Too learn the whole deal with the Keys, we get chapters with multiple priests, the pope, John (or Jesus 2.0 I guess, since he literally brings people back from death) and his family, and even the Dark Lords or whatever they were called, supposedly the bad guys from this story.

My biggest issue is that the idea isn’t bad, it just wasn’t very well executed, I think. Most events are just told, at least in the first half, instead of the author showing them happening, and we get so many different characters through the chapters it’s hard to keep up or care about any of them. I still couldn’t tell you how any of them look like, or remember anything beyond John being a weird kid since every scene that shows him growing up is just a new way to make him that ~special holy boy~ we all learned of already.

There’s not a lot of depth to any of the characters, maybe due to the short time each has in the chapters? But this is especially bad with the villains - they’re evil for the sake of evil, I guess? They’re very cartoonish, “let’s destroy all good in this world!” or whatever.

There’s also little to no description of locations and stuff like that; I always felt like I was reading floating voices because I seriously couldn’t pinpoint where they were, what the characters were doing, or how the place (or the characters themselves) looked like.

The writing feels kinda dry, with awkward dialogues, especially in the beginning, but once I got into the flow of the story it got a little better? But around 60% I was already tired of it, and just read really quickly without paying much attention until the end. Maybe other people would enjoy this more, but I guess I’d rather have more focus on characters than the mysterious religious things going on with the Keys behind the scenes. So yeah, didn't really work for me.

The Seven Keys of Hildegard of Mercy and Death is a well researched and entertaining novel in which author David Dupuis weaves weaves historical fact with fiction as introduces the reader to an eleventh century nun ancient prophecies, popes, bishops and an 11th century German nun whose visions foretold the end of times.

This story is filled with suspense, mystery and maneuvering as it takes the reader through a century of church intrigue as well as the life of one small child whose fate is inextricably interwoven with that of his protectors and the church as they battle against the dark forces preparing for the arrival of the Son of Lucifer.

This book takes some concentration since there are many story lines and events that are occurring concurrently as the narrative in this web of prophesies progresses.

An ideal read for those who love thrillers saturated in conspiracies, religious lore and action.

Interesting read, looking forward to the next book to be honest. I was engrossed in this book. I have recommended it to several members of my parish and also have recommended it as a purchase for the school library.

Thank you Mr. Dupuis, Netgalley, and the wonderful publisher for allowing me to read and review this novel.

First, I think the overall idea for the novel is great and it definitely has the potential to become a a great series; should the author choose to continue the story line. However, I found the dialogue between characters to be too formal, especially when Maria is speaking. She is after all a young girl, and more likely to be nervous and not so confident. Even when she is heading to America, she is confident that everything will work out even though she is going to a country she’s never been to, without knowing anyone, and a new mother of an infant. She has no guarantee of employment or housing. I believe the author should have written more about her time in the convent, awaiting her child to be born, and making plans for the future so it’s not such a stretch for the reader.
I believe the character of Maria should have been more fully developed, and we should know more about her and her background, or at least the baby’s father before we plunge headlong into the story.
Another issue with the book is that the author doesn’t really take the time to set the scene. The author lets us know where the characters are, but doesn’t take the time to share the experience. Each of the character’s senses should be employed so the reader will become engaged and invested in the story.

A bit like Dan Brown but then with the Catholic church as the heroes.

A set of devil worshippers tries to get a hold on the Seven Keys of Hildegard and the popes and the secret Brethren do all to prevent that. Are the keys just documents or are they meant to be key figures?

I liked the papal history and the story was well written but I HATE sudden open endings and the need to buy the next novel.

This is an interesting and riveting book. I kept turning pages to learn more, to uncover more secrets. I loved it. I don't want to spoil your pleasure of discovering this story, so I won't give you much plot details but my this is one of those books that stays with you forever. I'm definitely going to re-read in the future!

i really enjoyed this mystery, i thought it was a unique read and I enjoyed going through trying to solve it. I look forward to more from the author and this series.

Well-plotted, well-written book with good characterization, history, and intrigue. I lost sleep for three nights finishing it. Narrative flows smoothly between continents, characters, scenarios, and timelines. I was unaware this title was part of a series until I finished it, and I'm so happy the next book is already published and waiting for me!

Of Mercy & Of Death had me googling various events in Catholic history. I was familiar with some of the prophecies... but, the nun's prophecies... YIPES! I'd never heard of Hildegarde until I read the story. What a fantastic tale! I truly sped through the book quickly! I deliberately slowed myself down so that I could truly savor the delightful story of intrigue and ancient prophecies. I cannot wait to read the second book. Found out that it is actually already available on Amazon. Sooooooooooo... I WANT IT!!! I actually know that I'll want to read all five books once they're finished. I hope that the author has the following books available to read super soon!?! I'm like a little kid when I'm ready for the next book in a series!! And, this one!! Daaaaaaaaaaang!! It's superbly written. And, it will seriously have you freaking out wondering if it was divine inspiration that made you pick up this book to begin with. I personally... kind of think that it is! REALLY! Loved the story!

Strange that there were several things about this book that I didn't like, and yet I felt drawn in by the plot (maybe my crypto-conspirationist side), despite it being somewhat convoluted and rather far-fetched. The story starts with Hildegard von Bingen (born in the very late 11th century, died in 1179) having her visions (or seven keys) written down for future generations to use as a sort of Doomsday warning. Ever since, her revelations have been hidden by a secret brotherhood of monks under the guidance of the papacy. The first key comes to pass with the appearance of Our Lady to three children in Fatima, Portugal, in 1917. I followed several strands and subplots, leading me from Rome to Turkey to New York to Canada, with a wide but fortunately manageable cast of persons, amongst whom several popes, most notably Pius XI, Pius XII, and John XXIII.

What I didn't like was the writing, which in places was outright clumsy, wooden even; a thorough last proof-reading could also have benefitted the book IMO (note to the author: the singular of "brethren" is NOT "brethren" but "brother"—"brethren" is simply an antiquated plural form, the equivalent of "brothers"). Some of the characters could have been fleshed out a bit more so as to allow the reader to identify with them. I expected a stark black-and-white characterization of the "good" ones vs. the "evil" ones and was therefore not too shocked when I found exactly that (even though it got old after a while)—after all, the Dan Brown-thrillers don't really shine with subtle character development either, and I think we're here in a similar vein of writing. What annoyed me, however, was the fact that I requested this book in the "History"-section of NetGalley, and as to the historical treatment of the popes, I was sorely disappointed. I guess most of the raw data have been researched and are therefore accurate; but instead of an even remotely historical vision of controversial men such as Pope Pius XII, we get what I would call unadulterated hagiographies.

All in all, however, and despite these inherent flaws, I found the journey rather entertaining and kept reading with gusto and sometimes even with bated breath.

I absolutely loved reading this book! I was drawn in from the start. I found throughout the book, mystery was maintained but there was just enough information given to the reader regarding the 'keys' to make me want to keep reading. I will definitely be reading the next book in the series and look forward to the series as a whole!

Of Mercy & Of Death: The Seven Keys of Hildegard by David Dupuis
Publication Date: October 11, 2019

Description by NetGalley...
“In 1167, a German nun has a troubling vision, prophesizing the end times. In 1917, Mary appears to three children in Fatima, Portugal, revealing mysterious secrets. In 1936, a young man is inexplicably hurled to his death off the side of a mountain in Italy, and the newborn he unknowingly leaves behind is spirited away to America by his terrified mother. But why?

Tackling events throughout the early 20th century, The Seven Keys of Hildegard: Of Mercy & Of Death will challenge the very truth of what the church and the world knows. Through two world wars, and from the Vatican in Rome, Italy, to New York City and small town Canada, two knowing popes, an unsuspecting archbishop and a monsignor become entangled in Hildegard’s ancient web of prophecies. And one thing is certain—Armageddon is nigh.”
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Thank you to @NetGalley and Books Go Social for the digital ARC in return for my honest review.
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My thoughts...
This book intrigued me from the description. I was interested in the concept of Armageddon, good vs. evil, and I’m a big fan of historical fiction. Unfortunately, there were too many places in the story where I lost interest and just wanted to move on, especially during dialogues between the “evil guys.” So, there were a lot of skimming. Also, fortunately I am familiar with the different roles and positions within the Catholic church. If you’re not, it might be a confusing read. I wanted to like this book, but it fell short. It just wasn’t the book for me.

Really enjoyed this book, especially since I study medieval literature & am interested specifically in female mystics like Hildegard! I found the story compelling and so intriguing. I loved Dupuis' writing style, and will definitely be reading more of his works!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3554537945

First thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

A very intriguing story with plenty of twists and turns. The story flows easily and effectively and will keep you in suspense. There are other books in this series and I look forward to reading them as well.

My thanks to NetGalley, David Dupuis and Freisen Press for an ARC in exchange for a book review.
The Seven Keys of Hildegard of Mercy and Death is a captivating novel. David Dupuis intricately weaves historical fact with fiction and introduces the reader to ancient prophecies, popes, bishops and an 11th century nun. This story is filled with suspense, mystery and intrigue. You don’t have to be an historical fiction fan to be completely absorbed in this book. There are plenty of twists and turns that left me wanting for more and as this is Book #1 in a five book series, I am looking forward to reading the next installment.
This is a highly recommended and wonderful read.
Five stars.

Never-ending battle between good and evil, God and the Devil. Who guards seven keys? And what the church has to do with it?

Gripping historical fiction, adventure and mistery.
Great story.