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rachelroo13's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Moderate: Death, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Homophobia, Physical abuse, Rape, Torture, and Fire/Fire injury
amanda_marie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexism, Torture, Transphobia, and Fire/Fire injury
helvars's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Death, Sexism, Blood, Murder, and War
Moderate: Homophobia
lulu98's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Death, Blood, Death of parent, and Abandonment
anniereads221's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Homophobia and Transphobia
queer_bookwyrm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
The Merciless Ones by Namina Forna is book two in the Deathless trilogy. This book was just as good, if not better than the first one! The first book gives a lot of world building and a pretty straightforward plot about escaping your oppressors, but this books throws all that out the window and comes back with more twists.
We pick up with Deka after the events of book one, after she has been named Nuru to the gods. Deka and her friends continue to try to defeat the jatu and their false god. But as Deka discovers her growing powers, she realizes she doesn't have the full picture about the Mothers, the Gilded Ones. She realizes not everything is as it seems, and there is something even more sinister afoot.
Deka continues her struggle to overcome her trauma and sort out the truth, so she can trust her own mind again. The others in Deka's group are learning they have been blessed with divine powers as well. Our favorite sentient dragon gets bigger in this book! I love Ixa so much. Britta is a bad bitch in this book, I love her friendship with Deka so much. Their friendship is almost more important than the romantic relationships in the book.
There are major themes in this book about misogyny and oppression of those that don't fit in binary boxes (such as gay men and trans and intersex people), but it also explore the dangers of misandry (the oppression of men and the elevation of [cis] women). Basically, Forna is telling us that gender essentialism will be our downfall. We also get themes on the importance of rear and deal with your trauma. The rep in this series is so good: Black and Asian characters, mental health rep, gay/sapphic rep, nonbinary rep, trans rep, polyamory, intersex, someone with a tic.
I can't wait for the final book of this series! Namina Forna is killing it!
Graphic: Death, Gore, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Death of parent
Moderate: Homophobia and Transphobia
Minor: Sexual violence
fungivibes's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Emotional abuse, Torture, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
canascorner's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Death, Sexism, Blood, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and War
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Transphobia, and Dysphoria
lucy_shanners's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Torture, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Transphobia and Pregnancy
sarah_thebooknerd's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This book deals with themes of patriarchy, feminist movement and how that movement even ended up squashing people of color and trans community/ non binary community. It’s so interesting to me that Namina was able to create that in this fantasy book and make us have to examine what we think and feel we know.
Graphic: Death, Sexism, Violence, Blood, and War
Moderate: Transphobia