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plumpaperbacks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- 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
4.5
I read The Gilded Ones last year and absolutely loved it, which marked The Merciless Ones as one of my most anticipated 2022 releases. While I did enjoy it, for the most part, I can’t say that I loved it to the same extent I did its predecessor. Because as much as I adored Deka and the other alaki and all of their uruni, as intriguing and fast-paced as the very beginning and very end of the novel were, regrettably, I found the middle portion of the book kind of boring and hard to push through. I’m not actually sure if that’s because of the book itself or my on-again-off-again reading slump, but either way, it hindered my reading experience.
That being said, I still think Namina Forna is an incredible writer—she’s created a brilliant protagonist and supporting cast, an absolutely adorable romance, and a fascinatingly intricate world. Her plot twists are mind-blowing; I swear, I spent the last 25% of this book in shock, and at one point I nearly threw my phone across the room. (I read an ebook.)
Also, I just want to take a second to shriek—DEKA AND KEITA ARE ADORABLEEEE. 🥹🥹💗💗
Okay, got that out of my system. 😮💨😮💨
Anyway. Despite not being completely sold on this sequel, I’m excited (slash scared) to see how she’ll end this trilogy, and certain that the finale will be spectacular. If you haven’t read this series yet, do it ASAP!!! (But check the content warnings first, bc damn, these books get brutal.)
Representation
That being said, I still think Namina Forna is an incredible writer—she’s created a brilliant protagonist and supporting cast, an absolutely adorable romance, and a fascinatingly intricate world. Her plot twists are mind-blowing; I swear, I spent the last 25% of this book in shock, and at one point I nearly threw my phone across the room. (I read an ebook.)
Also, I just want to take a second to shriek—DEKA AND KEITA ARE ADORABLEEEE. 🥹🥹💗💗
Okay, got that out of my system. 😮💨😮💨
Anyway. Despite not being completely sold on this sequel, I’m excited (slash scared) to see how she’ll end this trilogy, and certain that the finale will be spectacular. If you haven’t read this series yet, do it ASAP!!! (But check the content warnings first, bc damn, these books get brutal.)
Representation
- full cast of brown/Black characters
- multiple queer main + side characters (includes sapphic, achillean, + trans rep, as well as a nonbinary character that uses they/them pronouns)
- two sapphic side couples
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, Torture, Blood, Gore, Body horror, and Misogyny
Moderate: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Confinement, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Homophobia
Most of the main cast are dealing with PTSD in some form; Deka's is especially bad and occasionally leads to panic attacks. There’s multiple on-page scenes including and/or references to decapitation, various forms of mutilation, and being burned alive, as well as one on-page parent death and references to past deaths of side characters’ parents/families. Lastly, while the main cast is wholly accepting of one another, there are discussions of the homophobic society some characters used to live in.books4bee's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Violence
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, Sexism, Forced institutionalization, Torture, Toxic relationship, Religious bigotry, Confinement, Death of parent, Death, Genocide, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and Murder
Minor: Rape
readingelli's review against another edition
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I am speechless.
Forma’s writing is phenomenal, her plot was twisty and took me completely by surprise several times and the characters were well constructed, complicated people (or gods).
Forma’s writing is phenomenal, her plot was twisty and took me completely by surprise several times and the characters were well constructed, complicated people (or gods).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, Blood, War, and Sexism
Moderate: Ableism, Transphobia, Homophobia, and Xenophobia
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, and Sexual violence
kshertz's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This book is just as good as Gilded Ones. The twists and turns were fantastic. Everything I thought I knew from the first book gets turned on it’s head. There are some moments I actually gasped out loud. Other moments I had tears in my eyes. The writing is just fantastic and the underlining themes are subtle but there if you look. I just love everything about it and now I can’t wait for book 3. I have sooo many questions and theories. I love it. Officially invested highly in all these characters though so I’m hoping they all make it through book 3.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Toxic relationship, Violence, War, Abandonment, Blood, and Emotional abuse
deedireads's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
All my reviews live at https://deedispeaking.com/reads/.
TL;DR REVIEW:
The Merciless Ones was a pretty good sequel to a pretty good first book. It’s not the best-written series so far, but it has enough to keep me reading and wait for the third.
For you if: You like West African-inspired fantasy.
FULL REVIEW:
The Merciless Ones is the sequel to The Gilded Ones, and the second of what will be three books in the series. Like TGO, I liked this fine — well enough that I’m curious about what will happen in book three and do plan to read it, but I wouldn’t say it’s a favorite.
The trilogy, for context, is about a girl named Deka who lives in a world where girls are tested at puberty for gold “demon blood.” Those who have it are usually killed (over and over again, as they’re near mortal) or else taken to the capital to train as warriors on the promise that years of servitude will grant them “clean blood.” That’s the basis for the first book. Book two picks up a few months after that one ends, and it explores Deka coming into her own as a leader (or perhaps more) and realizing that she hasn’t been asking the right questions after all — with, as it goes in fantasy novels, huge potential world-ending stakes.
This trilogy is imaginative and has lots of great ingredients, and like I said, I do want to know how it will end. It’s also trying to do good things around trauma and mental health, which I appreciate. I just think the writing is a bit clunky and at times surface-level, although perhaps what I’m picking up on is it skewing on the younger side of YA (but then again, there are middle-grade books that don’t feel like that, so).
I think if you really like YA fantasy, especially West African-inspired fantasy, you should totally pick this up. It's a good quick, palette-cleansing read. But if you’re trying to be more choosy with your fantasy, I don’t think you’d be missing anything mindblowing by skipping it.
TL;DR REVIEW:
The Merciless Ones was a pretty good sequel to a pretty good first book. It’s not the best-written series so far, but it has enough to keep me reading and wait for the third.
For you if: You like West African-inspired fantasy.
FULL REVIEW:
The Merciless Ones is the sequel to The Gilded Ones, and the second of what will be three books in the series. Like TGO, I liked this fine — well enough that I’m curious about what will happen in book three and do plan to read it, but I wouldn’t say it’s a favorite.
The trilogy, for context, is about a girl named Deka who lives in a world where girls are tested at puberty for gold “demon blood.” Those who have it are usually killed (over and over again, as they’re near mortal) or else taken to the capital to train as warriors on the promise that years of servitude will grant them “clean blood.” That’s the basis for the first book. Book two picks up a few months after that one ends, and it explores Deka coming into her own as a leader (or perhaps more) and realizing that she hasn’t been asking the right questions after all — with, as it goes in fantasy novels, huge potential world-ending stakes.
This trilogy is imaginative and has lots of great ingredients, and like I said, I do want to know how it will end. It’s also trying to do good things around trauma and mental health, which I appreciate. I just think the writing is a bit clunky and at times surface-level, although perhaps what I’m picking up on is it skewing on the younger side of YA (but then again, there are middle-grade books that don’t feel like that, so).
I think if you really like YA fantasy, especially West African-inspired fantasy, you should totally pick this up. It's a good quick, palette-cleansing read. But if you’re trying to be more choosy with your fantasy, I don’t think you’d be missing anything mindblowing by skipping it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, and Death
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Sexual violence, Homophobia, and Transphobia
annikareads_'s review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Misogyny, Transphobia, and Gaslighting
kilic's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death of parent, Blood, Death, Gaslighting, Gore, Misogyny, and Grief
vmknmy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- 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
3.0
3/5
I read The Gilded Ones about a year ago and could not remember anything from it, so I went into this one with only remembering like 3 things lmao, didn't even remember Deka's name until it was mentioned a few pages in or something like that, and I also didn't remember who anyone was at first.
one of the things I liked about the book was the characters- they were all so distinct and ngl after reading a few chapters I remembered who most of them were because the way they were written made them memorable in a way, especially Britta and the way her dialogue is written that shows how she has a different accent than the rest of them, which is just really cool to see :)))
I also really liked the representation in this book, with how the author introduced trans and non-binary characters into the story and how they had people who were "more of a they than a she" and also how the Singular was introduced as an "our" and "they" and how they were all genders I think that's what the book said? cant remember lmao and how they introduced a few characters as being trans (at least that's what I read some of the parts, idk I'm stupid :') ) I also liked the wlw and mlm characters, as they felt like they had more of a purpose in this book rather than just being thrown in for diversity like i felt the first book did, but this one had so much diversity in terms of sexuality and gender which was just really cool to see :)))
The plot in this was also good i think, i liked how there were twists and how things didn't go as they planned. I also liked the fact that Deka had to uncover the truth about the godesses, and how she had to come to terms with it and how it unsettled her that she had been lied to and decieved, which really helped with her character development. It also had a lot of death, with some quite important deaths happening, and one almost made me cry which is rare so i guess that makes it good ? idk
The world is so well developed and so many details are explained and it really develops the culture of Otera and how they explained customs, social norms and social ettiquete is so detailed and aaa the world is really well made
i enjoyed the book and ill probably read the next one but i didn't love it as much as other books ive read so like 4 stars
there's also some mentions of how some characters were transphobic towards another (if i read it correctly, that is) as well as some
I read The Gilded Ones about a year ago and could not remember anything from it, so I went into this one with only remembering like 3 things lmao, didn't even remember Deka's name until it was mentioned a few pages in or something like that, and I also didn't remember who anyone was at first.
one of the things I liked about the book was the characters- they were all so distinct and ngl after reading a few chapters I remembered who most of them were because the way they were written made them memorable in a way, especially Britta and the way her dialogue is written that shows how she has a different accent than the rest of them, which is just really cool to see :)))
I also really liked the representation in this book, with how the author introduced trans and non-binary characters into the story and how they had people who were "more of a they than a she" and also
The plot in this was also good i think, i liked how there were twists and how things didn't go as they planned. I also liked the fact that Deka had to uncover the truth about the godesses, and how she had to come to terms with it and how it unsettled her that she had been lied to and decieved, which really helped with her character development. It also had a lot of death, with some quite important deaths happening, and one almost made me cry which is rare so i guess that makes it good ? idk
The world is so well developed and so many details are explained and it really develops the culture of Otera and how they explained customs, social norms and social ettiquete is so detailed and aaa the world is really well made
i enjoyed the book and ill probably read the next one but i didn't love it as much as other books ive read so like 4 stars
there's also some mentions of how some characters were transphobic towards another (if i read it correctly, that is) as well as some
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Homophobia
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Sexual violence
Minor: Transphobia
dhwani's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- 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
A perfect sequel to The Gilded Ones (which I rated 5/5 too), The Merciless Ones is dark, adventurous and thoroughly thrilling. It follows the story of Deka, who has finally freed the goddesses but still has to do much more than that to ensure the safety of people in Otera. Enraged by her actions, the jatu are killing and torturing the women even more so, and Deka has to stop it. She comes across a lot of new things which she was never certain existed, hence, with her bloodsisters and the uruni by her side, she is sent on a mission to find an artifact that the goddesses are certain is the reason behind the peculiarities seen among the jatu and the new deathshrieks.
However, as she goes about this journey, she encounters a lot of people who make her question her loyalty to the mothers. She discovers powers she never thought she possessed, and a lot many truths are revealed to her. On the other hand, there is also the enigma of the symbol that makes her lose her senses and the story behind it. She knows that whatever she is against is no common army she can defeat easily, and her only weapon to get out of this battle alive and save the people of Otera is herself.
I’m the kind of person who doesn’t remember the previous books easily when a sequel is released, and I didn’t have enough time to reread The Gilded Ones. This book, although, summarised the previous points such that I recollected everything perfectly and the elements leading up to the building of the new story weren’t lost. Deka’s character was my favourite, like always. She is written in a way that lays her vulnerable with both her strengths and weaknesses. Her powers don’t mean that she forgets the trauma she has from what happened to her.
The side characters were also all so well-written. I loved getting an insight to their backstories and despite having so many side characters, none of them were useless or just standing by.
I also liked the fact that unlike other liberal feminist stories, this one focused on the problems faced by all the genders and people instead of the usual man-hating feminism that the mainstream is reverting towards. The values set in this book were so good and I liked that part the most. AND WE LOVE TO SEE BADASS WOMEN FIGHTING AJHBHSB ALL THE CHARACTERS WERE SO SO COOL IMAGINE HAVING POWERS AND FIGHTING TOGETHER AS A TEAM TAKE MY HEART ALREADY!!!
There were also so many plot twists and THE ENDING HABJHHJNFJDSB I CAN’T WAIT FOR THE SEQUEL TO BE HERE ALREADY!!!
I totally loved this book and please read it and let me know so we can scream about it together!!!
However, as she goes about this journey, she encounters a lot of people who make her question her loyalty to the mothers. She discovers powers she never thought she possessed, and a lot many truths are revealed to her. On the other hand, there is also the enigma of the symbol that makes her lose her senses and the story behind it. She knows that whatever she is against is no common army she can defeat easily, and her only weapon to get out of this battle alive and save the people of Otera is herself.
I’m the kind of person who doesn’t remember the previous books easily when a sequel is released, and I didn’t have enough time to reread The Gilded Ones. This book, although, summarised the previous points such that I recollected everything perfectly and the elements leading up to the building of the new story weren’t lost. Deka’s character was my favourite, like always. She is written in a way that lays her vulnerable with both her strengths and weaknesses. Her powers don’t mean that she forgets the trauma she has from what happened to her.
The side characters were also all so well-written. I loved getting an insight to their backstories and despite having so many side characters, none of them were useless or just standing by.
I also liked the fact that unlike other liberal feminist stories, this one focused on the problems faced by all the genders and people instead of the usual man-hating feminism that the mainstream is reverting towards. The values set in this book were so good and I liked that part the most. AND WE LOVE TO SEE BADASS WOMEN FIGHTING AJHBHSB ALL THE CHARACTERS WERE SO SO COOL IMAGINE HAVING POWERS AND FIGHTING TOGETHER AS A TEAM TAKE MY HEART ALREADY!!!
There were also so many plot twists and THE ENDING HABJHHJNFJDSB I CAN’T WAIT FOR THE SEQUEL TO BE HERE ALREADY!!!
I totally loved this book and please read it and let me know so we can scream about it together!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Torture, Vomit, War, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Death of parent, and Misogyny
Moderate: Confinement, Panic attacks/disorders, and Pregnancy
Minor: Transphobia, Gaslighting, Homophobia, and Sexual assault
elizajaquays's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- 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
4.5
The Gilded Ones was one of my top five reads of 2021, so I was so excited to receive an ARC through NetGalley from Delacorte Press. Thank you so much for the opportunity! I rate it 4.5 out of 5 stars.
We are immediately thrust into action with Deka dealing with the aftermath of what happens when you depose an Emperor but are powerless to enact immediate change. Much like in The Gilded Ones, the book does not shy away from graphic descriptions of war—both for those in the army and the civilian bystanders. They may have overthrown a corrupt emperor, but the world is still not a safe place for women.
What I love most about Deka’s story is that every turn, she is constantly rediscovering what it means to be the Nuru to the Goddesses and that we are learning right alongside her. If there is information that we as readers don’t have, it is because Deka also doesn’t have that information (and is most likely doing her best to uncover it). We are right there with her, struggling to determine who is trustworthy and what the cost will be if she trusts the wrong person. Well, that might be my second favorite thing about this book. What I truly love most about her story is her ride or die friendships that she’s built. It’s truly a story of found family who would do anythign to protect each other. There is no mountain too high, no army too large.
The thing that drew me out of the story the most was some of the repeated phrases and scenes, to the point where I was flipping back to make sure I didn’t lose my place and reread a scene. There were subtle differences between them and it was rarely anything over a few lines at a time, but it was definitely a bit jarring and felt like it was a heavy-handed way to say “hey this bit is important.” The only other issue I had with it was that most of the advertising I’d come across didn’t specify that this was a middle book and even when searching, I only found a couple of references mentioning that this was a planned trilogy. I think if I had engaged with it knowing it was not the final book in the series I would have enjoyed it more.
But I still had an excellent time reading it and am so excited for the next book in the series!
We are immediately thrust into action with Deka dealing with the aftermath of what happens when you depose an Emperor but are powerless to enact immediate change. Much like in The Gilded Ones, the book does not shy away from graphic descriptions of war—both for those in the army and the civilian bystanders. They may have overthrown a corrupt emperor, but the world is still not a safe place for women.
What I love most about Deka’s story is that every turn, she is constantly rediscovering what it means to be the Nuru to the Goddesses and that we are learning right alongside her. If there is information that we as readers don’t have, it is because Deka also doesn’t have that information (and is most likely doing her best to uncover it). We are right there with her, struggling to determine who is trustworthy and what the cost will be if she trusts the wrong person. Well, that might be my second favorite thing about this book. What I truly love most about her story is her ride or die friendships that she’s built. It’s truly a story of found family who would do anythign to protect each other. There is no mountain too high, no army too large.
The thing that drew me out of the story the most was some of the repeated phrases and scenes, to the point where I was flipping back to make sure I didn’t lose my place and reread a scene. There were subtle differences between them and it was rarely anything over a few lines at a time, but it was definitely a bit jarring and felt like it was a heavy-handed way to say “hey this bit is important.” The only other issue I had with it was that most of the advertising I’d come across didn’t specify that this was a middle book and even when searching, I only found a couple of references mentioning that this was a planned trilogy. I think if I had engaged with it knowing it was not the final book in the series I would have enjoyed it more.
But I still had an excellent time reading it and am so excited for the next book in the series!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Blood, Misogyny, Murder, Violence, War, and Death
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