Reviews with content warning for Gore - Merciless Saviors

Reviews tagging 'Gore'

Merciless Saviors by H.E. Edgmon

13 reviews

dundiesbooks's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This 2nd installment steps up the game in the god department and I don't think it's for me. I do like the personal stories and relationships at the base of it all. There are even a few wholesome moments. The overall very dark vibe and the many violent scenes didn't do much for me though, neither positively nor negatively.
I could critique a lot, it just wouldn't be fair though, because most of it comes down to personal preference and I'm sure this is great for the right audience.* So I'll leave it at: It's a solid story with fantastic (literal) ideas and complex characters. It's just not entirely my cup of tea.

Edit: *After looking at a couple of other reviews, I realised how much I'm not the target audience and it's no wonder I couldn't get into it as much, since I can't relate at all.
I also forgot to mention how confusing the "time jumps" were, listening to the audio book.

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caseythereader's review

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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princegene95's review

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dark emotional 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

5.0

This duology is amazing. I read the first book several months ago when it came out, and just read this one.
The story invests you, wanting to know more about the dark world of the Ether and the background of its many gods.
But this story is also about a kid trying to deal with past trauma and new relationships. About someone ready to face those who have hurt them and (maybe) become a better person for it.
In the acknowledgments at the back of the book, it’s stated

every page of this story is dedicated to survivors of childhood trauma

and it shows. There’s times when you can feel the pain these characters have been through as they carve through the world to try and make a place better for themselves.
As someone who has recently entered their first throuple, and is still trying to navigate how to interact with all members of the group, and this book perfectly describes those feelings.

”But when jealousy and anger are cut open, the gooey organs of fear spill out. If they come to like each other-hells forbid even love each other-then what would they need me for?”

I’ve thought about this exact same thing many times, and yet, it seems all the more real when reading it from a character dealing with similar issues as myself.
I had really enjoyed the first book, and when opening the second to see a full list of content warnings, including things I don’t normally like to read about because it hits too close to home as someone both trans and has childhood trauma, I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to read this book. But I am so glad I did. I can see why others wouldn’t like it. If they aren’t queer, or gender diverse, or haven’t dealt with trauma like this, they probably wouldn’t like it, or at the very least, not be able to relate to it like I have. And that’s something I love being able to do, is relate to the books I read. And this book is one that I can relate to, and I plan on rereading several months down the line because this is a story and a world I would like to revisit.

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ctara2123's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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krisalexcole's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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hedonsgaybookshelf's review

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adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

Review removed due to SMP Boycott. Support Palestine.

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lila_still_reads's review

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dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Merciless Saviors picks up right where Godly Heathens ended- Gem has upset the balance of power by carving away the power of the Cyclone for themselves. Poppy is on the verge of death and Marion is hungry to strike back. Gem has Enzo and Rory for comfort but how can it be enough when present danger and buried memories both seek to tear Gem apart.

Unfortunately, this book didn’t do it for me. In my review for Godly Heathens, I think I said it read like fanfiction (complementary), but some parts of Merciless Saviors read like fanfiction (not complementary). There’s a little too much “I’m the most dangerous thing in this world” for me to not roll my eyes and I felt like the Ether was poorly fleshed out in a way that works in fanfiction (set in a world you’re already familiar with) but just didn’t in this story. More description!

How can it be so much smaller than earth yet also parallel enough that they also have Taylor Swift (but screamo)? I think a few more Clover chapters could have helped ground this side of reality.

The amount of power the characters had in the Ether- especially with the lack of definition of the boundaries of their magic- just made the stakes feel squishy. (For example,

Enzo seems to no longer have power because of the imbalance Gem caused and this was interesting! But jk he actually does have power so he and Rory can have a cool fight

On a more personal note, this more a heads-up than a criticism, but I struggled with this book because of how it depicts depersonalization and sexual abuse. Edgmon does give a warning, but I’m giving my own:

I think Edgmon depicts depersonalization, especially leading up to a suicide attempt, really well. It felt very real and actually made me upset, but this made the book not enjoyable for me to read.

I think it’s good to explicitly note that Gem tries to kill themselves twice in this story.

Basically- it’s mostly well done, and because of this, a huge flag to anyone who’s ever struggled with similar.

The depersonalization felt like it followed the groundwork lain by Godly Heathens well- it made sense as part of Gem’s continued story- but the childhood sexual abuse didn’t feel as integrated into the first book. It sort of becomes everything, the linchpin of this story, and it felt odd that it wasn’t brough up at all in the first book (per my memory at least). You also cannot pull the “maybe this magical world was all created by you as a result of your sexual trauma” thing in the second book of a duology where that’s not at all what the first book is about.

It's clear that this issue is very personal to Edgmon and I don’t want to get into why its also personal to me or why aspects of how they deal with ‘recovered’ memory angered me (it’s a fantasy book, there really is some memory recovery going on via fantasy means), but all this to say- I could see it really working for someone else, but it just didn’t for me.

I could really tell Edgmon was working through something with this book and I think it could be really resonant for someone else, but for me, it was mostly just frustrating, then upsetting, then frustrating again.

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kimwritesstuff's review

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challenging emotional reflective 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

4.0

Every now and again I read a book that I wish I could have read when I was younger. This is one of those books. Merciless Saviors is the second in a duology and both books are so beautiful and heartbreaking. In the second novel, Gem is dealing with the ramifications of their decisions and their identity. The balance of power no longer exists and everyone's powers are feeling the change.

Gem is running out of time and everyone is out for their head. When Gem makes a decision to end the fight, they find themselves pulled back into the Ether. But even there, they aren't really the Magician anymore; Gem is still sort of Gem. The Shade is still sort of Enzo and the Mountain is still sort of Rory. Gem starts to unravel who they are and just how deep trauma is rooted in themselves. This book's narrative is like puzzle pieces that come together, weaving the far past of the Magician and the more recent past of Gem.

This book is dark, but there is also so much hope. I wish I could have read a book like this when I was going through depressive episodes in high school. I know that feeling of fear that your trauma makes you unlovable. Gem is a complex character who is coming to terms with their trauma and how that trauma has informed their own choices in life. This book felt like a love letter to survival. The love between Enzo, Rory, and Gem was *chef's kiss*. I like that all three were complex characters with flaws that weren't resolved. Flaws make characters relatable and I hate when a book has a magical solution that just makes everyone perfect.

The one thing I didn't love about this book was the pacing of the narrative. It felt like we could have spent more time in the Ether and less on Earth. Also, the intertwining of past and present was just a little jarring in places. I wish there could have been more multiple POVs in this book, especially from Lionheart or Death. I kind of hope there are more stories set in this world even if Gem isn't the main character.

This is a wonderful story about coping and healing, though the pacing could have been stronger. Honestly, I think this duology might become a staple for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books for the ARC; all opinions are my own.

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crothe77's review

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emotional fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Merciless Saviors by H. E. Edgmon is the conclusion to YA contemporary fantasy The Ouroboros duology. Gem, Enzo, and Rory now have to deal with the aftermath of Gem taking the powers of another god and throwing everything out of balance. More than that, they might have a chance to return to their former dimension, the Ether.

I was really excited for this book because I loved Godly Heathens so much. Gem, Enzo, and Rory’s polyamorous relationship continues to develop over the course of the story and their feelings for each other are given weight and complexity.

Gem is struggling with some parts of their past they aren’t ready to confront while their powers go haywire.

I wanna say smart things about this book, but everything smart I have to say occurs in the second half. There’s some really interesting ideas and discussions of themes that will resonate with readers young and old. I’m glad readers of YA have books like this.

Content warning for mentions of CSA and gore.

I would recommend this to fans of Godly Heathers, readers looking for fantasy books with Indigenous protagonists, and readers of YA fantasy searching for polyamorous romances.

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lothtor's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Review of Merciless Saviors:

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.75 Rounded up. My only critique is the pacing. Sometimes the pages would drag on and other moments I wanted to stay further in.

I've been waiting for the second installment of this duology since I devoured the first book Godless Heathens. Merciless Saviors starts right off where the first book ended. The book throws you in without a safety net and while there are moments of explanation in case you forgot - for me the first book and this one will be very difficult to forget. There were moments where I thought I was lost in what I was reading, which made sense once I got through that section. It really showcased the confusion that the MC, Gem, was going through during that time.

I highly recommend checking out the trigger warnings that are listed at the beginning of this book as Merciless Saviors dives deeper into the issues more than Godless Heathens. The gender commentary is not as prevalent in this book as it was in Godless Heathens, which did not detract from the impact of it. The first book had it as the forefront where now it goes to the back and is more subtle in its reveals. This book focuses on the trauma and healing of that keeping in mind the logic and emotions of what teenagers feel, no matter how messed up.

Ultimately, the duology and this book in particular are a love story. A story of self-love, looking into yourself and figuring out the jumbled mess of gender and sexuality while finding those that you can be yourself: the good, the bad, and the ugly. And they still love you because of how utterly human you are.

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