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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and honestly review an advanced reader’s copy of this book.
I loved how this wasn’t your typical fantasy with a plot of romance is some form, it is a story about the platonic relationship between Lythlet and Desil, we see their struggles together, their wins together and also their individual struggles.
The world building is so thorough and expands as the story progresses, bringing in new information that can leave you with a new understanding with how there a big divide with the north being the rich, the south being home to the slums and the forgotten city being home to the unregistered.
I was hooked waiting to see what creature they would be forced to fight in the arena and I was even more shocked at what they had to fight on their 12th match. The writing for the matches was in a way that made me feel like I was with the duo fighting their monsters, I felt the same fear and elevation as they did.
This book really highlights the corruption and politics that many in their everyday lives can relate to. The corruption and politics were written very well and the way the author highlights this through Lythlet’s past and her present.
The book was very slow in the middle and I struggled to push through at times, the start and end was strong and more fast paced, I felt like some parts of the middle could of been cut or shortened as they didn’t feel like they added to the story.
Overall it was a pretty strong standalone and I can’t wait to see what else the author can create, whether it be set in this world or a new one.
I loved how this wasn’t your typical fantasy with a plot of romance is some form, it is a story about the platonic relationship between Lythlet and Desil, we see their struggles together, their wins together and also their individual struggles.
The world building is so thorough and expands as the story progresses, bringing in new information that can leave you with a new understanding with how there a big divide with the north being the rich, the south being home to the slums and the forgotten city being home to the unregistered.
I was hooked waiting to see what creature they would be forced to fight in the arena and I was even more shocked at what they had to fight on their 12th match. The writing for the matches was in a way that made me feel like I was with the duo fighting their monsters, I felt the same fear and elevation as they did.
This book really highlights the corruption and politics that many in their everyday lives can relate to. The corruption and politics were written very well and the way the author highlights this through Lythlet’s past and her present.
The book was very slow in the middle and I struggled to push through at times, the start and end was strong and more fast paced, I felt like some parts of the middle could of been cut or shortened as they didn’t feel like they added to the story.
Overall it was a pretty strong standalone and I can’t wait to see what else the author can create, whether it be set in this world or a new one.
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to NetGalley and DAW for the e-ARC!
In the slums of the city, best friends Lythet and Desil are barely eking out an existence while trying to pay off a massive debt. They are recruited by a shady game-master to participate as conquessors in the arenas of the underworld and fight fantastical beasts from outside the city. With very few options left, they willing sign up to compete for the chance at winning the prize money in spite of the risk of bodily harm. What starts as a straightforward against beasts in the arena transforms into a complex war against the politics and corruption of the city and Lythet finds herself needing to choose which side she will be on.
This book had a fantastic concept but was trying to do entirely too much with one book. Instead of a one-shot, Lau should have expanded this to a duology if not trilogy. Not only is there an exploration of the world of the conquessors but we also tack on: a magic system based upon prayer, a crime lord and his various schemes, a building developer abusing his workers and the minority party in Setgad seeking to oust the majority party in order to reform the city. That is A LOT to cram into one book and as a result, nothing was satisfactorily developed. I found myself comparing this book to the Hunger Games Trilogy as it tried to tackle many of the same themes but without the level of nuance or skill that Suzanne Collins did. Lythet is the only character who feels fully realized which is a shame because there was so much potential. (I adored the Poet and the Ruffian. They had such good Rosencrantz and Guildenstern energy!) I also found it weird that Lythet barely interacted with any female characters. She had no female friends or role models throughout the book which was odd as Setgad society didn't seem overtly misogynistic. I'm also confused about why magic was even introduced into the book. The events of the story could have proceeded without any magic with just rewriting a couple of the arena fight scenes. The overall story wouldn't have been affected much, and more page time could have spent developing other things.
The prose and dialogue also needed to be heavily edited prior to publication. Characters go on extended diatribes about certain themes or subjects that I can only describe as monologuing. These walls of text were clunky and repetitive. You don't need a giant paragraph to get across what a character is thinking or feeling. This can be inferred from brief conversations and a character's body language if the prose is written well. Additionally, it seems that Lau didn't trust her readers to pick up a character's motivations or thought processes. It would be explicitly spelled out either in dialogue or scene descriptions that were again: walls of text. This book was the author's debut novel, and I hate to say it, it really does show.
That being said, the world itself was really interesting, and Lau threw in enough details that it almost felt fully realized. I appreciate the inclusion of various aspects of culture, particularly books, as that is a part of world building that some authors may ignore. The religion was also well constructed and unique.
I hate to give this book such a low rating but unfortunately, I feel that not enough time was spent refining or editing this story.
In the slums of the city, best friends Lythet and Desil are barely eking out an existence while trying to pay off a massive debt. They are recruited by a shady game-master to participate as conquessors in the arenas of the underworld and fight fantastical beasts from outside the city. With very few options left, they willing sign up to compete for the chance at winning the prize money in spite of the risk of bodily harm. What starts as a straightforward against beasts in the arena transforms into a complex war against the politics and corruption of the city and Lythet finds herself needing to choose which side she will be on.
This book had a fantastic concept but was trying to do entirely too much with one book. Instead of a one-shot, Lau should have expanded this to a duology if not trilogy. Not only is there an exploration of the world of the conquessors but we also tack on: a magic system based upon prayer, a crime lord and his various schemes, a building developer abusing his workers and the minority party in Setgad seeking to oust the majority party in order to reform the city. That is A LOT to cram into one book and as a result, nothing was satisfactorily developed. I found myself comparing this book to the Hunger Games Trilogy as it tried to tackle many of the same themes but without the level of nuance or skill that Suzanne Collins did. Lythet is the only character who feels fully realized which is a shame because there was so much potential. (I adored the Poet and the Ruffian. They had such good Rosencrantz and Guildenstern energy!) I also found it weird that Lythet barely interacted with any female characters. She had no female friends or role models throughout the book which was odd as Setgad society didn't seem overtly misogynistic. I'm also confused about why magic was even introduced into the book. The events of the story could have proceeded without any magic with just rewriting a couple of the arena fight scenes. The overall story wouldn't have been affected much, and more page time could have spent developing other things.
The prose and dialogue also needed to be heavily edited prior to publication. Characters go on extended diatribes about certain themes or subjects that I can only describe as monologuing. These walls of text were clunky and repetitive. You don't need a giant paragraph to get across what a character is thinking or feeling. This can be inferred from brief conversations and a character's body language if the prose is written well. Additionally, it seems that Lau didn't trust her readers to pick up a character's motivations or thought processes. It would be explicitly spelled out either in dialogue or scene descriptions that were again: walls of text. This book was the author's debut novel, and I hate to say it, it really does show.
That being said, the world itself was really interesting, and Lau threw in enough details that it almost felt fully realized. I appreciate the inclusion of various aspects of culture, particularly books, as that is a part of world building that some authors may ignore. The religion was also well constructed and unique.
I hate to give this book such a low rating but unfortunately, I feel that not enough time was spent refining or editing this story.
I'm loving the surge of non-western based fantasy books lately. This book is steeped in Malaysian culture and the depictions are vibrant and refreshing. The characters are also flawed and fractured and make for interesting reading - they are not your average cookie cutter MC's.
Our story is chock full of love between best friends (there is zero spice), rebellion, rising up against oppression and navigating a world where corruption is rife. Our MC's are the complete opposite of the usual MC's - they are poor, poverty stricken and on the edge of desperation. No secret powers, hidden ties to royalty or Fae for them. They need to scrap their way out of everything.
Lythlet is a great FMC. She is strong, tough, determined and has overcome abuse by her former "masters". She would do anything for her bestie Desil, even sell their souls to a fight-master. I really empathised with Lythlet - she's plain, ordinary and unremarkable in many ways but she is a whizz at organisation, which has been exploited by others in the past. She does get lost along the way, making her all the more believable as a character. She gets side-tracked and consumed by petty things before she finally gets back on to her true path.
Desil and his medical debt are at the core of every decision that Lythlet makes and there are some really emotional scenes between them as the storyline develops. There are some very strong real-world parallels depicted in the story and it blended into the fantasy world seamlessly.
I'm a bit peeved at the lack of world building outside the MC's direct environment. I wanted to know more about the sub-blest, the workings of the fights/arenas/match masters. There were a few scenes of info-dumping and some of the longer monologues could have been edited down a bit but otherwise I really enjoyed both the storyline and the development of the characters.
This is a friendship/platonic love coded fantasy and I'm here for more!
Our story is chock full of love between best friends (there is zero spice), rebellion, rising up against oppression and navigating a world where corruption is rife. Our MC's are the complete opposite of the usual MC's - they are poor, poverty stricken and on the edge of desperation. No secret powers, hidden ties to royalty or Fae for them. They need to scrap their way out of everything.
Lythlet is a great FMC. She is strong, tough, determined and has overcome abuse by her former "masters". She would do anything for her bestie Desil, even sell their souls to a fight-master. I really empathised with Lythlet - she's plain, ordinary and unremarkable in many ways but she is a whizz at organisation, which has been exploited by others in the past. She does get lost along the way, making her all the more believable as a character. She gets side-tracked and consumed by petty things before she finally gets back on to her true path.
Desil and his medical debt are at the core of every decision that Lythlet makes and there are some really emotional scenes between them as the storyline develops. There are some very strong real-world parallels depicted in the story and it blended into the fantasy world seamlessly.
I'm a bit peeved at the lack of world building outside the MC's direct environment. I wanted to know more about the sub-blest, the workings of the fights/arenas/match masters. There were a few scenes of info-dumping and some of the longer monologues could have been edited down a bit but otherwise I really enjoyed both the storyline and the development of the characters.
This is a friendship/platonic love coded fantasy and I'm here for more!
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
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
I originally picked up this book because I am a sucker for any kind of deadly trials in an arena, but this book ended up being about SO much more than the conquessorial battles. There were political secrets, oppression of the lower classes, and large scale conspiracies that Lythlet and Desil found themselves caught up in. The individual battles themselves actually became more about revealing some kind of detail, secret, or character development than defeating the monsters themselves.
I really liked how the theme of mercy wove through the entire story and really became the central theme for Lythlet's character arc. She had an interesting progression; gaining and then losing confidence, being steered by the strong personalities of others until finally finding her own voice. Her upbringing really fueled her motivations, and it was interesting to see how that even contrasted with others who had similar pasts but made different choices.
Overall, this book has an epic fantasy feel to it, while also being very emotional and character-driven. I really loved Lythlet and Desil's friendship and how it grew and changed and went through struggles, but always remained a sort of north star, something they could always cling to even when things went wrong. I feel like nowadays with the world of romantasy (which don't get me wrong, I am 100% a fan of) every boy/girl pairing in a book ends up romantic, so it was really sweet to see a deep, soul mate level of friendship that was absolutely content to be exactly that. There is also a sweet, found-family-eqsue ensemble that you'll definitely end up falling in love with.
Thank you to DAW and Netgalley for sending me an eARC of this book to review!
I really liked how the theme of mercy wove through the entire story and really became the central theme for Lythlet's character arc. She had an interesting progression; gaining and then losing confidence, being steered by the strong personalities of others until finally finding her own voice. Her upbringing really fueled her motivations, and it was interesting to see how that even contrasted with others who had similar pasts but made different choices.
Overall, this book has an epic fantasy feel to it, while also being very emotional and character-driven. I really loved Lythlet and Desil's friendship and how it grew and changed and went through struggles, but always remained a sort of north star, something they could always cling to even when things went wrong. I feel like nowadays with the world of romantasy (which don't get me wrong, I am 100% a fan of) every boy/girl pairing in a book ends up romantic, so it was really sweet to see a deep, soul mate level of friendship that was absolutely content to be exactly that. There is also a sweet, found-family-eqsue ensemble that you'll definitely end up falling in love with.
Thank you to DAW and Netgalley for sending me an eARC of this book to review!
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
ARC from Netgalley and Solaris Books
Burdened with debt, childhood friends Lythlet and Desil just want out of their never-ending cycle of poverty. Desperate for a way out, they become "conquessors", arena fighters battling ferocious sun-cursed beasts in the city’s dangerous underworld.
Burdened with debt, childhood friends Lythlet and Desil just want out of their never-ending cycle of poverty. Desperate for a way out, they become "conquessors", arena fighters battling ferocious sun-cursed beasts in the city’s dangerous underworld.
As they rack up victories, Lythlet dares to hope that in conquering these battles they could conquer the poverty that had them chained most of their lives. With each cheer and flash of fame, her ambition grows, pulling her deeper under the wing of the match-master. But soon, she finds herself tangled in the messy world of underworld politics and deception, forcing her to choose between her morals and the people she loves.
The Serpent Called Mercy is an epic fantasy inspired by Malaysian Chinese culture and folklore. With its thrilling action and rich world-building, it’s a stunning debut from Roanne Lau.
Lythlet, for me, is a remarkable and compelling character, flawed as she is I found myself rooting for her - not just for her conquering the arena against the sun-cursed beasts, but also for how she conquered the challenges life threw at her, and how she continues to fight in achieving the life she had always dreamed of. Her determination and grit make her journey feel incredibly real and inspiring.
The world-building is vivid, but I wish there was more lore on the sun-cursed beasts, where they come from and how they differ from sun-blessed ones. The ending is a bit bittersweet, but it made the story even more powerful.
Overall, The Serpent Called Mercy is a must-read for fantasy fans. If you’re into action-packed adventures with strong characters and emotional depth, you’ll want to grab this one when it drops on March 27, 2025
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
The Serpent Called Mercy by Roanne Lau is a third person-POV Malaysian-inspired fantasy. Lythlet and Disel are two impoverished youths who find a way to pay off their debts through becoming conquessors, gladiator-esque fighters who battle monsters in increasingly dangerous battles. But match-master Dothilos has his own agenda and is very interested in Disel’s previous history as a brawler before turning his attention to Lythlet.
Lythlet and Disel have a Queer Platonic-coded relationship. They view each other as soul mates and they are deeply important to each other and are, for all intents and purposes, partners. Lythlet never expresses romantic feelings for anyone and there’s even a scene that implies she is Aspec, possibly AroAce. There is no label stated outright and all of the coding is my own interpretation, but regardless of whether or not someone reads QPR into their relationship, it’s still very cool to see a strong female-male friendship that stays platonic and very tight-knit.
There is a nice variety of monsters and all of the monsters that appear on the cover do appear in the book. Lythlet means more about them from a bestiary that is gifted to her and she retains the information, helping her and Desil win their matches as she hones in on the weaknesses in the most efficient way possible. The two-headed horse was my favorite of all the monsters because the details of the match were very interesting and the twist was a nice surprise. It’s action-packed but requires a lot of wit and strategy on Lythlet and Desil’s part.
A major theme is trauma. Lythlet is triggered by one of the monsters pulling her hair and we go into one of her memories with her of being bullied in a very humiliating way followed by a peer seeing her being bullied and doing nothing. This deeply affects Lythlet in the ring and we learn a lot more about her as a character and her history. Disel and Dothilos also have trauma that is explored later and the trauma of poverty does come up throughout the story.
Content warning for violence and mentions of CSA
I would recommend this to fans of fantasy with strong platonic friendships and readers looking for a monster fighting fantasy with a smaller cast of characters
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual assault