Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
Thanks to DAW Books for the ARC!
The Serpent Called Mercy is a fantasy about Lythlet Tairel, a girl who is forced to fight mythical beasts in an arena with her best friend, Desil.
This is the first fantasy book I’ve read in a very long time. It was a great return to the genre, even if it wasn’t a perfect book. It has everything I like about fantasy: cool beasts, real-world cultural parallels, and plenty of found family.
While the found family and platonic focus was great, the characters felt very flat. Even Lythlet, the main character, took forever to get any character development and when she did, it was always a very blatant backstory dump without much emotion involved.
The worldbuilding was super interesting and I loved how many fantastical beasts and lore the author created. But it lacked any buildup because as soon as a lore element was brought up, it was almost immediately utilized. Not the biggest issue, but I would’ve liked to spend a little more time with the super cool magic powers and mythical beasts.
The Serpent Called Mercy is a fantasy about Lythlet Tairel, a girl who is forced to fight mythical beasts in an arena with her best friend, Desil.
This is the first fantasy book I’ve read in a very long time. It was a great return to the genre, even if it wasn’t a perfect book. It has everything I like about fantasy: cool beasts, real-world cultural parallels, and plenty of found family.
While the found family and platonic focus was great, the characters felt very flat. Even Lythlet, the main character, took forever to get any character development and when she did, it was always a very blatant backstory dump without much emotion involved.
The worldbuilding was super interesting and I loved how many fantastical beasts and lore the author created. But it lacked any buildup because as soon as a lore element was brought up, it was almost immediately utilized. Not the biggest issue, but I would’ve liked to spend a little more time with the super cool magic powers and mythical beasts.
I also noticed that there is a massive lack of women in this book, even within the small cast. There are only five-ish women in the book and only three of them have names, compared to the seven or eight male characters who are named. Not the worst, just something I noticed.
This book did have some great discussions on political corruption and bribery, but there were issues where it lacked depth. Most notably, the issue of Lythlet’s mother’s mental health issues (which are glossed over as a tragic-backstory element) and a very unnecessary (in my opinion) CSA/trafficking element that could have been replaced with pretty much any other issue.
Also, who on the publicity team decided to compare this to The Witcher and Squid Games? This is far more comparable to Iron Widow (not a perfect comp but better than the others) in my opinion.
All that said, I really did enjoy this. There wasn’t anything groundbreaking in this, and there didn’t need to be. It’s a fantasy book that reminded me how much I enjoy fantasy, and I highly recommend if you want a semi-high fantasy with cool creatures and absolutely zero romance.
Also, who on the publicity team decided to compare this to The Witcher and Squid Games? This is far more comparable to Iron Widow (not a perfect comp but better than the others) in my opinion.
All that said, I really did enjoy this. There wasn’t anything groundbreaking in this, and there didn’t need to be. It’s a fantasy book that reminded me how much I enjoy fantasy, and I highly recommend if you want a semi-high fantasy with cool creatures and absolutely zero romance.
CW: violence/injury; animal death & cruelty; abuse; child trafficking & CSA; ableism
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I genuinely don’t even know how to write a review of this without spoiling the book!
The long story short is that I absolutely loved it.
I’ve read through a few reviews here and seen some complaints about world building and lack of magic system etc but I think people are missing the fact that our narrator is a young female who was raised with less than bare minimum education who relied on what texts she could steal to learn about her world - it’s even pointed out by other characters that her whole morals and ethics rely on the stories of myths. I think what we are given is truly how Lythlet experiences the world.
I loved the monsters - I would love to see a beastiary accompaniment to this it would be truly amazing. The imagination that went into this was fantastical in every way.
The friendship between Desil and Lythlet and the found family they acquired along the way was so refreshing after reading back to back romance stories.
I adore Lythlet, she was such a great FMC. I loved that her flaws were well presented, she was naive and easily manipulated. Her brain works in a way that I can resonate with as a child who was always “bright and quick to learn” when in reality it was just pattern recognition. I think a lot of the younger readers who pick this up will find a common soul with this little candle flame.
The story reads as a long winded Aesop fable if you have the mind to listen. The name of the book is so incredibly smart - almost goose bump worthy when the realisation strikes.
I really do want to know who the phantom is. Also is runt a beast that was rescued?! Why is she so big? Roanne I need answers please!!!
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the Publisher for allowing me to read an ARC of this book. This is my honest opinion
The long story short is that I absolutely loved it.
I’ve read through a few reviews here and seen some complaints about world building and lack of magic system etc but I think people are missing the fact that our narrator is a young female who was raised with less than bare minimum education who relied on what texts she could steal to learn about her world - it’s even pointed out by other characters that her whole morals and ethics rely on the stories of myths. I think what we are given is truly how Lythlet experiences the world.
I loved the monsters - I would love to see a beastiary accompaniment to this it would be truly amazing. The imagination that went into this was fantastical in every way.
The friendship between Desil and Lythlet and the found family they acquired along the way was so refreshing after reading back to back romance stories.
I adore Lythlet, she was such a great FMC. I loved that her flaws were well presented, she was naive and easily manipulated. Her brain works in a way that I can resonate with as a child who was always “bright and quick to learn” when in reality it was just pattern recognition. I think a lot of the younger readers who pick this up will find a common soul with this little candle flame.
The story reads as a long winded Aesop fable if you have the mind to listen. The name of the book is so incredibly smart - almost goose bump worthy when the realisation strikes.
I really do want to know who the phantom is. Also is runt a beast that was rescued?! Why is she so big? Roanne I need answers please!!!
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the Publisher for allowing me to read an ARC of this book. This is my honest opinion
adventurous
hopeful
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
From the very first pages this book hooks you and makes it so hard to put down. Think Hunger Games with monsters not people and rags-to-riches but at what cost.
Lau has a beautiful writing style and really paints a vivid picture of the world we find ourselves in. You’re gently introduced to the way of life here and the slow and steady pace of world-building prevents you feeling overwhelmed.
I’d have loved to have seen more of the mythology side in the book. It’s quite heavily used early in the book, but takes a back seat later on. Having said that, the beasts they face are brilliantly written and always has you on the edge of your seat.
I loved seeing the growth and development of our protagonists. From desperate to escape their debt, to a hunger for fortune and fame at any cost and then forced to confront their moral compass. It’s a beautiful journey we take with them.
I wasn’t expecting the ending of the book, it totally came out of nowhere in the best way. It’s almost like a fable with the powerful message and life lessons it concludes with.
This is such an impressive debut. It’s vivid and original, gripping and powerful. A wonderful YA book perfect for fans of Hunger Games, mythology and friendship. This is definitely one to check out!
Lau has a beautiful writing style and really paints a vivid picture of the world we find ourselves in. You’re gently introduced to the way of life here and the slow and steady pace of world-building prevents you feeling overwhelmed.
I’d have loved to have seen more of the mythology side in the book. It’s quite heavily used early in the book, but takes a back seat later on. Having said that, the beasts they face are brilliantly written and always has you on the edge of your seat.
I loved seeing the growth and development of our protagonists. From desperate to escape their debt, to a hunger for fortune and fame at any cost and then forced to confront their moral compass. It’s a beautiful journey we take with them.
I wasn’t expecting the ending of the book, it totally came out of nowhere in the best way. It’s almost like a fable with the powerful message and life lessons it concludes with.
This is such an impressive debut. It’s vivid and original, gripping and powerful. A wonderful YA book perfect for fans of Hunger Games, mythology and friendship. This is definitely one to check out!
I was excited for a grimdark fantasy that focuses on wealth inequality and a non-romantic relationship, but there were a few aspects that really threw me out of the story (such as unrealistic dialogue and an unlikable main character). I’d be interested to see where Lau goes after this, but this wasn’t the book for me.
Publishers really do a disservice to authors by comparing their books to amazing franchises - especially when the book is nothing like the comps.
The Squid Game meets Witcher description is not accurate at all - yes, there are monsters to kill, and there are games where you can win a lot of money, or die, but that's about it. I found Lythlet and Desil's story to be okay, but it needed more. More worldbuilding, more fleshing out, more consequences so that things don't feel so surface level.
All in all an okay effort but not a book I will be going back to.
The Squid Game meets Witcher description is not accurate at all - yes, there are monsters to kill, and there are games where you can win a lot of money, or die, but that's about it. I found Lythlet and Desil's story to be okay, but it needed more. More worldbuilding, more fleshing out, more consequences so that things don't feel so surface level.
All in all an okay effort but not a book I will be going back to.
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
fast-paced
If you see this book - READ IT!
Imagine if the Hunger Games was a team of two against legendary beasts instead of other people, and one of the team members was low-key Sherlock Holmes. Sprinkle in some essence of The Bone Season series by Samantha Shannon and some Malaysian/Chinese mythology, and you have one awesome story.
This debut novel is delightfully descriptive, with humour sprinkled throughout. I laughed out loud and cried multiple times while devouring this story. Only two chapters in, this book had its claws in me!
The scenery had me vividly imagining this new world. The trials and combat scenes had me on the edge of my proverbial seat. The friendships had me laughing and crying.
We follow the story of Lythlet, who isn’t pretty or rich. The change and growth of our main character was a joy to see. Her moral compass is such a key part of this journey and was beautifully written.
I found many powerful quotes of thought-provoking wisdom to the philosophy that will keep me returning to reference this book. I can’t recommend this book enough, even if I can only think of so many words to do so!
Clever, brilliant, unique, and a joy to read!
Thank you to NetGalley and DAW Books for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of The Serpent Called Mercy by Roanne Lau.
Imagine if the Hunger Games was a team of two against legendary beasts instead of other people, and one of the team members was low-key Sherlock Holmes. Sprinkle in some essence of The Bone Season series by Samantha Shannon and some Malaysian/Chinese mythology, and you have one awesome story.
This debut novel is delightfully descriptive, with humour sprinkled throughout. I laughed out loud and cried multiple times while devouring this story. Only two chapters in, this book had its claws in me!
The scenery had me vividly imagining this new world. The trials and combat scenes had me on the edge of my proverbial seat. The friendships had me laughing and crying.
We follow the story of Lythlet, who isn’t pretty or rich. The change and growth of our main character was a joy to see. Her moral compass is such a key part of this journey and was beautifully written.
I found many powerful quotes of thought-provoking wisdom to the philosophy that will keep me returning to reference this book. I can’t recommend this book enough, even if I can only think of so many words to do so!
Clever, brilliant, unique, and a joy to read!
Thank you to NetGalley and DAW Books for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of The Serpent Called Mercy by Roanne Lau.
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
slow-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
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
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:
Yes
(eARC) Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author for allowing me to read your story in exchange for an honest review!
The Serpent Called Mercy is a beautifully written story about friendship and the perils of living in poverty. There are so many important messages hidden in plain sight within this story. I really do recommend it to anyone who wants a fantasy read filled with political injustices, and a main character who is fighting against them.
This story gave me huge Hunger Games vibes, as well as really any other sort of dystopian fantasy where our main character is struggling through life, while the rich are prosperous at the expense of the poor. Our main character is forced to journey through a humbling growth in mind, to learn that riches aren’t the fix to all of her problems.
One of my favourite things about this read is that we have 2 very unique features revolving around the main character: 1) She is “ugly”, as quoted several times in the book. I loved this because we got to see the rough and strong personality of a character without constantly being reminded of how good they look. 2) There is no romantic connection between the two main characters, but they have a beautiful friendship and call each other “soulmates”.
The world building was great, and although the world in itself was nothing specifically unique (the usual downtrodden slums vs the wealthy areas), the environment and the things in it, like the lightning bee hives that light the streets, the tea houses and the homes in the trees, were really charming.
My reason for not rating this book 5 stars is because, although the dialogue was written extremely well, it sometimes became really overwhelming and dragged out when some characters went on a bit of a rant/monologue for pages on end. I also thought there were some perfect spots to end the story after the 90% mark, leaving the reader with resounding questions and thoughts after finishing. However it did just continue on for, what I personally believe, was too long.
I’m also a huge animal lover, so any book that has animals dying or suffering is difficult for me to read.
Please read the trigger warnings before picking up this book, as some uncomfortable topics are talked about, but not heavily focused on.
The Serpent Called Mercy is a beautifully written story about friendship and the perils of living in poverty. There are so many important messages hidden in plain sight within this story. I really do recommend it to anyone who wants a fantasy read filled with political injustices, and a main character who is fighting against them.
This story gave me huge Hunger Games vibes, as well as really any other sort of dystopian fantasy where our main character is struggling through life, while the rich are prosperous at the expense of the poor. Our main character is forced to journey through a humbling growth in mind, to learn that riches aren’t the fix to all of her problems.
One of my favourite things about this read is that we have 2 very unique features revolving around the main character: 1) She is “ugly”, as quoted several times in the book. I loved this because we got to see the rough and strong personality of a character without constantly being reminded of how good they look. 2) There is no romantic connection between the two main characters, but they have a beautiful friendship and call each other “soulmates”.
The world building was great, and although the world in itself was nothing specifically unique (the usual downtrodden slums vs the wealthy areas), the environment and the things in it, like the lightning bee hives that light the streets, the tea houses and the homes in the trees, were really charming.
My reason for not rating this book 5 stars is because, although the dialogue was written extremely well, it sometimes became really overwhelming and dragged out when some characters went on a bit of a rant/monologue for pages on end. I also thought there were some perfect spots to end the story after the 90% mark, leaving the reader with resounding questions and thoughts after finishing. However it did just continue on for, what I personally believe, was too long.
I’m also a huge animal lover, so any book that has animals dying or suffering is difficult for me to read.
Please read the trigger warnings before picking up this book, as some uncomfortable topics are talked about, but not heavily focused on.
medium-paced
“There is nothing more dangerous than hope.”
The Serpent Called Mercy had such good bones and a premise I liked but this one just didn’t feel very fulfilling for me. I really wanted to be in the group of people that enjoyed this one and gave it 4 and 5 stars. You’re following Lythlet and her childhood best friend Desil trying to find a way out of the debt that they’re in. They end up deciding their solution was to become conquessors and fight sun-cursed beats in an area for money run by the match master Dothilos.
I loved the beats in here and the deep friendship and bond between Lythlet and Desil. I also really liked that it never developed into a romantic relationship. As well as seeing the relationship between her as her parents. I think these relationships were very well written. I loved some of the magical and fantasy aspects of this as well but I felt that they would get touched on maybe a little and then were just kind of forgotten about which would really bum me out as I wanted to know more about them and the world that this was set in.
I also was drawn in on the pitched comparisons of it being The Squid Games mixed with The Witcher (I really love The Witcher) and didn’t really see them in this story. It sadly, to me, felt that the world and lore wasn’t well developed. The actual fighting felt glossed over and the politics I felt we were supposed to be learning about felt so in the background. I was also bummed about that as well. There were sooo many elements I was fascinated with that we just didn’t get to fully delve into. Some plot points felt a little weird or off at times or maybe even like out of left field a bit, but that’s my opinion.
Overall, I am sure there’s readers out there that would enjoy this but I guess this one just isn’t for me.
I would still be interested in reading something by Roanne Lau again though.
The Serpent Called Mercy had such good bones and a premise I liked but this one just didn’t feel very fulfilling for me. I really wanted to be in the group of people that enjoyed this one and gave it 4 and 5 stars. You’re following Lythlet and her childhood best friend Desil trying to find a way out of the debt that they’re in. They end up deciding their solution was to become conquessors and fight sun-cursed beats in an area for money run by the match master Dothilos.
I loved the beats in here and the deep friendship and bond between Lythlet and Desil. I also really liked that it never developed into a romantic relationship. As well as seeing the relationship between her as her parents. I think these relationships were very well written. I loved some of the magical and fantasy aspects of this as well but I felt that they would get touched on maybe a little and then were just kind of forgotten about which would really bum me out as I wanted to know more about them and the world that this was set in.
I also was drawn in on the pitched comparisons of it being The Squid Games mixed with The Witcher (I really love The Witcher) and didn’t really see them in this story. It sadly, to me, felt that the world and lore wasn’t well developed. The actual fighting felt glossed over and the politics I felt we were supposed to be learning about felt so in the background. I was also bummed about that as well. There were sooo many elements I was fascinated with that we just didn’t get to fully delve into. Some plot points felt a little weird or off at times or maybe even like out of left field a bit, but that’s my opinion.
Overall, I am sure there’s readers out there that would enjoy this but I guess this one just isn’t for me.
I would still be interested in reading something by Roanne Lau again though.