A review by culturekath
The Serpent Called Mercy by Roanne Lau

adventurous dark medium-paced

4.25

 

Thank you to NetGalley and Solaris for the ARC 

I loved the concept of this book. A mix of Slumdog Millionaire, Hunger Games and The Witcher. There was so much great character work, world-building, political machinations, monsters and Malaysian Chinese. 

Our main protagonist is a slumdog, raised in poverty, struggling to survive in a world that would happily beat her to death. Despite this, she is brave, determined, clever and kind. To escape living in debt Lythlet and her best friend, Desil, sign up to become monster fighters in a dangerous underground arena. 

While monster fighting appears to be the book's main premise, it is not the main story. The story is about two disadvantaged young people, trying to survive in a corrupt world where the rich get richer and the poor cling on to any sliver of hope they can find. As we get deeper into the story, both Lythlet and Desil have to wrestle with their demons and find a way to keep their humanity. 

I loved Lythlet’s relationship with Desil, the deep friendship and reliance the pair have on each other to survive and the lengths each would go to protect the other. It’s a breath of fresh air to have a book focus so deeply on a platonic relationship. 

Personally, I could have done with the book being longer, and the world-building more in-depth. What we did get I loved, though at times I did struggle to understand the concepts and history being introduced. 

4.25 stars, a stunning debut novel, I can’t wait to see what Roanne Lau does next.