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A review by rosiecheeks
Mercy by Ian Haramaki
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I really really wish I'd been able to give this a 4+ rating after seeing a glowing recommendation on tiktok, and the other high ratings here... I have soooo many thoughts, but in order to keep this from getting crazy long, I'll just do pros and cons. FULL SPOILERS AHEAD.
Pros:
- The relationship between Ilya and Danya is very sincere and tender, and some of the prose used when exploring their emotional intimacy (to say nothing of the physical) made me all warm fuzzies.
- I was kept guessing about where the story was heading, and how it would end. I devoured the last 20% because I just had to KNOW.
- Danya... I love him.
- The portrayal of Ilya's anxiety felt so real. Like. I can relate. Poor guy.
- I wasn't sure if this was intended, but I appreciate that the relationship between Danya and Tatyana wasn't so... clear cut. Yes he loved her, yes they were involved, but I was still left unsure if she felt anything for him beyond the care one would have for a pet, if that makes sense. I felt kinda yucky reading their history together and I think that was the point.
- Overall satisfying ending! Glad they got out of that stupid fucking town and away from those stupid fucking people.
Cons:
- The tiny grammar and spelling mistakes (in each instance that the word "whose" would be appropriate, "who's" was used instead, for example) really took me out of the moment each time I came across them. I was a bit surprised to find that these mistakes weren't caught in the beta reading or editing process detailed in the acknowledgements. I understand that this was published independently, but something as small as this is important in keeping readers immersed.
- Some of the writing for the villains, namely Ivan and other townspeople, came across as over the top and cartoonish in an otherwise very delicate and emotional story. Again, reading the passages where these characters appear the most took me out of the story.
- I believe there were missed opportunities to showcase other townspeople being conflicted about Ilya, yet being too afraid to speak up before Danya made his show of support. For me, it would've solved some of the problems I had with immersion (re: the above con)
???:
- Unsure whether to sort this into a pro or con, so here it is: I don't generally like when real life prejudice is included in fantasy, but if it HAD to be in this story I think it was portrayed well enough. Especially in Oyuna's case, where the disappointment outweighed outright hostility.
Generally, I did like the book! I just... think that there are improvements that can be made. I'd like to see a re-edited version someday, maybe a later edition.
Pros:
- The relationship between Ilya and Danya is very sincere and tender, and some of the prose used when exploring their emotional intimacy (to say nothing of the physical) made me all warm fuzzies.
- I was kept guessing about where the story was heading, and how it would end. I devoured the last 20% because I just had to KNOW.
- Danya... I love him.
- The portrayal of Ilya's anxiety felt so real. Like. I can relate. Poor guy.
- I wasn't sure if this was intended, but I appreciate that the relationship between Danya and Tatyana wasn't so... clear cut. Yes he loved her, yes they were involved, but I was still left unsure if she felt anything for him beyond the care one would have for a pet, if that makes sense. I felt kinda yucky reading their history together and I think that was the point.
- Overall satisfying ending! Glad they got out of that stupid fucking town and away from those stupid fucking people.
Cons:
- The tiny grammar and spelling mistakes (in each instance that the word "whose" would be appropriate, "who's" was used instead, for example) really took me out of the moment each time I came across them. I was a bit surprised to find that these mistakes weren't caught in the beta reading or editing process detailed in the acknowledgements. I understand that this was published independently, but something as small as this is important in keeping readers immersed.
- Some of the writing for the villains, namely Ivan and other townspeople, came across as over the top and cartoonish in an otherwise very delicate and emotional story. Again, reading the passages where these characters appear the most took me out of the story.
- I believe there were missed opportunities to showcase other townspeople being conflicted about Ilya, yet being too afraid to speak up before Danya made his show of support. For me, it would've solved some of the problems I had with immersion (re: the above con)
???:
- Unsure whether to sort this into a pro or con, so here it is: I don't generally like when real life prejudice is included in fantasy, but if it HAD to be in this story I think it was portrayed well enough. Especially in Oyuna's case, where the disappointment outweighed outright hostility.
Generally, I did like the book! I just... think that there are improvements that can be made. I'd like to see a re-edited version someday, maybe a later edition.