A review by dunecello
The Mercy of Gods by James S.A. Corey

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

Excellent writing and exciting plot which I've come to expect from these authors. Fans of Butler's Xenogenesis should definitely check this out.

Dafyd is such an interesting character. Constantly underestimated due to his age and lack of lab experience, operating on a whole different system of thinking than the rest of the characters. I was constantly wondering what he'd do or say next.

Thank goodness he's the main character because the rest of the characters fell pretty flat. The fleshed out characterization I enjoyed in The Expanse is slightly lacking here. None of the characters are likeable per se, which is not in itself an issue, but they need to at least be enjoyable to read about, which was lacking here. Worse, I actively hated Jessyn and could not stand to be in her head. She has a history of depression and constantly feels sorry for herself even before humanity was enslaved. Did I mention she's depressed? We should mention it again just in case the reader forgot. Her development has not saved her in my eyes.
After an insanely harrowing experience *for the both of them*, her brother says "I've been worried about you" and she replies "I've been worried about me too" ?? I wish she wasn't one of the survivors, sorry.
Even the villains of The Expanse are fun and well thought out so I hope this improves in future books in this series.

Anyways, the reluctant/misunderstood savior trope is one I love, and the misery is cranked up to the max (which i also love). The dynamic left between the characters at the end is deliciously complicated. I'm excited to see where this series goes.
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