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abby_can_read's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Transphobia, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Homophobia, Sexual violence, and Pregnancy
magnoliaash's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Just as good as the first. Lots of character development which is great. Loved all the twists and turns.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Torture, Violence, and War
Moderate: Sexism and Vomit
Minor: Sexual violence and Religious bigotry
sewer_rat's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
It was very predictable
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Sexual violence and Vomit
marigold82's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-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
4.0
Nice follow-up book. The ending left you wanting more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, and War
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, and Cannibalism
Minor: Pregnancy
queer_bookwyrm's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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? No
5.0
5 ⭐ CW: violence, death, death of a parent, torture, sexual abuse mention, misogyny, misandry, homophobia/transphobia, gender essentialism, descriptions of blood and gore, anxiety, PTSD (including descriptions of flashbacks)
The Merciless Ones by Namina Forna is book two in the Deathless trilogy. This book was just as good, if not better than the first one! The first book gives a lot of world building and a pretty straightforward plot about escaping your oppressors, but this books throws all that out the window and comes back with more twists.
We pick up with Deka after the events of book one, after she has been named Nuru to the gods. Deka and her friends continue to try to defeat the jatu and their false god. But as Deka discovers her growing powers, she realizes she doesn't have the full picture about the Mothers, the Gilded Ones. She realizes not everything is as it seems, and there is something even more sinister afoot.
Deka continues her struggle to overcome her trauma and sort out the truth, so she can trust her own mind again. The others in Deka's group are learning they have been blessed with divine powers as well. Our favorite sentient dragon gets bigger in this book! I love Ixa so much. Britta is a bad bitch in this book, I love her friendship with Deka so much. Their friendship is almost more important than the romantic relationships in the book.
There are major themes in this book about misogyny and oppression of those that don't fit in binary boxes (such as gay men and trans and intersex people), but it also explore the dangers of misandry (the oppression of men and the elevation of [cis] women). Basically, Forna is telling us that gender essentialism will be our downfall. We also get themes on the importance of rear and deal with your trauma. The rep in this series is so good: Black and Asian characters, mental health rep, gay/sapphic rep, nonbinary rep, trans rep, polyamory, intersex, someone with a tic.
I can't wait for the final book of this series! Namina Forna is killing it!
The Merciless Ones by Namina Forna is book two in the Deathless trilogy. This book was just as good, if not better than the first one! The first book gives a lot of world building and a pretty straightforward plot about escaping your oppressors, but this books throws all that out the window and comes back with more twists.
We pick up with Deka after the events of book one, after she has been named Nuru to the gods. Deka and her friends continue to try to defeat the jatu and their false god. But as Deka discovers her growing powers, she realizes she doesn't have the full picture about the Mothers, the Gilded Ones. She realizes not everything is as it seems, and there is something even more sinister afoot.
Deka continues her struggle to overcome her trauma and sort out the truth, so she can trust her own mind again. The others in Deka's group are learning they have been blessed with divine powers as well. Our favorite sentient dragon gets bigger in this book! I love Ixa so much. Britta is a bad bitch in this book, I love her friendship with Deka so much. Their friendship is almost more important than the romantic relationships in the book.
There are major themes in this book about misogyny and oppression of those that don't fit in binary boxes (such as gay men and trans and intersex people), but it also explore the dangers of misandry (the oppression of men and the elevation of [cis] women). Basically, Forna is telling us that gender essentialism will be our downfall. We also get themes on the importance of rear and deal with your trauma. The rep in this series is so good: Black and Asian characters, mental health rep, gay/sapphic rep, nonbinary rep, trans rep, polyamory, intersex, someone with a tic.
I can't wait for the final book of this series! Namina Forna is killing it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Death of parent
Moderate: Homophobia and Transphobia
Minor: Sexual violence
corabookworm's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
it’s hard for me to rate this book, because on one hand, it was interesting and entertaining, and a pretty solid second book. but some of the concepts in it also made me a little uncomfortable. (such as the fact that the only asexual character was asexual because of the trauma and abuse she’d gone through, and the fact that a lot of queer characters seemed to be revealed as queer just to give them a traumatic backstory. also, the reverse-sexism thing at the end was such a different theme and idea from the first book that it gave me whiplash. it just felt like a whole different story ) but it wasn’t that bad of a book?? and i enjoyed reading most of it, especially the beginning. all in all, i’m pretty conflicted :/
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Murder, and War
Moderate: Gore, Sexual violence, and Fire/Fire injury
story_goblin's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
5.0
I was slightly concerned at the beginning because something seemed off and uncomfortable about the Mothers but once it became apparent that that was on purpose, I got even more into the book than I expected to. There are very few (no?) other books that so deftly address the nuance and complications of true conflict like this one- maybe Hunger Games, but it's been too long since I've read them. All the characters have differing and complex reasons for participating in the conflict they ways that they do, and precious few (only 1, which is honestly arguable) of those reasons are "I'm just evil". As much as I want and need stories that give me hope that humanity can find a way to stop destroying everything, many of those stories oversimplify into villain vs hero. This book does not. I am slightly worried about where the next book is going- Deka being a goddess instead of humanity's rescue being human despite the very strong religion corrupts messages - but Forna surprised me with the first two books, so I'll absolutely give her the chance to surprise me again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Violence, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Blood, and Murder
Minor: Cursing, Homophobia, Pregnancy, and Classism
readingelli's review against another edition
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I am speechless.
Forma’s writing is phenomenal, her plot was twisty and took me completely by surprise several times and the characters were well constructed, complicated people (or gods).
Forma’s writing is phenomenal, her plot was twisty and took me completely by surprise several times and the characters were well constructed, complicated people (or gods).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Sexism, Violence, Blood, and War
Moderate: Ableism, Homophobia, Transphobia, and Xenophobia
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, and Vomit
deedireads's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
All my reviews live at https://deedispeaking.com/reads/.
TL;DR REVIEW:
The Merciless Ones was a pretty good sequel to a pretty good first book. It’s not the best-written series so far, but it has enough to keep me reading and wait for the third.
For you if: You like West African-inspired fantasy.
FULL REVIEW:
The Merciless Ones is the sequel to The Gilded Ones, and the second of what will be three books in the series. Like TGO, I liked this fine — well enough that I’m curious about what will happen in book three and do plan to read it, but I wouldn’t say it’s a favorite.
The trilogy, for context, is about a girl named Deka who lives in a world where girls are tested at puberty for gold “demon blood.” Those who have it are usually killed (over and over again, as they’re near mortal) or else taken to the capital to train as warriors on the promise that years of servitude will grant them “clean blood.” That’s the basis for the first book. Book two picks up a few months after that one ends, and it explores Deka coming into her own as a leader (or perhaps more) and realizing that she hasn’t been asking the right questions after all — with, as it goes in fantasy novels, huge potential world-ending stakes.
This trilogy is imaginative and has lots of great ingredients, and like I said, I do want to know how it will end. It’s also trying to do good things around trauma and mental health, which I appreciate. I just think the writing is a bit clunky and at times surface-level, although perhaps what I’m picking up on is it skewing on the younger side of YA (but then again, there are middle-grade books that don’t feel like that, so).
I think if you really like YA fantasy, especially West African-inspired fantasy, you should totally pick this up. It's a good quick, palette-cleansing read. But if you’re trying to be more choosy with your fantasy, I don’t think you’d be missing anything mindblowing by skipping it.
TL;DR REVIEW:
The Merciless Ones was a pretty good sequel to a pretty good first book. It’s not the best-written series so far, but it has enough to keep me reading and wait for the third.
For you if: You like West African-inspired fantasy.
FULL REVIEW:
The Merciless Ones is the sequel to The Gilded Ones, and the second of what will be three books in the series. Like TGO, I liked this fine — well enough that I’m curious about what will happen in book three and do plan to read it, but I wouldn’t say it’s a favorite.
The trilogy, for context, is about a girl named Deka who lives in a world where girls are tested at puberty for gold “demon blood.” Those who have it are usually killed (over and over again, as they’re near mortal) or else taken to the capital to train as warriors on the promise that years of servitude will grant them “clean blood.” That’s the basis for the first book. Book two picks up a few months after that one ends, and it explores Deka coming into her own as a leader (or perhaps more) and realizing that she hasn’t been asking the right questions after all — with, as it goes in fantasy novels, huge potential world-ending stakes.
This trilogy is imaginative and has lots of great ingredients, and like I said, I do want to know how it will end. It’s also trying to do good things around trauma and mental health, which I appreciate. I just think the writing is a bit clunky and at times surface-level, although perhaps what I’m picking up on is it skewing on the younger side of YA (but then again, there are middle-grade books that don’t feel like that, so).
I think if you really like YA fantasy, especially West African-inspired fantasy, you should totally pick this up. It's a good quick, palette-cleansing read. But if you’re trying to be more choosy with your fantasy, I don’t think you’d be missing anything mindblowing by skipping it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Blood
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Homophobia, Sexual violence, and Transphobia
vmknmy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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? It's complicated
3.0
3/5
I read The Gilded Ones about a year ago and could not remember anything from it, so I went into this one with only remembering like 3 things lmao, didn't even remember Deka's name until it was mentioned a few pages in or something like that, and I also didn't remember who anyone was at first.
one of the things I liked about the book was the characters- they were all so distinct and ngl after reading a few chapters I remembered who most of them were because the way they were written made them memorable in a way, especially Britta and the way her dialogue is written that shows how she has a different accent than the rest of them, which is just really cool to see :)))
I also really liked the representation in this book, with how the author introduced trans and non-binary characters into the story and how they had people who were "more of a they than a she" and also how the Singular was introduced as an "our" and "they" and how they were all genders I think that's what the book said? cant remember lmao and how they introduced a few characters as being trans (at least that's what I read some of the parts, idk I'm stupid :') ) I also liked the wlw and mlm characters, as they felt like they had more of a purpose in this book rather than just being thrown in for diversity like i felt the first book did, but this one had so much diversity in terms of sexuality and gender which was just really cool to see :)))
The plot in this was also good i think, i liked how there were twists and how things didn't go as they planned. I also liked the fact that Deka had to uncover the truth about the godesses, and how she had to come to terms with it and how it unsettled her that she had been lied to and decieved, which really helped with her character development. It also had a lot of death, with some quite important deaths happening, and one almost made me cry which is rare so i guess that makes it good ? idk
The world is so well developed and so many details are explained and it really develops the culture of Otera and how they explained customs, social norms and social ettiquete is so detailed and aaa the world is really well made
i enjoyed the book and ill probably read the next one but i didn't love it as much as other books ive read so like 4 stars
there's also some mentions of how some characters were transphobic towards another (if i read it correctly, that is) as well as some
I read The Gilded Ones about a year ago and could not remember anything from it, so I went into this one with only remembering like 3 things lmao, didn't even remember Deka's name until it was mentioned a few pages in or something like that, and I also didn't remember who anyone was at first.
one of the things I liked about the book was the characters- they were all so distinct and ngl after reading a few chapters I remembered who most of them were because the way they were written made them memorable in a way, especially Britta and the way her dialogue is written that shows how she has a different accent than the rest of them, which is just really cool to see :)))
I also really liked the representation in this book, with how the author introduced trans and non-binary characters into the story and how they had people who were "more of a they than a she" and also
The plot in this was also good i think, i liked how there were twists and how things didn't go as they planned. I also liked the fact that Deka had to uncover the truth about the godesses, and how she had to come to terms with it and how it unsettled her that she had been lied to and decieved, which really helped with her character development. It also had a lot of death, with some quite important deaths happening, and one almost made me cry which is rare so i guess that makes it good ? idk
The world is so well developed and so many details are explained and it really develops the culture of Otera and how they explained customs, social norms and social ettiquete is so detailed and aaa the world is really well made
i enjoyed the book and ill probably read the next one but i didn't love it as much as other books ive read so like 4 stars
there's also some mentions of how some characters were transphobic towards another (if i read it correctly, that is) as well as some
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Sexual violence
Minor: Transphobia