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

adventurous emotional sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

A first contact story between aliens and humans on a far-distant planet called Anjinn - a human colonized world of the future. This story, by the author of The Expanse, is much different from that previous series, but intriguing in a unique and interesting way. The writing is crisp and well-done, the biological concepts are presented in an understandable way, and the Carryx and other alien species are fascinating. 

I have heard criticisms of the character-building in this story, and although it is different here than in The Expanse, I find the characters (and the science and the human-alien interactions) to be well-fleshed out. In many ways, this story is more science-based than space opera and that is a nice change for Corey. I look forward to continuing this series and have already pre-ordered the first short story/novella set in this world, Livesuit, due out in October. 

Highly recommended!!