It’s often nerve wracking to start a sequel to a book you’ve absolutely loved because all you can think is ‘what if it isn’t as good as the first book? What if that makes me dislike the whole series?’ So you can understand why I went in a little hesitant. But The Merciless Ones was definitely NOT disappointing- it was actually incredible and made me love this series even more!!

The Merciless Ones is the sequel to The Gilded Ones, which I read last year and loved. This series is about a girl called Deka who finds out she’s an alaki- a near-immortal whose blood runs gold. In Book 1, she joins an army of other alaki in an attempt to regain her purity in the eyes of her people and ends up entangled in a terrible plot. The Merciless Ones picks up where that book left off, pitting Deka against deadly enemies as she untangles centuries and centuries of buried secrets.

Firstly, the characters. Our MC is Deka and this series has loads of cool side characters, like Britta, Keita, Belcalis, Ixa, and many others. I wasn’t an enormous fan of the characters for a large chunk of The Gilded Ones, but they have definitely grown on me since then and I have come to really love them. Deka is an amazing heroine- she’s been through so much and she’s still scarred from those experiences, but she’s determined to keep going and secure peace and equality for everyone. She’s super strong, but she also has this vulnerable side that she doesn’t want to show anyone, in case they judge her for it. Even tho she’s the ‘Chosen One’ in a sense, it isn’t done obnoxiously, and instead shows all the pressure Deka puts on herself to save everyone. Deka went through so much growth in this book and I was 👏 HERE 👏 FOR 👏 IT 👏 I really liked her!! ❤

The side characters were also great! They were all pretty well-developed and likeable, and the bonds between them and Deka were all so lovely. I adored Deka and Britta’s friendship- Britta was so supportive and caring, and that was amazing to see! 💕💕 It was giving found family vibes, which I LOVED. You guys know how much I adore that trope 😉😉😜😜 So, yeah, really liked the characters!!

Next, the writing. AAAAHHHH I ADORE THE WRITING 😍😍💕💕 It’s so beautiful & descriptive, and has this lovely magical quality to it. I LOVED all the gorgeous descriptives and the way it plunged you right into the story. The worldbuilding was elegantly woven into the narrative and introduced in such a great way. I thought we’d learned so much about Otera in The Gilded Ones, but there was actually so much more!! The action scenes were really well-written and so were the emotional ones. I now really want to read more of Namina Forna’s work, because her writing is just TOP NOTCH 🤌🤌

Thirdly, the plot. Although the plot did take a while to warm up, it was still really good!! After we got past the first 150 or so pages, which were just explaining the situation and setting up what was to come, it went at a whirlwind speed, with lots of action and twists. Just when I thought I knew what was going out, another twist would arrive and shake everything up. This book honestly took a completely different direction than what I was expecting- but I LOVED IT 😁😁👌👌It still worked so well as a continuation of the series and the ending set up the third book perfectly!!! I can’t WAIT for it to release, because I NEEEED to know what happens next 😩😩

Lastly, the romance. The romance in the first book wasn’t the BEST- it was kinda insta-lovey and overall just could’ve been better. But it was a lot better in this one- really sweet, tender, but still a bit uncertain. I’m really happy with what the author did with it and overall it’s just so cute! Deka’s love interest is also so much better in this instalment, so I was rooting for them as a couple a lot more. So, I did enjoy the romance as a subplot in this one and am excited to see where it goes!

Overall, I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS 😍😍😩😩🤌🤌 From the gorgeous writing to the fast-paced & twisty plot to the well-developed characters, everything was done SO WELL!! The Merciless Ones was such a satisfying sequel that has gotten me SUPER excited for the third book. I can’t wait until it releases!!

Fantastic follow up to the Gilded Ones. So many twists & turns and definitively not the ending I was expecting. Definite lesson that you must not take things at face value & be prepared to alter your perceptions.

3.5 stars

I received an ARC of this when it was published but due to a bad reading slump, I couldn’t get to it then and it slipped my notice until now that I’ve discovered book 3 is out! So, a belated thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me an early copy.

The Merciless Ones follows Deka as she continues her role in this divine rebellion against men and priests of the false gods. It’s been months of battles and bloodshed for her, with many casualties among female civilians just because of their gender. The awakening of The Gilded Ones has brought out the worst in this deeply patriarchal society, and the priests are taking it out on the innocents. Deka blames herself for this senseless violence, as she is the face of the movement, the Nuru of the Goddesses, their Daughter. And she’s feeling the toll of it, battle fatigue as she calls it, as well as panic attacks, recurrent nightmares, and flashbacks to her months of torture at the hands of the priests of her village. (And boy, this is an emotional rollercoaster of a journey for Deka).

Plotwise, I’ll say this was full of twists, but quite predictable nonetheless. As the story progresses, it becomes clear that not everything is as it seems with the goddesses and the past. Artifacts of power suddenly appear and cities become unbreachable, Deka feels the loss of power facing certain symbols and objects (to say in a broad, non-spoiler way), among other things. It was a fast-paced book, full of action and though it was predictable, it was still very fun and I wouldn’t say it suffers book from the dreaded book-two syndrome. The ending wasn’t surprising and had been hinted at a few times.

As in the first book, the romance subplot was just barely there, more like a support system for Deka than actually important to the plot. It served as a way to reveal some aspects but it’s not taking a central role in the story which I liked, it feels refreshing.

“I can’t be like I was before, ignoring things because I was too frightened to look at reality.”

The social commentary on both books was spot on, but I particularly like this one. Deka notices the Firstborn’s (the Goddess's oldest daughters) behavior towards men doesn’t reflect their supposed desire for an equal society between genders (and more than the traditional male and female genders are acknowledged in a general manner; there are at least two characters though); it’s more like they want to reverse the current roles, do to men what has been done to women.

Overall, I had a lot of fun with this book but I keep wondering if this book was necessary, if this needed to be a series. The Gilded Ones has an open ending, the possibility is there, but arguably I think it might’ve been better off as a standalone book. The Gilded Ones was unique But maybe that’s just because I don’t love where the story is headed. After reading the summary of book 3 I can probably guess a few things and main character dilemmas that will happen. I’ll probably still read book 3, because I’m really curious how the story will end, and what will happen to this country in the end.

A great follow up to the original. I really enjoy the world building and the setting in this book and I am incredibly excited to read the next installment!

"The Merciless Ones includes scenes of violence, including some graphic
violence and description of sexual
violence, which some readers may find distressing."

Where was this warning in the first book, huh? I'm still traumatised after it. This book is less descriptive than the first one, but still it's one of the most terrifying, violent and brutal books I've ever read and I would add more content warnings to that.

Thank you Netgalley for providing digital advanced copy in exchange for honest review.

This is a series that took me by surprise. The first book was beautifully written, with an immersive world-building that immediately captured my attention and a heroine I was rooting for. This sequel didn't disappoint. I enjoyed the continuation of the journey, learning more of the lore behind these women and their struggles. It was again beautifully written, and I enjoyed reading it very much.

I loved these books. Both of them were so good, so full of women power. I ope more and more people will reach for them. I will defo read more by the author.

I cannot begin to explain how excited I was to receive an eARC of The Merciless Ones. The Gilded Ones was such a fantastic way to start a series so I was really looking forward to continuing the story.
Sadly, I was quite disappointed. The pacing was much slower and there was a lot of info dumping in an attempt to pad out the world-building. As it's a sequel, I don't want to spoil anything but I will say that the story is very anticlimatic and underwhelming.

As the first book was so so good, The Merciless Ones fell victim to my high expectations. I'll definitely still continue with the series as I love this world!

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book! The premise immediately hooked my interest and it was filled with twisty characters and such intense plot!

I didn't get around to reading this one and have brought a physical copy as the file won't load on my kindle.

I loved the first one and have high hopes for this one!

Sorry!!

3.75 stars

Yes, yes, yes! It was so good being back in this world with Deka. I absolutely loved the Gilded Ones and it quickly became a favourite YA fantasy of mine and I was delighted to find that the elements I loved there are also found here. The stakes are high, the world building expands and there were times I couldn't stop flipping the page because I had to know what was going on. The only real issue I had with the book (and it was my same issue with book one) is that at times, the pacing is a little off - like we had to rush through some parts that I would've loved to linger on. Overall though, The Merciless Ones is a great sequel that has me needing more.

I am in love with the Deathless series! First, The Gilded Ones blew me away with the amazing story of Deka and her finding out more about herself, and then The Merciless Ones threw some twists and spins I never expected and savagely devoured!

The Merciless Ones is a beautiful and inspiring continuation of the Deathless series and Deka’s adventures. As this book is the second book in the series, I strongly recommend reading The Gilded Ones first, to be able to enjoy the story to its full potential.

After the newly acquired knowledge from the end of book one and the intense cliffhanger, Deka continues her journey. Saving the women that are imprisoned and avenging everyone that lost their lives. However, things are never that easy. When she starts unlocking some additional powers, but also starting to lose power as well, things start to take an interesting turn. Deka finds out something that makes her doubt everything she knows. All of a sudden, she needs to find answers again and travel further away from everything she trusts.

I adored and devoured this book! There is intensity and adventure in every single chapter. The pace of the book gradually increases and the last few chapters are filled with anticipation and power.

If you are looking for a fantasy adventure with a lot of magic and fierce female characters, do not miss Deka’s story. It’s by far one of the most thrilling fantasy adventures I’ve ever read!

Was excited to get started with this as I really enjoyed The Gilded Ones. I do unfortunately think that this book suffered with a bit of second book syndrome, as the pace seemed off and I wasn’t as immersed as the first book. Saying that, I’ll still definitely be picking up the third book in the trilogy and can’t wait to see how it ends.
It was beautifully written and still highly recommend to anyone who enjoyed the first book.
Thankyou so much to Usborne Publishing for the opportunity to read this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this sequel to The Gilded Ones. It felt bigger than the first book as a lot more is at stake and is revealed.

The first book mainly focused on racism and sexism, where as this one focused on gender and sexuality. Compared to the first book, there was more queer representation that was written very well. Deka thinks she knows everything there is to know about what is going on in Otera. The Merciless Ones turns many of the things we learn in the first book on it’s head. There are so many reveals in this book that I didn’t know who or what to trust and couldn’t stop reading.

‘Home is where ye are, silly girl. It’s where ye all are. Even when we were at the Warthu Bera an’ things were terrifyin’, it was home because ye were there.’

I love the characters in these books, but did feel like we didn’t see as much of them as in the first one. We didn’t get as much development from them as we do from Deka, who goes through an insane amount of development and discovery over the course of this book. The pace slowed down for me a bit in this book, but by the end I was hooked and couldn’t put it down. I’m very excited to see what happens next for these characters after that ending!

A brilliant second book in this trilogy! I thought that the first novel packed a punch but this one really took on a life of its own. I didn't see it going where it eventually did but I'm so excited to read the third book in the series at some point hopefully in the near future!

We made the first one of these our favourite book - so was so excited to read the follow up. It was great. Deka’s gifts continue to change but the war continues and Deka must find out who the evil force really is.

The Gilded Ones set the bar very high, and when presenting a trilogy, the second book is the hardest as there are so many pitfalls - from pace to narrative arc ... For me, it didn't quite hit the mark, although there was a lot to enjoy about it. Overall it dealt with some tricky themes sensitively, but was considerably darker than The Gilded Ones,

There were times that it felt a bit slow and a bit dense - particularly when dealing with the Arcane Objects and the gods/ goddesses. I suppose it was necessary due to the amount of world-building, but I'm not sure it was fully coherent and there were times when it felt over contrived.

CW: discussion of sexual assault and rape, xenophobia, abuse, misogyny, PTSD
Yr 9 + - for those who like high-fantasy, Children of Blood and Bone, Witches Steeped in Gold etc.

Really enjoyed this. Brilliant follow up to the Gilded Ones, I adore Deka and her friends and while I felt it started out a little slowly it soon picked up pace and then things happened quickly. I loved the reveal towards the end - have to admit I thought it was a duology so was a bit surprised when it wasn't but in a good way. Very well written and very enjoyable.

As well-written as it’s predecessor, with lots of emotional tugs. It’s hard to say this is fun, but the journey and the writing is even if the world isn’t. I am always nervous about sequels, but this one really put those worries to bed.

The book took on some really big topics, and handled them all so well. Really enjoyed it (if that can be said with some of the poor things the characters go through)!

After absolutely LOVING The Gilded Ones, I couldn’t wait to dive into this sequel. I actually preferred this book to the first one in many ways!

We continue on our journey with Deka and her friends, as they battle against and within the wars raging across Otera. This instalment was PACKED with the action and fantasy world building that I loved from the first book and so much more. I adored being back with these characters and exploring their trauma and powers since the fallout in The Gilded Ones. It was such a brilliant continuation of a FASCINATING world, with thrilling twist and turns along the way.

The Merciless Ones also has lots of LGBTQIA+ rep, including major conversations exploring the confinements and boundaries of traditional gender roles!I LOVED these topics being explored and felt it added another layer of intrigue, relatability and relevancy to the characters and plot.

This series is ticking off so many of my plus points and I’m obsessed with the characters; especially Britta! All in all, a brilliant second in the series. It’s been left on a big juicy setup for a third book and I for one cannot wait to read that one!