The first in a new series from Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck, working under the pseudonym of James S. A. Corey, this novel is a very promising start. It begins with the complete collapse of a society as it is devastated by the arrival of a technologically superior alien race. Many are killed and the elite are transported, in the most inhumane of conditions, to a city where they must compete alongside other conquered species to prove their usefulness to their new overlords. At least, that's what they think. Nothing is fully explained to them and when encountered with a bewildering number of different alien minds, they must quickly understand how to thrive and to defend themselves in their new environment. The degree of world-building here is incredible and the cast of characters populating it are compelling and intriguing. While this opening book in the trilogy doesn't quite deliver in it's climax, it points to great potential for the novels to come.

Although I’ve heard of this author’s great work, The Mercy of Gods is my first read from him. Slow pace and confusing start made me
struggles to get strong foot at begining. The characters had potential, but there were so many of them that I struggled to stay focused.

The plot revolves around a forgotten human colony that eventually becomes a new Earth. However, it later shifts into a survival story against an alien invasion, where the pacing tightens and becomes far more engaging. While the world-building, conflicts, and philosophical themes are intriguing, I found it hard to connect with the characters. This is a promising start to a brand new series, even though I might not the main target of market audience.

Thank you Netgalley and Orbit from Little Brown Book Group UK for providing copy of this ebook. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Expecting release date : 6 August 2024

This book follows a cast of characters in formerly in Tanner Freis group on Anjiin before an alien invasion sees the brightest people shipped to the Carryx home world. There they are given a series of seemingly mundane tasks of which the outcome may result in their doom. Dafyd the consummate politician, tries to learn more about the Carryx to ensure their survival. However, the other humans have their own plan that may hinder his prospects. A good representation of the working life in a small lab with a small team with the main characters being well fleshed out and their motives unveiled in a systematic manner. I also liked learning about the Carryx and their customs. I enjoyed the reading experience and look for ward to the next instalment. I would recommend to fantasy lovers.

Disclaimer: I received this ARC from NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK | Orbit in exchange for a free and honest review

Una nueva serie de ciencia ficción de los aclamados James S.A. Corey era algo que no iba a dejar pasar, aún más cuando se anunció su publicación en español por parte de Nova con traducción de David Tejera. Aunque The Mercy of Gods tiene una premisa muy atractiva, me temo que los autores se han pasado de frenada esta vez, con un volumen demasiado introductorio que no quita las ganas de leer los siguientes, pero tampoco aviva las llamas de las expectativas.


El libro parte de una premisa a priori bastante atractiva, como es la llegada de una raza alienígena a un planeta habitado por humanos. La primera acción que llevarán a cabo los Carryx es diezmar (vale que no es diezmar exactamente, matan a 1 de cada 8, pero bueno) a la población humana y llevarse con ellos a los miembros más destacados de la comunidad para utilizarlos no se sabe muy bien con qué fin. El hecho de que el libro se base principalmente en los estudios que llevan a cabo estos científicos que tampoco tienen muy claro que están compitiendo con otras razas alienígenas ralentiza bastante la trama, quizá hay un poco de sobrexposición de bata blanca y probeta, y se añora algo más de acción.

Los autores no dejan de lado su gran capacidad imaginativa, dando lugar a muchas razas distintas cada una con sus peculiares características que harían las delicias de cualquier xenólogo que se precie, pero le falta algo de cohesión en la exposición de los hechos y, sobre todo, continuidad en el ritmo.

Es una historia de supervivencia, sí, pero está escrita de una manera que le da más importancia a las probetas que los que las manejan, si me permitís la comparación. El elenco de personajes es bastante plano y la interacción con los demás aliens es poco sutil, cuando no directamente basta. El conflicto mayor al que se hace referencia queda un tanto velado y siguen sin estar claras las intenciones de los Carryx o al menos la estrategia que pretenden seguir para esquivar sus problemas.

En resumen, me ha parecido más el prólogo alargado de una serie que puede estar bien, pero que se queda un poco cojo como entrega única.

Liked it . Due to health issues cannot not but will write a proper review at a later time
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

"The Mercy of Gods" by James S.A. Corey is a gripping and emotionally intense sci-fi novel that masterfully balances high-stakes tension with deeply personal storytelling. The plot revolves around humanity’s struggle against a sophisticated alien race that has forced them into a deadly, unwinnable game. While the scale of the conflict is vast, the story never loses sight of the individuals at its heart, making every decision and sacrifice hit with full emotional weight.

One of the novel’s greatest strengths is its nuanced characters, who feel deeply human in their motivations and flaws. Their choices are both understandable and agonizing, with real, lasting consequences that shape the narrative in powerful ways. The pacing is relentless, making it hard to put down, and the horror-like elements—particularly the eerie, almost nightmarish scenario humanity is trapped in—add an extra layer of intensity.

While the book doesn’t shy away from bleak moments, its strong character work and gripping tension make it a compelling read. If you’re looking for a sci-fi story that blends thrilling action with emotional depth and haunting atmosphere, The Mercy of Gods is a fantastic choice.

Sadly not for me,.. Alien life in over 3,000 years in the future. It's me, not you...would be a fantastic book if you like AI & future life.

If, like me, you’re a fan of The Expanse series, then The Mercy of Gods is a novel that will captivate your imagination and keep you on the edge of your seat. Just like The Expanse, this book offers a rich tapestry of interstellar politics, complex characters, and high-stakes adventure that makes for an unforgettable reading experience.

The story is set in a meticulously crafted universe where humanity has expanded across the stars. The attention to detail in world-building is reminiscent of James S.A. Corey’s prior work, with intricate political systems, diverse cultures, and realistic technological advancements. I particularly loved the academic politics of the early section of the novel. The backdrop of interstellar colonisation and the tension between different factions provides a compelling setting that draws you in from the first page.

The characters in The Mercy of Gods are deeply complex and relatable, much like the crew of The Expanse’s Rocinante. Each character has their own motivations, flaws, and growth arcs that make them feel incredibly real. Tonner Freis, the renowned scientist, leads the research team, embodying the struggle to maintain humanity and purpose in alien captivity. Else Yannin, his intelligent and resourceful second-in-command and girlfriend, adds depth with her complex relationships. Dafyd Alkhor, the young and eager research assistant, brings a sense of growth and self-discovery to the story as he navigates the challenges of captivity and rebellion. Lastly, Jessyn Kaul might be my favourite character. I enjoyed her battle with mental health issues, adding emotional depth and highlighting the human capacity for resilience and adaptation. I also love her relationship with her twin.

Together, these characters create a dynamic and engaging cast, driving the story forward and making The Mercy of Gods a compelling read for fans of character-driven science fiction. Their individual journeys and interactions are central to the narrative, providing a rich and immersive experience.

The plot is a masterful blend of mystery, action, and political intrigue. The pacing (often the downfall of an otherwise-excellent novel for me) is perfect, with just the right balance of tension and resolution to keep you hooked. The twists and turns are well-executed and often surprising, making for a thrilling read that will leave you eagerly turning the pages.

The novel explores themes of loyalty, sacrifice, and the pursuit of justice in a way that resonates deeply. It delves into the moral complexities of power and the impact of decisions on a grand scale. These themes add depth to the story and provoke thought long after you’ve finished the book.

The writing is sharp, evocative, and immersive. The author’s ability to create vivid imagery and convey emotion through prose is impressive, as is their abilty to convey alien thought and consciousness as being fundamentally different to our own human experience. The dialogue is natural and engaging, capturing the unique voices of each character.

The Mercy of Gods is a must-read for fans of The Expanse, and for the fans of sci-fi in general. It offers the blend of epic storytelling, complex characters, and thought-provoking themes that we have come to expect from these authors, and which make for a truly satisfying read.

This is one of the most unique sci-fi narratives I've read in a long time. I really took my time reading this to savour the story and stretch it out for as long as possible.

4.5 stars - A very promising beginning to a new space opera

Well, which sci-fi fan has not heard of The Expanse series as one of the best space operas in recent times, with great world-building and characters? So I was very curious to see what kind of new scenario the author duo writing together under James S.A. Corey had cooked up and what they were going to do with it.

While The Expanse was mostly set in our solar system and had focused on the human side of events this time the setting is wildly different. The story starts out on the planet Anjiin, which has been settled by humans so long ago that no one really remembers the details. The biology on this planet is not really compatible with organisms originating from Earth, but there are scientists working on finally creating some sort of compatibility. In particular there is one group of researchers with some recent success in that regard that the plot will also focus on.

Into the everyday life on Anjiin one day an invasion force of the Corrax comes crashing in and very efficiently (and for humans very cruelly) makes clear that things are in their hands now. They take plenty of humans as prisoners and take them on a gruelling, long trip to their world on space ships. As soon becomes clear, they are in particular interested in the usefulness of their prisoners' human knowledge and give tasks to complete to the different groups of people. The context is clear - if you are not useful, you are expendable. 

Our group of researchers start working on their task, while grappling with the fact that they are now prisoners in the hands of very efficient conquerors whose culture and value system is completely unknown to them, with only very limited means of communication and surrounded by many other different species who also have been abducted to prove their usefulness to the Carryx in order to escape annihilation. They are prisoners with little perspective for the future, away from their familiar life, having lost many friends and family and without any idea how the rest of humankind on Anjiin fared.

And really, the human experience in this situation is where the book absolutely shines (in addition to the great premise):

the characters are well fleshed out and just feel real. They have very different personalities and idiosyncrasies that don't serve the plot but make them so much more relatable. Also, their thoughts and reactions to their situation, which are as varied as their personalities, all make sense and you cannot help but wonder how you would react to such circumstances.

And of course, some of the humans are already planning to take things into their hands and fight back in any way that is available to them.

The writing is very engaging and throws you right into the middle of things. There is not a great lot of exposition, but I felt like I had enough information to figure out the world and how things work without big info dumps. It does make you work a little, but never so much as to become frustrating, which worked well for me.

This is really a very promising, immensely readable start to a series and I am surely going to follow this one!

I'm sure this will find many fans and can recommend it to anyone enjoying sci-fi in general and space opera in particular!

I LOVE JAMES S A COREY BOOKS.

I sincerely think that this writing duo are up in my top authors list, and if I was to seriously consider ranking them they are most likely number one. I cannot get enough of their writing.

This first book in a new series follows a group of characters who are captured by an alien force and forced into work for these aliens. We get a glimpse into the group in the days before they are stolen, and get to experience their shifting alliances and goals as they realise what is happening. I was hooked from the very first chapter and smashed my way through this book in a matter of days. I've just seen its been potentially adapted to a tv show, so I'm excited!

This one made me sad. It is well written, has a good plot and setting and the characters are interesting, but I just didn't enjoy it. I know it's a me problem, but it's still a shame as I loved the Expanse series. The book is well set up for the next installment and I would definitely recommend it, but I don't think I'll be continuing the series.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

With the rise of Romantasy as a genre I have been hungry for some really good sci-fi, and Corey served a flipping banquet! Not that I expected anything less from the people who created the Expanse series, this book is exactly what I have been waiting for. Great characters, world building and just a smattering of existential dread. My poor subscribers will be getting this one in the post whether they like it or not!

I had high hopes for this after really loving what I've read of The Expanse series so far. This was action packed, fast paced, with a great cast of characters. It had a slightly different vibe to what I've read by these authors before and it felt darker and harsher, and definitely gave me War of the Worlds feels at points. Alongside the intense plot, there was definitely a study of human emotions, resilience, grief and fight. My only reservation would be the relationships between the characters - the forced proximity 'romance' felt shoehorned into the story, whereas the platonic relationships felt more real.

If you enjoyed The Expanse, I'd definitely give this a go, it has the same compulsive reading style and I also enjoyed the audiobook.

With thanks to Orbit and NetGalley for the Advanced Reading Copy of this title.

Definitely one of my favorite sci-fi books. I really really liked this and I struggle with visualizing a lot of it, which makes me want to reread it before the next one because it was just so interesting to me and I think a second read would really let it sink in.

The aliens feel appropriately very alien. A lot of this reminded me of StarCraft - not so much with the overall story (yet?) but with the Carryx feeling like the Zerg and the interstellar and interspecial colonialism. A lot of really cool concepts that I think were explored fantastically.

Also just really good writing. There are so many good lines or realistic reactions or observations from the characters, things phrased in a way that just felt vivid. There is a lot of alienness to the book and S.A. Corey did an awesome job at varying the types of alienness and how confusing, sinister, and horrifying these situations would be.

Rating: 3.5

Right, this rating is on me as this book *was* good - I just went in with my hopes and bar set WAY too high, expecting the next expanse series. So I'll start with that, if you are thinking this is the next great space adventure akin to the expanse, this is NOT what you are going to get out of this.

The Mercy of Gods follows a number of humans after an alien species called the Carryx infiltrated their planet of Anjiin. The humans are given the task of proving their usefulness to this alien race, or, they will be eliminated.

Premise of the book was great and like all Corey books the action and descriptions are all so immersive - where this book let me down was the characters. I'd argue that the greatest strength of the expanse series is in its wonderfully developed characters. The same love and attention is lacking here, honestly I didn't care at all what happened to any of them and wasn't invested in their individual plights (especially love lives!?). The collective front against the Carryx is what kept me interested and reading on.

Overall I was so disappointed with this :(

I will 100% continue on and read book 2 as I do hope this was more a dragged out prologue and everything will flow better in the next instalment.

Thanks so much to the publisher for the ARC in exchange for a review.

Brilliant!

I loved their first series and this is even better. I'm absolutely chomping at the bit for the second book. It is both as epic and intricate as we've come to expect from James S. A. Corey.

I think it is safe to say that The Mercy of Gods is one of the most eagerly anticipated science fiction novels of the year. This is the first in a new series by Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck, the writers of The Expanse, one of the most popular series of SF novels and TV programmes of recent years. Part of the excitement being generated might be because The Mercy of Gods appears not to be set in The Expanse universe, but is the start of a new space opera series.

Although the story is about humans, it is not about earthlings. The Mercy of Gods is set initially on a different planet, that of Anjiin. Despite not being on Earth, the main characters have similar human traits and emotions – love, hate, jealousy, and so on, which the first part of the book does well to emulate. In fact, the beginning of the book begins almost like an Asimov-type academia story, with groups of scientists circulating interminable cheese and wine parties whilst jockeying for career advancement and future finance. This also allows us to meet our main characters. Tonner Freis is the leader of a group of scientists involved in research but looking for further finance. Dafyd Alkhor is in a rival group, an outsider partly there because of his family’s finances. Llaren Morse identifies a strange signal from outer space.

The book only really steps up a notch when the source of Llaren’s signal is discovered as alien, who then attack Anjiin. Immediately one in every eight people are killed. After five days the world is defeated. Tonnen, Dafyd, Llaren and a number of their colleagues are selected by the alien invaders and unceremoniously transported to a new world.

And it’s here where the book really gets interesting. The aliens, known as the Carryx, are really alien. Their motives are different to humans, their reasoning is different than ours, even their general demeanour unclear. Their actions are unexplained to the humans. The Carryx are assisted by a number of other alien species – the Soft Lothark, who seem to be some sort of soldier-servant, and Rak-Hunds, amongst others – although whether these aliens are there by choice or under duress is never quite clear.

The journey our human prisoners take to wherever they go (which is never really disclosed), is a long one. Though they are given basics of food and water, the conditions are harsh and their future unclear. The group of scientists are divided. What is interesting here is that the story is not a typical one of heroism and keeping a stiff upper lip under stress, but a story of survival, where the worst elements of human nature are exposed whilst the majority become passive and docile in defeat. Attempts at escape are futile and dealt with harshly.

At this point the book becomes less about an adventure and more about how humans perform under stress. Much of this is grim reading. Generally, the mood is of ennui, despair and depression. It isn’t a surprise to find that some of our characters with mental issues struggle in this situation.

“They have different assumptions and axioms. Different ways of understanding things like free will and what it means to be a person.”

When our humans arrive in their new environment, they are separated into groups. They find that they are just one alien race of many, all working for the Carryx. The alien overlords give the human groups tasks, the reason why and for what purpose are unclear initially. The science groups involving Torren and Dafyd find that their task involves them using their scientific skills to create a means of turning one species into food for another. Despite initial revulsion, the group find their work is challenging and engaging.

As the story widens scope, the humans find that they are but one species amongst many, all governed by the Carryx, performing different tasks for an unknown purpose. The humans soon realise that they are to the Carryx like animals in a pandemonic zoo – inmates in a prison separated by enormous gulfs of language.

Events transpire to show that they’re actually competing against other alien groups to complete their task and so stay in favour with the Carryx – in other words, their purpose is to find a way of staying alive and produce something of value to the Carryx. However, one of the Anjiin group has been infiltrated by another mysterious entity, that has its own agenda.

The Mercy of Gods is a dark novel of alien invasion and its aftermath. It takes on the idea that there are creatures out there in space who are truly alien, whose purpose is unclear and who regard us like we would insects. (I was at this point rather reminded of the enigmatic aliens in Arthur C Clarke’s Rendezvous with Rama.) Our needs are dealt with only because we can help the Carryx, our concerns, worries and desires unimportant. Humans exist here only because the god-like Carryx allow it. It is a sobering thought – what if future aliens are not benevolent, but like the Carryx instead? And is there anything they are afraid of?

The range of aliens the humans encounter is impressive – Elmrath, Phylarchs of Astrdeim, and Night Drinkers amongst others. Many are briefly described and mentioned, but rather like those in James White’s Sector General stories, they are varied and complex. It is clear that there’s a lot of them, and I suspect that we will find out more about them in later novels in this series.

For it is also clear that this is the first in a series. Much of the groundwork is done here, there are foretellings of possible future events and hints of bigger things afoot, whilst the ending is the inevitable cliffhanger to lead us to the next book.

However, The Mercy of Gods is a pleasingly complex start. It does not always go the way you might expect, which I liked. I was also pleased that the characters we get to know are also complicated and not always likable, or change as a consequence of what happens here.

In summary, The Mercy of Gods is an impressive start to a thoughtful and intelligent series which does not let the authors rest on their laurels. Challenging, provocative and absorbing – it may be worth the hype.

I really enjoyed reading The Mercy of Gods.

There was a clear moment when I got hooked, and after that, I was fully invested. The storyline is rich with layers, but I don't want to give anything away. If you're into aliens, war, and explorations of human behavior, you won't be disappointed.

That being said, it took me a while to become fully invested in the story. I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next ones in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for the ARC.

The Mercy of Gods is the first book in The Captive's War series, which is a new, unrelated series to the Expanse series by the same authors. If, like me, you've been meaning to read the Expanse series but have the fear of getting started just because of the sheer number of books in the completed series, this book is a fantastic starting point to get an idea of the authors' writing style and imagination before committing to a huge, completed series.

The Mercy of Gods focuses on the various members of a research team during an alien invasion. The first chapters of the book had an expertly done hook, and because of that, I always felt myself wishing the story would go back to focusing on Dafyd rather than the other members of the team. He had all the makings of a character I should find unlikeable, but somehow his manipulative, curious and analytical personality was fascinating. Given the ending, I can see why the other characters' chapters were needed and that will come into play even more in the sequels, but I think I'll always have a preference for Dafyd's chapters.

The ending was a really strong lead in to the rest of the series, and now that the main conflict and initial worldbuilding has been set up, I'm really excited to see how it continues to evolve. It definitely feels like it's going to be one of those series where the twists and turns become more unpredictable, complex and exciting with every book.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC from NetGalley but this is my voluntary and honest review.