A pair of self-proclaimed slumdogs search to find a way out of poverty. Lythlet is a woman who grew up in the midst of great pain and trouble. Desil is a man who had a great upbringing but fell into massive debt helping a friend. While chasing fame and fortune, they encounter a much deeper problem in their society.
There are incredibly strong relationships in this book, which is where it excels. The characters are complex in a way that feels very human. My favorite parts to read were the battles, but I truly enjoyed reading the development of Lythlet and Desil making friends with fellow ‘conquessors’.
At times, specifically on the front end, it felt a bit slow (which feels normal for a book with such thrilling battles and conflicts). There were quite a few words that I had to lookup because I had no idea what they meant. This can either engage or take-away from some readers’ experiences.
Overall, a book that got better as it went along!

What a great debut story!
I really enjoyed the exploration of friendship and the characters were the real highlight of this novel.
A stand-alone story that creates an interesting world. I loved the idea of a fantasy book based on Malaysian Chinese-inspired mythology but I was hoping for a bit more lore.

A suspenseful and fast paced rich vs poor story with so many twists and turns it was hard to put down! I loved the fmc lythlet, she was a really strong character. And I enjoyed the platonic friendship focus, rather than a romantic storyline.

Would recommend! Thanks Netgalley for the arc.

We dive into a world of rich vs poor. And the poor are really poor - its not equal but there are always ways to make money!

Lythlet is our narrator, poor and seemingly very unlucky but as the story progresses we learn that she's a really good person who just needs the right chances. I wish the story had had some other narrators, just to provide a wider picture of the world we're in.

First off, you think it's just a game, right? But just like squid game it's so much more. Imagine peeling back the layers of an onion and each layer revealing something profound about society today. The story begins with a seemingly simple game, you enter, kill the monster and win money but as you flip the pages, you start seeing all these subtle (and not-so-subtle) reflections on our world.

So, if you’re ready for a YA ride that’s part thrilling adventure, part deep philosophical journey, The Serpent Called Mercy is your next must-read!

A nice fantasy trial book. I enjoyed the arena setting and the monsters, as well as the friendship between the two MCs (I have too rarely seen good ones lately).
My only complaint is that I might not have connected much with any characters, but a good read overall!

(Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC)

the world building in a serpent called mercy was rather underwhelming. i wished there was more of it. it left me wanting more and feeling like i didn’t fully grasp much of anything. i desperately wanted to know more about the magic and creatures but was left hanging.

lythlet, our fmc, is a really strong individual. she’s very headstrong and determined. not only that, she’s incredibly smart and fantastic at adapting.

desil is golden retriever of the book. he’s portrayed as rather weak in comparison to lythlet. he was like the dumb friend who didn’t really help much in throughout the book. this bothered me slightly, as i felt like he could’ve done more to help out.

a serpent called mercy focuses on platonic love rather than actual romance. i found this really nice to read about, as every book i’ve been reading lately is heavy on the romance. platonic relationships are usually my favourite aspect of any book, so knowing how important this was to this book, i was very happy.

as a whole, the book is non stop from start to finish. there’s never a dull moment. i just wished the world building was fleshed out some more because i have so many questions.

I stayed up way past my bed time finishing this and it was SO WORTH IT. This is a fantastic debut with a very unique storyline so definitely not one to miss!

Roanne had me at the edge of my seat, gasping out loud and nearly screaming at times, I just could not put this down! What a twist of events!

Thank you Netgalley and Solaris for the arc!

This a stunning debut, one that reads as if the author has been writing for a very long time! I absolutely loved the characters, the world-building, and the plot was at the perfect pace for me.

'The Serpent called mercy', features a girl called Lythlet and her best friend Desil. Both are in debt, and so decide to enter a tournament where they are pitted to fights against deadly monsters. I've never read a book without romance in it, and I was pleasently surprised to find that I absolutely adored the sweet friendship moments between these two characters.

I believe it has Chinese and Malaysian influences, and I loved feeling immersed in another culture whilst reading. In particular, the family dynamics between Lythlet and her parents was really touching, and I absolutely loved her relationship and personal development as the story progressed.

There are numerous beautiful moments, where you feel the urge to take down a quote because the writing is just so heart-warming and poignant. I loved following a herorine who relied on her booksmarts, and was a bit emotionally stunted - perhaps the introvert in me found a kindred spirit in her.

I enjoyed how over the top the matchmaster was with his dialogue, it suited him perfectly in my opinion, and I liked how even a side character had a important backstory relevant to the plot. I wish that there was more focus on the fights, because deadly tournaments are my go to trope, but the plot was still exciting without them being the complete key focus.

If you enjoy - found families, the underdog, surviving despite the odds, deadly monsters and platanoic relationships - then seriously consider adding this one to your 2025 TBR. I think I might need to get this one as a physical copy when it comes out!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. I thought this was a fantastic effort, in particular as it comes from a debut author. This is a story about friendship and platonic love, and I really loved the two main characters Desil and Lythlet. The character development is the best I've read in quite some time. The only thing I wanted a bit more from was the world building, I would have loved to have a bit more background about the world and the beasts themselves - as well as perhaps fleshing out the fights themselves a bit more. Overall I highly recommend this as a standalone fantasy.

An intricate and detailed exploration of Lythlet and Desil's world, their friendship and hardships fighting poverty, class and the mythical beasts they face in the arena as conquessors.

There's plenty of room left for more books to follow, as not a lot of the history of the world or the beasts was explored and I'd love to read more about that.

Overall Lythlet is a well written character who I rooted for, and the cover art on the book is stunning. Due for publication March 2025.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy.

This is a story about a persons (Luther) struggling journey through life with a lack of confidence, poverty and neglect. It reminds us that there is a dark side to the world where cruel people will take advantage of the vulnerable and how apathy to such things does not make things better. The story made me think of many of things that we are seeing in the world today. Lythlet’s character development is pleasing, but at points were frustrating too. Without giving too much away, I felt the ending was realistic and Lythlet does learn all the value lessons with regards to overcoming her misconceptions on family and friends. There are joyous moments in this book. I love all the interactions involving Shunvi and Ilden. They are the kind characters that everyone deserves to know. A lovely read!

Roanne Lau’s "The Serpent Called Mercy" offers a fresh and riveting take on epic fantasy, blending Malaysian Chinese influences with a gritty yet surprisingly cozy narrative. Set against the backdrop of an illegal monster-fighting arena, the story follows Lythlet and Desil, two debt-ridden underdogs, as they fight sun-cursed beasts and navigate the seedy underbelly of their city. While the thrilling action draws readers in, it’s the focus on friendship, ambition, and morality that makes this book stand out.

Lythlet’s journey from an overlooked slumdog to a cunning conquessor guided by ambition and cleverness is both engaging and heart-wrenching. The tension between her growing aspirations and the sacrifices she must make, especially her friendship with Desil, adds layers of emotional depth. At the same time, the book’s emphasis on the struggles of society’s lowest rung—rather than the usual royalty or chosen heroes of fantasy—offers a poignant perspective rarely seen in the genre.

What makes this novel particularly refreshing is its steadfast focus on platonic relationships and found family, steering clear of romantic subplots. In an era saturated with spicy romantasy, this tale feels like a warm, comforting embrace. The narrative highlights themes of street justice, community, and personal growth, creating a unique blend of action and coziness.

For readers seeking a richly layered story with cultural depth, complex characters, and a focus on friendship over romance, "The Serpent Called Mercy" is a must-read. It’s a tale that reminds us that the greatest victories often happen outside the arena.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and DAW for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The overall premise was fantastic, and I especially loved the descriptions of the monsters—vivid and imaginative, they truly brought an eerie charm to the story. That said, I wish the author had delved deeper into the magic system, which felt somewhat underdeveloped. Similarly, the world-building could have been more immersive; I struggled at times to picture the setting and fully lose myself in the world.

The pacing was also a bit uneven, with certain sections feeling rushed while others dragged slightly. Despite this, I think this was a strong debut novel with lots of promise. I'm excited to see how the author grows in future works!

"the attendant chuckled, misguidedly assuming she grasped the mechanics of making a joke"

Lythlet and Desil, the underdogs of underdogs, are such rich and believable characters thrown into death defying odds. This story explores the complex relationships between characters, both between parents and found families. All the while the pair struggle under their debt and the monsters they fight to pay it all off.

This book as the politics, the characters and the monsters! It only fell a little short for me in world building as I struggled envisioning what was happening but this is an incredible debut and I am excited to see what Lau writes next.

The Serpent Called Mercy by Roanne Lau is a masterpiece of a book! Loved every single second of it. So so good. I rated it 5 stars because I loved the experience of reading it.

Loved this book! It was so immersive and kept me engaged through the whole book!

The cover is what made me request it, soooo stunning!!!

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC. The Serpent Called Mercy is refreshing, fantasy filled, high stakes and romantic.It is everything I love in one book. Five stars. I hope there’s more from this universe.

I did enjoy this book but not as much as I’d hoped to. I liked the characters well enough, but felt the world they resided in was not fleshed out enough. The first half of the book dragged a little, but picked up in the second half.

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♟️Rating:5/5⭐
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Thank you, NetGalley, for providing a free ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Throughout my many years of reading, I had come across and read many books, especially fantasy. Whenever I read those books, I read like a machine programmed to do so whenever I’m unoccupied or taking a long train to my destination. More often than not, I had long forgotten, at its essence, why I read in the first place. For joy? For pain or for the sake of being another mindless consumer in this society? And so, when I came across The Serpent Called Mercy, a spark within me was relighted as I was reminded once again as to why I read and love fantasy novels. It’s novels like this where I’m once again reminded why my younger self would spend hours poring over fantasy novels as a pastime because stories such as TSCM once again reminded me of seeing characters maintaining hope despite all odds and fighting for the things they believe in even despite the inevitable sacrifice. So as I write this review, I sigh and think to myself again, “This book is precisely why I read fantasy novels.”
Despite this book being Ms Roanne’s debut novel, her prose has a distinctive flair to it. Her writing has a charm-like quality to it, reminding me of contemporary classic authors, and it followed the whole book with an unwavering grip. This is rarely seen in fantasy novels these days, opting for cliché lines or language. But I often prefer my writing to have a little more oomph to it, because how can complex thoughts and emotions be easily conveyed? The rich and vivid description brought the world roaring to life, threatening to shake your soul with the immersive dialogue and prose. When I read the fight scenes where Master Dothilos was chanting out Lythlet’s nicknames, I could feel the crashes of sounds coming all over me as if I were in the arena myself. It was as if I were right by Lythlet’s side, soaking up all of the noise until my bones threatened to shake apart. It’s almost intoxicating, and whenever I finish a chapter, I often feel disoriented as I pull myself out of those scenes.

Nonetheless, what stood out for me was how Ms Roanne didn’t explicitly divulge the worldbuilding or symbolism in detail, but rather she carefully allowed readers to piece the information together on their own and only provided explanation or details when necessary. (Admittedly speaking, this might be frustrating for some, but I absolutely abhor info-dumping or chunks of paragraphs explaining cultural contexts or worldbuilding details. I would much rather the author throw me in a forest and let me fight my way out on my own) Although some might say that some bits of the information are not necessary, providing no relevance to the plot, I actually enjoyed the bits of information, as it not only enriched the world but also allowed me to better understand the characters. Moreover, the whole world-building is so riveting, like the names of certain beasts, gods, and even simple details like the world’s popular novels. (Kilinor, Anzura, General Lauturo) Each of the beasts and gods has their own characteristics and traits which made it so interesting to read through and learn how the world works through them. Arguably, the pacing could had been better for some parts of the story, with some fight scenes and arcs being rushed, and I would love to have read a longer version of those fight scenes (especially the final round of the conquessing, even though it would come at the expense of my emotional well-being). Nonetheless, one must be reminded that it’s a standalone novel, and with all things considered, it doesn't take away the joy I had while reading it.

Another thing I want to highlight for this novel is the characters; each of them has a very distinctive voice in the whole narrative. Even though some of them are merely side characters, they don’t feel like unnecessary characters meant to fill in holes for the sake of the plot. Moreover, I LOVE the no romance subplot. More often than not, many authors often succumb to using romantic subplots for the sake of convenience and better marketing. (Look, I don’t care about how many years you waited for your partner) The lack of romantic subplots here not only makes sense but it also deepens the relationship between Desil and Lythlet, providing more nuances to them. Not everything has to be set in a romantic context to be as emotionally wrecking (I would know because I JUST STARTED BAWLING OVER THEM AS WELL AS FOR ILDEN AND SHUNVI). It’s a clever decision to write this story from a third-person perspective as it allows readers to see how the characters play off each other. What’s integral to the character’s relationship is not ‘love’ but rather the neverending trust in their partner despite their flaws and past. More importantly , it is about acceptance. Accepting someone who isn’t from your family and cherishing them all the same is what makes me feel so much for these characters. And I feel that Ms Roanne did such an excellent job at crafting this narrative and their found family.

Lythlet, who is the main character in the novel, is such a well-crafted character. Throughout the story, she went through lots of character development when she went from being chased down by ushers to chasing beasts in the arena instead. (They need to stop giving her the KDJ look treatment 😭) Her cunning wits were immaculately written, with the author opting to choose show rather than tell. And I couldn’t help but root for her whenever she solved one of those riddles the novel threw at her. While I was reading this novel, I could not help but feel for Lythlet’s predicament, her desperation and worry over money and her never-ending need to satiate her own thirst for knowledge. That is to say, I do not find Lythlet relatable at all, but rather I understood how she felt and how she understood the world.

Moreover, the way the antagonist is crafted is so well done. You almost can’t help but to empathise with Master Dothilos despite all of his actions. You’re being made to empathise and vilify him at the same time. This can be said for the other antagonists as well, because even though they had all done monstrous behaviours, they are all humans nonetheless, and whether they like it or not, they’re not as unbeatable as they seem. In the end, they’re just moulded by the dreams of avarice demanded by society. This also brings me to the next point of my review, the symbolism and plot in this novel. (I won’t delve more into the other characters because that would be major spoilers)

Ms Roanne masterfully made use of analogies and symbolism to effectively convey the plot and themes to its readers. There’s a lot of subtext at play in this book, which I thoroughly enjoyed picking up crumbs along the way. There are many full-circle moments, and it ties the novel closer together (negative space, animals, stars, name titles, etc). This might seem tiring for some readers and require multiple rereads BUT I ENJOYED IT! Not only does this enrich the world in this novel, but Ms Roanne forces her reader to think and ask questions about themes such as morality and poverty. What does it mean to steal from the rich when they stole from the poor? When does someone cease from being treated as a commodity to being treated as a human being? Unlike many other books I have read, this book dives into what it means to be poor when living in a corrupted and capitalistic society. Being poor is not just about not having enough money to feed themselves as it is much more than that. Being poor also means being limited in making choices for their own despite trying to overcome it.
Moving on to the plot, it’s structured extremely well and it’s filled with unpredictable twists along the way. Like a serpent sinking its teeth into your skin, the plot is gripping and captivating from the get-go. It doesn't fall to the convenient and linear plots or tropes and Ms Roanne is not afraid to write about the grimey areas in society. My favourite part of this novel is the conquests themselves as well as the political arc. There’s so much at stake here, and my blood pressure definitely rose on numerous occasions as Lythlet and Desil fought for their freedom or risk losing everything. As previously stated about my critique of the pacing, I still feel that the plot is ultimately well done for a standalone novel. It gives off the same feeling as watching a standalone movie that can stand on its own despite it not being a franchise.

The Serpent Called Mercy is a riveting, fervent, and gripping read. With its vicious fangs prying at your skin with a rebellious nature, you will be forced to watch through the grand show Ms Roanne had put up for her readers. As I sit here and write this review, I still find my review failing to capture the whole essence of this book. If you were to ask me to review this book using only tropes, I simply couldn’t because there’s so much more to this novel than that. Despite its flaws and shortcomings in this novel, it does not diminish my love for it. (I believe that enjoying a novel and pointing out its shortcomings are not mutually exclusive things. If anything, this makes me love the novel even more as I’m forcing myself to ponder deeper into this novel.) This is definitely one of my favourite fantasy novels and one I will never stop thinking about for quite some time. Even though this is Ms Roanne’s debut work, I highly recommend checking out this novel when it comes out on 25 March 2025. (I’m definitely adding her to my auto-buy list of authors 🤡) In the meantime, let’s wait for our Rose and Golden Thorn to make their glorious entrance.

The Serpent Called Mercy Review (publish date 27th March 25)

The Serpent Called Mercy was an enjoyable read overall, offering a fresh and engaging take on a well-worn premise. The story follows two slum dogs, Lythlet and Desil, as they enter an illegal monster-fighting arena to clear their debts. Set in world inspired by Malaysian-Chinese culture, the novel weaves themes of survival, loyalty, and resilience into a fast-paced narrative.

I usually struggle with stories centered around trials or competitions, but this book had me hooked by the end of the first chapter. The vivid action scenes and high stakes pulled me in quite quickly.

One of the highlights of the story is the unshakable bond between our two main characters, It’s refreshing to read a story where a deep, platonic friendship takes centre stage without veering into romance.

While the book delivers an enjoyable story, I felt the fighting arena matches could have been more detailed. Given that these matches are the central theme, it was disappointing that nearly half were glossed over, missing opportunities to fully immerse the reader in the action.

Similarly, the political subplots, though intriguing, felt underdeveloped. With more depth, they could have added a richer layer to the narrative and heightened the stakes.
In summary, if you're looking for a light, enjoyable read with a heroic underdog and a touch of politics, this book fits the bill perfectly. However, if you prefer highly detailed action sequences and a more robust political narrative, it might fall short. Overall, a cozy, fun read—perfect for autumn.