It’s been a while since I’ve been in the world of The Gilded Ones. I loved being back with my favorites, even if this sequel let me down a little in terms of pacing. I found myself drifting in and out. Keep reading this book review of The Merciless Ones for my full thoughts.
Summary
It’s been six months since Deka freed the goddesses in the ancient kingdom of Otera and discovered who she really is… but war is waging across the kingdom, and the real battle has only just begun. For there is a dark force growing in Otera—a merciless power that Deka and her army must stop.
Yet hidden secrets threaten to destroy everything Deka has known. And with her own gifts changing, Deka must discover if she holds the key to saving Otera… or if she might be its greatest threat.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
The Merciless Ones felt a bit meandering. Considering the push of The Gilded Ones and the ends of the story, I was expecting a book that only continued to build. There is action, but you feel a bit removed from the horror, the terror, and the impact of this action. The Merciless Ones is, like the title, brutal. Our characters are attacked on all sides, facing incredible betrayal, and up against a force they don’t truly understand. But I was missing a deeper look at the characters here which grounds us in the stakes and the fears. It very much had real consequences and some big twists, but Deka is so alone and isolated that we don’t feel the ripples of this as much as we should.
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I liked where The Merciless Ones went thematically. This element was my favorite. It pushes the boundaries of what we, and Deka, know about the world. But without feeling these themes in our bones, it didn’t feel as grounded as it needed to. The plot went ahead to serve the themes, but it felt hollow without us feeling the drumbeats in the sand. I wanted to love this since I adored The Gilded Ones, but this lost the momentum for me and failed to re-capture that feeling. In terms of its role as a second book, I’m not sure where it falls. Find The Merciless Ones on Goodreads, Storygraph, Bookshop. org, Blackwells, & Libro. fm.