Unfortunately, I could not get into the second in this series after the first totally blew me away. It felt like the same beats were being reused, just with different characters in this one.

The Merciless Ones picks back up as Deka, her friends, and their new allies are at war with the kingdom that had lied to her about the truth of her identity. However, Deka begins to suspect that she is being lied to again--this time by the goddesses she has trusted and revered.

The Merciless Ones starts a bit slow, and it took me a bit of time to get my bearings. I could have probably used more of a refresher of where the last book ended. That said, this sequel turned out to be fast-paced and deliver even more twists than Book 1. Also in keeping with the first, Forma delivers plenty of social-political commentary, especially on gender. Whereas the first book was fairly black and white (good v. evil, women v. men), Forma introduces more complexity and nuance this time around, problematizing binary gendered assumptions.

From a social-emotional standpoint, there is a lot of strong intrapersonal and interpersonal growth happening in this follow up. Deka begins to realize that even strong, borderline divine entities like she is becoming still need meaningful relationships to be nourished and whole. She learns to rely on and trust her closest friends, and she is able to forgive past harm by her father.

Ok, so, this book ended up being one that I just couldn’t get into and in the end I ended up not finishing this book. I think since it’s been so long since I read the first book, I had forgotten a chunk of what had happened. So, for much of this book I was thinking to myself ‘who’s this character again?’ or ‘what the heck is going on again?’, that after a while I decided to give up and set the book aside to finish at a later time.

The Gilded Ones was such a wild ride that diving into book two gave me all the twitchy-fingered joy. Unfortunately, I found this installment disappointing.

I still love Deka and all her raw and beautiful self, and I also love her friendships and ties to those she respects and admires. But the slow pace in this one had my mind wandering. I get it, Deka needs a bit of a breather after what went down in TGO, but like book one's, readers need that hook and I wasn't seeing it.

Deka's power also became an issue for me. She's just now coming into them, but she reads like one who's had them forever. I know this may sound strange, but I like to see a protagonist struggle with their newfound power. One doesn't grasp the concept and role with a snap of his or her fingers. Also, the deus ex machine just giving her more power every time something harder comes along. I see this a lot in YA fantasy and I'm starting to wonder why so many authors do this.

The course of this series seems to have shifted dramatically, but I do hope book 3 will steer us back on the path.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

In Merciless Ones, the sequel to Namina Forna’s The Gilded Ones, we continue to follow Deka and her friends through their trials and tribulations.

As it is a sequel, I don’t want to give too many plot details. I was a little disappointed with this book compared to how much I loved the first one. The magic system became more complex, but it was not really explained. It seems like powers were appearing conveniently whenever a problem needed to be solved. I still liked the characters, but I think character development was pushed aside a bit in favor of action. I enjoyed reading about the divine entities and learning about their past. I will still continue the series, but this installment was a slight let down for me.

Still recommend The Gilded Ones for fans of diverse YA fantasy!

I absolutely loved the first book in the series, and unfortunately while I think Book 2 had a lot to offer- this book was in sore need of a stronger edit. The world-building that was sooooo sharp in Book 1 suddenly became very convoluted. There are a LOT of smaller elements added to the world that seemed to be thrown in to make a more complex narrative, but I think this story could have been strong enough without them.

Another stylistic choice that I understand but didn't care for was the rambling internal dialogue of Deka as she becomes increasingly separated from her friend group. There were a lot of repeated thoughts and some of the writing around Keita became cringeworthy. The best way I can describe it is that the author doesn't trust Deka or the readers to catch on to much at all, and therefore everything is over-explained and heavy handed. This was not at all the case in the first book.

While I am surprised at the vastly different direction we are being take in (vs the first book), I am still absolutely rooting for this series and its beloved characters. There was a lot of really stuffing imagery written in this installment- I loved these portions (floating waterfalls, etc.).

Thanks so much to Delacorte and NetGalley for the review copy, I am excited to read the conclusion of the trilogy!

After Deka freed the goddess, claimed her power and saved her sisters, she vowed to save humanity -- even if that means confronting people who despise her, and those she trusts, alike. Filled with action, beautifully crafted commentary on social constructs and a plot that just won't quit, The Merciless Ones is a must read second installment of The Gilded Ones trilogy.

The Merciless Ones is a dramatic sequel to the amazing The Gilded Ones! Though I liked the first book in the series a bit more, this book was still a good read. However, it did feel a bit disconnected from the first book, as if I was reading a completely different series. There were themes in the book that I felt were a bit repetitive and predictable, but it was so fun coming back to characters that I absolutely loved reading in the first book! I am excited to see where the rest of the series goes.

Received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have been sitting on my review for this for awhile, but I think I have finally figured out what hurt the most about this. Middle book syndrome. It happens to the best of book series. I have the absolute best hope that Forna can bring it back around for the finale, but the pacing and development just hurt in this one.

Forna definitely expanded the world with this second book in what I believe is a planned trilogy. I think she needed to expand the world and the way that she expanded it helped make the ending of the first book make a lot more sense. However, I think that this expansion transformed the book and the story into something almost unrecognizable. I still enjoyed it but it did not have nearly the same feel, at all, with the first book. It also felt a lot like the middle book that it is.
Additionally, do not plan to come away from this book with a positive outlook on life. Everything that the main character discovers creates a bleak and nearly hopeless outlook on life. I hope that the third book in the trilogy has some redemption, especially for the main character.

I enjoyed this book, but not as much as the first in the series. While I love the characters and find the story pacing to keep me turning page after page, I did not feel like this story grabbed me as a reader in the same way the first book did. I definitely feel some “Hunger Games” vibes in this story, and I think Katniss would have a lot in common with Deka, as they both have some supportive friends, but often feel isolated and have to combat many struggles on their own. I am interested to see what happens next in this series!

*Note I have received a free digital copy of this text and it will not affect my thoughts or feelings towards it*

After the ending of the last book I was worried how this book could match up to it. My worries were cast aside easily after reading the first couple chapters with an amazing action opener. The characters continue to be amazing to hang out with and learn more about their own pasts and not just Deka's. The world building and the twist and turns the story takes in this book were a little predictable but in a good way. I say that because there was enough clues given so the reader could pick up on the twist not because it was obvious. Then the pacing was great, the slow moments never felt like they over stayed their time and the action was written beautifully. The growth that Deka is forced to go through in this book was done great and has me excited to see what is next for her. Overall the ending had me left wanting for me and I cant wait! 5/5 stars

**4.5 rounded up**
**I received an e-arc from NetGalley**

The Merciless Ones picks up 6 months after the end of The Gilded Ones where Deka and co. are working with the goddesses to take back the kingdom from the corrupt Jatu. Deka, the Nuru daughter of the goddesses, is branded a monster, along with other Alaki. They are being hunted and killed en masse. When the goddesses send Deka and co. on a mission to find and capture a weapon more powerful than they imagined, things quickly begin to unravel. Too many questions come to the surface which has Deka questioning what is true and what is a fabrication and will lead her to discover her true potential.

This was a really solid sequel to The Gilded Ones, which I absolutely loved. It took a little bit for me to sink back into the world, but once I did, I was hooked. The character development for Deka, as well as everyone else (there are so many I'm not going to name them all lol), was done exceptionally well, along with the expression of trauma/PTSD most of them are experiencing. I also really appreciated the LGBTQ+ representation that was present in this one and the ways it brought gender expression and identity into the story. Deka's journey is fraught with horrors and trauma, and her grief and anger were expressed very realistically. Her relationship with Keita and the rest of her blood sisters was tested time and time again, but their continued resolve to stick together and work through everything that was thrown at them as a team/family was beautiful and inspiring. It felt like there were so many twists being thrown out, a few of which I saw coming, and a few that I definitely did not, especially the biggest one of all. I have that same feeling I did at the end of the first book where I just need to know what happens next!! Sadly, I'm sure I'll have to wait for a while, but I know the third book will be worth the wait!

TW for discussion of sexual assault and rape, xenophobia, abuse, misogyny, PTSD, general gore/some body horror near the end.

I loved The Gilded Ones, so I highly anticipated The Merciless Ones. I. Was. Not. Ready. Forna takes the reader deeper into Decca’s journey as the nuru in this book. It reveals plot twists that no one could see coming!

Honestly, I was excited to read this, but all it did was make me dislike the first book. And eventually feel repulsed by this one. I’d forgotten about the very graphic violence. For a YA book in particular, it seems gratuitous and frankly it made of difficult to read/enjoy. Gross.

Secondly, the writing was so repetitive and bad! The word niggling was used 6 or 7 times. Deka is constantly trying to remember, or suddenly leaping/stabbing/jumping. Ahhhh! Plus all the powers that just magically appear at just the right moment. 🙄

And then there is the juxtaposition of teen romance happening in the middle of all this bloodshed. Why?

It felt like this book was trying too hard. I wanted to like it, but I just didn’t.

Thank you Netgally for the advanced copy, in exchange for my honest review. But I can’t say I enjoyed this book.

There were good elements but they were buried under a mountain of gore and teen romance. Icky.

Book two finds Deka -- the recently dubbed Nuru, daughter of the goddesses, the Gilded Ones -- battling her inner demons, struggling to find her new place in the world. She is revered, yet reviled; supported by one family, yet abandoned by another. As she works to find herself again, the goddesses send her on a mission to thwart a rising rebellion -- they suspect someone has been using an arcane object to feign godly power to amass support and overthrow the Gilded Ones. As Deka embarks on this journey to recover this object and end this revolution, she'll not only discover who she is again, but what she is capable of. Oh, and plenty of juicy secrets of course!

I love this series for the characters -- while Deka is definitely having the stereotypical sophomore-book-in-a-trilogy-moment, I still found myself engaged in her plot line, discovering more about the extent of her magical abilities. Britta steals the show again in terms of minor characters, but I was glad to see Belcalis having more of a moment and happy to see growth with White Hands' character. The complicating of the conflict I expected in this book was relatively predictable, but ended in a satisfying way that made me excited to read the final book.

This book, however, did have a few of the book two pitfalls. I was totally okay with Deka having her mental health moment; it's realistic and part of the natural journey for her as a character. But the pacing of this book in comparison to the first is way off. It took me a long time to get into this one, whereas the first book took me no time at all to get into. A lot of the scenes and events felt repetitive and only as a means to prolong the final conflict -- travel, fight something, learn a little something but generally be really confused by it, repeat. But as I mentioned, this is likely a byproduct of it being a transitional book.

Overall I'm still really into this series. Here's hoping the next book doesn't take too long to write!

This second book did a great job building up the characters and developing the relationships. I enjoyed the twist with the males in this one and that the “gods” were not what they seemed.

I read the first installment in this trilogy, The Gilded Ones back in April and it was an enjoyable read I didn't know I wanted! I was so excited to be able to get my hands on the second installment. (Synopsis in comments)

While I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as the first one, I did love being able to be back in this world and back to all my favorite characters; Deka, Britta, and Keita.
The story arc took a TURN! Honestly, I'm still processing this book and my ratings and thoughts could change a bit after marinating on it, however, overall a great continuation!

I will say there is A LOT going on in terms of plot and the twists. I dare say maybe too many? Regardless of the plot, the character growth is one that I found to be especially rewarding. We learn so much more about Deka, her powers, and what motivates her emotions and decisions.

I look forward to the conclusion of this story and find out how this world fares after the many twists and turns of the world, Deka's powers, and changing views on the world and people around her.

I just finished this yesterday and y'all what can I say. Namina Forna knows how to write an ending. WHEW that climax got me hype and now I'm like "damn I have to wait for book 3".

What I loved: The alaki, jatu, and Deka's friends. The relationship between Deka and Britta is *chef's kiss*. I love seeing how they rep for each other, how they support each other, are always there to fight for each other. It's chosen family AT IT'S BEST. It was nice to see the small moments between the friend group but I wanted more - these kids are experiencing so much pain and death and I wanted more happy moments.

I am not sure how I feel about the direction the book took but, and it was extremely slow in the beginning. But once the threads started to pull together, and Deka started to figure out the mysteries of The Gilded Ones and Idugu, I was invested.

Overall, a book about children having to fight for their rights, fight for the rights to live and have autonomy over their bodies, feels extremely relevant to what we are dealing with in our society now. And as much as it's hard to read at times, it reminded me that no one makes change alone. The friendships and love we build, the community, is what will make that change happen.

The Merciless Ones is the second novel in Namina Forna's Deathless series. I'm not going to lie – I was hoping that OwlCrate would make a matching exclusive version of this book since I got the first novel through them. But that's life, right?

Last we saw, Deka had successfully freed the goddesses, learning who she is. Yet this freedom does not mean the war is over - the opposite. Six months later, the war is still waging on, now with new determination as Deka and their allies learn the truth.

There are still more goddesses to be freed, girls and women to save, and corruption to battle. In other words, Deka's job is far from over. Only, an additional complication makes Deka's task all the more challenging.

Fans of The Gilded Ones will have to make time to read The Merciless Ones, as this is very much the sequel we deserve. Best of all, there's still at least one story left to this tale, meaning there's more to look forward to.

I've wondered how Deka's journey would continue since the last novel concluded. I have to say; my imagination did not do it justice! Once again, Namina Forna has created a powerful tale that seems to resonate within our bones. Or maybe that's my anger, as it is impossible not to feel some of that while seeing what Deka and the rest are up against.

A couple of things held me back from giving this a higher rating. Mainly the pacing, as that seemed to be a bit off. Deka's character development is another one. While it was a highlight in the last novel, it changed for this book. Change happens and is good. I get that. But I worry about what it will mean for the next book, especially regarding power levels.

Still, if those are my biggest complaints of The Merciless Ones, I'd say it was a pretty solid read. Once again, I find myself waiting here to see what happens next and wishing that time would flow more favorably for readers.