A sequel that is as brutal and stunning as the first book. Same as the first book, it does not shy away from violence of this world. It is so wonderfully crafted, and very, very good.

I really enjoyed the world building, friendships, and mystery of the Gilded Ones so I’ve been looking forward to more of them in the sequel and the Merciless Ones did not disappoint! Forna does an amazing job of giving away just enough to keep you guessing and glued to the page, while letting you feel like you’re unraveling the mysteries. If you’re looking for a unique world with strong friendships and badass female characters, I definitely recommend this series!

Wow wow wow!! I loved The Gilded Ones, so I was very excited to read The Merciless Ones, and I was not disappointed at all, in fact, I loved it even more than book 1! The growth Deka has gone through and that at the beginning of this she's now a leader, is amazing Her relationships with her friends and Keita really bring the story together. The journey we go on in this book and the twists and turns we take throughout kept me glued to the page! The secrets and truths we learn are so amazing!! I was gasping aloud as I was reading and my eyes couldn't read fast enough for all the info my brain wanted!! Definitely one of my favorite books of the year and I am going to be waiting very impatiently for book 3!!!

Love this second installment of the series! The author did a great job at creating strong, diverse characters. I wasn’t sure where the plot was going, but thoroughly enjoyed the ending!

I have to say I ended up with this book by mistake, I just wanted to Read the intro on it, somehow I clicked on it, I'm sure it a good book, just not my style, Tank you

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel. 5/5 stars.

As I finished the book and immediately yelled, OH MY GOD...I think that captures the essence of this well. I loved the Gilded Ones...Loved, loved, LOVED it so much. This? This sequel? BLEW IT OUT OF THE WATER. I could not put it down. Now, it did take me a while to get into it, but that's mostly because I haven't reread the Gilded Ones...so I didn't really remember some of it...or most of it. A lot of refreshing does happen in the first 1/4 of the book though, which was really helpful.

Deka is such a refreshing protagonist, and I love how this book detailed her mental health journey and PTSD and grief and so many other things. I also loved how the root of the story is Deka determining who she is rather than who she has been told she is.

the plot twists in this? Dare I say....golden? (Get it, the Alaki have gold blood). Keita and Deka's relationship is refreshing to see in YA too, as it's built on connection and there's not a lot -- if at all -- anything physical between them. I love all of Deka's sisters in blood.

But seriously, the plot in this. I couldn't put it down. I didn't see MANY of the plot twists coming, and I'm excited to see where the rest of this series goes. I also think how Deka discovers new powers was amazing. This book is also FILLED with critiques on the socialization and perception of gender -- even more so than the first one. It also introduces trans and NB characters.

Overall? Amazing.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
The Merciless Ones is a solid sequel to last year’s The Gilded Ones. It builds relatively well on its predecessor, developing the concepts introduced and continuing to follow Deka as she leads the fight against oppression.
Namina Forna’s writing has a way of hooking you immediately from page one, starting with a visceral image that perfectly captures the moment Deka is in. While it does have a somewhat slower start, it soon picks up again and remains relatively consistent throughout. The plot twists aren’t always the most surprising, but it maintains excitement nonetheless.
And while the main focus in the first book was racial and gender-based oppression and that does carry over into this one, I loved seeing more expansive representation in a positive light to counteract that, particularly in terms of sexuality and gender identity.
This was a good second installment, and I’m excited for what’s to come in the final book. If you enjoyed the first book, you’ll like this one too.

I thought this was a fantastic continuation but of this story and I can’t wait to see what is store next.

Last year's The Gilded Ones knocked me on my feet - Deka is a fabulous protagonist. She is strong and ethical and vulnerable. The world building and magical system were unique, intriguing and at times jaw dropping. That all held true for this sequel - I thought it would be hard to keep the type of intensity and uniqueness for book two. The first book tackled the idea of indoctrination, blind faith and racism; this one continues those themes and really tackles sexism, gender roles and identity. You are not beaten to death with these messages but inspired to think about them as you see parallels between Deka's world and our own. 

The pace is a little slower than the first book but that's because there is so much for Deka to absorb. It doesn't mean there isn't lots of action, those scenes are plentiful but in between there is so much revealed to Deka about her true nature and the nature of her people. There are so many heartbreaking moments and emotional revelations. I generally prefer reading dialogue but a lot of the reveals are Deka in her own in her head so you get long sections of explanations, which made the reading a little duller for me. I still loved the ideas and this series as a whole.

Thanks to Netgalley for advanced access to this novel. All opinions above are my own.

The second book in a series is often the hardest one. And while The Merciless Ones doesn't fully fall prey to the sequel slump, neither does it reach the heights of the first novel. What it does, however, is expand the story and mythology in complex and fascinating ways. The first novel was largely about the oppression of women in Otera, but The Merciless Ones begins to explore the ways that everyone is harmed by patriarchal systems, which leads to some great character moments for Keita. The Merciless Ones is much more interested in gender identity and sexuality than The Gilded Ones, as well as the dangers of tribalism and power's ability to corrupt. But while there are so many great ideas explored in the novel, but the pacing often felt slow, the twists predictable, and Deka's struggles with PTSD and relationships with others felt under-developed and heavy-handed. The book ends on a cliffhanger that sets up the third book nicely, and I do still have complete faith that Forna will deliver an epic finale.

This is, completely unsurprisingly, a staggeringly amazing sequel to 'The Gilded Ones,' which was already one of the best debut YA SFF books I've ever read. 'The Merciless Ones' doesn't disappoint, and even surpasses the first. I can't wait to get this into as many readers' hands as possible!

This is an amazing follow up to The Gilded Ones! Deka is a great protagonist. I can’t wait for the next book to come out!

I received a copy of this from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, "The Gilded Ones". I thought that the world Forna created was incredibly full and, while I read a handful of books where the color of ones blood determines your future, I thought that in this world, she took it in a completely fresh direction. I loved the big reveal at the end and I was more that curious as to where this second book would go. The world seemed so fully built and I didn't know how Forna would be able to build upon what she had written without it becoming repetitive.

As much as I hate to say it, I felt that "The Gilded Ones" did fall into what I've heard as the 'second book slump'. There was so much foreshadowing that the reveals that were so well done in the first book felt very predictable. A lot of the time I find YA trilogies to follow the same formula and this did just that. Since it was a second book it mainly served as a set up for the finale, and where the first one built a great world, Deca discovered something that made her "question everything". One thing I very much enjoyed in the first one, the foundation and strength of many characters relationships, were not as well done in this second installment. And the romance was very much YA trope-y.

Overall, if you are a fan of YA trilogies then this book is definitely for you. It checks all the typical boxes and I think that's where it went wrong for me. It didn't necessarily feel fresh like the first one did. I loved the setting in the first one in the war camp, this one was spent travelling with a lot of repetitive battles.

After starting to free the goddesses and discovering her true identity, Deka is tasked with ensuring the rest of them are free. But the task proves difficult when everyone thinks you’re a monster and a war rages on in your country. Being named a traitor to your nation makes everything more dangerous, even as you’re trying to save them.

However, as Deka releases the other goddesses, she starts seeing strange symbols everywhere. Symbols that repel her powers and make her lose all of her senses. Deka knows that there is a dark force is out there, threatening the mere existence of humanity. And her powers grow stronger, it will be up to Deka and her army to stop it to save humanity.

Thanks to NetGalley and Delacorte for an advanced copy of this to review! The Gilded Ones was one of my favorite fantasy books from last year, and with that ending, I was excited for the sequel. I loved the way Forna expands the world in this book, even adding more diversity in the characters and some interesting plot twists.

Picking up six months after the first book, this book doesn’t waste any time jumping into the action. Forna is also a master at crafting worlds. There’s so much detail that went into creating this world and mythology and I was really impressed. Where sometimes description can weigh down a fantasy novel, Forna does it in a way that helps in moving the plotline forward.

Unfortunately, I do think this book falls prey to second book syndrome. While I appreciated the world building, the pacing felt off at times. After the first scene, the beginning feels a little slow. I also am not sure that this necessarily needed to be a trilogy? I actually didn’t even realize that it was going to be until I got to the end of the book.

Will I read the third book when it comes out? With that ending, probably! Even if I just stick around to see how these characters will evolve in the future, because I am hooked.

3.5/5 stars

This book was an excellent follow-up to book one, The Gilded Ones. It picks up 6 months later and immediately dives right into the action. I love books that are fast-paced with a lot of action and of females fighting against the patriarchy. There are moments where you can get a little lost as to where we are and what’s going on which can be a little frustrating. But overall, interesting and fun read! Great middle book of a series.

The Merciless Ones picks up where The Gilded Ones left off, with Deka uncovering an Earth-shattering secret about the true nature of deathshrieks and war breaking out across the empire. Deka must contend with unexpected challenges as she fights a new battle she did not realize she was facing.

It took me a little while to connect with the plot of this book, but once I got into it, I could really appreciate the direction Namina Forma is taking this trilogy. The ideas explored in the second half of this story about equality and gender remind me a lot of Naomi Alderman's The Power, another great book that delves deeper beyond the surface of fighting the patriarchy. The relationship between Deka and Keita is such a solid example for young readers, with each leaning on the other for support and discussing their problems in a refreshingly healthy way. Deka's relationship with her bloodsisters is also a wonderful example of the power of female friendship, and each of these remarkable girls is an inspiring character in her own right.

Thank you so much to Random House Children's Books and Net Galley for providing me with an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This may very well be my favorite series ever, of all time. I re-read the Gilded Ones to refresh my memory before beginning this one as I’d gotten an ARC very early and it had been nearly 2 years since I read it. It held up and the sequel continued to absolutely blow my mind. The depth and strength and bond of the characters is unparalleled. There are so many twists and revelations that I never saw coming. This book took on gender in the most interesting way I’ve ever seen it explored. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. And like the first book, The Merciless Ones left me so eagerly anticipating the next book, it’s almost physically painful to wait. “Live forever. Live in victory.”

Thank you NetGalley, author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I loved the first book however this book didn't hold up as well for me. I give it 3.5 stars but I'm rounding up to 4.
Overall this book kept my attention so it is interesting. However the characters felt more flat in this book and it seemed like to many events were trying to be squeezed in. Still worth a read and I'm excited for the third book.

This book was a bit tough to read. The book picks up six months after the first one, and it just dives right into it. There's no real introduction to the story, just fighting right off the bat. If you read my review of The Gilded Ones, this one is just like it. The plot points jump around pretty quickly, so you start to get pretty confused. I had to go back and start a chapter over again because I had no clue where we were or what was happening. The characters and their stories were just meh once again. There was no real progression with Deka. I thought by now she would be figuring out who she really is, and where she really came from, but it looks like we won't be getting that until the third book. The last 70% of the book was the best in my opinion. There were so many revelations that were coming out, we were finally getting some sense into what was going on. There was just so much jam packed into some chapters and then other chapters nothing was happening. If things were spread out a little more, things would have been less confusing. The romances between the characters were a bigger part of the story than the first. This is where the story leans more towards a YA genre than anything. When something happened to one of the characters, I just didn't care, oops. There's one heart wrenching moment, maybe heart wrenching to other people, but, for me, I felt no emotion whatsoever. Am I going to pick up the third and final book of the series? Why not! I'm this invested so far, and I want to see what happens!

Deka once believed she was cursed. As soon as the blood in her veins began to flow gold, she was convinced that the only way to rid herself of this curse was by ridding the world of deathshrieks, terrifying creatures. But now she knows the truth the men of her world have been hiding. They’ve been hiding the four goddesses who created both the deathshrieks and the girls whose blood flows gold. Deka has freed the goddesses and is now their champion, determined to free all other women in the world and let the goddesses rule once again. But there is a powerful artifact being used against them. As long as the powerful men continue to use this artifact, Deka and her companions cannot succeed. But what is this artifact, exactly, and what other truths are concealed by both gods and men?

I received an advanced reading copy of The Merciless Ones in exchange for an honest review.

The Merciless Ones is a young adult fantasy novel by Namina Forna. It’s also the sequel to The Gilded Ones, which I read and reviewed last year. And after the ending to The Gilded Ones, I knew I had to read the sequel! So what did I think?

So, as you might tell from the summary above, this review may contain major spoilers for The Gilded Ones. If you want to avoid those, I’d suggest not continuing to read this review.

From the very beginning, this book dives into action and it just doesn’t let up. Deka leaps from battle into battle, along with her friends. There are a few quiet moments in between all of the fighting, but by the end I couldn’t help but think about how exhausted she and the others had to be throughout this book. So much happens!

And especially so much unexpected stuff happens. At the very beginning, we see Deka being traumatized from everything that has happened to her. After all, at the beginning of The Gilded Ones, she gets murdered over and over. That is sure to leave a mark, and it does get discussed in the previous book. But while starting the book, I was so certain that it would be Deka fighting that trauma all while she struggles to fit the new role given to her, that of the savior. And while part of the book is about this, it’s also about so much more!

Forna did not let up with the twists, both in the action and in the background of this world. That’s something I really appreciated about both The Gilded Ones and The Merciless Ones, that we get a world that appears fully formed, with a culture, a religion, and, more importantly, a history. All of these come together to form the characters and their beliefs, and their actions. And when those beliefs are rocked to their very core, as they were at the end of The Gilded Ones, we see the characters forced to change. I feel like these books are fascinating both in their actions and in their studies of character, and what one will do when faced with the unthinkable. I’m not certain many of us would be able to react as Deka does!

Something else to enjoy about this book? It might be the middle book of a trilogy, but also never suffers from second-book-syndrome, where the entire plot of the middle book is meant to connect books one and three. While The Merciless Ones does contain plots that are meant to arch over the entire series, the main plot is completely self contained. It’s a full book, and it only made me more excited to read the third. We don’t even have a title for it yet but I’m so excited to learn more about it!

The Merciless Ones is an excellent follow up to an already exciting debut, and I look forward to see how the trilogy concludes! I’d recommend this to any young adult fantasy fan. They’ll have a great time with it!

The Merciless Ones will be released on May 31. You can preorder your copy from Delacorte here.
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