THE MERCILESS ONES by Namina Forna is the much-anticipated sequel to the NYT Bestseller, THE GILDED ONES. Deka begins this book in a very different position than the last. She is the honored Nuru, daughter to the Goddesses, and her mission is simple; liberate all the women in Otera and bring her mothers back to power. In order to do that, though, she must take down Elder Kadiri, one of her biggest foes who likes to bleed out young girls publicly for sport. However, when Deka has her chance at revenge, she discovers things aren’t quite what they seem, and in order to figure out what to do next, she’ll have to get to the bottom of what’s really going on.

What this book does expertly is take a lot of political and human issues we are facing in the current world and weave them into the book’s plot, so the audience can interact with them in a new way. It’s effective because it reinforces and challenges viewpoints by making them seemingly fictional, and therefore, removing the emotional attachment, so readers can place themselves in the character’s shoes. This indirect social commentary is a convention of this genre, but sometimes it can be so light-handed the audience misses the correlations. That shouldn’t happen with this book.

Unlike the debut novel, THE MERCILESS ONES is a much slower read that took me weeks to get through. In this, Deka is on a journey of self-discovery and truth, and while there is action, this sequel is not a page-turner. It’s contemplative and exploratory, which is reflective of both the themes and topics the author explores, but also of Deka’s state of mind. That being said, there are still plenty of surprises, plot twists, and unexpected developments that unfold slowly, building up to the final scene, which is perhaps, the most shocking.

THE MERCILESS ONES is not only a satisfying sequel but also a great meditation on the real world, particularly in regards to those who wield power. In many ways, it may not be the exact book we were expecting, but it’s the one we needed right now, and it’s laid a solid foundation for an explosive third novel. I’m excited to see where Forna takes Deka next.

A solid 4 stars for this follow up to The Gilded Ones. I think this one was much better than book one. I felt more for the characters and I felt a real connection to the story. Action and shocking events await the reader.

Highly recommend!! My first book to read by this author but definitely not my last!! Uniquely and beautifully written, this story and its characters stay with you long after you finish the book.

Thank you to #NetGalley for allowing me to read this book before publication date in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited to see this book available for review. I had the first in the series on my TBR, and getting selected to review this one was just the push I needed to read The Gilded Ones. I flew through book one and immediately began book two. My expectations were REALLY high since I loved the first book in the series, and I was not disappointed. I did end up liking book one more than book two, but both of them were excellent reads, and now I have the long wait until book three comes out.

This book continues Deka's story, as she comes to grips with who she is and the lies people around her have told her all her life. She grows so much as a person in this book, finding love and forgiveness, along her journey to find herself.

I enjoyed this book. I liked book one better though. It felt as if it started really slow without much happening until the very end. Which I feel like tends to happen a lot with sequels. Overall I did like it. Thank You NetGalley for the ARC!

I absolutely devoured and loved The Gilded Ones Deathless #1
And now to have the amazing opportunity to read and review The Gilded Ones #2: The Merciless Ones is a dream!

I thought this was a great novel. One of the best fantasies I have read! 
The character development, plot development, and overall thematic explorations were insanely amazing.

The world building and characters are truly wonderful!
The characters jump off of the page and steal your damn heart.
There were so many twists and turns, I couldn't put it down. 
This entire story is quite fast paced, it’s a powerful story, a rewarding experience, and an absolute remarkable novel.
The world Namina has created is beautiful, wonderful and majestic.
I was fully absorbed the entire time reading.
There are many twists and turns, building the suspense.
If you love YA fantasy set in a new world with amazing characters you can root for then you need to read this and the first book!

Now! If I could get approved for Flight 171 my year will be made!!! 😉

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Random House Children's|Delacorte Press,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review to my platforms, blog, B&N and Waterstone closer to pub date.

This sequel jumps right into the events of the last book without missing a beat or feeling like you're reading an entirely new novel. As a fantasy reader, I personally prefer sequels that do this because it feels more like a journey and reuniting with familiar characters. I also adored the amp-up of the romance between Deka and Keita--it was so sweet! Forna also keeps up the movie-feel pacing (I think she's a screenwriter as well) and reading it was very vivid. I did sometimes wish Deka's character had more depth and there was more of a sense of her personality and desires besides what was part of the main plot (which is also something I wanted more of in the first book), but maybe this author is more of plot-driven writer than a character one.

This book was amazing! It started off a little slow, but it was understandably setting the stage for the interesting action that unfolds. Deka and her family (that she found) take you on an engaging adventure that makes you have a rollercoaster of emotions.
Also, the diversity of characters and the representation in this book are amazing.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC.

CONTENT WARNING: torture, violence, blood, trauma, gore, misogyny, mention of homophobia, mention of ableism, death of a parent, grief

I remember being in love with the first book in this series, The Gilded Ones, and being thrilled about getting approved for the next book. But since it’s been a while since I read it, I borrowed the audiobook from my library to refresh myself. And it got me just as psyched for this book as I was after finishing the first one originally. I seriously needed this book, after having a string of low-star reads, and I truly hoped this would be a great one. Fortunately, my guess was right, and it was absolutely outstanding.

After the tumultuous events of book 1, which ended on a cliffhanger of epic proportions, I was ready to find out what happens next. Forna didn’t let me down a single bit in this book, keeping the pace fast, the action furious, and unexpected plot twists at every turn. I never knew what to expect next, and I found myself getting emotional at so many parts.

For me, I need a good plot to enjoy a book, but equally important is characters that I feel bonded to. And boy, did I feel bonded to Deka and her found family in this story. Of course, there are some villains that I loved to hate, but I shifted my views on certain characters immensely in this story. Deka, Britta, Keita, Belcalis, the rest of the uruni (male counterparts to the female warriors, or alaki), and especially Ixa were standout characters, along with White Hands.

Deka goes through a major journey of self-discovery and becoming stronger and confident in this book. She solidifies her relationships with the people around her, even as they are changing. And it isn’t just Deka who does so — the other characters aren’t just in there to be there, but each of them serves a true purpose, and the story wouldn’t be nearly as impactful if even one of them was gone. The connection between Britta and Deka is one of my favorites that I’ve seen in a while, although each of the other relationships was incredibly good as well. Belcalis is probably the most intriguing character to me, since she’s so closed off, yet the people around her understand her at a deep level.

There’s so much great representation in this story. The story is set in a very well-developed world, and there are people of all shapes, sizes, and colors in the story. And while there are people who are queer represented in book 1, this book also focuses on including trans and non-binary characters, who are known as yandaus—neither male or female. The society in which they grew up isn’t friendly to LGBTQ people, with gay males receiving the brunt of consequences, while lesbian or bisexual women are frowned upon, but not viewed as much of a threat. Keep in mind, this is a society that actively works to oppress and subjugate women as much as possible.

Each and every character goes through so much, both physically, emotionally, and mentally, but probably Deka most of all, as she uncovers her true destiny and works to save all the people around her. She discovers that she has even more powers, and explores how it sets her apart from the people she’s closest to, as well as how they adapt to these changes.

I am on the edge of my seat waiting for the third book to come out, and this one isn’t even released yet! I love everything about this series — the character development, the world building, and most importantly, the unpredictable plot. This has quickly become one of my favorite series.

I read this ARC thanks to NetGAlley. This book is the sequel to the Guilded Ones. It is both exciting and thrilling filled with adventure and intrigue. I love the fighting and how the main characters learns more about herself, her powers and what she can do. I great read if you like books about female empowerment.

3.5 stars
The sequel to THE GILDED ONES was high-action and exciting, and I look forward to it being released! This picks up about six months after the end of the first book and follows Deka, of course, along with other characters we met in the first book. I enjoyed seeing the cast back in action, but this one had the same problem I had with the first book, which is pacing. The events in this book were non-stop, high action, but for some reason the past six months were barely mentioned/seemed calm, which doesn't fit with everything happening in this one. In this book alone though, the pacing improved since there weren't tons of time jumps, but I do wish we'd had more discussion of what happened between the first and second books. This one also focuses a lot on gender--as in, it becomes a major plot point--though I don't want to get into it too much for fear of spoilers. In all honesty, I enjoyed this one, but preferred the first. I can explain what the overall themes and plot points were, but as to how we arrived at them...I couldn't tell you. There's a lot going on in this story and so much of it is good, but some explanations didn't make sense and it was so much action and reveal after reveal that I got lost at some points. That's not to say this is a bad book--because it isn't, not at all!--but I preferred the first one. I do look forward to the next book though!

This was a great follow up to the Gilded Ones! I love all that we learned about the mothers and possible other gods. There is lots of lying and betrayal.
I feel like the way that trauma is dealt with in this book could have been executed better. It could be triggering to some people. I would have loved some trigger warnings myself.
The beginning was a bit slow but it did pick up as the story went on. It was funny at times too.
Overall, I loved the characters. They are diverse and work well together. The plot was good and I am so excited to see where book three will end up. I did see the twist coming but I still enjoyed the confirmation that I was correct.

Wow, wow, wow! This second book in the Deathless series was stunning. The Gilded Ones left me spinning and with so many questions about Deka's future. I devoured The Merciless Ones in an attempt to understand Deka's journey.

Deka has fully embraced her role as the Nuru and happily accepts their commands to seek out the angoro. a secret weapon of some kind that seems to be leaching the Mothers' powers. For every answer that Deka seems to unearth, she's faced with even more questions. Deka begins to question her origins and exactly what role she will assume in the future.

I will be chomping at the bit until book three releases. I cannot wait to see where Namina Forna takes Deka next. I often claim that I am not a fantasy reader, but this series has taken me by storm, and just may have solidified my love of fantasy.

I will update the review with a link to our blog closer to publication date.
I'd like to thank the publisher Random House Children's and netgalley for providing me with an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Well.. I wanted to love this as much as the first , but I didn’t. I think because in the first she was trying to figure herself out and went through so much it was easy to connect with her. In the second book she is just hard and there is no way to connect with her. The story is still interesting and compelling, but there just seems to be a disconnect for me. The plot was well done, but again there was something missing. I am hoping with the third one the connection is restored and ai am able to be sucked in as thoroughly as I was with the first.

Many times a sequel is a let-down after a great first book, but this is not the case! Forna kept the action coming in this fast-paced sequel to The Gilded Ones.

See my starred review in May's School Library Journal.

https://www.slj.com/review/the-merciless-ones

This is a book two, so there are spoilers for book one below.

This is a tough one to review without giving anything away. Deka can understand all the descendants of the Gilded Ones now that she's the Nuru. She can even make them obey commands. But a symbol shows up and it makes her feel weird. And she can't control them now. There are rumors of another God, but Deka knows that the mothers are the only Gods. But the name Idugu keeps coming up. The mothers send Deka and her friends to get information and then kill Elder Kadrili. He's been the one speaking for Idugu. The mothers also task them with getting the angoro. They said it's basically a weapon that Idugu has. Deka starts feeling Idugu and believes he's real. But if there is another god, why did the mothers day he isn't real? There are memories that are also being erased and no one knows why. They start to remember and then lose their train of thoughts. Something is really wrong and Deka starts to question the mothers more. But if she questions or doubts them, they will reject her. She's torn on what to do, but she knows her powers are growing and no one seems to be honest with her.

The second half of the book was very fast paced. The friendships are just incredible in this book. I also enjoyed the bits of romance throughout the book, but I was also glad it wasn't the main focus. There are some parts that are violent and hard to read, but this is a great second book. I'm really looking forward to book three.

I gave this 4 1/2 stars rounded up to 5 on Goodreads.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my earc.

Series Info/Source: This is the second book in The Gilded Ones trilogy. I got a copy of this book through NetGalley to review.

Thoughts: I really loved the first book in this series and was incredibly excited to read this book. Sadly, it was disappointing….I almost stopped reading it a few times because I just did not care. This book follows Deka and crew as they continue to try and free the goddesses. During the process of freeing the goddesses Deka uncovers some very substantial secrets and must decide the best path to save Otera.

This was okay. I finished it and did enjoy some of the twists and turns later in the book, even though they were fairly predictable. Unfortunately, I felt very distanced from the characters, especially Deka. I felt like I was reading about them rather than experiencing this story with them. What should have been an exciting plot of battles and unveiled secrets, ended up being us watching Deko run from one battle to the next and make a number of bad decisions; it was just kind of boring.

I ended up skimming much of the middle of the book. Things were a bit more interesting towards the end of the story. However, as soon as I finished this I felt mostly relieved at being done with it and had no desire to read the third and final book in this series.

My Summary (3/5): Overall this book was fairly disappointing given how much I loved the first book in the series. The characters are held at a distance and the plot starts to feel very repetitive. There are some decent twists and turns towards the end, but the foreshadowing was sooo heavy here that they were predictable. Despite all of the action, I felt bored reading this and really struggled to stay engaged. I almost stopped reading this book multiple times but instead started skimming boring portions and made it through. I have absolutely no curiosity about where the story is going and don’t plan on reading the final book in the series.

The Gilded Ones was one of my top five reads of 2021, so I was so excited to receive an ARC through NetGalley from Delacorte Press. Thank you so much for the opportunity! I rate it 4.5 out of 5 stars.

We are immediately thrust into action with Deka dealing with the aftermath of what happens when you depose an Emperor but are powerless to enact immediate change. Much like in The Gilded Ones, the book does not shy away from graphic descriptions of war—both for those in the army and the civilian bystanders. They may have overthrown a corrupt emperor, but the world is still not a safe place for women.

What I love most about Deka’s story is that every turn, she is constantly rediscovering what it means to be the Nuru to the Goddesses and that we are learning right alongside her. If there is information that we as readers don’t have, it is because Deka also doesn’t have that information (and is most likely doing her best to uncover it). We are right there with her, struggling to determine who is trustworthy and what the cost will be if she trusts the wrong person. Well, that might be my second favorite thing about this book. What I truly love most about her story is her ride or die friendships that she’s built. It’s truly a story of found family who would do anythign to protect each other. There is no mountain too high, no army too large.

The thing that drew me out of the story the most was some of the repeated phrases and scenes, to the point where I was flipping back to make sure I didn’t lose my place and reread a scene. There were subtle differences between them and it was rarely anything over a few lines at a time, but it was definitely a bit jarring and felt like it was a heavy-handed way to say “hey this bit is important.” The only other issue I had with it was that most of the advertising I’d come across didn’t specify that this was a middle book and even when searching, I only found a couple of references mentioning that this was a planned trilogy. I think if I had engaged with it knowing it was not the final book in the series I would have enjoyed it more.

But I still had an excellent time reading it and am so excited for the next book in the series!

Rarely are sequels better than the first book, but all I have to say after finishing The Merciless Ones is wow. I loved everything about The Guilded Ones so much: the backstories, the sisterhood, the bonds that were formed, the cultures and mythologies. When it was over, I would have been completely satisfied if it had stayed a standalone, so what could possibly happen next for Deka?

The Merciless Ones takes all of this and cranks it up to a thousand. I found myself gasping, yelling "no!", and so full of emotions page after page after page. The bar was already set so high for me with the first book I had no idea it could become this much MORE. The bonds are deepened, relationships are stretched and changed in so many ways, and everything you think you know in book one is called into question.

There aren't enough stars out there to give this book a high enough rating. I found myself rereading sections just to really get to marvel at the jungle and the scenery, not to mention the amazing fight scenes. The shocking twists and turns were an added bonus, and you can bet I'll have book three pre-ordered the *second* it's announced.