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.

I loved this book!!! The Merciless Ones expands o. The Gilded Ones. We finish the first book with Deka freeing the Gilded Ones and trying to enact change to overthrow the patriarchal systems that govern Otera. The Merciless Ones introduces opposing forces, and we start to question whether the story Deka has been told is the whole truth. This book builds on the feminism introduced in the first book by layering in discussions of intersectionality within human rights movements. We have themes of LGBTQ+ rights, as well as a thoughtful commentary on toxic masculinity.

The best part of these books are the relationships. Forna creates deeply rooted, uplifting friendships. You fall in love with the characters, and you get to know the supporting characters as well as the main ones. The development of their supernatural abilities and the rich world building enhance the story, and I am so excited for this series to continue!

Although the first book in this series was tightly written and engrossing, with a lot of solid world-building and character development, this sequel is far less engaging. Readers who haven't read the first book will be almost completely lost, as even though the author tries to catch them up through narration and dialogue, the story up to this point comes across in such a fragmented way that it's hard to pick up the pieces. The characters keep proclaiming who and what they are, but it doesn't matter, because they've all become rather two-dimensional and interchangeable.. There's a lot of grandstanding and the characters express constant urgency, but then time passes and nothing happens. The character dramatics and posturing become very boring, and the plot, such as it is, isn't compelling.

A fantastic installment in this series! I love the world building and the strong female characters. There were lots of twists and turns and I am ready for book three, which I assume will conclude the series. Will absolutely recommend to teens who want their next fantasy read.

the merciless ones was in my top 5 most anticipated books of 2022. so when i found out that i got approved for an arc i stopped everything i was doing to read it and what a wild ride!! i loved the first book, the gilded ones, but this one was so much better! queer fantasy is something i just can’t get enough of! the depths in which the author goes to to tell such a rich story is unparalleled. i’m trying to watch what i say because of spoilers but honestly i can not recommend reading this trilogy enough! it has every single queer rep under the sun and it’s so magically and beautiful done. the magic system is so cool and unique. the plot, the characters, the PLOT TWISTS! gah! it was all just amazing. now, i am overlooking all the errors this book hard because it was v clearly an uncorrected arc and there were a lot of errors. i really hope they get all those things fixed before publishing.

anyway, the merciless ones, the sequel to the gilded ones, comes out may 31 and if you like action adventure african lore inspired queer fantasy then you MUST READ THIS BOOK!!

This was a cute book, but I didn't like it as much as the first one. It wasn't really a topic that I enjoyed, it had potential but I didn't see myself getting into the writing.

Since this is a sequel and not yet published, I will try and keep this as spoiler-free as possible, which will make this review vague and short.

I really enjoy the masterful world-building of this series. I think Forna does an incredible job with that and her character-building, but it does get a bit overwhelming at times. There are SO MANY characters and concepts to keep track of that I start to lose the plot trying to keep up with them. It can take away from great characters like Keita or Fatu when we have to focus on seven other side characters and their various romances.

This sequel struggled like a lot of sequels do in that it took everything from book one and turned it on its head for the reader to question. I don't think it did a bad job of that! I loved the twists and turns. But it felt a little...packed and rushed. I anticipated this to be a duology for some reason, but then I was in the last 5% of the book with no resolution and thinking "Oh geez, this DENSE book two wasn't it?"

As I think ahead to book three, the main thing that comes to me is that Deka deserves a cosmic spa day.

OH MY GOD..... Yup Namina does it again. I was so so happy when i got this arc because the gilded ones was my favorite read of last year so when i got this ARC from netgalley i gasped. When i first started this book it picked up a little slow but thats the thing with fantasy the build up is worth it. The first book was very action packed this one starts more of a journey etc and THEN gets super action packed and i loved every second of this book. Its very hard to write a review about fantasy without spoilers because this book had so many twists and turns and BETRAYAL so many moments in this book had me shook. The fantasy in this book is EVERYTHING the scenery the worlds just the detail the author puts into this book is amazing. The female LEADS are EVERYTHING to me. its so nice to read fantasy books with such strong females and THE ENDING of this book??? I NEED THE NEXT BOOK NOW!!!!! I think this series would be an amazing TV show. Those final chapters had me flipping page after page. This author is so talented and i am so excited to read more books to come.


This book has such lovable characters and ones you wont like as well and that to me is a perfect read.. The power alot of these characters hold is amazing i just loved so many people in this book. Namina truly has such great ideas.

This book i had such high hopes for and trust me it did not disappoint at all. If you love fantasy/YA you NEED to read this book. This series is amazing.

Congratulations on book #2!

This sequel was great!! We pick up right where we left off with Deka at the end of The Gilded Ones. The female friendships are still a huge highlight of this book. I even became more of a Keita fan in this one! This was pretty fast paced and there were a lot of revelations (excuse the godly pun) that made me gasp!

It's been six months since Deka freed the goddesses in the ancient kingdom of Otera and discovered who she 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. Compared to the first novel this one is much more adventurous. Deka connects so much between her and the symbols. I enjoy that the author makes the women so independent and strong. I think the world-building was even better. I thought Deka didn't develop as much as I expected her to.

The big picture story line is interesting. It’s the smaller details that I wasn’t invested in. Several parts just felt like fillers where the plot didn’t actually move forward. For me there was a lack of urgency and tension.

Thank you NetGalley and Delacorte Press for the eARC!

Thank you to #NetGalley for an ARC. Reading The Gilded One’s was an experience I can vividly remember. The first book was sooooo good because I loved the characters, the world, and the complexity of issues being discussed. I can’t say the same thing for the second book. It definitely took a turn after the cliffhanger at the end of the first book. I loved seeing the world through Deka’s eyes as she tries to figure out how she fits into the world and what relationships are most valuable. I couldn’t quite get into the world building in this book with the new gods introduced and the question that Deka had to undertake. Ford is an amazing author. Her internal dialogue and dialogue between characters is often breathtaking. I just wish I could have got into the plot a little bit more. I look forward to the next book so I can see where it goes next.

Thank you, NetGalley for allowing me to read this book. I read the Gilded Ones and was very excited to read the follow up, The Merciless Ones. This was a beautifully written story of sisterhood and female strength, of accepting anyone who chooses to be a woman and anyone who pushes against the norm and doesn't always believe what others tell her. It's a great message for our youth and I definitely plan on adding it to our collection.

This was a great sequel to The Gilded Ones. Forna expands the world a lot and gives it far more depth than the previous book. I liked the plot twists, especially the way that they provoked important questions about gender, sexuality, and power. The romance between Deka and Keita was really nice to read, but remained understated compared to the rest of the action. I also loved Deka's relationships with Britta, Belcalis, and her other bloodsisters (and of course Ixa!)

What?!?!?! That ending! I didn’t see that coming. This was beautifully written and I can’t wait to read what’s coming next!

Middle books are always forced to do a massive amount of place setting to get ready for finales. This manages to do that place setting while still being a interesting read on its own merits. I really enjoyed the deep dive into backstory and history that really propel this. We learn so much about each character and the goddess. I think that the author really heard some of the criticism of a lack of queer characters in the first and addressed it in a truly solid way. Would read and recommend, particularly for readers who love the lore of a fantasy world.

I received this title for free from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. Thanks to the publishers and author for this opportunity!

I really enjoyed the first book, The Gilded Ones, so I am a bit disappointed to be writing this review. The first book was fast-paced but the reveals of the twists, turns, and plot elements was slow, fun, and at times, unexpected. While this book tried to keep that momentum, I felt like it heavily relied on every cliched YA trope in history to do so. I didn't find the plot twists surprising - in fact, I often called them from miles (or, in this case, pages) away, because the author was so heavy-handed with the foreshadowing. Deka was an obnoxious narrator, jumping way too fast into things, and her narration, especially of her PTSD-related stress, seemed horrendously poorly done and fake. I wasn't connecting with her nearly as much. The pacing of the entire story seemed off and rushed - like they were trying to fit a lot into a very short time. Relationships that were very well developed in the first book, like that of Deka and Britta, seemed shallow in this one. On the one hand, I think the changes Deka goes through are partially to blame, but it also just felt like rushed writing.

That criticism aside, this book was still a fun sequel. I definitely don't regret reading it - it was a highly entertaining read, and I just spent my entire Monday evening finishing it. My students, I'm sure, will enjoy it, and the messages and themes were really well woven into the narrative. The world-building is beautiful and the imagery seemed like something from a painting. For a YA title, I think this hits the mark. Most of my criticism comes from the fact that the first one seemed to more or less transcend the YA trope world and was enjoyable for me as an adult, not just me as a HS librarian reading for Reader's Advisory for my students' sake. This one just wasn't - but that's not to say it wasn't entertaining. If you liked the first book, this has a decent plot, wraps up a lot of loose ends, and continues the story. It just does so in a less cohesive and well-imagined way.

3.5/5 stars

I really liked the arc of this story - how Namina Forna took the big world she's created in book one and made it even bigger in book two. The depth of world-building is really great. The setup for book three was really interesting, too, and will definitely have me coming back for more; at the same time, this book maintained its own arc as well.

There is a lot of violence in this book, but it's not explicit or gratuitous.