*The Serpent Called Mercy* is a gripping and exhilarating epic fantasy that effortlessly blends the dark, gritty world of *The Witcher* with the high-stakes tension of *Squid Game*. Set in a Malaysian Chinese-inspired universe, the novel thrusts readers into a cutthroat arena where beasts are fought and lives are risked in the pursuit of fast riches. The stakes are raised as Lythlet and Desil, two debt-ridden friends, become conquessors—fighting both literal monsters and the more insidious beasts of politics and betrayal.

The heart of this story is Lythlet’s transformation, from a desperate fighter to a calculating player in a dangerous game. Her cunning and ambition make for an unforgettable journey as she navigates not only the bloody battles in the arena but the treacherous world outside it. The intricate world-building is both vivid and immersive, drawing readers into its brutal underbelly, while the plot keeps them on the edge of their seats with twists, intrigue, and moral dilemmas that feel all too real.

What truly elevates this story, however, is the unwavering bond between Lythlet and Desil. Their friendship is the backbone of the narrative, a powerful reminder that even in the most perilous situations, loyalty and trust are invaluable. The personal stakes, both in terms of honor and ambition, make every decision feel monumental, and the emotional depth brings the characters to life in a way that makes the reader deeply invested in their fates.

Fast-paced and deeply compelling, *The Serpent Called Mercy* is a thrilling ride through a world where loyalty is tested, monsters lurk in every shadow, and the true price of ambition is yet to be fully revealed. It's a must-read for fans of high-stakes fantasy that doesn't shy away from exploring the complexities of friendship, ambition, and survival.

DNF at 60%

even though i fairly enjoyed this book in the beginning, it later became too slow for me and i stopped being invested in the story. however, it was very original and i might decide to finish it one day, but i know that for now, i can't.

the worldbuilding was good, the author explained to us how the world works, and gave us lots of more details through stories Lythel knew. i loved reading the stories since they were all well written, like the entire novel, and interesting.

the fighting of the monsters was nicely done, there were a lot of details so i could imagine quite well how the scenes looked. the monsters were creative and most of the time i truly had no idea how they're going to win.

the characters were likable, well most of them. Lythel, our main character, was very original, she was herself, and i loved the way she spoke. her friend Desil however, wasn't very likable. for me he was just a bit too religious which at times made me uncomfortable. other than that, he didn't do much, and he didn't do anything significant. the side characters were cute, i loved the way they interacted with Lythel, and i enjoyed reading about her relationship with her parents.

overall, this novel was pretty good and i think the author is a great writer, the story was just too slow-paced for my liking.

I'm so sad I didn't love it. The premise seemed to be tailor-made for me. Monster hunters, check. From zero to hero poor everyman protagonist? Check. Jaded calculating autistic-coded fmc & himbo mmc? Great. No romance, but platonic friendship stronger than love? Sign me up. Political intrigue on top of it? Why not.

But the book utterly falls apart on the technical level and fails to fulfill the promise of the thrills the blurb was selling to me.

First problem: there's no plot tension! Everything comes to the protagonist too easy. Defeating the monsters becomes a cakewalk. Even when the mc screws up and I thought there will be nasty consequences... there weren't any.

There's also no interpersonal tension. Even though Lythlet and Desil are like night and day, they never argue and everything that Desil wouldn't approve of, Lythlet does behind his back and he never has any issue with it either, and she doesn't run into problems by leaving him behind, nope, she actually praises herself for going with the other person. Same with Master Doritos whatshisface. Lythlet constantly suspects him he'll exploit her, but he just keeps helping her and even if there's some big betrayal coming later, the tension wasn't there.

Second problem: The long, boring, moralizatory speeches. It felt excessively juvenile and soapboxy. "Teaching" the protagonist a lesson should be done through actions not speeches. It feels like lecturing the readers about the cycle of poverty. If I wanted that, I'd pick a non-fiction title.

Third problem: jarring tone differences. We learn how this world is so, so cruel, lead by some criminal organization the authorities turn a blind eye to. There are brutal gladiatorial tournaments, child trafficking, animal abuse, violent debt collectors, thieves, scammers, abusive bosses and a mentally ill mother who routinely self-harms and half the days isn't even sane to talk to. But then the plot treats the characters with kids' gloves on and nothing really bad happens to them after the plot starts (initially they get beaten a couple of times but that stops happening soon after).

I wanted to dnf at around 30% or so when the characters faced the first real setback and nearly lost the match and Lythlet's reaction was... "we're quitting". No, you won't, because then the book won't happen. So let's have chapters upon chapters of convincing the reluctant hero to go back into action... I thought meeting her parents will be more dramatic and convince her she can't go back to poverty, but it was again fairly devoid of tension. I really regret I didn't dnf it there.

I kept giving it a chance because I like jaded underdog protagonists, I want to see more fantasy without romance, I love to see autistic-coded protagonists well represented (Lythlet was very analytical, developed speech late, socially awkward, didn't like crowds or being touched, and had a strong sense of justice combined with a good dose of social naivety - I really think it represented common autism experiences well), and I love thrilling battles and cunning political intrigue. I kept waiting until the book gets better, but I slowly lost hope it ever will. It wasn't thrilling and it wasn't clever either.

My reading experience was bouncing between 2.5 and 3.5 and I'm setting on 3. Just when it "was getting better" we get into yet another boring speech or skimmed-over monster fight.

It's well-written on the prose level, but the scene composition and overall structure is all messed up, it focuses on the boring parts (speeches, slice of life scenes) while skipping the interesting parts (monster fights, political intrigue, sleuthing around).

And contrary to my other recent read where I struggled with pacing / lack of tension, this one can't even pass for cozy because the world is too gritty and brutal, but the narrative feels nearly cozy with it's lack of actual palpable danger, recurrent foodie scenes in the inn, and the main cast being so lovey-dovey with each other.

"...will leave you at the edge of your seat." —Amber Chen
"...raises the stakes—and your blood pressure." —Saara El-Arifi
"a thrilling spectacle from beginning to end." —Chelsea Abdullah
Yeah, nah. I wish. This is dreadfully boring and I'm disappointed.

Dnf at chapter 21 (61%).

Thank you DAW and Netgalley for the ARC.

Lau’s protagonist Lythlet has none of the qualms about violence the protagonists of Wijesekara’s novel do. Facing a life of debt and poverty, Lythlet and her only friend, Desil, take the one path they can think of to escape: becoming gladiators in an illegal arena, where they fight monsters. But the monsters in the ring are far less dangerous than the monsters beyond it; to survive, Lythlet has to play an entirely different game, balancing politics and intrigue to get ahead. When she has to make a choice between her friendship and her ambition, she discovers how far she’ll go to claim her own power.

Readers who love the combat aspects and morally gray spaces of novels (and characters) like Arcane’s Ambessa (most recently featured in a prequel novel by C.L. Clark) are sure to gravitate toward Lau’s vividly depicted arena sequences. And the monsters are the stuff of nightmares–shadowy wolves that don’t bleed, two headed creatures that spew fire and ice–unique and inventive in a genre filled with fiends. Readers can fight alongside Lythlet when The Serpent Called Mercy arrives in March.

I really liked how this started. The world seemed interesting and it felt like there was going to be time spent building things up. There’s moments that are really good. The issue was, once in the arena, the characters and the world flattened out. It had an interesting idea but sadly didn’t deliver the way I’d hoped.

Note: ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I try to be generous with debuts but this one has me a bit...miffed.

We start with them being slumrats, or slumdogs, I can't remember what they're called and I only just finished the book. We also *end with them being slum-things!* So what did I just read 432 pages for?!?!

Whatever fine. It opens with Lythlet having to rob someone and touches on her being a good thief. This is barely mentioned again until it's part of her fighter backstory. Otherwise, very irrelevant.

She and Desil, who sucks as a character btw, join this fight competition against beasts. They're called suncursed or something, again I don't remember, but our background on the world is limited so just roll with it. We actually only see like 5-6 of the matches. The rest are basically glossed over, unless they can show off how smart Lythlet is. The beasts and the wider world around them do not matter otherwise. Literally not mentioned.

In her first match she asks the match-master, or matchmaster because they can't decide if it has a hyphen or not through the entire book, about some bamboo. Apparently the bamboo has some magical properties that the people across the sea, what sea I don't know, still have access to. There is nothing really further expanded on this except a couple more mentions but that's it. "No one's been able to access the magic orb thing in centuries." Betcha can't guess what our MC is gonna be able to do!!!!

And there's some Phantom that's robbing people, but that's only relevant for like three conversations several hundred pages apart, so why bother including it?

Every character is just flat. And generally annoying. And nothing around them seems to matter because with the exception of some "bad men" going to jail, everyone is where they started on page 1. Except Lythlet and Desil learnt the value of friendship or something before religiously promising to not lie to each other anymore

The Serpent Called Mercy follows Lythlet & Desil, two down on their luck inhabitants of a slum. Burdened with an ever increasing debt, the pair decide to enter 12 rounds of deadly fights against mythical beasts to gain a chance of changing their fate.

The fights were one of my favourite parts of the book, Lythlet coming up with different tactics to the pair's advantage and seeing whether they'd win or forfeit was thrilling. However, the fights become glossed over in the future in favour of time skips and a pivot towards the larger themes of morality & classism. This isn't a bad thing and these themes are always present but the change into more political machinations of the underworld seems under developed compared to the first half of the book and the fights. I think a bit more time in the world building + non-arena times could've benefited the story.



However, I did overall enjoy the story and it was a refreshing fast paced standalone. I just don't think the comparisons to 'The Witcher' & 'Squid Game' really do it justice and might have folks expecting something quite different.

Thanks to Netgalley & DAW for this arc.

The setting and the mythology of this book was all new to me and that really enlivened the reading experience for me. It was fast and exciting to read but the highlight was the world building and how well the characters fitted into that world.

I found the premise of this story to be interesting and promising. However, I read about 40% of the book and could not continue. The writing style made me feel removed from the storyline and left me confused at times as to what was happening. With that being said, I think many others would still enjoy this story even if it wasn’t for me!

(Thank you Net Galley & Roanne Lau for this opportunity!)

Thank you to DAW and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In the slums of the Malaysian Chinese-inspired fantasy city of Setgad, Lythlet Tairiel and her childhood friend Desil Demothi live in poverty and debt, barely scraping enough coin together to keep the usurers off their backs. When the opportunity to claw their way out of debt presents itself, they enter the underground arena of conquessing, fighting sun-cursed beasts in dangerous battles to the death. And while Lythlet’s meterorical rise to fame seems to point towards a brighter future, she soon discovers that when the underground has its claws in you, it’s loathe to let you go.

When I started The Serpent Called Mercy, I had no expectation that I would find one of the best books I’ve read in a while among its pages. However, I was immediately blown away by the beautiful writing style, surprisingly lush and poetic for a story about debt-ridden slumdogs and their fight to survive. The city of Setgad is vibrant and rich, even the darker and poorer parts that Lythlet frequents, and the cultural elements are incredibly fascinating and feel very anchored to the world, without being bogged down with too much exposition.

I, too, found a protagonist in Lythlet who was flawed, yes, but incredibly easy to root for. Her harsh childhood and the circumstances she’d been trying to overcome could have easily led to resignation and apathy, but her wit and ambition, especially after getting a taste of coin and glory in the conquessing arena, were exciting to behold. Especially as it led to internal struggles about what to prioritise: a future of financial security at the cost of present danger in the arena and entanglements with the criminal underground, or her friendship with Desil, whose brawling days have left him scarred and conflicted about their careers as conquessors?

This book has been pitched as The Witcher meets Squid Games, but I don’t think that’s particularly accurate – the only similar aspects are fights against monsters and games where life and death are on the line, respectively. Instead, I’d recommend this to anyone who fell in love with Ketterdam in Six of Crows or whose favourite movie is Gladiator. This is a story about underdogs fighting tooth and nail for a secure future for themselves and those around them against the oppressive forces of the powerful and corrupt elites above, and while those are also present in the official comps, the aesthetic vibes are definitely more similar to my comps.

The last thing I will say is that while The Serpent Called Mercy looks to be a standalone novel, I sincerely hope that Roanne Lau will return to this world, whether it be a continuation of Lythlet and Desil’s story or something completely different. This is a world that feels full to bursting, and it would be a shame not to get to explore more of it. I will certainly be looking out for what else Lau has to offer in the future.

'The Serpent Called Mercy' is a standalone fantasy novel drawing from Malaysian and Chinese influences. Lythlet is a slumdog who scrapes by as a bookkeeper in a corrupt city. Her best friend Desil owes a large monetary debt to some unsavory types, which the pair have been paying odd together. When the opportunity arises for both of them to raise more money than they've ever seen by fighting to the death with wild creatures before a betting crowd, the friends decide to risk their lives in the hopes of being able to lead better ones.

Thank you to Netgalley and DAW for providing me with an eARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

There are several aspects of this book that I quite enjoyed, the first of which was the focus on platonic relationships. With so much romance present in the fantasy genre at the moment, it was nice to read a story that focused on friendship instead. Lythlet goes through a character arc that is enjoyable to follow. She starts downtrodden and weary, becomes obsessed with fame and fortune, and then remembers her roots. She is not a perfect main character, but that makes her much more interesting. I also quite liked the concepts behind the mythical creatures that Lythlet and Desil fought in the arena, most of which were unlike any I'd read about before. I am not very familiar with Malaysian or Chinese mythology, so I'm unsure if they were inspired by existing creatures or created for this book.

Now, unfortunately, for the reasons this book ultimately fell flat for me. I am always looking for good, standalone fantasy, but this book tries to do too much for it's single-book runtime. Aside from the main arena fighting plot, there were also some side plots throughout the narrative. I felt that all of the plot resolutions were rushed, as they all had to fit within this self-contained novel. There was a side plot relating to unregistered citizens unknowingly working on a dangerous job site that I thought was going to be more involved, but instead was wrapped-up in the background over just one or two chapters. Additionally, the world-building here was not very strong. I wanted to know a lot more about the magic in this world, the political structure, where the creatures in the arena came from, and the wardens, which seemed to be the gods of this world. All of these are touched on throughout, but not in any way that isn't directly important to the plot. Probably my least favourite part of the book was the tendency for a lot of exposition and info-dumping to happen in conversations, particularly between Lythlet and the arena master.

Overall, this was a debut novel with fascinating ideas and enjoyable writing. It may not have been a new favourite, but I did like the core of what was here and would give Roanne Lau's future releases another go.

i have a lot of thoughts about this! while the serpent called mercy may not be a book for everyone, this was still a stunning debut novel nonetheless and roanne lau does a spectacular job creating a unique, standout story.

firstly, i adored the platonic relationship between the two mcs!! this is such an underrated dynamic in the fantasy genre and i loved seeing lythlet and desil’s relationship being tested and redefined throughout the book. lythlet is ambitious and unapologetically flawed, and her descent into greed actually builds her to be a more unique character especially as her moral compass becomes tested. desil, on the other hand, is easy to adore yet still very well fleshed out with his own flaws. i loved how balanced and multifaceted the characters were, and the character development was definitely the best part of the book!

unfortunately, there were also things i struggled with in this story. my reading momentum was often interrupted ESPECIALLY during the match-master’s dialogue. it just felt so excessively long and overly elaborated that i became bored. the only parts that kept me truly engaged were their conquessor fights, so it was disappointing to see that these battles were reduced to only a few sentences after the first few rounds. the sublot with lythlet’s parents as well as the political subplot also made it feel like there were too many things happening at the same time, and although they wrapped up conveniently, i honestly could not find myself caring for any of it. the worldbuilding felt rather clumsily pieced together, and i had a difficult time understanding the magic system, which was honestly sparsely mentioned in the book anyway. again, the thing that piqued my interest the most were the sun-cursed beasts, and i would have loved to have learned more about them and their background.

3.5 stars! thank you to netgalley and daw for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

The hook is pretty decent for this book and it seems like it will be fun. Unfortunately, this is the first LCP file I have tried and the formatting is really weird on my older kindle, so I will not be giving more in-depth feedback. Hopefully Kobo adds support in the future.

Ya no se puede decir que sea una novedad que se publique fantasía con inspiración asiática, es una tendencia más que consolidada. Así que la sinopsis de The Serpent Called Mercy tenía la dura tarea de atraer a un lector quizá ahíto de estos escenarios. La mención a Geralt de Rivia y El juego del calamar no es desacertada para nada, pero el libro tiene graves problemas que el marketing no puede solucionar.


La trama de la novela se centra en Lythlet y su único amigo Desil, que malviven intentado devolver el préstamo que tuvieron que aceptar por los problemas de salud de la primera. Cuando se les presenta la oportunidad de luchar en la arena contra monstruos indeterminados, parece que ven la salida a sus vicisitudes, pero hay movimientos más complejos entre bambalinas que intentarán boicotear su camino de salida de la pobreza extrema.

Los combates con los monstruos me han recordado un poco a Shadow of the Colossus, esa maravilla de juego en que tenías que enfrentarte a pantagruélicos enemigos sin mucha idea ni contexto sobre cómo vencerlos. Lythlet y Desil se encontrarán en esta situación en los primeros combates, sin saber a qué bestia se van a enfrentar ni como podrán vencerla. En este sentido, las luchas son lo más entretenido del libro, aunque se nos escamotean algunas de las doce prometidas por abreviar el libro. Pero claro, lo divertido de discernir cuál es el punto débil de los monstruos es cuando lo haces tú, no cuando ves cómo lo hacen otros.

El problema que tiene The Serpent Called Mercy es que el resto de la historia está tremendamente poco desarrollada. No solo por la ingenuidad extrema de los protagonistas, si no por los pobre recursos que Roanne Lau utiliza. Cuando le conviene echa mano de los poderes de los dioses, en unos deus ex machina que parecen innecesarios, completamente injustificados y con unas reglas aleatorias que convienen a la trama en ese determinado momento. En cuanto a la trama política, tiene menos consistencia que una sopa de piedra, y de nuevo se adecúa convenientemente en cada momento a lo Lythlet requiere para salir bien parada. Aunque la historia se desarrolla a lo largo de todo un año, tiene partes muy apresuradas y otras desesperadamente lentas, con unos problemas de ritmo que se pueden achacar al hecho de que sea una primera novela pero que no se pueden ignorar.

El libro es una amalgama de buenas intenciones con una ejecución que deja mucho que desear.

“All we can do is find a way to survive and prosper within the system.”

Lythlet and Desil have found themselves victims of circumstance and are struggling to repay a significant debt to a loan shark. However, the system exists to perpetuate the struggle of poverty that they have found themselves in. They find themselves with an opportunity to become conquessors in a series of matches against a menagerie of beasts that will reward them with wealth beyond their imagining. These matches are not easily won, and they must work together to continue through all twelve matches.

“I will not choose apathy over justice, wealth over duty, wrath over mercy.”

Throughout the story, we are reminded that the moral compass with which we ourselves exist by, is not what others adhere to. There can be promise of riches and connections but they come with consequences. Can you maintain morality when tempted with the one thing that may change your situation? Can you show mercy despite reaping no reward? Roanne challenges us to consider these questions, and more in this exciting debut.

Thank you to DAW Books and NetGalley for access to the eARC!

Wow! For a debut novel, I was floored by how much this left an impression on me! I was pleasantly surprised by how much I really enjoyed this one. This is a very character driven book but by far the strongest, most compelling part of the novel. It follows two slumdogs, Lythlet and Desil, two childhood best friends who are in debt and take part in conquessing, a blood sport where contestants are required to kill monsters to make cash. Think Squid Game but contestants battle different monsters each round instead of playing childhood games.

Lythlet is a FMC that I easily liked and rooted for from start to finish as a character, schemer, daughter and friend. The book establishes early on Lythlet’s desperation as a slumdog. She has a vicious and abusive loan shark, her parents are also unregistered and equally in debt and she only has one friend, Desil. To pay off her debts, Lythlet resorts to thievery, but even as a thief, you see her humanity seep through, refusing to steal from an old man. I also like that she isn’t a pushover and stands up to herself when necessary. But what I enjoyed the most was how big brained Lythlet is. She’s a FMC with both brawns and brains, able to wield a spear when fighting monsters in the arena and using her quick intuition and perception skills to devise ways to slain them. I liked witnessing her gradual corruption the greedier she became with money and the way each battle began to push the limits to her morality. It is very similar to Squid Game where you ask yourself whether losing your humanity is worth the coin. There was one particular match that really got me.

Desil was also someone I really loved and adored. He is so sweet, it was super easy to get attached to both of them. Desil is her moral compass and their friendship CARRIED the entire novel. Both don’t want to see each other get hurt and you feel the care they have for each other early on. Even though their friendship is platonic, it is still so much more convincing than other book couples I’ve read. I also really enjoyed the different monster matches. Each monster was super unique. I genuinely had no idea how they would vanquish each one and it was very interesting seeing the conflicts that arose between both of them the more they competed in the matches. Though I did think they were resolved too quickly.

Another big highlight for me was the relationship Lythlet had with the match master, Master Dothilos. I found it just as strong as her relationship with Desil. I wasn’t expecting so much depth from him and found him to be a very multifaceted character with many layers. I had a strong love-hate relationship with the match master. He’s cynical and manipulative, but genuinely grows to care for Lythlet because of their similar upbringing and wants the best for her. I really enjoyed the dynamic they had with each other and by the end, I wasn’t sure if I could truly hate him.

While I found the final match predictable, I was NOT expecting the big plot twist that came after that. It really took me by surprise and I loved how realistic the ending was and the lessons Lythlet takes away with her by the end of the novel. There’s a lot of thought-provoking messages that I carried away with me.

My biggest critiques with this novel was the worldbuilding and side plot. It did feel difficult to picture the world and a lot of the lore felt glossed over and undeveloped. Some chapters did drag a bit – especially with the political side plot that I didn’t really care for. It was only when the conquessing continued that I found myself invested in the story again. Other than that, I think this was a strong debut from Roanne Lau and I would love to read more of her future works.

Huge thank you to NetGalley and DAW for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.25 stars!

The premise of this book sounds so interesting and I’m positive that there is an audience for it. I just don’t think I’m that audience.

The first chapter alone was full of awkward phrasings that read like they’re translation approximations. It’s perhaps a stylistic choice, but for me, it really took me out of the story. There were at least a few grammatical/word choice errors, too.

I would be curious to read a later draft of this book if there will be additional copy edits to address the word choice and phrasing, but for now it was a DNF for me. I will not be posting this review on my socials since I didn’t finish the book and I am hopeful that once it makes it to print, this critique will be irrelevant.

I liked this book, but didn't love it. It felt so dense and yet I had so many questions about the world and magic. I felt like the main story could have been two books instead of one. I did love that this is a fantasy story without a real romance aspect. There is some flirtation, but always between the main characters and a side character. Lythlet and Desil are best friends, and I love the familial relationship between them. I liked how they really complemented each other and there wasn't any heaving bosoms and stolen glances.

The book takes place over the course of just over a year. There is so much plot that takes place that I was just rushing through the end. So many of their conquessor battles are just glazed over, but I would have liked more description. I also was interested in the real difference between Sun Cursed and Sun Blessed. Also, it seemed like other nations still had magic, so why didn't they? I know it's explained but it just felt so vague.

I would also wager a guess that Lythlet is neurodivergent. I loved the way she was described and her interactions with people. She wasn't a caricature, but a loving representation. The other thing this book does well is describe the harsh ways people get trapped in poverty. The predatory loans and jobs that overpromise and underdeliver. This really was a scrappy underdog story, but the ending isn't pitch perfect. The ending depicts an imperfect world that has years to go, I like a messy ending.

I don't know if I would read another book in this series, but if you like monster fighting rebellious fantasy, this book is for you.

Thanks to NetGalley and DAW for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

The Witcher meets Squid Game is a very tall order for this book. The world building felt bereft of detail beyond some monsters mentioned and a vague history of its people. All of the fights felt like they sort of stumbled along, with the best action sequence being the final climax.

I would say this book leaned more toward Squid Game, but only insofar as the politics of the show. About 85% of this book was dialogue that dwelled on corruption and social inequality. And while I felt that the characters made great points to that, it wasn't what I expected going in.

It seemed like despite everything the main characters went through, there was no conclusion. No benefits, no consequences, no justice. They ended up where they started, but with more trauma. Overall it ended up falling flat.

This was such a fun book! The relationship between Lythlet and Desil was the best part of this story to me. I also loved Lythlet's overall transformation as a character. I do wish there was more world building, but other than that, this was great—it has a good balance of action and character development and some timely social commentary as well.