A trilling and fantastic fantasy book
Good plot and characters.
Highly recommend for every reader that reads this genre.

I am always a huge sucker for a riveting epic fantasy, and The Serpent Called Mercy was the perfect read to scratch that itch. It was fast-paced and gripping, and it seriously felt like I was on a rollercoaster as I read. This is definitely going to be a bestseller in 2025.

Thank you NetGalley and DAW Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love fantasy books based on lore, so the description of this Malaysian Chinese-inspired epic fantasy tale immediately captured my imagination. Unfortunately, there wasn’t as much lore or magic as anticipated, but it was still enjoyable.

The story follows Lythlet and her only friend, Desil, two slumdogs indebted to a local loan shark. They scrape by, pinching pennies to make their payments, and their situation seems dire. An opportunity to earn a large sum of money arises when they spot an ad seeking arena combatants to fight sun-cursed beasts in the city's seedy underworld.

The Match-master, Dothilos, is initially impressed by Desil’s brawling reputation but quickly realizes that Lythlet is the brains of the duo and takes her under his wing. As their winnings accumulate, so does their reputation - and with it, their risk-taking. Lythlet soon becomes entangled in political conspiracies, corruption, and intrigue, forcing her to choose between fame or honor and friendship.

Overall, I enjoyed the book, though I found the writing style a bit difficult to get into at first. It could use some smoothing out. I loved the few tales of Malaysian Chinese myths, but I would have loved to read more of them. The book mainly focuses on the fights, and I enjoyed the variety of the Sunsmith beasts. The different deities were also a lovely touch, and I adored the idea of lightning-bees.

The characters are the highlight of this story. They are well-developed, realistic, and engaging. It’s hard not to care deeply about what happens to them and how they navigate their complex lives. I loved that the heroine was plain - possibly even ugly - socially awkward, and layered with complexity. What she lacked in looks, she made up for with brains. I also loved her platonic and deep friendship with Desil, and her strained relationship with her parents was heartbreaking. No child should feel like a burden to their parents. Desil was a complex character as well, and the revelation about him at the end left me with my mouth agape.

The title is explained in the story, and I loved the explanation. I appreciated the interweaving of moral dilemmas in the plot and the questioning of values. The book also touches on themes of fighting against depravity and abuse, animal cruelty, friendship, loyalty, parent-daughter relationships, escaping the cycle of poverty, honor, empathy, and mercy. I liked the insights Lythlet gained from her fights, the life lessons passed to her by the Match-master, and her refusal to accept injustice.

The novel promises a thrilling blend of action, magic, and a vibrant cast of characters in a medieval world setting. While the cast was colorful and there was some action, there was very little magic - and even less explanation of it - except in a few fights. Watching Lythlet use her wits against the beasts was exciting, but I did feel sorry for the animals forced to fight. There’s a mention of dog fighting, and it felt hypocritical that the heroine didn’t show the same compassion to the beasts that she showed to the poor dogs.

The book could benefit from more world-building, especially regarding the magic system, and I wouldn’t have minded more Malaysian Chinese lore either. I also felt there were too many plotlines, though they did come together in the end. A bit of tightening up and another round of editing (the headings switch between capital and lowercase letters) would help. As for the ending, I wasn’t fully satisfied. Without giving away spoilers, after all the heroine went through, I expected her story to end differently. One could argue it’s more realistic this way, but sometimes, realism is overrated.

After weighing the pros and cons, I’m giving this book 3.5 out of 5, rounded up to 4. The premise is unique, the tale is creative, and the imagery and atmosphere are well done. The characters are wonderful, and the internal conflicts make them even more believable. And I did enjoy the book after all. I recommend this book to fans of the genre looking for an original, albeit slow, read.

* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this book so much. Lythlet is very relatable. Maybe a bit too much at times because I felt very called out. But I can see where the squid games aspect comes in. She feels like a realistic person with real problems that cause them to do things that they don't want to and go against their morals in order to survive. She is trying to fight for a better life for her and her friend, to have a life she always dreamed of. But now that she has a taste of what she wanted is she willing to give it up despite what it may cost her to keep. I pre ordered the hardback of this so quickly.

I had to give this one up. I liked the premise a lot but the voice of the writer and info dumping was a bit too much for me to continue.

As someone VERY partial to world building, this book was extremely satisfying. The religion, the history, the cultures, the divine blessings, the socioeconomic state of the city, the mythology, the everything, MOONMACHIST? COSMOSCAPE? BEES? Mwah

I love the main character fiercely. She’s easy to love, and her arc was incredible. I rooted for her the entire way, and I love everyone she was surrounded by too. They were all fleshed out, unique, and lovely to read about. I felt sympathy for almost all of them, and I felt what I was supposed to towards each character. I also loved how almost everyone was splotched in shades of grey.

The relationship between Lythlet and Desil was was so tender and written so beautifully. God I love platonic love. It is SO underrated, and the way it was done here made my chest squeeze and heart ache. Genuinely one of the best bonds between two characters I’ve read about this year.

This book challenges you, and has beef. It’s full of wisdom, philosophy, metaphysical schemes, very quotable and powerful lines, and I could spend forever rambling about how well this book challenges the mythos of storytelling. It also has a good deal and depth of both socioeconomic commentary and political intrigue. Not to mention the symbolism, which was detailed and plentiful; I can think of a certain scene that is VERY ghibliesque.

Overall, I thought the use of Malaysian-Chinese mythology was fantastic. It struck me as a fantastic concept for a monster-fighting arena. I was engrossed from the first page because it was so well written and had the plot I wanted. I'm happy that the characters functioned so well in this world because they had the vibe I desired. I liked how well Roanne Lau wrote and how well the characters all came together. I was engrossed from the first page because it had the plot I wanted and was so brilliantly written.

Thank you to NetGalley and DAW for the ARC!

I had a good time with this book! It was a fun time, and there was a ton to like, even with a few things that bothered me.

To start, the main character and her best friend. Lythlet and Desil are such a charming duo. I really, really loved their dynamic, and how much they cared for each other. There's nothing wrong with romance subplots (I definitely enjoy them), but it's really refreshing to have such a strong platonic bond between a female and male lead. The character writing in general was great, and definitely my favorite part of the book! The setting is also super unique, and really stands out from other fantasy books I've read.

My main concern was that it set up really, really interesting lore that... didn't really go anywhere, and didn't have much explanation. It felt a bit like there were many ideas for a bunch of different plot threads, but then it wasn't decided on which would be the main plot. They're all a bit rushed and not given enough time to really blossom. In particular, I liked all of the stuff with the bees and the rot!

I'd say in the end for me, it was somewhere between a 3.5 and a 4 (which I've rounded up to a 4). I enjoyed my time with it, but I think it could have done with a bit more focus.

While this book is definitely not perfect, it had me caught in it's grip. The main character was written so well, I loved how real all the relationships felt and how real the conflicts were. 
All the character development was soooo good. 
I love a protagonist who's socially weird and funny looking, but her plot isn't to become pretty or socially adept, she learns to be confident the way she is, and that's so beautiful to me. 
I wish we would've gotten more on the worldbuilding aspect though. The pantheon seemed so interesting to me, but we barely touched the surface on that. Also, the magic system hardly made sense and seemed more of an afterthought. The beasts weren't as spectacular as I thought, but I still loved them and I loved how Lythlet could use her wit, time and time again. 

Overall, while it feels like the author may have wanted to do too much in just one book, the writing and the characters are so good it's a 10/10 for me. 

Thank you to NetGalley and DAW for this e-ARC.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and DAW for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm sad to say, this was a 2.5 stars read. It wasn't bad, but it also wasn't a book I fell in love with.

I admit, the cover did its job well and intrigued me.
The premise sounded great, two friends fighting monsters for a shady man, trying to earn enough money to pay off their debts and escape poverty.
Unfortunately, it didn't live up to expectations.

The Bad.

The world and lore wasn't what I would call well developed. It’s a standalone novel, so I understand I can't expect the worldbuilding I'd get from a series, and I really enjoyed the glimpses we got of the religion, but I would've loved to have a bit more.
The magic system was non-existent. We get some vague references about powers existing in the past, but now the only things that's left are random monsters and the most deus ex machina power ever, but for only eight seconds! And only Lythlet can do it! As many times as she wants! But don't ask why or how!


I liked that Lythlet was a (somewhat) jaded protagonist full of flaws fighting for any scrap in an unjust world, but I expected her to be different. From the blurb, it seems like she was supposed to be a not-so-great fighter that could best every challenge with wit and cunning, but in the first fight she literally [spoiler]sees the threads of the universe and manipulates them for eight seconds to kill a beast,[spoiler] which should've been the climax of her journey, not a random thing she can just do.

The fights felt extremely rushed. We’re told there's one fight a month, for a total of twelve fights in a year, but then we just gloss over some fights, therefore completely skipping months, and it all feels unbalanced.

But if the focus isn't on the fights, then it's on the political games, right? WRONG.
There's some politicking going on, but it feels like everything happens in the background.
Lythlet helps for about five minutes after not thinking about it for most of the book, we're introduced to a convenient subplot in chapter 26 out of 34, she manages to overthrow a government with the help of a vaguely mentioned organization, and then nothing. There's no payoff, no consequences, nothing. Or, well, things happen but we don't feel the weight of the situation, we're just told it happened.

I understand that Lythlet isn't supposed to be The Chosen One, she just contributes, sometimes unknowingly, to Things happening, but it felt like seeing a vague post online about a thing that happened to an acquaintance.

She's supposed to be the focus of the book! She's the protagonist! And if it isn't the fighting or the politicking, then what's left?

The Good.

Her relationships, you might say. Well, dear reader, you might be onto something.

I think Lythlet feeling like a burden to her parents, enough that she never got in contact with them for years after leaving her home, was amazingly written. I will be seeking compensation (/j) because by the end there wasn't a full reconciliation, but a promise to do better.

But what I loved most is that this book, at its core, was about a friendship. Desil and Lythlet are friends, no need for romance.
Their bond felt real and raw, they had disagreements that felt justified, and the final chapter literally brought me to tears.
I loved that, despite Desil being the secondary protagonist, he was fleshed out. We see him like Lythlet sees him, as someone who's devoted and kind, as someone who could do nothing wrong.
When Lythlet discovers the truth about him, we feel the same disconnect as her, like seeing someone we know without recognising them. It was crushing.

In Conclusion.

These are my thoughts. There's some good, a lot of bad, and I wish I could've liked this more than I did. I'm sure someone will love this, but it wasn't for me and so I don't think I can, in good faith, recommend it.

The Serpent Called Mercy ended up being a 3 star for me, a perfectly fine read. Not terrible, but not great. There's some great character development here so if you enjoy that over plot, this will be the book for you. I personally needed a little more plot movement. It's there for sure, there's plenty of bloody battles going on, but I just didn't think too much was actually happening for the middle of this book. And the ending, while realistic, wasn't as satisfying as I'd hoped. And I won't lie, as an animal lover, this was hard to get through, to the point I almost DNFed after one of the beast battles.

I will say, this book did have me on my feet at times. I loved the arena aspect, and all of the action that was put into it. But there was some slip overs I felt when it came to the world building itself. I feel it wasn’t explained like I would need to understand it all.
BUT, on a good note even though the world building could’ve been better, the fantasy aspects in ITSELF made it worth it. All of the different creatures and monsters were out of this world (metaphorically too lol)

I'd like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me a shot at reading this book.

I think ... my expectations were a little to high for this one. I wanted a story that had a grittier protagonist, a girl who gets knocked down but gets back up again, and magic involved in her way of fighting through cage matches.

I didn't even get to the first cage match before throwing in the towel on it. The world building wasn't existing, the creatures were kind of just there, and the FL felt like a stock character instead of someone with depth and feelings of being overlooked, overworked, and poor.

I didn't come for romance, I came for a story with a Colleen Wing-esque protagonist with a tough independent streak. So blame it on me.

loved this book. the worldbuilding felt so unique and so did the story? i was HOOKED with everything going on in the arena. i loved how morally grey all of the characters were, even if they didn’t appear to be so at first— like, the REVELATIONS? also, desil is the Best Boy. 4.5 stars rated up

Thank you to NetGalley and DAW for the arc :)

2.5 ⭐️
I was SO excited about this book when I first read the description. And as much as some things fell flat for me, there was also a lot to like.

I was obsessed with the focus on the platonic relationship of the two main characters. I think platonic love is so underrated in fiction, and with the way that ~spice~ is becoming so popular, it can be hard to find adult books without it. Unpopular opinion maybe, but I don’t like spice that much, and I’m pretty neutral on romance, so I really liked this part of the novel.

I also loved a lot of the worldbuilding — “Sunsmith” and “Moonmachinist” as the names of deities especially stood out to me. Also, glowing fuzzy bees?? Sign me up. The vibes were very good overall, and the world felt vibrant.

Also, shoutout to the nature of the relationships throughout the story. By the end, not every relationship was mended or forgiven. Even after trying to meet eye-to-eye, some characters just didn’t get along with the main character, or it was clear that their relationships needed more time to mend, and that really stood out to me.

The language was generally very lyrical and elaborate, which I actually liked and wouldn’t have minded if it was consistent. However, there would be random moments of more anachronistic language that didn’t feel right. Having a lengthy, elaborate description of a setting and following it up with “ginormous” was a little jarring; similarly, I was pulled out of the story when a character would say “You ought to have come spectate” and then in the next line, say “my bad”. Maybe that’s a personal thing, but it kept throwing me off.

The story takes place over the course of a year, but a lot of it felt rushed. Most of the battles were glossed over and conflict was resolved too quickly. I think a lot of that was because of the golden rot subplot, which felt really out of place. I don’t think the story would have changed much without it. Either the book needed more space to tell the story, or some of the subplots could have been cut.

I was especially looking forward to the actual monsters in this book, since that’s the core concept, and I was really excited to learn more about Malaysian-Chinese mythos, as the book was described. But we got … bugbears? I even ended up doing heavy research to figure out if the monsters had any relation to Malaysian-Chinese folklore that I didn’t know about, but I couldn’t find anything. With the way the book was advertised (synopsis, cover, etc.), I suppose I was under a different impression. I don’t think it’s any detriment to the actual content of the book, nor would I blame the author (truly, it’s the marketing of it that I have an issue with), so it’s not affecting my rating at all. It’s just worth mentioning.

Despite my complaints, it was a pleasant reading experience and I’d definitely keep my eye out for future books by this author, although I don’t know if I’d jump to recommend The Serpent Called Mercy to any of my friends.

Thank you to NetGalley and Daw for the arc! I absolutely loved this. I’m struggling to put all my thoughts and feelings into coherent sentences, but I’ll try. Here are some things I adored about this book.

-Tears of the Kingdom lovers, come get your soup! There’s a location we spend a lot of time in that vividly reminds me of the depths. Speaking of which, I love the indulgent descriptions we get in this book. The author really takes me there, and I spent a lot of time happily and vividly hallucinating to a screen with letters on it. This book rocked my artistic socks.

-the world building is plentiful and fascinating and beautifully unique. As someone VERY partial to world building, this book was extremely satisfying. The religion, the history, the cultures, divine blessings, the socioeconomic state of the city, the mythology, the everything, MOONMACHIST? COSMOSCAPE? BEES? Mwah

-I love the main character fiercely. She’s easy to love, and her arc was incredible. I rooted for her the entire way, and I love everyone she was surrounded by too. They were all fleshed out and unique and lovely to read about. I felt sympathy for almost all of them, and I felt what I was supposed to towards each character. I also loved how almost everyone was splotched in shades of grey.

-the relationship between Lythlet and Desil was was so tender and written so beautifully. God I love platonic love. It is SO underrated, and the way it was done here made my chest squeeze and heart ache. Genuinely one of the best bonds between two characters I’ve read about this year.

-this book challenges you, and has beef. It’s full of wisdom, philosophy, metaphysical schemes, very quotable and powerful lines, and this book challenges the mythos of storytelling. It also has a good deal and depth of socioeconomic commentary and political intrigue. Not to mention the symbolism, which was detailed and plentiful; I can think of a certain scene that is VERY ghibliesque.

All in all, this book cleansed my skin. I loved it from start to finish, it had substance, and it was chef’s kiss. More books like this please -5 sun-cursed beasts

"The Serpent Called Mercy" by Roanne Lau is an exhilarating rollercoaster of epic fantasy, where the stakes are as high as the blood-soaked battles! With a Malaysian Chinese-inspired world that feels both fresh and familiar, this novel draws you in with its gritty, fast-paced action and keeps you hooked with its rich layers of ambition, betrayal, and friendship. Lythlet’s journey from debt-ridden slumdog to a cunning conquessor in the monster-fighting arena is packed with edge-of-your-seat moments, and watching her navigate the deadly games both inside and outside the ring is nothing short of thrilling.

What truly sets this book apart is its heart—the bond between Lythlet and Desil shines amid the chaos, adding an emotional depth to the story that balances out the ruthless fight for survival. The political intrigue and the harsh reality of the cost of ambition make this more than just an action-packed fantasy; it's a gripping exploration of power, honor, and loyalty. With a unique world, unforgettable characters, and twists that will leave you breathless, "The Serpent Called Mercy" is a must-read for fans of intense, high-stakes fantasy!

I mostly enjoyed this book, largely owing to the worldbuilding and the characters. The blend of Malaysian-Chinese mythos and culture makes this one stand out from the plethora of fantasies available today and was one of the strong points for me. I particularly thought that the female main character--Lythlet--was well-written. Her desperation at her circumstances, and her love for the people around her, was very well done. Mostly I have not given this book a higher rating is because the writing style did not gel with me. I'm not sure if others will feel this way, but I found it to be dry and boring most of the time. I don't need lyrical prose or anything, but it made me feel more distanced from the protagonist more than I would've liked, even though I thought Lythlet was well-written.

Oof. I knew a few pages in that this book wasn’t going to do it for me, but I gave it a chance to get better once the plot kicked in. Things did not get better. Generic writing, worldbuilding done solely through long expository passages, and characters with very little depth. What bothered me the most was that the book presents itself as a Malaysian Chinese inspired epic fantasy, and yet every character sounds English, down to their use of colloquialisms like “oi” and “mate.” I found it so incongruent with what I was told this book was supposed to be that I was honestly kind of pissed off about it.

I received this book as an ARC.

I really enjoyed this story. It follows a young woman desperate to better the lives of her best friend and herself. The relationship between the FMC and MMC is very realistic as they love each other (platonically) so much and yet struggle to share their deepest shames to protect each other. I will admit that I struggled to like the FMC for the middle portion of the book as I found her to be self-serving. However, her character arc and redemption were very rewarding.

I found the side characters to be fun and enjoyed the silliness they brought to the story. I would enjoy to learn more about them and their journey as they went through their challenges.

I would definitely read another book by the author and enjoy to learn more about this world!