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.

The Serpent Called Mercy is Roanne Lau's debut and I absolutely cannot wait to see more from this author! I did thoroughly enjoy reading this story and truly did picture the harsh landscape that the two protagonists try to survive in.

Firstly, Runt, the puppy. Be still my heart. What a gorgeous chartacter, with such an endearing speech impediment.. Not often you see this type of representation and it was incredibly tasteful and well written. The world setting whilst incredible and atmospheric, it just needed a little more description to really paint a vivid picture, but that is only a personal opinion as I personally like very detail heavy world-building.

I love mythical creatures in stories and the whole premise of this story is Lythlet and Desil facing beats and creatures in illegal combat to pay of their crushing debts and to try and get themselves out of the poverty they have found themselves in. Some of the combat seems are so exhilarating that more than once did some of the beasts make the hairs on my arms stand up.

There is themes of betrayal, unconditional familial trust, survival and societal struggle that are all carefully weaves through each page that feel they are about to unravel into choas before being swiftly pulled and woven into a truly excellent debut story. I really can't wait to see what Roxanne does next.

Thank you to NetGalley and DAW for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Unfortunately the writing style was not for me and I could not keep going. I was really hopeful and excited for the plot but the book didn't do it for me..

Thank you @netgallary and @dawbooks for this ARC, all view my own.

"We're slumdogs living deep in debt..all roads lead to despair..."
Lythlet and her friend Desil are trying to survive in the harsh city of Setgad. Between mounting debts and poverty, they take a chance and become the new combatants in the underground combat ring fighting sun cursed monsters. They meet the baffling Master Dorthilos, adorable duo Shunvi and Ilden, I imagine them as whimsically odd characters which I would also find in a famous Susanna Clarke book.

"There is nothing more dangerous than hope"
Throughout the narrative Lythlet and Desil leaned into their morals as guided by perceived justice and religious teachings, but also by circumstance of being at risk of homelessness, in debt and being 'unregistered' from society. Lau seems to have talent for weaving in social commentary within the story. My heart ached for Lythlets challenges, self doubt and survival instinct: this is a story of displacement, but also of friendship and growth.

I have been deep diving into the fantasy and dystopian genres, so I couldn't resist this character driven story. There are good attempts at world building through character dialogue, the description of the cosmoscape, Lythlets' appraisal of her surroundings and circumstances, all of which I felt could be developed in richer detail as Lau develops her narrative.

Outstanding quote
"They genuinely don't consider your dignity to be as important as their entertainment".


Overall, this was a great debut into the fantasy genre and I am looking forward to the next title in this duology.
Thank you to @netgallary and @dawbooks for this e-arc, a really excellent pick for dystopian fantasy readers. If you are edging towards diversifying your book reads, this is a brilliant first step 💕

“The Serpent Called Mercy” is about a deadly contest fighting beasts cursed by the sun, inspired by Malaysian and Chinese mythology. Lythlet and her best friend Desil enter this contest to escape a life of poverty and desperation. However, the book failed right out of the gate in making me feel invested in either character, let alone their friendship - I just didn’t buy it. The worldbuilding was pretty good, but not enough to make up for the lack of interest I felt for the characters and the central conflict.

I cannot believe this is a debut novel, it’s absolutely a powerhouse of beautiful writing and entrancing world building. Without giving too much away, the intricacies of the games/trials our band of main characters face combined with the political system set up in this world alone are a feat. I think the most notable facet of this book is the development of each character and how easily you find yourself rooting for them each. This felt like the first time I read The Hunger Games and I wish I could re-read it for the first time again. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review The Serpent Called Mercy, I’ve certainly found a new favorite author.

I received a copy of this book from DAW Publishing via Netgalley in exchange for a fair review. Publish date March 25th.

I requested this book because I was intrigued by the Malaysian Chinese inspired setting and gladiatorial focused plot. In The Serpent Called Mercy, Lythlet and her best friend Desil are desperately poor and struggling to repay their punishingly high debt to a usurer. Joining the Conquessor Games to fight cursed animals might pay enough to allow them to escape--but the manipulative Matchmaster has taken an interest in Lythlet, and is set on entangling her in the city's underworld...

My favorite part of The Serpent Called Mercy was the characters. Gladiatorial games are a hot plot element, and I was a little worried that Lythlet would turn out to be the tiresome Celaena Sardothien type--the most attractive to men, the best ever at fighting, the most feminine, constantly making little quips... But prickly, awkward Lythlet isn't like that at all. She's a clever accountant with a childhood stutter and a near-Holmesian eye for detail. There's a great scene early on in the book where Lythlet gets a glimpse of the matchmaster's notes on her star potential, and finds that he sees her as dead-eyed person who speaks strangely. The heart of the book is Lythlet's completely platonic relationship with her childhood friend, Desil. Desil is an interesting character in his own right, with his pious devotion to the Wardens, the saintlike intercessors to the creators, and his devotion to nonviolence to the point of financial ruin. It's very refreshing to read a book where there's no romantic plotline whatsoever, and it's emphasized that the most important bond for both Lythlet and Desil is to each other.

This book is set entirely within the multicultural city-state where our protagonists live. The glimpse we get into the glowing beehive lamp maintenance at the beginning of the book is fascinating. The focus on the punishing cycle of grinding poverty that traps Lythlet and Desil was also well done, and it was a nice touch that the bill that initially got them into debt was medical bills they couldn't afford. However, my overall impression of the worldbuilding was that it was a bit spare, like an underdecorated room. There are some really great details, but almost every element mentioned becomes plot relevant later. There isn't much of a sense of a wider world outside of what's directly relevant to the protagonists. It doesn't help that the book tends towards slightly wooden, over-ornate prose that sometimes falls flat. The narrative voice can't quite pull off phrases like "Indeed, there was conflict scrawled across his mien."

I also found that the plot tended to resolve conflict too easily, which spoiled the tension a bit. Major plot points are resolved completely offpage, and particularly the political elements are a bit too tidily disposed. I can accept two youths from the slums sucessfully taking out ferocious monsters with no training, but I can't accept political intrigue, slumlord bosses, and blackmail being that quickly and neatly solved.

A book that refreshingly centers platonic relationships in a unique setting, but sometimes resolves conflicts a bit too easily. Still, The Serpent Called Mercy was a compelling debut, and I'll be keeping an eye out for whatever Lau writes next.