The Merciless Ones

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The Gilded Ones is not all about social structures, of course, and Forna’s fans will be delighted with how the fantastical world expands and how the narrative is filled with battles and politics, but also love and friendship. There are heart-rending scenes—keep an eye out for the reappearance of Elfriede, Deka’s former best friend—but also episodes that are full of hope. And at the end, Deka moves even further into her power. My actual rating is somewhere between 3.5 and four stars (where are those half stars when you need them!), and I round it up because overall, I really enjoyed the story. The Plague has left a population divided between Elites and Ordinaries—those who have powers and those who don’t; now, an Ordinary teen fights for her life. For him to say this in such an off-hand, laissez-faire way nearly broke me,” she says. “At this point I had been writing since undergrad and this was my dream, there was nothing else I could do.” Lastly, the romance. The romance in the first book wasn’t the BEST- it was kinda insta-lovey and overall just could’ve been better. But it was a lot better in this one- really sweet, tender, but still a bit uncertain. I’m really happy with what the author did with it and overall it’s just so cute! Deka’s love interest is also so much better in this instalment, so I was rooting for them as a couple a lot more. So, I did enjoy the romance as a subplot in this one and am excited to see where it goes!

The much anticipated sequel to The Gilded Ones does not disappoint! We return to find Deka and her supporters battling to save their kingdom from dark forces. The fantastical ancient kingdom of Otera and the characters that inhabit this magical land are described by Namina Forna in rich detail. The Mothers in the book start off as seeming all-wise and all-powerful, but as the novel progresses that image starts to change. They are still admirable in their power and wisdom but it is the system that corrupts them. Structural inequality Some six months after she freed the Gilded Ones goddesses from imprisonment in the mountains and promised to “fight for all the women of Otera”, Deka is alerted to the rise of a dark power that she and her army must quell, alongside adapting to changes in her own gifts.I adored and devoured this book! There is intensity and adventure in every single chapter. The pace of the book gradually increases and the last few chapters are filled with anticipation and power. Make no bones about it, this world is not nice and it certainly isn’t pretty. Having fought valiantly to sever the bonds that held her prisoner, Deka and her friends have escaped their cruel patriarchal society and are set to rebuild their lives with the newly freed goddesses who promote equality and peace.

What I continue to love about this series is the female empowerment and the diversity represented in these strong, intelligent and imperturbable core characters. And it’s in this cast of support characters—among the dearest and closest to Deka—that the story is its most engaging. Thankfully, these characters spend the entirety of the story at Deka’s side, travelling across Otera on one mission or another, so the presence of my favourites is always there, which I have no doubt helped hold my attention at times that my focus may have been further waylaid. SUMMARY: The Merciless Ones is the second thrilling instalment of the epic fantasy series in which a young heroine fights against a world that would dare tame her. In this follow-up to The Gilded Ones (2021), a 17-year-old young woman must defeat divine beings to save the lives of her bloodsisters. I also find it strange that agency is essentially removed from humanity, when agency is expressly discussed with Keita and the aleki in terms of accepting Deka’s strength to make them immortal and their actions in battle. The notion that Deka didn’t make Keita a monster with him stating he is what he is because of his own choice, he chose to do battle and kill, he chose to accept Deka’s gift and come into his fire. So wouldn’t it stand to reason that humanity must do the same? The only part that I didn't care for was Deka making these rash decisions without thinking things through and getting others hurt. I thought she'd be more mature since she's grown to be an excellent leader, but at the end of the day she's still young and learning. Hopefully in the final book, she'll listen to her friends more and be more careful with everyone's safety.

Namina Forna Press Reviews

Bestselling author Alexandra Christo, author of TikTok sensation To Kill a Kingdom, introduces her new book, The Night Hunt (Hot Key Books), a dark... Phenomenal and extraordinary! Forna’s breathtaking use of language depicts a thrilling journey through an epic world, rife with danger and deception, as an obedient girl survives the patriarchy and becomes a warrior. Unquestionably, the best fantasy of 2021.”—Kim Johnson, author of This is My America The Nottinghill Carnival takes central stage in this story about families, memories and the power of dance and festivals. Author Yaba Badoe tells... I appreciate the uniqueness and that Forna is not afraid to go to the dark places. And this goes as dark, if not darker than the first book.

Whoo, these books are so good! I love these alaki girls and their battle to free all girls and women from their oppressive rulers. The mythology is so well written, with great world building and interesting characters. I enjoyed learning more about the gods and following Deka as she discovers who she is and what she's meant to do. Yet hidden secrets threaten to destroy everything Deka has known. And with her own gifts changing, Deka must discover if she holds the key to saving Otera... or if she might be its greatest threat. The Gilded Ones is a fierce, unflinching fantasy that marks Forna as a debut to watch.”—Kiersten White, New York Times bestselling author of And I Darken Overall, I did like the book. But I would have enjoyed it more if some parts were more detailed and others left out completely. I also would have preferred it if Deka had more of the struggle and humanity I felt from her in the first book. I'll probably read the last book, but my eagerness has wilted a bit. See, I was planning on reading this in two or three goes to stretch it out, but once The Merciless Ones sunk its claws into me, it didn't let go and I had to read the whole book at once, naturally.I am in love with the Deathless series! First, The Gilded Ones blew me away with the amazing story of Deka and her finding out more about herself, and then The Merciless Ones threw some twists and spins I never expected and savagely devoured! But even though I’m frightened by it, I’m not daunted. Because I have my friends, all of them now powerful beyond imagining. When I falter, they’ll be there to support and guide me. When I stumble, they’ll be there to take the next step. If you enjoy fantasy fiction then this is a great read. The good news is that it has been left open for a third book in the series and I cannot wait for the next instalment. Content of note: violence, sexual assault. Lastly, with the introduction of the non-binary God, of which we now know Deka is descended from, or their “first born”, and discussion that Deka’s human body is decaying and breaking down, her vessel not yet divine, it makes me wonder if we’re going in the direction of having Deka ultimately identify as non-binary. If that happens, what happens to the very specific, very detailed gendered violence and oppression that defined book 1? How would making Deka a female first be explained? Does that finish dismantling the arc and story the first book set up in the way all these new elements have already started to? It’s an interesting potential change and I feel like the author has left enough big hints that the door seems wide open. To reveal the ramifications of this discovery would be a huge spoiler but it is safe to say that Forna is asking readers to think about feminism, and how feminism isn’t necessarily the answer to all of society’s problems. Forna leans more towards “womanism”, which she says is a more inclusive version of “quote unquote feminism”, because “it espouses a view that we are all in this together, women, men, non-binary people, trans people. We are all in this, and how do we move forward together? Yes, men 100% benefit from patriarchy but just as women are oppressed, so are men, so are non-binary people. If you want to take a look at these systems, you have to look at who sits in the middle.”

The plot veered into strange directions, it was moved along by a series of conveniences and with each chapter I liked less and less where it was going. It's like the series forgot what it wanted to be.Deka has taken her place as the Nuru, the chosen one of the Gilded Ones, the four goddesses who have promised to overthrow the misogynistic priests and bring peace to Otera. But if this is a step toward peace in Otera, then why does everything feel wrong to Deka? Her divine powers set her farther and farther away from her friends, women and girls across Otera are being killed in response to the revolution she started, and the Firstborn seem outright dismissive of anyone who isn’t alaki. Even worse, a dark force is at work to oppose the goddesses, and it seems like only Deka and her friends can stop it. But nothing is as it seems, and Deka will be faced with one impossible decision after another.