Well, the dream had to die at some point right? Secrets abound, sinister plots have been in the making for thousands of years, and what Deka and her friends find out is that they’re far from winning the war because of course, their and everyone else’s existence is in danger of extinction. 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. It was at the 5% mark that I cried the first time. And rest assured that I cried many times after that too. So expect the same amount of emotion, as book one had. The lgbt characters are featured a lot more too. As well as slightly different but no less important themes.

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. Praise for The Gilded Ones: "Namina Forna could be the Toni Morrison of YA Fantasy" - Refinery 29; "The Gilded Ones redefines sisterhood and is sure to leave readers both inspired and ultimately hopeful" -Stephanie Garber, author of Caraval; "Debut author Namina Forna's created a fierce female protagonist you'll root for and a captivating world that feels so real you can step inside it" - Bookriot 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. In a time of typewriters and steam engines, Iris Winnow awaits word from her older brother, who has enlisted on the side of Enva the Skyward goddess. Alcohol abuse led to her mother’s losing her job, and Iris has dropped out of school and found work utilizing her writing skills at the Oath Gazette. Hiding the stress of her home issues behind a brave face, Iris competes for valuable assignments that may one day earn her the coveted columnist position. Her rival for the job is handsome and wealthy Roman Kitt, whose prose entrances her so much she avoids reading his articles. At home, she writes cathartic letters to her brother, never posting them but instead placing them in her wardrobe, where they vanish overnight. One day Iris receives a reply, which, along with other events, pushes her to make dramatic life decisions. Magic plays a quiet role in this story, and readers may for a time forget there is anything supernatural going on. This is more of a wartime tale of broken families, inspired youths, and higher powers using people as pawns. It flirts with clichéd tropes but also takes some startling turns. Main characters are assumed White; same-sex marriages and gender equality at the warfront appear to be the norm in this world. There’s a lot of action in this book, but there’s also a lot of Deka’s internal growth. There’s no question she’s having a rough time with her position, whether that’s within her friend group or with the alaki or the Gilded Ones. This is a story of betrayal and trust, connections to friends and kin, and resilience. The amount of growth that Deka goes through in a relatively short period of time is rough on her (and me, the reader, as well!). There’s something about this author’s writing that just draws me in and fully immerses me in a character’s head, and it makes the joys and the heartbreaks especially poignant. Except, of course, those forces upholding the patriarchal system do not want to be dethroned, nor want the way Otera is governed to change. Deka and her friends are fighting for an Otera where gender equality is the norm.Some things I liked a little less. I found the pacing off at times, and I could see the plot twists coming from a million miles. Because of that, I felt that this book was a bit less exciting than the first one. I did find the pairing off of literally every single named character with one another to be an unnecessary exercise. So much of the character development in The Gilded Ones occurred through the friendships forged between the alaki, and from the constant forced couplings and the number of scenes where Deka is lost in her own head, there wasn’t much room for those kinds of relationships to flourish. Come to think of it, the only supporting character that had a solid, emotional presence was Britta. Keita could have been replaced by a broom half the time and you’d never know. The Gilded Ones redefines sisterhood and is sure to leave readers both inspired and ultimately hopeful." --Stephanie Garber, #1 NYT bestselling author of Caraval The Merciless Ones is recommended for upper school students as it contains violence and threat. Both this and the first novel would make excellent front facing books for dynamic shelving in a library and they would also make good summer reading recommendations. I am sure this will be as popular in the school library as the first book.

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. Namina Forna has created some strong female lead characters and this book begins six months later when Deka is working with the mother goddesses to rid the empire of the corrupt Jatu and their oppressive regime. The book opens with Deka finding four young female corpses mounted on stakes at the mouth of the jungle, left as a warning to other women of what will happen to them if they step out of line. A bitter reminder to Deka that the longer they take to eliminate the priests and the Jatu, the more the women of Otera will suffer. 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. I do also struggle slightly with the writing style, sometimes I feel it’s overly descriptive in places also has quite a bit of internal monologue that gets repetitive. However, the world Forna created is as magical as it is brutal.

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! There is a saying, Deka: when gods dance, humanity trembles. And a lot of dancing is happening these days. Thankfully, as the Nuru, you have a say in the direction of the dance.” 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!

This isn’t a standalone. The story is complex and very much carries on from the events that took place in The Gilded Ones. Deka and her friends face newer, more ruthless challenges, questioning their missions and the truth of what they’ve been told, when one reveal after another puts everything they think they know into question.The Merciless Ones is the second in Namina Forna’s “Deathless” series. For a follow-up novel, I thought The Merciless Ones did a decent job in furthering worldbuilding and character development. It took me a bit to get into, but once it got going, the book had me hooked! (Of course, spoiler warnings for the content ahead if you haven’t read the first book, The Gilded Ones.) 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. Overall, I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS 😍😍😩😩🤌🤌 From the gorgeous writing to the fast-paced & twisty plot to the well-developed characters, everything was done SO WELL!! The Merciless Ones was such a satisfying sequel that has gotten me SUPER excited for the third book. I can’t wait until it releases!!

Deka and her friends grow as the story goes on, some mentally and others physically (like in Ixa's case). Ixa is just as adorable as he was, maybe even more so. Deka is still reeling from the events in the first novel, understandably. She is a bit traumatized from her time imprisoned for being of impure blood (her blood bleeds gold, not red as humans do, as a sign she is descended from the divine). I know that I'll be (not so) patiently counting down the days until one of my ultimate favourite series reaches its conclusion. Come, join me.

I also absolutely loathed the dialogue here. It's SO WOODEN and not at all realistic. Everyone says these things that should be emotional or impactful or whatever, but they never hit because the way they're written is so poor.