The Merciless Ones by Namina Forna | Book Review

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The Merciless Ones by Namina Forna
Series: Deathless #2
Published by Delacorte Press on May 31, 2022
Genres: YA Fantasy, LGBT, BIPOC
Pages: 464
Format: Paperback
Source: Purchased

Content Warnings: Sexism, Misogyny, Body Horror, Racism, Death, Disownment, Torture, Mutilation, Starvation, Trauma, Sexual Violence, Death of Parent
Rating:

It's been six months since Deka freed the goddesses in the ancient kingdom of Otera and discovered who she really is... but war is waging across the kingdom, and the real battle has only just begun. For there is a dark force growing in Otera—a merciless power that Deka and her army must stop. 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.

There is a definite improvement in Forna's writing in the second book of the Deathless series, The Merciless Ones, which takes place six months after the events of book one. Despite the improvement in the overall writing, this is the weakest book in the trilogy.

I read all three books back-to-back, so there was no time for me to forget what had happened in previous books, but The Merciless Ones made me feel like I had missed something incredibly important in The Gilded Ones. Suddenly, our ragtag team of rebels is looking for Arcane objects of great power, and we, as readers, are just expected to know what they are and why they are important. Forna eventually gives us a little bit of background knowledge on these objects, but otherwise, we are thrown into the ocean without a life jacket and expected to swim. I did not like this shift from book one, and the objects felt as if they were contrived simply to drive the plot in the direction Forna eventually wanted it to go. I think mentioning these arcane objects in the first book would have been beneficial, so it wasn't so abrupt in book two.

Thankfully, I felt the pacing was better in The Merciless Ones compared to The Gilded Ones, where the story had fits and starts. The Merciless Ones was incredibly fast paced, introducing and fleshing out the world and characters of Otera along the way. Our cast of characters greatly expands in book two, but Forna does such a great job fleshing out their backstories and personalities that I had no problem keeping track of everyone. Sometimes there are so many side characters I get lost in the sauce, but that wasn't the case here.

Furthermore, Forna expands on the themes of trauma and our response to it. Several of our girls have experienced terrible cruelties that have influenced and driven their futures. These horrors are introduced in a tasteful way, and we work through these events with the characters to grow and expand with them. I loved the commentary on mental health, trauma, and overcoming adversity, and felt it helped me connect with each of the characters in a more meaningful way.

However, I liked Deka, our main character, less in this book than in the previous one. She is so overpowered, with new powers arriving at just the right moment, that the story sometimes felt contrived. On top of this, Deka is so confused and unsure of her own power that she is often insufferable. Everyone else seems to be growing and maturing, but Deka is stuck in this perpetual state of childhood. Because of this, the love story takes a backseat, which I was fine with. However, there are enough cute moments between Deka and Keita to keep the love alive. It felt more real in The Merciless Ones than it did previously. 

“There’s nothing worse than ordinary men.”

Despite the inherent flaws, I loved Forna's commentary on misogyny and the patriarchy. While there is certainly a twist at the end that shifts some of the blame, it's obvious the current oppressive system is entirely the fault of ordinary men thinking they are something great. Forna's representation of the patriarchy and its harms is a perfect overlay with our current world. I'm all for eating terrible men, and Forna certainly ate. On top of this, we get a variety of queer characters, humor, friendship, and female-bonding. At the end of the day, it's Deka's relationship with the women in her life that truly matters.