The Merciless Ones - Namina Forna

I was definitely anticipating the second book in The Gilded Ones series. For the most part, I did enjoy it, although not as much as the first book.

Deka has freed some of the goddesses and is working to free the rest. But a new threat has emerged and it’s up to her and the rest of her friends to complete the task. Deka has to be more than a leader and a friend. She has to be divine.

It was great to be back in Deka’s world again. To be among the alaki, the deathshrieks and the jatu. In this book, she has to understand her power and why she was chosen to free the Mothers. Deka is still learning about herself, her power and also the Mothers. It was incredibly interesting to read about Otera and how things came to be. Deka is also learning this history as her powers seem to grow. But while all of this is going on, a new threat has emerged and it seems to be more powerful than even Deka.

I don’t know about you, but if I had powers at sixteen, I would be a MENACE. But Deka is better than us because she wants to use her powers for good. To free the Mothers, restore them to their former glory and to save her sisters. The country is at war, as the men are doing whatever they can to keep the power they’ve had for so long. The story may be fictional, but it also mirrors what is going on in the real world.

At times, Deka got on my last nerve but I had to empathize with her and the situation she has been forced into. She never asked for her powers or to be the savior the Mothers needed. She is still so very young and learning new information as she dodges threat after threat. Every single day is a chance she may be killed. The constant pressure she feels to save her people would break even the most battle-hardened adult.

Sometimes the dialogue is a little corny but for most of the book, it’s pretty solid. Deka, her friends and enemies felt real. The threats she faces felt real. The control the men of Otera want over her felt too real (ahem, real world problems). And with a set-up for what will possibly be the third and final book in the series, Deka will have to do the impossible to win this battle.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Namina Forna, author of The Merciless Ones.

For more information about Ms. Forna, please visit her website.