The Mercy of Gods

Review

Let me start by saying that I have never read a book by James S.A. Corey before, nor by either of the authors who write under that pen name. I know of their previous series, The Expanse, and have only heard good things about the books. I’ve seen the first few seasons of the show and really enjoyed it. Being a fan of sci-fi books and films, I was excited when I heard Corey was writing a new series. I thought this was my chance to hop aboard the hype train before being overwhelmed by adding nine books to my TBR. I really enjoyed The Mercy of Gods. It’s divided into six parts, though to me, it feels more like three. The beginning was well done, making me like most of the characters and care about how their story would unfold. Part 3 was fast-paced and exciting, providing a good conclusion to the book while leaving me eager for the next two installments of the series (currently planned to be a trilogy). However, I did lose a bit of steam in the middle. A few chapters halfway through could have been condensed to keep the pace flowing better. I don’t want to go into too much detail, but the introduction of a third party to the alien vs. human conflict really amped up the story, and I’m excited to see how this unfolds. Overall, I would highly recommend this to fans of space operas or those who enjoyed The Expanse. However, if you’re looking for an introduction to speculative fiction, you might find a better starting point elsewhere.