The Merciless Ones
Namina Forna
Usborne, May 2022
Paperback £8.99
ISBN 9781474959582
Having read the first book, The Gilded Ones, in this two-part series (and I believe a third is on the way), I was excited about returning to the fantasy land of Otera. We reencounter Deka and her female warrior friends on a mission to raise the four mother goddesses back to their rightful position of power. For centuries, emperors and priests have ruled the lands, and women and girls have lived as second-class citizens, while the goddesses have been shackled and rendered powerless. Now, the patriarchal, imperial society is more dangerous for women and girls than ever, as sinister whispers of a new god, a male god, begin to surface.
Namina Forna’s world-building is wonderfully vivid, complex, and captivating. I was immediately transported back to Otera. However, this is not a sequel you can pick up without having read the first book, so get your hands on The Gilded Ones.
The Merciless Ones delves deeper into this society. Forna explores questions about power, gender, and identity, and plays out these ideas through her diverse cast of characters, successfully avoiding any cliches or tropes. Of course, there has to be a love story too, and the reader is treated to several, including a surprising platonic and polyamorous one. A fast-paced, page-turning adventure, this book is a feast for the imagination.
Grace Kelley
This is a rough, gritty and gripping story. O’Toole weaves a tale of generations of abuse and neglect but balances this by giving the characters this life-changing moment. Chapters are short, and there is some confusion jumping between past and present, but this works to show how far back the issues with mother and daughter go. Ultimately, this is a story of hope, one that promises change is possible. Readers will be rooting for Molly from the first pages.
Throughout the book, Gill places herself as the metaphorical older sibling of each reader, offering advice and wisdom to the younger generation. As a result, there is an almost overbearing sense of familiarity in Gill’s words, one that makes the collection feel like a warm hug on a cold winter day. In each section, she gives voice to the realities of first love, heartbreak, friendship, and family, and provides insight into how to cope with these often mercurial aspects of life.
The only slight issue I found was the excessive amount of characters that were hard to keep track of, as I felt this took away from the development of other major characters, such as Detective Cafferty and Jared. However, this issue was easily overcome by brilliant character development of the main character Mina, adding quite a thrill to the novel, as I felt a sense of connection and relatability to her.
Harris’s story is bursting with colour – his own, and the psychology of what a favourite colour means. Bright and witty, this is a sweet novel with a very readable style. Through Harris, we learn the struggles of everyday life with a wheelchair. Informative, while effortlessly enjoyable. It opens a new perspective on how we view others, and the assumptions that we can make. Harris’s relationship with Nory unfolded beautifully, and Zander’s loyalty to their friendship left me smiling for ages.
Princess of Souls is incredibly fast-paced and hard to put down. There isn’t a lot of time to ponder on the meaning of the Festival of Predictions or breathe in this world before the status quo is overturned. Personally, I prefer when fantasy novels give me a stronger and lengthier introduction to the world before the main events begin. However, this could be better for younger readers to maintain attention and is definitely made up for later in the story.
The sections on taking care of your mental health and coping with all the stressful experiences were lovely to see and there are further resources at the back of the book. I do wish that the chapter on trans people was a little longer and included more trans voices and perspectives, but I understand the limitations that come with writing a book as broad as this.
