MH's Reviews > The Mercy of Gods

Ostensibly the first book in a series, it perhaps leans in to that role a little too much. This entire novel (over 400 pages) reads like an extended prologue, or at most, the first act of a first book.

By and large, the structure fits in a strange middle ground between "slow and deliberate build up" and "extensively padded". Elements that work, such as the slow decline in the quality of their resources in custody and exploration of their new environment, are counterbalanced by an excess of straight infodump, lengthy trivial (and often repeated) scenic description, and a lack of meaningful character development. Perhaps the book is paced this way to echo the monotony and ennui of life in custody, a focus on the little details you still have control over. Perhaps? Regardless, it didn't make for the most compelling reading.

The lack of character development stands in particular contrast to The Expanse, as the majority of the book is also focused entirely on a small cast of characters trying to make the best of their situation. The lack of even one vivid character I could root for beyond the abstract "don't die to the aliens" was severely disappointing. Jessyn is arguably the only character who makes real choices in this story, and does so with limited screentime, while the others serve as a flat backdrop whose only apparent purpose is to move the story along. We switch internal POV frequently but it rarely seemed to do much for my understanding of that character. The Swarm may be an exception to this depending on how you view it, but it was more inserted as a horror concept than anything else.

This is all unfortunate because the premise is interesting! The Carryx are sufficiently weird and alien, their other client species too. The universe, at times, feels big. But as mentioned, the book stops, at best, at the end of an Act 1. Things happen but at the same time nothing happens! The big moments were washed out in an underwhelming climax, the promise to really do some damage next time, and a fade to black like a Saturday morning cartoon. The high stakes hinted at by the librarian interludes and the galactic scale conflict brewing simply never materialize in any meaningful way, nor did it feel like we moved that much closer to seeing those events either.

Reading and reflecting on books in this weird middle ground are almost worse because you can see the hints of greatness as much as the holes, and you leave conflicted. It may be that many of these choices will pay off in later books. They may not. I hope that won't come away from books 2 and 3 wondering why this series wasn't just one book.

Well, here's hoping.