The Merciless Ones Series: Gilded Ones #2 Published by Usborne on February 13, 2024
Genres: Fiction / Fantasy / General, Juvenile Fiction / Fantasy & Magic
Pages: 480
Find the Author: Website, Goodreads, Amazon, Instagram
Goodreads
THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! The hotly anticipated, gripping sequel to bestselling YA fantasy THE GILDED ONES. Set in an ancient West African-inspired world, this unmissable YA fantasy series is perfect for fans of CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONE and BLACK PANTHER."The invention and the tension never flag - an outstanding second book." Ben Aaronovitch, author of Rivers of London series 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.THE MERCILESS ONES is the second, thrilling instalment of the epic fantasy series in which a young heroine fights against a world that would dare tame her.Praise for THE GILDED ONES:"Namina Forna could be the Toni Morrison of YA Fantasy." - Refinery 29 "The Gilded Ones redefines sisterhood and is sure to leave readers both inspired and ultimately hopeful." -Stephanie Garber, #1 NYT bestselling author of Caraval "Debut author Namina Forna's created a fierce female protagonist you'll root for and a captivating world that feels so real you can step inside it." - Bookriot
Review:
Now that Deka knows the truth of the death shrieks, she’s on a mission from the Goddesses to free all of the lake and take back the power in Otera. However, there seems to be another power rising that is taking over all of the males and raining hell on the women of this world. Deka finds herself facing war again, but something isn’t adding up. Are the Goddesses lying to her about their histories and what they want? Or is this new power instilling this disruption and fear as a means to conquer Otera? Things are dark, bleak, and horrific; the characters all witness and experience indescribable horrors and must keep moving. We see the moments that they fear what they’ve been through is too much for them, and we know the choice to keep going. Each of the characters has their trauma and ways of handling it, and though we mainly see through Deka’s experience, there’s never a moment where it feels like the darkness is ignored for the sake of a fast plot.
Overall, this was an improvement from book 1 (which was already good!), and in many ways, this was precisely what I had hoped it would be. If you struggled with book 1, I would recommend trying this one. Especially if you love corrupt gods, found family, an animal companion (I love him, your honor), and a main character who constantly has to accept that everything she knows to be true is very possibly a lie.
About Namina Forna
Namina Forna is a young adult novelist based in Los Angeles, and the author of the epic fantasy YA novel The Gilded Ones. Originally from Sierra Leone, West Africa, she moved to the US when she was nine and has been traveling back and forth ever since. Namina loves building fantastical worlds and telling stories with fierce female leads.
