They’re backkkk. James S.A. Corey, that delectable writing duo, have come back together for a new space opera after finishing their quintessential Expanse series. Their new series is called The Captive’s War, and it starts with The Mercy of Gods. The Corey duo have established themselves as first in class when it comes to complex characters, nuanced political intrigue, and adrenaline-fueled spectacle and action: and all three qualities are back with a vengeance as Mercy launches this new science fiction staple. But, does this book live up to the incredible gold standard that Leviathan Wakes set in the genre, or does it fall short of that lofty aspiration?
The premise of Mercy is one of brutal alien occupation, obtuse puzzles, and creative thinking. The setting of the story is mostly strange alien ziggurats, but we start on a developing human world following a number of POVs in an experimental science lab. These teammates, all brilliant in different ways, are working on an innovative technology that will change the way their world works. Our centermost character is likely Dafyd Alkhor, a lab assistant with a penchant for reading people. We follow the team as they win awards and focus on the minutia of life–when their world is swiftly and completely occupied by The Carryx—part empire, part hive. The Carryx have succeeded in the galactic conquest by efficiently assessing each species they come across as potential game pieces or obstacles to be discarded. The humans soon find themselves in their assessment period and, in the face of the overwhelming might of the Carryx, desperately trying to prove that they can play within the nebulous alien rules and culture. Many of the members of this famed lab end up together in The Carryx proving grounds and they must work together to solve strange puzzles to save humanity, then go a step further and use their new knowledge to bring down the empire from within.
To say there is a lot going on here would be a massive understatement. When Leviathan Wakes first came out, it definitely felt more like testing the waters of the new writing partnership with a book that could become a huge series. Mercy, on the other hand, feels like the first book in a huge series that is already planned out. I think my biggest compliment and complaint about Mercy boils down to two sides of the same coin: this feels like a part of something very big. On one hand, there is absolutely a pervasive sense that we have only touched the tip of the iceberg and I am absolutely giddy at thinking of the potential places this story can go. On the other hand, one of the things I liked most about all The Expanse books is their self-containedness. Mercy feels like it needs a little more meat. The essence of the book is an Ender’s Game-style puzzle situation where we slowly see Dafyd evolve to become humanity’s dastardly mastermind. But, I felt there were enough opportunities for Dafyd to have breakthroughs and tiny victories in the first book.
Instead, we spend a lot of time on trauma (which is done scarily well). This is not a very fun book, not that that is an issue. Corey takes us through multiple descents into madness as we get close to several people and then watch them lose everything. There are scenes of torture in the book, but much worse are the depictions of an uncaring universe made manifest. The book is a searing indictment of utilitarianism and brilliantly shows what happens when you take the mentality to its logical extreme. The Carryx are all about hierarchies and providing value and their empire is truly impressive and depressing to look at.
The worldbuilding in Mercy is a bit lopsided, but I think that is an intentional decision by the authors. The original human planet we see is fascinating in its culture and the evolution of its ecology and biomes. However, we only spend a short period in this setting and the rest is mostly spent in cold windowless spaceship jail cells. While this absolutely is an intentional attempt to hold onto the mystery of The Carryx and actualize what a utilitarian existence would be like, it just felt a little less inherently interesting than the rich sociopolitical setup we saw in The Expanse with Earth’s pre-existing cultures.
The characters are phenomenal from start to finish. Corey has gifted us with some truly unique and intricate minds that feel like they represent distinct backgrounds and ways of thinking. The POVs, and The Carryx as a whole, feel like they present new ways of living to explore and present the reader with some very interesting shoes to step into. This is where Mercy shines, and, given Corey’s track record with showcasing deep organic character growth across their books, I have confidence that this cast will be beloved by the genre by the end of the series. There is a strange substory with a few of the characters that seem interesting but it hasn’t gone very far yet. However, I suspect it will get more developed in future books.
Overall, those who were hoping The Mercy of Gods would be an instant leviathan of science fiction the same way Leviathan was will likely be a little disappointed. Yet, I think that within Mercy lies the foundation of a story that could far outstrip the numerous accomplishments of The Expanse. The Mercy of Gods has strange alien minds locked inside its pages while still providing much-needed cutting commentary on the human condition. I suspect it is going to shape up to be one of the best series of the near future.
Rating: The Mercy of Gods – 9.0/10
-Andrew
An ARC of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts on this book are my own.
