{Put This One on Your TBR List}
Book Review: The Mercy
of Gods (The Captive's War, Book 1)
by James S. A. Corey
by Karen S. Wiesner
The authors James S. A. Corey (which are Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck) of The Expanse series (read my in-depth review here: https://aliendjinnromances.blogspot.com/2023/07/book-review-expanse-series-by-james-s.html) have started a new trilogy called The Captive's War. The first installment is The Mercy of Gods published in August 2024. In this science fiction space opera, the Carryx are a hival empire that's been conquering worlds for centuries. Borg-like, they destroy or enslave, ever in search of those they can use to continue their totalitarian dominion in the universe. After finishing this tale, I learned that The Mercy of Gods was inspired by the book of Daniel in the Bible. In retrospect that makes a lot of sense. "Alien enemies" conquer a fertile land and drag slaves back to their homeland, forcing them to learn how to survive the best they can in a hostile environment. They have no choice about starting over from scratch with absolutely nothing to call their own, beyond the essence of their being, if even that can survive such heartless treatment.
In this first book in a trilogy, the story opens with the reader becoming steeped in what can only be described as the petty machinations of mere humans. Dafyd is caught up in the academic intrigue and politics of the university. He's a mere assistant on a celebrated research team. Then, abruptly, the Carryx descend and wreck every last aspect of life and culture as these scientists know it. All life on the planet is doomed in one way or another. I was initially intrigued by what was happening, as the book states it: "…important scientific questions have finally been answered. Alien life exists, and they are a@#holes." It was more than a little disturbing to see the humans kowtowed so completely--"They were all living the same life in different bodies." I wondered how I might react to such a hopeless situation. A humiliating debasement period ensues for the survivors as they're transported to another planet that the enemy occupies.
Once there, they're forced to rebuild some semblance of a life after being set the task of proving they were worth saving. Quickly, Dafyd and his fellow captives learn that the game their enemies play with slaves from multiple planets isn't merely a competition in which the species need to fight to survive. They must also prove they have value to their new "gods". This longest section of the book, as Dafyd and the research team very slowly come to understand what they're up against was, well, long and not a little tedious. There were a lot of characters, none of them all that compelling or different from you and me…which may well have been the point for the authors, as I expect that the ordinary beings become extraordinary as the trilogy progresses. However, it would have been nice to have at least the main character Dafyd be someone really worth rooting for. In this initially entry, I can't say he actually was. But he could be later on. The seeds have been laid for that.
Taking the time to understand the Carryx may be the only way to find a weakness that can be exploited. This could be a long, drawn-out war, starting with Dafyd and the team's own ruthless compliance to the enemy--which can and will easily be construed as betrayal to some, if not to the majority. Dafyd has no choice but to become as hated as he may someday be revered as a champion in the universe. To save the future of not only mankind, the present must be sacrificed with the same lack of mercy shown by the Carryx.
Another thing that bothered me a little was that I found events a bit predictable. Luckily, that didn't continue the whole way through. From the start of the alien invasion, I had a strong idea where this tale was heading. It went exactly where I expected it to from start to almost the absolute end, where a little twist perked me up.
None of this is to say that the material held only boredom for me. I did read from start to finish without doing the "rush reading" I tend to when a story has started to lose my attention. But this particular installment only just kept me reading. I don't deny that the reason for that is because I loved The Expanse so much, I was more than willing to give these authors a larger than average chance to impress me.
This finale was truly the beginning of the saga, slow and slightly plodding in its establishment, but the denouement set up anxiety and tantalization for what might come next. It was strange to be on the edge of boredom through the whole story and then suddenly, in the closing chapters, my ideas where the overall theme was going got shaken up so completely. I find I'm really looking forward to where Book 2 might venture in this scenario. No word has been released about when that might be as of this writing in December 2024. However, the trilogy is already scheduled to be made into a television series by Expanding Universe, a multi-platform content company headed by the authors themselves (among others). The adaptation of The Captive's War is their first project.
As is the Corey custom (fans of The Expanse can testify), in addition to the initial offering in the trilogy, a 90-page novella was released October 2024. "Livesuit" details humanity fighting back against the Carryx on other worlds not yet fallen to enemy claim. In order to do that, they're using "livesuit" technology. I actually read this ebook while waiting for my trade paperback copy of The Mercy of Gods to arrive. It was a very personal story of several humans' self-sacrifice in a war that seems all but hopeless.
Ultimately, this is a solid beginning to what seems to be the start of a new, engaging trilogy, one with a welcome surprise ending. I'm looking forward to the TV adaptation as well as new literary offerings.
Karen Wiesner is an award-winning,
multi-genre author of over 150 titles and 16 series.
Visit her website here: https://karenwiesner.weebly.com/
and https://karenwiesner.weebly.com/karens-quill-blog
Find out more about her books and see her art here: http://www.facebook.com/KarenWiesnerAuthor
Visit her publisher here: https://www.writers-exchange.com/Karen-Wiesner/
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