They taught her to kill. She’ll teach them to regret it.
After seventeen years of grueling training in the Assassins’ Guild, a life of killing is all Mercy has ever known. She’s the only elf the tutors have ever taught, and the human apprentices refuse to let her forget it. Orphan. Knife-ear. Pixie. But she’ll risk death to prove them all wrong.
Her mission?
Kill the prince.
The mad king’s … mission?
Kill the prince.
The mad king’s court is the most dangerous place in the kingdom for an elf on her own. Decades after the murder of the king’s elven mistress, whispers of revolt plague the court; a king mad with grief rules with an iron fist; and the heir to the throne guards a secret that could bring about the end of his family’s rule forever. If Mercy can find a way to assassinate the prince before her true identity is discovered, she’ll earn her place as the greatest Assassin the Guild has ever trained.
If not, it’ll be more than her pride on the chopping block.
Merciless is the first book of an epic fantasy series full of cutthroat court intrigue, morally gray characters, unforgettable plot twists, and slow-burn romance—perfect for fans of Throne of Glass and The Cruel Prince.
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This is a fantastic read! It’s exciting and well written and there’s tons of intrigue that sure kept me on the edge of my seat! I really liked Mercy (what a name for an assassin) and Tamriel and all the characters really. Mercy just wants to prove herself and as the story progresses she really grows a lot. The author did a great job of world building and character development which are 2 big things I look for in a story. It kind of reminded me of Throne of Glass, so if you liked that, give this a try! Sorry, I’m not going to say much about the plot because I don’t want to ruin it for anyone, but let me just say that it kept me guessing. I can’t wait to read the next book!
I received an ARC from the author and I’m voluntarily leaving an honest review.
This is an awesome epic fantasy read that once I started I could not put it down! The world building is incredible and the storyline gripping and exciting and the twists I did not see coming! Mercy is a kickass assassin for the guild, a highly trained Elf and her task is to kill the prince! Determined to prove herself to all the haters and become the best assassin ever, can she do this in this cutthroat world or is nothing what it seems?? It’s an exciting thrilling read, a fantastic adventure and I have to say I am drawn in hook, line and sinker.
I loved this book and I was sad to finish this book. I need the next one asap.
Who doesn’t love an assassin book that’s tangled in politics, romance and a dystopian type society? Mercy is such a strong and fierce FMC and loved her energy throughout this book. I have so many questions that I want answered throughout this series and I know the next book is going to excite and surprise me only from reading the start of this series alone. The characters are intricate and detailed. The plot moves at a steady pace giving the reader an in-depth feel to the story and giving us lots of action. I love a good book that has royals, fantasy and a plot that focuses on the story and characters in equal parts. Fantastic first book, would recommend to anyone who enjoys romance, fantasy and a story that will take you on a journey of growth and compassion. Need book two asap!
Brilliant read. Took me longer than it normally would but life got in the way. Well worth the read. The main character Mercy, has been trained as an Assasin and it follows her tumultuous life as she struggles to be accepted by her peers .
Her interaction throughout the story will keep you spellbound.
Just when you think you have a handle on what’s happening, there’s a twist in the story that you won’t see coming.
All in all an excellent book well worth reading and I’m so looking forward to the rest of the series. An outstanding piece of writing.
Wowza! What a book! I read the original box set, containing all 3 books and prequel a few years ago and loved it! This time round, I’m reading them individually and I must say, it’s stunning! As I was reading, it brought back how much I loved the characters, especially Mercy. The author gives her so much sass and a thorough understanding of what poor Mercy endured. My heart went out to her, how could it not! Brought up without ever knowing her family, being bullied and ridiculed because she was different, knowing nothing other than what she has been trained for, to be an assassin. Her biggest wish is to become a Daughter of the guild and the best assassin to prove herself to her fellow guild members, especially the Mother. With the help of Calum, she cheats her way into the trials and is given her first assignment. I enjoyed reading how Mercy tackles this assignment, which doesn’t go as planned and how emotions she never knew existed are starting to plague her. I loved the steady well balanced pace, I enjoyed the plot and storyline, the characters are wonderful. The events transpiring are shrouded in mystery and political plots and I loved that Mercy grows and realises that what you see is often not what you get! As Mercy, Calum and Tamriel set off to find an illusive cure, they will undoubtedly be facing many dangers, not least from Calum himself! So many more thrills to unfold!
I liked this story. The blurb was eye catching and made me want to check it out. The plot was amazing and just drew me in. I liked that there were multiple story lines given that all combined to tell the story of Mercy, her goal to become an assassin, and what happened next. There were many characters introduced that I both loved and hated and cheered throughout the book. I really liked all through the twists and turns. It was not a simple straight forward story but that was why it was so fun to read. The world building was good.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Our heroine has trained for this moment all her life (literally). Now that the moment has arrived, can she do the deed? And more importantly, can she live with the consequences?
This is a fantasy story focused on an elf assassin. I found the story to be well written and easy to read. While it starts off a bit slowly, I enjoyed the world building and found myself gradually drawn into the story. Once that happened, I couldn’t put it down. Sporting a well developed setting and a nice cast of characters, the story was a lot of fun to read. The plot involved several twists and turns as well as some tough choices, all of which kept me engaged to the end. Overall, a great introduction to a new author (for me at least) and I look forward to more in the future.
Highly recommended
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout for review purposes.
Present tense, third person: that didn’t work for me.
Mercy. Kickass, strong, independent, knows what she wants. The blurb really spoke to me, no: sang to me. Read me, read me, read me!
But…
Present tense, third person. Telling a story in that style is hard. And it didn’t work for me.
I tried it a couple of times. Started, could NOT get used to the whole present-tense-third-person thing but okay, I’ll just put it aside for now and try again later. So, second try: hm, still could NOT get past it. Okay, maybe I’m just not in the right frame of mind. Third time’s the charm, right? Wrong… The story never felt as if it came FROM Mercy. It was ABOUT her, in a detached way; I never felt connected. I felt I was outside, looking in, through an unbreakable glass wall. From a distance…
It’s personal preference, taste, it’s not badly written at all. For me, the form obscured the content. I’m sure that if you don’t mind it, then this could be a lovely book! Because the story idea was good. Really good.