Discover the gripping sequel to Namina Forna's New York Times bestselling YA fantasy, The Gilded Ones. To reveal the ramifications of this discovery would be a huge spoiler but it is safe to say that Forna is asking readers to think about feminism, and how feminism isn’t necessarily the answer to all of society’s problems. Forna leans more towards “womanism”, which she says is a more inclusive version of “quote unquote feminism”, because “it espouses a view that we are all in this together, women, men, non-binary people, trans people. We are all in this, and how do we move forward together? Yes, men 100% benefit from patriarchy but just as women are oppressed, so are men, so are non-binary people. If you want to take a look at these systems, you have to look at who sits in the middle.” Without spoiling much more of the book, I’ll just say, consider reading the “Deathless” series. I think it is a decent YA series with a compelling story. (Looks like there’s a third book in the works, which I am very excited for!) I loved The Gilded Ones and was so excited to jump right into the second book. While I did enjoy some aspects of this, I was overall a little disappointed.

You can accomplish this by using a fully upgraded Veredicto in Embers of Faith mode. Just be certain that you're free of guilt and your HP is at its maximum. For your Altarpiece setup, this is the loadout: The Merciless Ones is the second thrilling installment of the epic fantasy series in which a young heroine fights against a world that would dare tame her. Driven by Deka’s fiercely indomitable quest to save the kingdom, gender identity and sexuality are explored alongside themes of feminist empowerment - “Male and female…The mere thought unsettles us. Humans like to sever themselves according to these lines, although they are not so simply sorted…They force them to choose – male, female One or the other."There just were no rules for the magic system, so any character could get these random epic powers at any time. We don't even know. Magic doors. Magic artefacts. New gods. Whatever. No parameters to work with. This doesn't make the plot twists feel big and powerful -- it makes them feel convenient because there's no ability to foreshadow changes because there are no rules. Even Deka kept being like "oh i just didn't know this was possible earlier" which felt like this thin excuse for the book to be like: eh just didn't think of it in book one. Bestselling author Alexandra Christo, author of TikTok sensation To Kill a Kingdom, introduces her new book, The Night Hunt (Hot Key Books), a dark... Deka glaubt, ihre Bestimmung gefunden zu haben. Als Tochter der vier Göttinnen kämpft sie für die Freiheit der Alaki, Todesrufer und all der anderen Frauen Oteras. Aber auch ihre Gegner, die Jatu, sind stärker geworden und plötzlich nicht mehr so leicht zu besiegen. Anscheinend werden sie von einem Gott unterstützt, aber allein die Existenz dieses Gottes stellt Dekas Weltbild erneut auf den Kopf. I do think this was a connector novel as Deka discovers more truths within her own world about the gods and magic, it does become a very interesting mystery.

It's been six months since Deka has freed the goddesses and discovered who she really is. There are now wars waging across the kingdom. Otereans now think jatu are traitors to the nation. Deka is called a monster. There is a saying, Deka: when gods dance, humanity trembles. And a lot of dancing is happening these days. Thankfully, as the Nuru, you have a say in the direction of the dance.” See, I was planning on reading this in two or three goes to stretch it out, but once The Merciless Ones sunk its claws into me, it didn't let go and I had to read the whole book at once, naturally. RECOMMEND IT FOR: If you want an impactful, brutal, - this is the one to get! If any series should be made for TV – it’s this one.If you enjoy fantasy fiction then this is a great read. The good news is that it has been left open for a third book in the series and I cannot wait for the next instalment. Content of note: violence, sexual assault. I found the rest of the commentary on gender and identity smartly done—gender roles are an invention, its stereotypes are arbitrary, anyone can be an oppressor, one group’s survival should not depend on another’s oppression, etc. Though we don’t end up going very deep with anyone besides Deka, I know even the inclusion of characters from so many marginalized communities will mean a good deal to readers who relate to them. In a time of typewriters and steam engines, Iris Winnow awaits word from her older brother, who has enlisted on the side of Enva the Skyward goddess. Alcohol abuse led to her mother’s losing her job, and Iris has dropped out of school and found work utilizing her writing skills at the Oath Gazette. Hiding the stress of her home issues behind a brave face, Iris competes for valuable assignments that may one day earn her the coveted columnist position. Her rival for the job is handsome and wealthy Roman Kitt, whose prose entrances her so much she avoids reading his articles. At home, she writes cathartic letters to her brother, never posting them but instead placing them in her wardrobe, where they vanish overnight. One day Iris receives a reply, which, along with other events, pushes her to make dramatic life decisions. Magic plays a quiet role in this story, and readers may for a time forget there is anything supernatural going on. This is more of a wartime tale of broken families, inspired youths, and higher powers using people as pawns. It flirts with clichéd tropes but also takes some startling turns. Main characters are assumed White; same-sex marriages and gender equality at the warfront appear to be the norm in this world. I think that since the first book explained the world and what was going on, we were able to just dive into the story. I really loved Deka's journey here as she stopped blindly following everyone and started really thinking for herself. Not only that, but she surrounded herself with such a great group of people to support and help her - and that just made all of the difference. I also really like how the main focus of the story isn't romance as so many YA's lean to. Yes there is a romance but it doesn't take over this dire world situation and instead, their relationship grows as they both grow. It felt natural and loved seeing the little moments we got of them. 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.