#131 in Science fiction
The Mercy of Gods
- 388
- Pages
- about 7 h
- Reading time
- NYT bestseller · 1 week on the list
- Earphones Award
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About the book
The Mercy of Gods is a 2024 science fiction novel by American authors Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck, writing under the pseudonym James S. A. Corey. It is the first book in The Captive's War trilogy. The novel is set in a distant future where a human-settled planet has been conquered by an alien race called the Carryx. The story follows Dafyd Alkhor, a human research assistant, as he and his fellow captives struggle to survive under alien rule while maintaining their humanity.
Reading order · The Captive's War
Full order & progress →- The Mercy of GodsThis book
8.18.1 / 10 - Livesuit
8.18.1 / 10 - The Faith of Beasts
8.18.1 / 10
Where the score comes from
The sources average 8.2 across 544 ratings — not yet many, so the reader vote carries 78% of the weight and the rest pulls toward the Science fiction average of 7.8. That is how 8.1 comes out.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Library | 7.6 | 5 | 1% |
| Hardcover | 8.2 | 539 | 99% |
Reader voices
The most-liked reviews on Hardcover (credited to their authors).
“Original review: This one was a surprise because it's an incredibly different read to the Expanse. Whereas the Expanse is a thoroughly character driven story with a limited set of POVs in each book, The Mercy of Gods is much more plot driven with a…”
“This one was a dichotomy for me. It was good sci fi. It kept me going, very well done. But the story itself left me feeling ick; there's only so long you can spend in a hopeless place. It's the first in a trilogy, and…”
Frequently asked
How long is The Mercy of Gods?
It has 388 pages — shorter than 62% of the ranked books in Science fiction.
In this book
Themes this book shares with others — each leads to the best books on it.
If you liked this
The same shelf — Science fiction — and a score of 8.1, the closest to this book.
