Review: Mercy Rising by Bowen Greenwood
Blurb:
A Girl. A Mysterious Power. A Revolution
The Archon Dominion crushes all dissent. Mercy Hail wants change, no matter the cost to herself. But freak accidents keep happening around her, and she can’t explain why. So when she lights the fuse on an uprising, it’s not exactly a surprise when everything goes wrong at once.
The Dominion sends Dante Matter to Mercy’s world with a simple set of orders: Find the girl with emerging telekinetic powers and put her to work for us. Nobody warned him she’d be beautiful, though. Nobody warned him her gifts would be greater than his own. And nobody warned him that his hunt would be the first battle in an interstellar war.
In a world where gifts like hers have been all but extinguished, Mercy must choose sides in a war that will spread across the stars. To survive, she’ll have to learn how to use her power, learn how she feels about Dante, and learn the true story of the past that made her who she is.
Review:
This one took me for a loop from the get-go! As this not only quelled a craving for something slightly different, but kept me on my toes throughout. It is on the shorter side, but packed with action from start to finish.
“Mercy Rising” is actually the fifth book of an extended series, but it can stand on its own. I am not typically a fan of diving into a series that is as established as this one, but I would actually say this is a good novella to introduce you to the series as a whole – picking up years after the Exile War ended, with the antagonist Archons in control. From the very first chapter, a weak and failing rebellion is holding onto the last threads it can when an attack ensues. The action did not stop from then on, and I ended up turning page after page.
Characters
Warring factions are right up my alley lately. Crazy hog-man-hybrid creatures I was not too sure about but they grew on me as the story progressed. Most of all is Mercy Hail, imbued with a special gift but the conundrum of what to do in this war. I immediately connected to her and rooted for her from the start. She is clever and has a way of getting in and out of places unseen – a big reason why she gets recruited to begin with. The rebellion hinges on her talent but does not wait – they bring the fight to the enemy.
Speaking of which, the antagonist, Archon rising star: Dante Matter. He is pompous, arrogant, and everything that makes a great villain. He is one of those “I’ll walk and find you while you run away thinking you can hide” kind of villains who wields fear as a weapon and is well-versed in the skill. As a villain girlie, I did sometimes find myself rooting for him, too.
Atmosphere
I think anyone can see themselves enjoying this space war novel. It has a similar feel to some of the classic favorite rebellion stories, like Star Wars or Valerian. Did I mention the hog-men are cannibals? It is all woven together skillfully to bring to life a world that has intrigued me enough to want to read the other books in this series.
Writing Style
Bowen has an easy way with words that can bring any reader in, even to a book that is technically fifth in a series. That’s a true testament! In most cases I am not a fan of being dumped into a world mid-series, but the way this one is written makes you believe you have been here the whole time.
Plot
As I mentioned, the characters are a big part of the story, but the plot is what I believe drives the whole story. Mercy is recruited to collect secret documents from very tightly closed government facilities. The Archons use an army of the cannibal hogs I mentioned to keep everyone in check, and their reach is ever expanding. The “magic” (telepathy) seasoned into the story is anything but fantastical, making it a true sci fi novel to its core. The character arcs are believable and the plot makes for a tense and enjoyable read all around.
Intrigue
Absolutely action packed from the very first page. It was one thing after another, and had very few slow spots. I am eager to read more from this author, and definitely within this series.
Excitement
It is certainly a book I will be recommending to others. Great for adult readers who love a bit of a twist on science fiction, an empowering rebellion force, and some quite good villainous characters.
