"The greedy are always ambitious, the ambitious always desperate, and the desperate never forfeit a match until they're on the verge of death."
I was initially hooked by the book being marketed as a Malaysian Witcher meets Squid Game but I stayed for my girl Lythlet and the amazing storytelling. From the get-go the writing was so beautifully immersive and really kept me hooked to the page. I loved the fight scenes, my heart was racing and I felt like a spectator in the arena.
This was such a great fresh take on the 'arena' narrative and I can't wait to see what else Roanne Lau produces, I will be waiting with anticipation

THE SERPENT CALLED MERCY is an action-packed book that explores systematic injustices and friendship.

The monster-fight sequences are tense and full of imaginative - and horrifying - creatures. They are some of the fastest parts of the book, visceral and always feeling very risky. Any victory feels earnt and close, like there was a real chance of failure. And there is a cost to them - the characters aren't simply skipping away.

I loved that there was no romance in this book. Not even a hint of it. Lythlet doesn't pursue any romantic relationships, doesn't have a crush or anything. It's never discussed whether this is because Lythlet isn't interested in these things or just she doesn't find anyone around her attractive, and I quite liked this. The book never had to comment on this "lack", instead focusing on familial and platonic relationships.

And these relationships are so central to the book. Lythlet and Desil's friendship is the heart of the book, looking at how the fights strains that as the things they are desperate for are changing, pulling them apart. I loved how it ended, that acceptance of a person for all they are, no matter their mistakes and past failures.

It is also a book about the cost to survive and what we're willing to do in order to rise. It is about the injustices of systems and how you can work with them for a price. Lythlet constantly has to decide if she's willing to take a stand for others at a cost to herself. There's so much empathy in this book for the horrible decisions people are faced with in a rigged system, but injects hope for change, the sort of change that starts with individuals even if the odds are overwhelming.

Thank you Solaris Books and Netgalley for the ARC!

Burdened with debt, childhood friends Lythlet and Desil just want out of their never-ending cycle of poverty. Desperate for a way out, they become "conquessors", arena fighters battling ferocious sun-cursed beasts in the city’s dangerous underworld.

As they rack up victories, Lythlet dares to hope that in conquering these battles they could conquer the poverty that had them chained most of their lives. With each cheer and flash of fame, her ambition grows, pulling her deeper under the wing of the match-master. But soon, she finds herself tangled in the messy world of underworld politics and deception, forcing her to choose between her morals and the people she loves.
The Serpent Called Mercy is an epic fantasy inspired by Malaysian Chinese culture and folklore. With its thrilling action and rich world-building, it’s a stunning debut from Roanne Lau.

Lythlet, for me, is a remarkable and compelling character, flawed as she is I found myself rooting for her - not just for her conquering the arena against the sun-cursed beasts, but also for how she conquered the challenges life threw at her, and how she continues to fight in achieving the life she had always dreamed of. Her determination and grit make her journey feel incredibly real and inspiring.

The world-building is vivid, but I wish there was more lore on the sun-cursed beasts, where they come from and how they differ from sun-blessed ones. The ending is a bit bittersweet, but it made the story even more powerful.

Overall, The Serpent Called Mercy is a must-read for fantasy fans. If you’re into action-packed adventures with strong characters and emotional depth, give this book a chance!

OH my gosh I absolutely devoured this novel. An incredible read which once again reminded me of why I love political fantasy, plus a focus on platonic relationships and NO ROMANCE (well, I thought there was the tiniest little hint of a possible romance which I really wished hadn't been added). The characters, layers of plot, action scenes, etc. were simply fantastic and I genuinely could not stop reading - the creativity of when writing about the magical creatures/sun-cursed beasts was perhaps one of my favourite aspects of the book. I have to applaud the author for the characters of Master Dothilos and Desil, who were both so well written. Also, I loved the humour, which was subtle and appropriately timed, plus the side characters were enjoyable to read about.

More so than The Witcher (which I've never seen) or Squid Games (which I have), I would have compared this book to She Who Became The Sun for the overall vibe (quote: "Hope in times of happiness isn't hope - it's expectation."), and also because both protagonists were ambitious, relying heavily on wits and street smarts to succeed.

If I had one gripe about this book it would be that a lot was crammed in and it could've been a duology instead. Anyways a stunning debut and I was definitely the target audience.

Thank you to NetGalley and Solaris for providing a copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Solaris for the ARC

I loved the concept of this book. A mix of Slumdog Millionaire, Hunger Games and The Witcher. There was so much great character work, world-building, political machinations, monsters and Malaysian Chinese.

Our main protagonist is a slumdog, raised in poverty, struggling to survive in a world that would happily beat her to death. Despite this, she is brave, determined, clever and kind. To escape living in debt Lythlet and her best friend, Desil, sign up to become monster fighters in a dangerous underground arena.

While monster fighting appears to be the book's main premise, it is not the main story. The story is about two disadvantaged young people, trying to survive in a corrupt world where the rich get richer and the poor cling on to any sliver of hope they can find. As we get deeper into the story, both Lythlet and Desil have to wrestle with their demons and find a way to keep their humanity.

I loved Lythlet’s relationship with Desil, the deep friendship and reliance the pair have on each other to survive and the lengths each would go to protect the other. It’s a breath of fresh air to have a book focus so deeply on a platonic relationship.

Personally, I could have done with the book being longer, and the world-building more in-depth. What we did get I loved, though at times I did struggle to understand the concepts and history being introduced.

4.25 stars, a stunning debut novel, I can’t wait to see what Roanne Lau does next.

Not often does a book pull me in so much as this one... although the first few chapters were the hardest to get into with setting the story up - once it was there I was hooked, and stayed up way later than I should have purely because it was so amazing and I had to know what happened next.
When this book is described as Squid Games meets Witcher it is not wrong! All the best parts of those addictive series thrown into one and the pace just kept going.
Loved this and cant believe this is just a debut novel, I need more from Roanne Lau

Before I launch into my review, I would like to say a warm thank you to Roanne Lau, Rebellion, Solaris, and Netgalley for the Advanced Digital Reader Copy of this title. For anyone with their eye on this title, here is my personal review of the book to help you decide whether you are interested or not. All opinions offered are my own.

This was quite the chunky read and getting started was hard work. I struggled to make progress during my first reading sessions, but I was taken by the blurb and eager to know what opportunity might tempt someone to ditch one of the most important people in their lives. Fortunately, once I made a dent in the book and the story got going, there was a lot to enjoy.

Lythlet only has one real friend in the world, and he would do anything for her. Linked later in life by a debt Desil secured to save her life, the two slumdogs sign up to a dangerous tournament that promises great riches to survivors. The trouble is, people do not tend to survive. Committed to death matches in order to win enough coin to claw her way out of the slums and a life on the run, Lythlet faces the ultimate sacrifice when her potential becomes apparent. But…to sacrifice or not to sacrifice? That! Is the question.

There was a lot to love about this book. I enjoyed the rich cast of characters and the way their back stories were woven into the main story. I liked the complex relationships that were formed between characters and tested in ways that questioned their morals and values. There were suspenseful moments when the reader was left wondering wat a character would do.

I especially loved the ‘Squid Games’ element. Rather than The Witcher meets Squid Games, I am more inclined to describe the novel as The Gladiator meets a cross between The Hunger Games and Squid Games, and I lived for The Gladiator element. The battles and the monster revealed in them were spectacular. The descriptions of the creatures and the arenas were written with great detail, although I would have welcomed more weapons and the opportunity to witness the selection.

I think the book fell a little short in the general world building. It would have been a vision for my imagination to be able to see the landscape, particularly that of the richer areas. I felt there was more emphasis in the underworld, and the upper world was a little neglected.

Regardless of the couple of shortcomings mentioned, I loved the journey through this book. I think it would make an interesting screenplay that I would be glad to watch. With its wide range of beasts, this is a story that would capture the interests of most fantasy readers, even with the political elements included in the story. It is a 5 out of 5 stars for me for a book I cannot wait to recommend to my audience.

This book took me a while to get into but throughout it begins to teach some valuable lessons.

A girl and her best friend stricken from poverty strive for a better life by entering a deadly competition.. woven with corruption and deception this story teaches you the value of Mercy and that money is not always the answer in the face of doing what is right.

The characters were highly detailed and written well. The world building was wonderful in all the little details as well as the references to gods from ages past.

An enjoyable book overall

I genuinely don’t even know how to write a review of this without spoiling the book!
The long story short is that I absolutely loved it.

I’ve read through a few reviews here and seen some complaints about world building and lack of magic system etc but I think people are missing the fact that our narrator is a young female who was raised with less than bare minimum education who relied on what texts she could steal to learn about her world - it’s even pointed out by other characters that her whole morals and ethics rely on the stories of myths. I think what we are given is truly how Lythlet experiences the world.

I loved the monsters - I would love to see a beastiary accompaniment to this it would be truly amazing. The imagination that went into this was fantastical in every way.

The friendship between Desil and Lythlet and the found family they acquired along the way was so refreshing after reading back to back romance stories.

I adore Lythlet, she was such a great FMC. I loved that her flaws were well presented, she was naive and easily manipulated. Her brain works in a way that I can resonate with as a child who was always “bright and quick to learn” when in reality it was just pattern recognition. I think a lot of the younger readers who pick this up will find a common soul with this little candle flame.

The story reads as a long winded Aesop fable if you have the mind to listen. The name of the book is so incredibly smart - almost goose bump worthy when the realisation strikes.

I really do want to know who the phantom is. Also is runt a beast that was rescued?! Why is she so big? Roanne I need answers please!!!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the Publisher for allowing me to read an ARC of this book. This is my honest opinion

The premise was so good I had to request, however I struggled to get through this. I kept powering through hoping for more tension between Lythlet and Desil, or even for the monster fights to be far more stressful, but everything seemed a little underwhelming.
There felt like a lot of telling rather than showing, and it’s sad because I really wanted to enjoy it as much as I expected to.

Interesting debut novel but unfortunately not really delivering on the description or its potential.

The prose in this book is excellent but there was a lack of world building, character development, tension, pace and a gripping story line.

I expected a lot more based on the description and felt it fell a bit flat. I felt more invested in side characters than the actual characters themselves.

The story had potential, the plot in itself is not bad and could be drawn out more into a longer book or perhaps a series.

There’s so much given in the book that could have been expanded upon: the political system, the gods / religious aspects, the beasts and the characters as well.

The scenes of the conquessors were the best parts of the book - even that was taken away as the book neared its end as several were glossed over : missed entirely. As I said initially the prose itself is very well done.

All in all a 2.5/3 star read in my mind though I would read the authors works again bearing in mind this is a debut novel.

How far will you go to get everything you want? Roanne Lau explores this in an enjoyable fantasy debut about two slumdogs who fight in arena battles against monsters to better themselves from their poverty-stricken lifestyle.
Taking influences from the hugely popular Squid games Lau tackles feelings of empathy, duality, justice and the effects of poverty.
Lythlet is a young girl who lives with her friend Desil at the edge of society, living hand to mouth Lythlet is indebted to loan sharks for essential healthcare.
Seeing an advert for underground monster fighting, Lythlet and Desil enter themselves into the competition and unwittingly win their first bout. As the competition moves on, Lythlet and Desil finds themselves gaining stardom as their star grows.
As the story progresses, Lythlet finds herself coming under the watchful gaze of the Fagin like Games Master who taps into her desire to pull herself from the poverty trap that she is in at the moment.
Whilst this is marketed as Squid Games meets Witcher, I didn’t find this entirely to be the case to be honest and instead found it to be more reminiscent of a Dickensian tale.
I have to say that I was surprised about how much I actually enjoyed this one to be honest. Initially I wasn’t taken in by the idea of fighting pits as it is a trope that has been overused in fantasy in my opinion, and luckily after the initial first bouts, this is not central to the plot.
There were a number of issues that I found interesting in this. One of them is the character of Lythlet. Whilst initially she points to being autistic in her outlook, I felt that there was much more to her character, particularly the effects of having a mother that has mental health problems which have ultimately resulted in attachment issues.
There is also the question of how we treat the poorer members of our society, in that the rich use them as convenient commodities that can used and abused without any thought.
In addition to this, Lythlet is an interesting character in that she has many flaws. She is at once innocent in her outlook in life and will find herself abused both mentally and physically. However, when she is enabled by the Games Master, she equally has these qualities, and at times these put her relationships with others on the line to get what she wants.
All in all, whilst not perfect, this was a surprisingly good read that had me hooked.

I enjoyed this book and the premise was really interesting. I always enjoy some form of trials or fighting so the 12 conquessor fights really drew me in, and the different beasts they fought were really imaginative. However, I felt like the book was very fast paced but the ending felt rushed and I felt like more suspense could have been created to keep the reader guessing. Although, I did enjoy the Poet and the Ruffian twist.

This is my first 5 star read of this year. I am a huge fantasy fan and this did not disappoint me. I instantly fell in love with the main characters. I loved the Chinese influence in the book. The world building really drew you in. Some parts of the story were slow however it didn’t spoil it for me. A highly recommended read for all you fantasy lovers

4.5 stars

The Serpent Called Mercy is a captivating epic fantasy, blending Malaysian Chinese influences with a gritty narrative in a vividly imagined world. The story follows Lythlet and Desil, two debt-ridden underdogs who enter the dangerous realm of illegal monster-fighting arenas to escape poverty. Their adventure goes beyond just trying to survive; it explores friendship, ambition, and morality.
Lythlet's transformation from an overlooked slumdog to a savvy conquessor is both engaging and heart-wrenching. Her internal struggle between ambition and the sacrifices it demands, especially concerning her friendship with Desil, adds emotional depth to the narrative.
One of the novel's standout features is how it focuses on platonic friendships and found family, steering clear of romantic subplots. In a world where romantic subplots often take centre stage, this story feels refreshing.The narrative highlights themes of oppression, loyalty, community, and personal growth, creating a unique blend of action and coziness.
The only reason I’m holding back from a full five-star rating is that certain sections of the book felt a little slower-paced, and I wished for a bit more depth in some character relationships.
Overall, The Serpent Called Mercy is a thrilling ride from beginning to end. Reminiscent of The Hunger Games, it touches on societal struggles and disparities, and reflecting on the glaring gap between the top 1% and the rest of society. Highly recommend.

The Serpent Called Mercy is a fierce, fast-paced fantasy that throws you straight into the brutal world of monster-fighting arenas and high-stakes ambition. Lythlet is a gripping protagonist—sharp, determined, and constantly walking the razor’s edge between survival and betrayal. The arena battles are intense, but it’s the political manoeuvring and shifting relationships, especially her complicated friendship with Desil, that give the story its real bite. While some moments could have used more depth, the rich Malaysian Chinese-inspired setting and relentless tension make this a thrilling and unforgettable read.

Wow, I just finished this book, and I’m still reeling! As someone who loves a good underdog story, this one had me hooked from the very first page. It’s a fresh take on fantasy, less sprawling epic, more gritty, urban vibes with a dash of heart-pounding action. If you’re into stories where the characters feel real, flawed, and utterly compelling, this is for you.

The story follows Lythlet, a scrappy, down-on-her-luck protagonist who’s just lost her job and is drowning in debt. She’s forced to steal to survive, but even then, she’s got a moral compass. I loved her immediately. She’s smart, resourceful, and tough as nails, but she’s also kind and fiercely loyal to her childhood best friend, Desil. Their dynamic is everything. They’re not just friends; they’re family, and their bond is the emotional core of the story. Desil is the sweet, grounding force in Lythlet’s chaotic life, and their relationship is so genuine and heartfelt. It’s platonic, but honestly, it’s more touching than some romantic pairings I’ve read.

The plot kicks into high gear when Lythlet and Desil stumble upon a flyer promising riches beyond their wildest dreams. The catch? They have to compete in a brutal blood sport called conquessing, where contestants battle terrifying monsters for cash. Think *Squid Game* meets *Gladiator*, but with a fantasy twist. Each monster is uniquely terrifying, and the battles are intense, creative, and totally unpredictable. I was on the edge of my seat every time, wondering how they’d survive. Lythlet’s quick thinking and strategic mind really shine here she’s not just a fighter; she’s a problem-solver, and it’s so satisfying to watch her outsmart her opponents.

But what really got me was the moral complexity of the story. As Lythlet gets deeper into the competition, you see her wrestle with her values. The more money she makes, the more she’s tempted to compromise her humanity. It’s a gripping exploration of greed, survival, and what people are willing to sacrifice for a chance at a better life. There’s one particular match that had me holding my breath it was brutal, emotional, and completely unforgettable.

Another standout for me was the relationship between Lythlet and the match master, Master Dothilos. He’s such a fascinating character cynical, manipulative, but with layers of depth you don’t expect. At first, I thought he’d just be your typical villain, but he’s so much more than that. He sees himself in Lythlet, and their dynamic is this weird mix of mentorship, manipulation, and genuine care. By the end, I couldn’t decide if I loved him or hated him, and that’s what made him so compelling.

Overall, this book is a total gem. It’s action-packed, emotionally resonant, and full of characters you’ll root for from start to finish. Lythlet is the kind of heroine you can’t help but admire she’s smart, brave, and deeply human. If you’re looking for a fantasy story that balances heart-stopping action with rich character development, this is it. 5 stars, no question. I can’t wait to see what this author does next!

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this early!

The Serpent Called Mercy is an impressive debut! I loved the unique concept and really enjoyed the characters—some of the interactions between Shunvi and Ilden had me genuinely laughing. The action scenes were gripping, especially in the second half when the stakes were high and the tension kept building.

Lythlet was such an incredible main character. She has a difficult past, but her honest, kind, and sharp personality really shone through. I loved how she could stand up for herself and always seemed to be the smartest person in the room. Whether she was in the heat of battle or navigating everyday challenges, I was constantly in awe of her quick thinking.

The only drawback for me was that the first half of the book felt a bit heavy with info-dumping, mostly through dialogue that came off as a bit stiff and unnatural. But once the world was established, the story really found its stride. Overall, a solid and thoroughly enjoyable fantasy read!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book was amazing. It starts with the protagonist in desperate debt to loan sharks, and she joins a monster-fighting arena with her friend to pay off their debts and survive. The fights are so well-written, and the MC develops in complexity as she progresses through the matches, and more of her backstory is revealed to us.

Firstly, I loved the Malaysian-Chinese elements in this book. It's beautifully interwoven into the worldbuilding, which made the book immersive and engaging. I also adored the creatures in this world and enjoyed reading about them, from the lightning-bees to the various monsters they had to fight. I would love to learn more about them, and the rest of the world in general.

Not sure if I agree with the pitch regarding The Witcher, unless this was just a comparison to the beast-fighting aspects of The Serpent Called Mercy. But overall this was an enjoyable book, and I look forward to reading more from Roanne Lau.

4.5⭐

Lythlet was the best FMC protagonist I have read in a while - she's not pretty, she's ruthless and a bit selfish, and her motivations are totally understandabl in the face of abject poverty and debt. She was a great character to introduce us to this really unique fantasy world inspired by Malaysian mythology. The world building was crafted just to the level I like - a good overview of the city structure, political system, class system (Lythlet living in poverty and brushing shoulders with the wealthy during the trial was the perfect way to show this), religious system (Desil's faith journey, Lythlet and the yutrella pole during the trial) and some of the technology - lightning bees!! I want some.

The side characters were great, some I liked and some I liked to hate!

My favourite were the beasts in the matches - these were creatures I have never heard of before but I can picture them so clearly thanks to Lau's writing.

If you like unique world building, that doesn't info dump or over explain, mythological creatures and complex characters, this book is for you.

Thank you to Netgalley and Rebellion /Solaris for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.