I don't even know where to start, especially without giving spoilers (which I won't of course). But I will say 5 🌟 +. So let's start there. I also want to say that I've struggled to write a review that will do this beautiful story justice without going into details that give it away.

So i've already read this twice for a few reasons. The world building and magic system expands so much that I wanted to take it in again. The second is I was so SHOCKED at where the plot went I needed to read it again when it had sunk in.

The character development was insane. Nizzara grows so much, all the whilst going through it. My heart absolutely tore out for her over and over. Without giving it away, I think everyone will relate to some of the shit she goes through in this book.
Lo and CoCo are incredible and great editions. I too am team Nizzara (if you know, you know.) And a special shout out to Rocky!

The MMC remained fierce, even sexier and again broke my stupid heart at times. The growth, I never expected and the trauma absolutely tore me apart. Thats all I'll say.

I wrote a few days ago, I don't get emotional at books (apart from KOA.) This will make you cry and give you a book hangover.

This series remains one of my favourites and thank you @CortneyLWinn for the arc and not blocking my obsessive ass. I am veey grateful and in absolute awe of your imagination.

I am so excited to see where the story follows on, and if you haven't picked up Vesselless already, you need to.

I will leave you with this.
"It was never pretend.
Anything.
Everything."

Andddd I'm crying again.

SORRENNNNN yes my man!! Yes yes yes this was so dark and tragic and perfect!! What a sequel. It kept be hanging on a knife edge constantly with the ‘are they? Is he?’.
Totally and utterly captivating and heartbreaking in the best way. Loved it.

I don’t even know how to properly review Merciless because I feel like Cortney L. Winn reached into my chest, ripped out my heart, stomped on it, and then somehow convinced me to thank her for the privilege.

This was phenomenal.

After Vesselless, I was desperate to know what happened next, and Merciless wastes absolutely no time answering that question. In fact, it wastes so little time that my only real criticism is that I was a little confused at the beginning with the booking throwing me straight back into the story exactly where Vesselless left off, so it took me a while to remember characters and where everyone was emotionally and physically and piece together what was happening (noting that it has been a while since I read Vesselless, so I absolutely recommend you reading these two books in close succession). Because Merciless picks up so immediately after Vesselless, I think anyone who hasn’t read the previous book very recently may find themselves scrambling to remember characters, circumstances, and exactly where everything left off. But once you’re back in the world, the story completely takes over.

Once I found my footing, though? I was gone. And by gone, I mean emotionally obliterated.

This is very character driven story and it takes very careful consideration and great execution to make a story like that work. The characters make this book so powerful and I couldn’t put this down. I loved following Nizzara on from the pivotal moment after the first book and it’s impossible not to feel how much she’s been shaped by survival, sacrifice, and the impossible choices she’s had to make. The second book follows Lo in a lot closer detail and she is such an emotional anchor to the story, but is also unpredictable and volatile and I couldn’t ever quite guess where the story was heading and what she would do next. Without giving too many major spoilers, I was seriously shocked at the way the romance arc started heading but I also think it worked really well for the book. It gave Nizzara an opportunity for growth but also set up the story well for jaw dropping revelations that broke my heart and what do you mean I have to wait for the next book AFTER THAT CLIFFHANGER!!! There’s a quiet tragedy to this arc that lingers over everything, and you feel the weight of the characters choices and the consequences as each page goes on.

I especially loved the continued development of the central relationships. There is so much history, hurt, loyalty, longing, and complicated emotion between our main characters and this book is written in a way that isn’t afraid to let those things coexist. Love doesn’t magically fix their trauma. Trust isn’t automatic. Forgiveness isn’t easy. And sometimes the people who mean the most to each other are also the people capable of hurting each other the most. That emotional complexity made the relationships feel incredibly real. And the emotional journey in this book is brutal. There were scenes where I genuinely had to put the book down for a moment because I wasn’t emotionally prepared for what was happening. The characters are put through the absolute wringer and there were times where I was figuratively sobbing.

The worldbuilding also continues to expand in fascinating ways. There is a lot more to uncover about the magic, the powers at play, and the forces shaping the characters’ lives. The pacing is relentless once the story gets moving but it’s not just all action or throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks. There is this constant feeling that something worse is just around the corner, and Winn does an excellent job of keeping the tension simmering.

Overall, Merciless is a phenomenal sequel and one of those books that makes you feel everything. It’s brutal, emotional, addictive, and deeply character-driven. Winn has created characters that I am so ridiculously invested in that apparently my emotional stability is now their responsibility?! Absolutely 5 stars. My heart may never recover.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction | Magpie for the eARC of this book!

Look, I read Vesselless back in December 2024 and I really enjoyed it. I thought it was unique, a good time, and really liked the themes overall. I rated it four stars happily, was excited for the eventual sequel, and moved on with my books for the year.

I've just had the privilege to read an ARC of Merciless and I cannot begin to tell you how above and beyond it is from the first book. Cortney's growth since the first installment in her writing, world building, magic, and character development is insane. This book legitimately blew Vesselless out of the water in all aspects - and I was a fan of the first book! This gorgeous, heartbreaking story is five stars without a doubt.

When she says this book is darker, it definitely is so please note that before going in! BUT there were so many touching, gorgeous moments at the same time. My love for Nizzara grew even more this book and the MMC brings it for those of us who love dark, broody, simps of our men. I cried so many times and I loved every second of it. If you haven't started the series yet, this is your sign to do so. You won't regret it and you'll soon be joining me in my book handover.

Massive thank you @CortneyLWinn for the arc! I'm already looking forward to book three. As someone else mentioned, "It was never pretend. Anything. Everything." xxxx

I absolutely loved this book. I was hoping it would build on everything I enjoyed in the first instalment, and it completely delivered.

I loved that this book leaned into the darker side of the story. The gritty, heartbreaking moments were what really made it for me, and there were several scenes that genuinely hit me emotionally. I even shed a tear or two, which doesn’t happen often.

This is a very character-driven book, which usually isn’t my favourite style, but it was absolutely perfect here. Every relationship felt believable and developed naturally, making the emotional moments land even harder.

Nizzara really came into her own in this book. Watching her growth, her resilience, and the way she stepped into herself was one of my favourite parts of the story. She felt stronger, more confident, and more compelling than ever.

With fantastic character development, emotional highs and lows, and a darker, grittier tone, this was everything I wanted from the sequel.

That ending has left me desperate for more, and I’ll be chomping at the bit to get my hands on the next book.