The Mercy of Gods

The novel begins on the planet Anjiin, where humans live alongside a native ecosystem with a different biochemical basis. Humans are believed to have arrived on Anjiin thousands of years ago, though their exact origins are unknown. Dafyd Alkhor is a low-level research assistant in Tonner Freis's celebrated workgroup, including Else Yannin, Jessyn Kaul, Campar, Rickar Daumatin, and Irinna. Freis's group has risen to preeminence in its succeeding in "reconciling" the two different biochemical "trees of life" native to Anjiin—understanding and thus being able to alter their metabolisms, such that they can enter into an ecological relationship.

Anjiin is suddenly invaded by a vastly technologically superior alien species called the Carryx and their subservient species. After killing one-eighth of the population, the Carryx abduct many of the planet's social and scientific elite, including Dafyd's group. The captives are taken aboard Carryx ships and transported to a distant star system where the administrative center of the Carryx empire is located in a massive world-city (known as world-palace among the Carryx). In one of its ziggurats, Dafyd's group is assigned to a research project by their Carryx overseer (keeper-librarian), referred by humans simply as the librarian, who reminds them that humanity's survival depends on their usefulness to the Carryx. The task involves making one alien organism (referred to as "berries") nutritionally compatible with another (called "not-turtles").

As the group struggles to adapt to captivity, they face various challenges. They must defend themselves against attacks from another captive species called Night Drinkers. Jessyn battles her mental health issues without her medication. Relationships within the group become strained, particularly between Tonner, Else, and Dafyd. Meanwhile, a resistance movement forms among the human captives, led by Urrys Ostencour, who plan to create bioweapons to use against the Carryx. Some members of Tonner's group, like Synnia, become involved.

Dafyd learns from Else that she is host to an entity called the Swarm – a spy sent by the Carryx's enemies in an ongoing interstellar war. Else convinces Dafyd to betray the resistance to the Carryx to protect their long-term chances of survival. Torn between loyalty to his fellow humans and fear of the consequences, Dafyd ultimately decides to inform the Carryx librarian about the rebellion plot. This leads to a violent purge, resulting in the deaths of many humans, including Synnia and Else, who dies after the Swarm exits her body. The Carryx execute one of their own, the librarian, for being "saved by an animal". In the aftermath, a new Carryx keeper-librarian of the humans named Ekur-Tkalal is appointed, who informs the survivors that they have proven useful to the Carryx and will be assigned new duties. Dafyd is made the sole intermediary between humans and the Carryx. The group is likely to be separated, but Dafyd vows to find a way to defeat the Carryx in the long term. Now in Jellit's body, the Swarm contemplates its mission to transmit intelligence back to the Carryx's enemies, but finds itself conflicted due to its growing emotions and attachment to Dafyd.

• Humans: The primary protagonists are a group of biological researchers, living on a planet Anjiin at the beginning of the novel.

• Carryx: The alien conquerors, a highly advanced, hierarchical species with a vast interstellar empire built on the subjugation of numerous worlds and other species.

The Mercy of Gods represents a new creative direction for authors Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck, following the completion of their nine-book series The Expanse. The genesis of the novel came from Franck, who found inspiration in the Book of Daniel. Intrigued by the story of Daniel being taken from "a little agrarian country" by a "gigantic military force," in the 2010s,^[1] Franck pitched the concept to Abraham as a science fiction retelling of this narrative. Abraham was drawn to the idea, viewing it as "The Book of Daniel as the biblical version of Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four," exploring the theme of maintaining individual identity within an authoritarian empire.^[2]

In constructing the alien Carryx consciousness, the authors drew inspiration from biological sources, particularly the social structures of termites and naked mole-rats. This approach allowed them to create an alien species where members are both highly intelligent individuals and part of a super-organism. Instead of materials, the Carryx are collecting over the galaxies a rare resource of intelligence, to have a library of unique talents and ideas of the conquered species.^[3][4] The authors described The Mercy of Gods as the "disappointing love child of Frank Herbert and Ursula Le Guin".^[5] The series "also has its roots in Viktor Frankl and Hannah Arendt".^[4] Unlike their previous work in The Expanse, which was human-centered and set in the near future, this new series introduces a host of different alien species, each undergoing a "plausibility check" based on Abraham's background in biology.^[2] The authors name convergent evolution as an underlying scientific principle applied both in biological context and the psychology of survival techniques.^[4]

While the authors attempted to avoid direct parallels to real-world events, they acknowledged the challenge of writing about enslaved humans without considering historical contexts, particularly the American experience of slavery. Through the new series, Abraham and Franck aim to explore themes of resistance and individuality, focusing on non-violent forms of survival and resistance rather than romanticized notions of rebellion. The novel serves as a platform for examining human resilience in the face of overwhelming odds, and how individuality can persist and hold power even in totalitarian or authoritarian settings.^[2]

The novel is narrated in a third-person limited,^[1] alternating between the points of view of Dafyd, Jessyn, other human characters, the Swarm and Ekur-Tkalal.^[6][7][2] Each of the book's six parts begins with an epigraph containing an excerpt from the "final statement" of a librarian Ekur-Tkalal as a narrator, revealing the fall of the Carryx empire and hinting at Dafyd's key role in it.^[8][6][5] With this flash-forward authors counterbalance the "dark" journey with a "ray of hope" and create a mystery of "how" the character will achieve the seemingly impossible.^[9]

The Mercy of Gods received largely positive reviews from critics. Publishers Weekly called it a "masterful" series launch, praising the authors for creating "a dazzling new world" and describing it as "space opera at its best." They particularly commended the balance between "world-shaking events" and "nuanced and moving portraits of the people caught up in them."^[10] Andrea Dyba, writing for Library Journal, described the novel as an "impressive space opera" and an "intelligent and innovative sci-fi epic with infinite scope" and "nail-biting suspense", praising the novel's portrayal of alien species as "distinctive" and "downright chilling". Dyba noted that the book's strength lies in its ability to balance large-scale events with "small moments of human vulnerability and courage."^[11]

Zach Kram of The Ringer observed that "The Mercy of Gods" employs a "narrower narrative lens" compared to Corey's previous series The Expanse. Kram noted that while the novel "suffers from the lack of political maneuvering," its world-building "makes its universe feel unknowably gigantic."^[9] Kirkus Reviews called the novel "mind-blowing" and praised it as "the beginning of what could be Corey's most epic—and entertaining—series yet," highlighting the novel's "exceptional" character development, "breakneck" pacing and "sheer scope of the narrative", and "extraordinary" worldbuilding.^[12] Katie Fraser of The Bookseller called the novel "not only a triumphant introduction to a new galactic world that will appeal to Corey and The Expanse fans alike, but a timely depiction of human resilience in the darkest of times".^[2] AudioFile magazine awarded The Mercy of Gods with Earphones and named it among the 2024 best audiobooks.^[13]