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 humanity 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. The Mercy of Gods has been praised for its world-building, character development, and exploration of themes such as resistance and individuality under authoritarian regimes.
The novel is set 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 research assistant in Tonner Freis's celebrated workgroup; the team, including Else Yannin, Jessyn Kaul, Campar, Rickar Daumatin, and Irinna, has just succeeded in reconciling the two different biochemical "trees of life" native to Anjiin.
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 massive world-city. In one of its ziggurats, they are assigned to a research project by their Carryx overseer, known 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 their own librarian for being "saved by an animal". In the aftermath, a new Carryx librarian 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.
Characters
Humans
Dafyd Alkhor: A research assistant in Tonner's group. Initially unassuming, he becomes a key figure in navigating the group's survival under Carryx rule. By the end of the novel, he is appointed as the sole human liaison to the Carryx and secretly vows to find a way to destroy them.
Tonner Freis: The brilliant and arrogant leader of the research team. He struggles to maintain his authority and sense of purpose in captivity. His focus on the research project sometimes blinds him to the larger dangers they face.
Else Annalise Yannin: A senior researcher and Tonner's lover at the start of the novel. She is revealed to be hosting an alien "swarm" spy entity. Else develops a romantic relationship with Dafyd before being killed by the Swarm when it transfers hosts.
Jessyn Kaul: A researcher who struggles with mental health issues. She becomes more assertive and violent after leading the counterattack against the Night Drinkers. Jessyn is deeply affected by reuniting with her twin brother Jellit.
Jellit: Jessyn's brother, part of another research group. He becomes involved in the resistance movement.
Campar: A member of Tonner's research group known for his humor and attempts to maintain morale.
Synnia: An older researcher who becomes involved in the resistance after losing her husband Nöl.
Rickar Daumatin: A researcher initially exiled from the group, later reintegrated.
Irinna: A young researcher killed in the Night Drinker attack.
Urrys Ostencour: Leader of the human resistance movement.
Aliens
Tkson-Malkal, the Librarian: The Carryx overseer assigned to the human group. Later executed and replaced.
Ekur-Tkalal: The new Carryx librarian appointed at the end of the novel.
Species
Humans: The primary protagonists, originally from Earth but living on Anjiin for thousands of years before the Carryx invasion.
Carryx: The alien conquerors. They are a highly advanced, hierarchical species with a vast interstellar empire built on the subjugation of numerous worlds and species. Physically, they have two forelegs, four abdominal legs, and two thin arms near the face, with individuals changing based on social status. The Carryx reject peace as a concept, believing in constant competition and subjugation as driving forces of progress. They've harnessed the unique abilities of conquered species to build their empire.
The Swarm: A microscopic entity sent as a spy by the Carryx's enemies. It can inhabit and control human hosts.
Berries and Not-Turtles: Two alien organisms that the human researchers are tasked with making nutritionally compatible.
Night Drinkers: A small, aggressive alien species also held captive by the Carryx. They resemble feather-haired monkeys, and attack the human group multiple times.
Rak-hund: Centipede-like knife-legged creatures used as soldiers by the Carryx.
Soft Lothark: Squat-bodied, long-limbed aliens that serve as guards for the Carryx.
Sinen: Described as goat-squid hybrids, they serve various functions for the Carryx.
Phylarchs: Large, horse-sized creatures with bony exoskeletons who serve as architects and builders for the Carryx. They once ruled many worlds before being conquered.
Temperantiae: Creatures whose "birth shrieks" were harnessed by the Carryx to conquer asymmetric space, a form of faster-than-light travel.
Void Dragons: Entities that "eat the foam" at the edge of black holes, used by the Carryx to create communication networks.
Background
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'sNineteen 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, offering a unique perspective on collective consciousness in science fiction. 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]
Style
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]
Reception
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]
The Captive's War
Book trilogy
The Mercy of Gods starts The Captive's War series, which was first announced in 2018.[14] The series is planned to consist of three novels and two novellas. The publication of the second book is scheduled for the autumn of 2025.[15]
Preceded by the publication of the first chapter on the Polygon website in May 2024,[16]The Mercy of Gods was released on 6 August by Orbit Books in hardcover and electronic format. An audiobook version narrated by Jefferson Mays was published by Recorded Books.[17]
On October 1, 2024, a novella, Livesuit, was released in digital format. Its protagonist, Kirin, serves in an elite infantry unit that uses cutting-edge "livesuit" technology and is considered to be humanity's only hope for victory in a long war against a powerful intergalactic adversary.[18]
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