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. == Species ==

• 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. Species subservient to Carryx Animals of violence • Rak-hund: Centipede-like knife-legged creatures used as soldiers by the Carryx. • Soft Lothark: Squat-bodied, long-limbed aliens that serve as soldiers and guards for the Carryx. Other subjugated species • 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. • Night Drinkers: A physically small, conquered species resembling terrestrial feather-haired monkeys, that is nevertheless aggressive against other captive alien species. Their bomb attack targets the Carryx-human research operation. Species studied by Carryx • Not-Turtles: An alien species that the Freis research team has been tasked by their captors to study and alter such that the Not-Turtles ecological relationship to another alien species is changed — in keeping with the Freis group's research specialty — specifically, that Not-Turtle nutrition could be supplied by another alien species. • Berries: An apparent organism that is specified by the Carryx as the species to be studied and altered so that the Berries could meet the nutritional needs of the Not-Turtles. The Berries are revealed, in the hours prior to the bomb attack of the Night Drinkers, to be a complex population of species, rather than a single one. Other • The Swarm: A microscopic entity representing enemies of the Carryx occupying and controlling alien hosts in Carryx captivity with ultimate fatal consequences; this host occupation allows The Swarm to spy on the Carryx. == Characters ==

The humans • Tonner Freis: The brilliant but flawed leader of the research team. Freis struggles to maintain authority and purpose in captivity, where his broken relationship and focus on Carryx-assigned research blind him to dangers and larger questions in play. • Dafyd Alkhor: A research assistant in Freis' group, the lowest category of the human research characters of the novel. Set apart only by his connectedness to the funding establishment, his low role in the research marginalizes him initially, but his giftedness otherwise—his "wrong kind of smart" makes him key in navigating the group's survival in captivity, and, ultimately, results in his appointment as sole human liaison to the Carryx (while secretly vowing their destruction). • Else Annalise Yannin: A senior researcher and Tonner's lover at the start of the novel, she is simultaneously drawn to Alkhor while being estranged from Freis for their respective strengths and weaknesses—and is later revealed as the one among the group into whom has transferred an alien "swarm" entity in conflict with and thus spying on the Carryx. This trio of Else's relationships are central to the plot's development, and lead to her eventual fate. • 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. The Carryx • Tkson-Malkal, the Librarian: The Carryx keeper-librarian (overseer) assigned to the human group. Later executed and replaced by Ekur-Tkalal. • Ekur-Tkalal: Ekur of the cohort Tkalal held various positions among the Carryx throughout the novel. It was subjugator-librarian for the sixteenth dactyl of the third limb of the twentieth exploratory body during the battle around Ayayeh. Later back at the world-palace it was interrogator-librarian. At the end of the novel it was appointed as the new keeper-librarian of the humans. == 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, 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. The series "also has its roots in Viktor Frankl and Hannah Arendt". 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. The authors name convergent evolution as an underlying scientific principle applied both in biological context and the psychology of survival techniques. 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. == Style ==

The novel is narrated in a third-person limited, alternating between the points of view of Dafyd, Jessyn, other human characters, the Swarm and Ekur-Tkalal. 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. == 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." 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." 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." 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. 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". == ''The Captive's War'' ==

Book trilogy The Mercy of Gods starts ''The Captive's War'' series, which was first announced in 2018. The series is planned to consist of three novels and two novellas. Preceded by the publication of the first chapter on the Polygon website in May 2024, 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. 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. A second novel in the series The Faith of Beasts was released on April 14, 2026. Adaptation In November 2024, it was announced that a TV adaptation of the trilogy under the same title is being developed for Amazon MGM Studios by Expanding Universe. == References ==