Roanne Lau’s The Serpent Called Mercy follows Lythlet as she tries to fight, literally and figuratively, her way out of the debt her best friend owes to loan sharks. Lau’s prose hooked me from page one, evocative and realistic without brutality. While this is set in an incredibly cool and detailed secondary world, the story’s views on classism and income inequality feel much closer to home (and I mean this in the most complimentary way possible). This commentary is deftly interwoven with clever puzzles in the form of sun-cursed beasts, a tangle of conflicting motivations for Lythlet to unravel, and a set of complex and deeply human relationships to navigate. While I don’t think it was ever explicitly stated on-page (forgive me if it was—sometimes things simply exit my brain as if they never were), for me, Lythlet felt very autistic-coded, which I appreciated seeing as an integral part of her character without it being The Plot Device. I want to make sure I’m clear: there is, of course, a place for stories about being autistic, but folks also deserve representation of themselves simply being the main character. That being said: the end of this one ripped my heart out.
Overall, I absolutely loved this book. The world, characters, and story had me hooked from start to finish, culminating in a really satisfying way. Lau is an extremely skilled writer, and I can’t wait to read more of her work!
Information about The Serpent Called Mercy:
Author: Roanne Lau
Publisher: DAW
Release date: March 25th, 2025
Print length: 432 pages
