BOOK REVIEW | THE SERPENT CALLED MERCY | ROANNE LAU

 

BOOK REVIEW | THE SERPENT CALLED MERCY | ROANNE LAU | PUB. DATE 27 MARCH 2025 | SOLARIS 

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Witcher meets Squid Game in this Malaysian Chinese-inspired epic fantasy novel where a debt-ridden slumdog joins an illegal monster-fighting arena for some fast coin, but quickly learns the most dangerous beasts are outside the ring, by debut author Roanne Lau

 Lythlet and her only friend Desil are shackled to a life of debt and poverty that she fears they will never escape. Desperate for money, they sign up as arena combatants who fight sun-cursed beasts in the seedy underworld of the city.

 Match-master Dothilos is initially enamored of Desil’s brawling reputation, but after seeing Lythlet lead the pair to triumph with her quick cunning, he takes her under his wing, scorning Desil. Ambition takes root in Lythlet’s heart as a life of fame and wealth unfolds in her imagination.

 But Lythlet isn’t the only one out for coin and glory, and she soon finds herself playing an entirely different game—a game of politics and deception. As the cost of her ambition grows, she will have to decide if sacrificing her honor, and only friendship, is worth the chance to shape her own fortune.

 A whirlwind of blood-pounding battles as characters grapple with their choices in the face of wealth and financial security, The Serpent Called Mercy's heart is the underlying, steadfast friendship between its protagonists.

REVIEW

How far will you go to get everything you want? Roanne Lau explores this in an enjoyable fantasy debut about two slumdogs who fight in arena battles against monsters to better themselves from their poverty-stricken lifestyle.

Taking influences from the hugely popular Squid games Lau tackles feelings of empathy, duality, justice and the effects of poverty.

Lythlet is a young girl who lives with her friend Desil at the edge of society, living hand to mouth Lythlet is indebted to loan sharks for essential healthcare.

Seeing an advert for underground monster fighting, Lythlet and Desil enter themselves into the competition and unwittingly win their first bout. As the competition moves on, Lythlet and Desil finds themselves gaining stardom as their star grows.

As the story progresses, Lythlet finds herself coming under the watchful gaze of the Fagin like Games Master who taps into her desire to pull herself from the poverty trap that she is in at the moment.

Whilst this is marketed as Squid Games meets Witcher, I didn’t find this entirely to be the case to be honest and instead found it to be more reminiscent of a Dickensian tale.

I have to say that I was surprised about how much I actually enjoyed this one to be honest. Initially I wasn’t taken in by the idea of fighting pits as it is a trope that has been overused in fantasy in my opinion, and luckily after the initial first bouts, this is not central to the plot.

There were a number of issues that I found interesting in this. One of them is the character of Lythlet. Whilst initially she points to being autistic in her outlook, I felt that there was much more to her character, particularly the effects of having a mother that has mental health problems which have ultimately resulted in attachment issues.

There is also the question of how we treat the poorer members of our society, in that the rich employ them as convenient commodities that can used and abused without any thought.

In addition to this, Lythlet is an interesting character in that she has many flaws. She is at once innocent in her outlook in life and will find herself abused both mentally and physically. However, when she is enabled by the Games Master, she equally has these qualities, and at times these put her relationships with others on the line to get what she wants.

All in all, whilst not perfect, this was a surprisingly good read that had me hooked.