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**THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER**
‘THE START OF SOMETHING TRULY EPIC’ Fonda Lee, author of the Green Bone Saga
‘DAZZLING . . . THIS IS SPACE OPERA AT ITS BEST’ Publishers Weekly

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Expanse comes a spectacular new space opera that sees humanity fighting for its survival in a war as old as the universe itself. Invasion is only the beginning . . .

The Carryx – part empire, part hive – has waged wars of conquest for centuries, destroying or enslaving species across the galaxy in its conflict with an ancient and deathless enemy.

When they descend on the isolated world of Anjiin, the human population is abased, slaughtered and put in chains. The best and brightest are abducted, taken to the Carryx world-palace to join prisoners from a thousand other species.

Dafyd Alkhor, assistant to a prestigious scientist, is captured along with his team. Even he doesn’t suspect that his peculiar insight and skills will be the key to seeing past their captors ‘ terrifying agenda.

Swept up in a conflict beyond his control and vaster than his imagination, Dafyd is poised to become humanity’s champion – and its betrayer.

This is where his story begins.

‘The beginning of what could be Corey’s most epic – and entertaining – series yet. Simply mind-blowing’ Kirkus

‘No one builds a universe like James S. A. Corey. When it ends, all you’ll want is . . . more’ John Scalzi, New York Times bestselling author

‘Terrifying alien overlords and a vast intergalactic war with humankind on the brink of annihilation . . The Mercy of the Gods is the start of something truly epic’ Fonda Lee, author of the Green Bone Saga

‘Like The Expanse, The Mercy of Gods balances cosmic stakes with an astonishingly powerful human drama. Pitch-perfect storytelling’ M. R. Carey, author of The Girl With All the Gifts

‘A fast-paced, intelligent book. Corey is always one of the most engaging voices in the genre’ Adrian Tchaikovsky, author of Children of Time

‘The Mercy of Gods radiates the dread and revelation of first contact, shaping new worlds and cultures that had me riveted’ Bethany Jacobs, author of These Burning Stars

‘All the things you want in an alien invasion novel: overwhelming aliens, end-of-world terror, and plucky humans who never stop fighting . . . A bang-up read. I want more’ Paolo Bacigalupi, New York Times bestselling author

‘A powerful, provocative masterpiece that I will be thinking about for a very long time’ Ryka Aoki, author of Light from Uncommon Stars

Publisher Review

No one builds a universe like James S. A. Corey. THE MERCY OF GODS is wilder and weirder than you can imagine, and when it ends, all you’ll want is . . . more * John Scalzi, NEW YORK TIMES Bestselling Author * James S. A. Corey serves up terrifying alien overlords and a vast intergalactic war with humankind on the brink of annihilation – all while never losing focus on its cast of vulnerable, courageous characters. The Mercy of the Gods is the start of something truly epic * Fonda Lee, author of the Green Bone Saga * While the character development is exceptional, the pacing breakneck, the emotional intensity off the charts, and the worldbuilding simply extraordinary, it’s the sheer scope of the narrative – the Carryx’s backstory, their “long” war, the countless sentient races they’ve conquered and/or destroyed, etc. – that will have science fiction fans befittingly blown away. The sense of wonder associated with the story’s magnitude is simply breathtaking . . . The beginning of what could be Corey’s most epic – and entertaining – series yet. Simply mind-blowing.” * KIRKUS * Like The Expanse, The Mercy of Gods balances cosmic stakes with an astonishingly powerful human drama. Pitch-perfect storytelling * M. R. Carey, author of THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS * James S.A. Corey’s The Mercy of Gods is a thrilling, furious adventure, but beneath its quicksilver plot and epic space battles lies a brilliant, unflinching exploration of how alien alien life might be. Like Starship Troopers by way of The Metamorphosis, yet with a vision all its own, The Mercy of Gods is a powerful, provocative masterpiece that I will be thinking about for a very long time. * Ryka Aoki, Author of LIGHT FROM UNCOMMON STARS * All the things you want in an alien invasion novel: overwhelming aliens, end-of-world terror, and plucky humans who never stop fighting. If that was all there was, The Mercy of Gods would be great, but amid the mayhem James S. A. Corey also manages to weave in a closely observed study of the small things that make us human: our loves and jealousies, our foibles and weaknesses, our empathy and our resilience. A bang-up read. I want more * Paolo Bacigalupi, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author * Ever wonder what happens after the alien invasion? The Mercy of Gods radiates the dread and revelation of first contact, shaping new worlds and cultures that had me riveted. Characters to root for and disdain, Corey’s novel delves into the human condition as that condition irrevocably changes. These guys are on their game, and I can’t wait until the next book in the series! * Bethany Jacobs, author of THESE BURNING STARS * A fast-paced, intelligent book. Corey is always one of the most engaging voices in the genre * Adrian Tchaikovsky, author of CHILDREN OF TIME * The Mercy of Gods is a wonderful mix of alien worldbuilding on a grand scale and deeply human characters, a portrait of reactions to adversity and disaster and the morality of collaboration * Django Wexler, author of HOW TO BECOME THE DARK LORD AND DIE TRYING * This is an intelligent and innovative sci-fi epic with infinite scope that somehow never overshadows the small moments of human vulnerability and courage… Nail-biting suspense makes for an engaging and compulsively readable intro to yet another ambitious series from this writing team * LIBRARY JOURNAL * First contact, domestication experiments, and the knife-edge between appeasement and intel-gathering. Corey spins a gripping story where the twinned stakes are humanity’s survival and the humanity of characters pushed to the brink by brutal intergalactic conquerors * Yoon Ha Lee, author of NINEFOX GAMBIT * Writing as Corey, bestsellers Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck (The Expanse) create a dazzling new world in their masterful Captive’s War series launch . . . In Corey’s hands, world-shaking events don’t preclude nuanced and moving portraits of the people caught up in them. This is space opera at its best. * PUBLISHERS WEEKLY * Thrilling, intimate, thought-provoking and inventive, The Mercy of Gods is a well-crafted start to a new sci-fi series from the author of The Expanse . . . In this first installment of a new series, Corey deftly creates a new universe of alien strangeness for humans to test themselves against. I’m excited to see how far we can go in future entries * BOOKPAGE * Interplanetary adventure the way it ought to be written * George R. R. Martin on Leviathan Wakes * As close as you’ll get to a Hollywood blockbuster in book form * io9.com on Leviathan Wakes * This is the future the way it was supposed to be * Wall Street Journal on Leviathan Wakes * Tense and thrilling * SciFiNow on Leviathan Wakes *