The Cruelest Mercy cover art

The Cruelest Mercy

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The Cruelest Mercy

By: Natalie Mae
Narrated by: Jesse Vilinsky
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About this listen

In this sequel to The Kinder Poison - which People magazine proclaimed a "delicious high-stakes adventure" - the magical kingdom of Orkena is on the brink of war, and the only person who can save it is Zahru, the girl they once doomed to death.

After surviving the Crossing, Zahru has sworn off adventures. While Crown Prince Jet navigates the looming threat of war, she's content to simply figure out what the future holds for them. But they're dealt a devastating blow when prince Kasta returns with a shocking claim: He's the true winner of the Crossing and the rightful heir, and he bears the gods' mark as proof. Even more surprising - he's not the only one.

Somehow, Zahru possesses the very same mark, giving her equal right to the throne. The last thing she wants is to rule beside her would-be executioner, but she can't let Orkena fall into his merciless hands. So Zahru, Jet, and their allies must race against the clock to find a way to stop Kasta, because once he's crowned, there's no telling what horrors he'll unleash to win the war.

Zahru will do whatever it takes to keep Kasta from taking the throne...but to stop a villain, is she willing to become one herself?

©2021 Natalie Mae (P)2021 Listening Library Fiction Historical Fiction Literature & Fiction Romance Science Fiction & Fantasy Fantasy Royalty

Critic Reviews

"In this charming, well-rounded follow-up to The Kinder Poison, Zahru’s entertaining, funny narrative voice continues to engage and balance out the otherwise heavier tone of a story that deals with power dynamics, dark magic, horrific betrayals, and social injustice and that offers a thoughtful examination of just what a ruler should be willing to sacrifice for the greater good. A fantastically rewarding sequel." (Kirkus, starred review)
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This book was hard to listen to because it wasn’t your conventional ‘the hero overcomes their demons’ story… it was a much more honest human experience than that.
We are returned again to the beautiful desert landscape painted by Natalie Mae. The level adventure was brilliant and the characters were rich. This book flows on nicely from the first book.
I found the main character to be incredibly stubborn, however, this made the turning points all the more sweet.
I would have loved more romance but that’s because I’m a complete sucker!
Overall, brilliant. I would recommend this series if you want something with gorgeous imagery, adventures, keeps you guessing (usually wrong), and has serious moments in the mix of the fun.

Powerful

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I wish I would get a refund. I'm so filled with self loathing for hoping this would build on the first book. The MC became evil and manipulative and entitled. The storyline just became ridiculous and silly. It was unbelievable, the plot was unconvincing, I did not believe that the MC was capable or should become ruler.
I strongly do not recommend. It was a let down.

Disappointing

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