Book Title: The Cruelest Mercy (The Kinder Poison #2)
Author: Natalie Mae
Purchase: Amazon
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Description from Goodreads:

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?

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars 

The Cruelest Mercy picks up right after the events of The Kinder Poison. While I didn’t remember much from the first book in the series to start, it all came flooding back as I dove back into Natalie Mae’s world. 

Zahru remarkably survived The Crossing, which her country and Mestrah chalk up to the will of the gods. However, she survived with more than just her life — she also has a god’s mark on her chest that proclaims her a rightful ruler of Orkena. And she’s not the only one. Kasta is shockingly not dead and he’s sporting the same mark. Which means for the first time ever, Orkena may have two rulers — one of whom has grown up a commoner. 

This story is paced really well so the pages fly by. I immensely enjoyed The Kinder Poison and I wondered if The Cruelest Mercy could live up to its predecessor, but I need not worry. Watching Zahru come to grips with the manipulative power the knife blessed her with is an interesting journey. Her new power allows her access to human thoughts and emotions, similar to the Whisper abilities she already had with animals. As a natural empath, she takes to her new power quickly, all the while grappling with her own natural ease and what it means. While she appreciates her newfound strength and respect, she’s terrified of becoming the power-hungry villain of her own story.

Exploring the theme of what makes a villain — in particular, how to discern when it’s happening before it’s too late to stop — is a smart choice. I loved the exploration of the gray moral space between right and wrong, even as I felt frustrated with Zahru for drawing closer to the person she never wanted to become: Kasta. One of Zahru’s best qualities is her ability to extend empathy toward everyone, particularly the villainous Kasta. But she rationalizes his actions so much that she begins to mimic them under the guise of doing “what’s best for Orkena.” In these moments, Zahru isn’t always likable, but the mistakes she makes are realistic and root the story in human nature. AND in spite of all these struggles, Zahru continues to be a badass heroine, pushing Orkena’s leaders to take her seriously, to see her when they’d rather ignore her existence.

The other shining star of this book is Kasta. His journey is such a mysterious enigma! Good guy, bad guy, or somewhere in-between? Fans of Leigh Bardugo’s the Darkling will understand. Obviously Kasta’s behavior is rooted in trauma and I so want to root for him, but gosh does he make it hard sometimes. In Kasta, Mae has painted such a compelling and layered character that I can’t help but want everything to work out for him in the end. That said, the way we leave Zahru and Kasta leaves me a little uneasy but I’m reserving judgement until the next book, especially given the all-seeing bird’s unresolved prophecy (if you know, you know).

The Cruelest Mercy doesn’t spend as much time with the amazing cast of characters we met in the first book, with the notable exception of Jet, a one-man snooze-fest. There is a noticeable lack of Sakira. On the other hand, there’s much more Hen, whose personality I find exhausting. Don’t get me wrong, she feels realistic! Just too demanding and unyielding of a friend for my tastes. Anyway, back to the Jet point — the downgrading of his character seems intentional and I do prefer him and Zahru as friends. I don’t really remember their relationship from book one, but there’s no chemistry between them. More like a friendly loyalty.

All in all, The Cruelest Mercy is a solid and engaging follow-up to The Kinder Poison, one that continues to build the immersive world of Orkena, delve deeper into its magic system, and explore moral ambiguity. As an added bonus, there’s plenty of casual queer representatio, particularly among royalty. I’m loving this series and can’t wait to see where Natalie Mae takes these characters.